White House chief of staff Mark MeadowsMark Randall MeadowsRNC includes Jacob Blake in opening prayer Herschel Walker: Racism isn’t Donald Trump Trump turns up pressure on FDA MORE on Wednesday warned he did not expect a quick breakthrough on stalled coronavirus relief talks, floating the possibility that they could drag into an end-of-September government funding fight.

Meadows, during a live interview with Politico, said he hadn’t had any recent conversations with Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOvernight Defense: House panel probes Pompeo’s convention speech | UN council rejects US demand to restore Iran sanctions | Court rules against Pentagon policy slowing expedited citizenship The Hill’s Convention Report: GOP convention heads into second night | How Night One was received | NRCC chair predicts GOP will flip the House Pelosi calls Pompeo’s convention address from Jerusalem ‘appalling’ MORE (D-Calif.), beyond his staff reaching out to hers on Tuesday.

“I don’t anticipate that we’ll actually get a phone call,” he said.

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Meadows added that he’s had “very productive conversations” with House and Senate Democrats, who he argued wanted a deal, but that he didn’t expect an agreement in the immediate future.

“I’m not optimistic. I think the Speaker is going to hold out until the end of September and try to get what she wants in the funding for the government during the [continuing resolution],” Meadows said.

Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said the Tuesday outreach referenced by Meadows came in the form of a text message that just confirmed the Speaker’s staff had the right number for Meadows and did not mention resuming negotiations on a coronavirus aid package. Hammill also noted that Meadows did not call Pelosi on Sunday, after indicating during an interview with ABC News’s “This Week” that he planned to do so.

Congress is expected to need to pass a continuing resolution (CR) by Sept. 30 to fund the government and prevent a shutdown just a month out from Election Day. Republicans have been quietly discussing trying to link coronavirus relief to a stop-gap funding bill if the COVID-19 talks get kicked into September.

Pelosi bristled, when asked earlier this month, about delaying coronavirus relief aid until the end of September to combine it with the government funding negotiations.

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“People will die,” she told reporters at the time.

But coronavirus negotiations between Pelosi, Meadows, Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets House poised to approve B for Postal Service in rare Saturday vote MORE and Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Senate Democrats map out climate change strategy | Green groups challenge Trump plan to open 82 percent of Alaska reserve to drilling | 87 lawmakers ask EPA to reverse course after rescinding methane regulations Senate Democrats map out climate change strategy The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Sights and sounds from GOP convention night 1 MORE (N.Y.) have gone basically nowhere since talks collapsed earlier this month.

In addition to specific policy differences, the two sides remain far apart on the price tag. Democrats offered to drop $1 trillion from their roughy $3.4 trillion package if Republicans would add the same amount to their roughly $1 trillion measure.

“Democrats have compromised in these negotiations. We offered to come down $1 trillion if the White House would come up $1 trillion. We welcome the White House back to the negotiating table but they must meet us halfway,” Hammill said on Wednesday. 

Republicans and the Trump administration have balked at that offer. Instead, Senate Republicans are crafting a smaller package, expected to be around roughly $500 billion, that would include money for the Postal Service, federal unemployment aid, another round of Paycheck Protection Program funding, as well as help for schools and money for coronavirus testing.

Republicans had been expected to unveil their new bill last week but appeared to still be finalizing the details. Sen. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioRepublicans incriminate Trump, decimate his ‘Russia hoax’ narrative The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden says he’s open to serving two terms; GOP convention begins Graham tweets support for Navalny: ‘The Russian people will reach a tipping point where they tire of Putin’ MORE (R-Fla.), during a separate interview with Fox News, said Republicans were “going to take another shot at it.” 

“We’re very close to having a bill that Republicans are prepared to move on, hopefully as early as next week,” Rubio said.

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter with this LINK.

Welcome! Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech reporter, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills), for more coverage.

BIPARTISAN QANON RESOLUTION: Reps. Denver RigglemanDenver RigglemanHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks The Hill’s Convention Report: GOP convention heads into second night | How Night One was received | NRCC chair predicts GOP will flip the House GOP wants more vision, policy from Trump at convention MORE (R-Va.) and Tom MalinowskiThomas (Tom) MalinowskiHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks The Hill’s Convention Report: GOP convention heads into second night | How Night One was received | NRCC chair predicts GOP will flip the House Bipartisan lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon conspiracy theory MORE (D-N.J.) introduced a bipartisan resolution Tuesday condemning QAnon.

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The sprawling conspiracy theory centers around the baseless belief that President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: GOP seeks to detoxify Trump at convention Harris honors Women’s Equality Day in op-ed, calls for voting reform Trump breaks with precedent on second night of convention MORE and his allies are working with the military to expose a shadowy cabal of elites who control U.S. politics and run child trafficking rings.

But it also casts a wide net, bringing in people who believe, for example, that Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonKanye West makes it on the ballot in Minnesota Hillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks Trump revives 2016 playbook for Biden battle MORE engages in Satanic sacrifices or that John F. Kennedy Jr. is alive and in hiding. 

Malinowski warned that letting the theory fester without condemnation could prove dangerous.

“Conspiracy theories that falsely blame secret cabals and marginalized groups for the problems of society have long fueled prejudice, violence and terrorism,” he said in a statement. “It’s time for us to come together across party lines to say that QAnon has no place in our nation’s political discourse.”

Riggleman — who lost a primary for his seat earlier this year and is one of the most vocal opponents of the theory within the GOP — called QAnon “a danger and a threat that has no place in our country’s politics.”

“I think we’ve got to look at stopping sort of the fringes of the parties controlling any type of narrative when it comes to these types of theories,” he told The Hill in an interview. 

The resolution outlines several examples of criminal activity and violence tied to the supporters of the conspiracy theory, which has been labeled by the FBI a potential domestic terrorism threat.

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It also highlights the theory’s anti-Semitic undercurrents, a common thread between many of the conspiracies under QAnon’s tent.

Beyond condemning QAnon, the resolution calls for the FBI and federal law enforcement to dedicate more resources to countering conspiracy-driven extremism. 

Read more.

CYBER COMMAND STEPS UP: National Security Agency Director and U.S. Cyber Command Commander Paul Nakasone on Tuesday detailed how the U.S. is using a “defend forward” strategy against those attempting to interfere in U.S. elections or targeting the nation in other ways online. 

Nakasone described the more offensive strategy of Cyber Command in an op-ed for Foreign Affairs co-written with his senior advisor Michael Sulmeyer, pointing to efforts to counter foreign targeting of elections, COVID-19 research, and the online fight against ISIS. 

Nakasone described the new approach as “defending forward,” going toe-to-toe with adversaries seeking to do the U.S. harm in cyberspace. 

“Cyber Command implements this defend forward strategy through the doctrine of persistent engagement,” Nakasone wrote. “The idea behind persistent engagement is that so much of the corrosive effects of cyber attacks against the United States occur below the threshold of traditional armed conflict. Yet much of Cyber Command’s combat power had been devoted toward preparations in the event of future contingencies.”

“We realized that Cyber Command needs to do more than prepare for a crisis in the future; it must compete with adversaries today,” he added. 

According to Nakasone, a mission to Montenegro by Cyber Command personnel last year to assist in fighting back against Russian hacking efforts against Montenegrin government networks was one way in which the agency was able to prepare to defend the 2020 elections from interference. 

“Montenegro has faced increased harassment from Russia since joining NATO in 2017, and the Cyber Command team was there to investigate signs that hackers had penetrated the Montenegrin government’s networks,” he wrote. “Working side by side with Montenegrin partners, the team saw an opportunity to improve American cyber defenses ahead of the 2020 election.”

Nakasone highlighted the efforts by Cyber Command and other federal agencies including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to secure U.S. elections, writing that a “concerted effort to undermine the midterm elections” was successfully disrupted in 2018 due to this partnership.

“Together with its partners, Cyber Command is doing all of this and more for the 2020 elections,” he noted. 

Read more here. 

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DEMS REQUEST CYBER BRIEFING: Reps. Josh GottheimerJoshua (Josh) GottheimerHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets House Democrats call on State Department for information on Uighur prisoner Ekpar Asat MORE (D-N.J.) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) asked the Trump administration on Monday to provide more details on the recent seizure of cryptocurrency assets of several major terrorist groups.

The request came two weeks after the Justice Department announced that the federal government had seized and dismantled cryptocurrency efforts of al Qaeda, ISIS and the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.

The cyber-enabled cryptocurrency schemes used social media to raise money for the groups that included using the COVID-19 pandemic to raise funds. 

Cleaver, the chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy, and Gottheimer, a member of the subcommittee, requested that Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets House poised to approve B for Postal Service in rare Saturday vote MORE and Attorney General William BarrBill BarrHillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks House Democrats request briefing on seizure of terrorist cryptocurrency assets Trump to be briefed on police shooting of Jacob Blake MORE brief the subcommittee on the operation.

“It is vital that Members of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy receive a briefing, at the appropriate classification level, on this action, the largest ever seizure of online terrorist financing, from the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury on this investigation,” Cleaver and Gottheimer wrote.

They also requested that the Treasury Department provide an “assessment” of its efforts to confront malicious actors targeting U.S. financial networks.  

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“This will further inform the Subcommittee on what legislative actions we should be undertaking to provide regulators and law enforcement the proper resources and tools to continue to address the illicit use of cryptocurrency and disrupt terrorist organizations’ financial networks,” the House Democrats wrote.

Read more.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: Sen. Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottKentucky AG Daniel Cameron tells Biden he’s ‘not in chains,’ touts Trump Miami mayor: Need for affordable housing is ‘another pandemic’ Hillicon Valley: Lawmakers introduce resolution condemning QAnon | US Cyber Command leader vows to ‘defend forward’ in protecting nation from cyberattacks MORE (R-S.C.), who delivered the final speech of night one of the Republican National Convention, predicts mail-in ballots will work “just fine,” despite concerns raised by President Trump that mail-in balloting will open the door to election fraud.

Scott, in an interview with NBC News’s “Today,” said that in contrast to the president, he has “a lot of confidence in our electoral process.”

Scott told host Savannah Guthrie that he’s “confident that we will have fair elections across this country.”

“This process of mail-in ballots will work out just fine,” he said.

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Scott, who played a leading role in putting together a Senate Republican police reform bill earlier this year, has emerged as an increasingly influential figure within the GOP.

His comments on mail-in ballots undercut Trump’s repeated claims that Democrats are pushing for expanded voting by mail as an attempt to steal the election.

Trump made the argument again Monday during a surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., where he spoke for an hour after being officially nominated for reelection.

Read more here. 

UBER’S POLL SUPPORTS UBER’S PLAN (DUH): Ride-hailing giant Uber released a poll showing their drivers “overwhelmingly support” being classified as independent contractors.

The survey, first obtained by Axios, found 82 percent of drivers support their independent contractor status. Only 15 percent said they would prefer a traditional employment status.

“Drivers and Voters overwhelmingly support Uber’s new Independent Contractor (IC) plan … that allows Drivers to continue to work as Independent Contractors, maintaining the flexibility and freedom of working independently, but gives them access to benefits that today are only available to employees under existing labor laws,” according to the firms that conducted the poll — Benenson Strategy Group and GS Strategy Group.

Ride-hailing apps like Uber contract drivers who use their own vehicles and work on their own terms. Though some may work as many hours as a full-time employee, they are not entitled to a health insurance or other benefits.

Uber has started discussing a flexible benefits plan for drivers that would allow them to keep their independent status. The new poll found 89 percent of drivers support the plan.

Read more.

 

Lighter click: Should provide some backcourt depth 

An op-ed to chew on: Contact tracing can stop COVID-19 — only if Americans allow government access to personal data

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB:

After sending content moderators home, YouTube doubled its video removals (Protocol / Issie Lapowsky)

Epic judge will protect Unreal Engine – but not Fortnite (Verge / Russell Brandom, Sean Hollister, and Jay Peters)

Burnout, splinter factions and deleted posts: Unpaid online moderators struggle to manage divided communities ( Washington Post / Heather Kelly)

Unsealed Google court docs raise concerns on geofence warrants, location tracking (CNET / Alfred Ng)

An appeals court on Thursday granted Uber and Lyft’s requests to delay an injunction requiring the ride-hailing giants to classify their drivers as employees while the case is being considered.

The decision to grant the emergency stay comes the same day that both companies were set to be required to comply with Assembly Bill 5, a landmark law that establishes a test for determining whether workers can be classified as independent contractors rather than employees.

As full employees, drivers would get basic worker protections like a minimum wage and the right to organize.

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Lyft announced before the appeals court decision that it would be suspending service in California at midnight. It reversed its decision to suspend operations shortly after the stay was granted.

“While we won’t have to suspend operations tonight, we do need to continue fighting for independence plus benefits for drivers,” a spokesperson for the company told The Hill.

Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi had also threatened to suspend ride-hailing operations in the state, but no official announcement has been made. 

A spokesperson for the company confirmed that service will no longer be cut off after the decision.

“We are glad that the Court of Appeals recognized the important questions raised in this case, and that access to these critical services won’t be cut off while we continue to advocate for drivers’ ability to work with the freedom they want,” they told The Hill.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman had ruled last week that Uber and Lyft must classify their drivers as full employees under the new bill, giving the companies 10 days to file an appeal.

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That injunction will now be put on hold until the case is resolved in the appellate court, granted both companies agree to the conditions of the case.

If they do not, the injunction will take effect Aug. 25.

Both companies are being asked to file a brief by Sept. 4. On that date, both companies are also being asked to submit a sworn statement from their chief executives with an implementation plan to comply with Assembly Bill 5 if the court ultimately sides with Attorney General Xavier BecerraXavier BecerraUber, Lyft granted emergency stay of injunction requiring drivers be reclassified in California Lyft says it will continue service in California after court ruling Overnight Energy: Green groups see legal flaws in Trump’s Arctic drilling plan | 14 states sue Trump administration over gas transportation rule | Conservation groups push lawmakers for Pendley’s removal MORE, who brought the initial case, and Proposition 22 fails to pass.

Proposition 22, which gig worker companies have poured millions into supporting, would exempt such companies from the bill.

Although the proposition would give some additional benefits to gig workers, the November ballot measure has faced strong pushback from drivers.  

Updated at 4:24 p.m.

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Walmart announced Thursday that is it joining Microsoft in a joint effort to secure a deal with TikTok.

Microsoft has been exploring a deal with the short form video app for some time now, a process that has been accelerated by President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: Trump uses convention to target key states Conway hails Trump as ‘champion’ of women Former ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ star Trace Adkins sings at GOP convention MORE signing an executive order that would effectively ban TikTok from operating in the U.S. unless its parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, divests.

The order from Trump, signed earlier this month, claims that because ByteDance is based out of China, the app poses a national security risk.

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“The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC on Thursday.

“We believe a potential relationship with TikTok U.S. in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising businesses,” they continued. “We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of U.S. TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators.”

A spokesperson for TikTok declined to comment on “market rumors.”

Microsoft did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

Trump’s executive order, signed Aug. 6, would ban transactions with TikTok within 45 days. He signed another order the following week giving ByteDance 90 days to divest, a tight timeframe given the logistical issues in spinning off one portion of the app.

Oracle has also reportedly been seeking out a deal with ByteDance. Trump has voiced support for Microsoft and Oracle’s efforts.

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There may ultimately be a longer period for a deal to be met after TikTok filed a lawsuit against the administration this week.

The case, filed Monday, alleges the administration’s decision to effectively ban the app in the U.S. violated its right to due process. The company also argued that the administration has failed to offer evidence about a security threat it poses. 

TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, with roughly 100 million American users and more than 2 billion downloads worldwide.

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The Trump administration announced over $1 billion in funding for new research institutes focused on artificial intelligence and quantum computing on Tuesday.

The funding will be allocated to seven National Science Foundation-led AI institutes and five Department of Energy-led quantum ones over the next five years.

“Today, the Trump Administration is making an unprecedented investment to strengthen American leadership in AI and quantum, and to ensure the Nation benefits from these emerging technologies,” Michael Kratsios, the White House’s chief technology officer, said in a statement.

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“Built upon the uniquely American free market approach to technological advancement, these institutes will be world-class hubs for accelerating American innovation and building the 21st century American workforce.”

The quantum computing centers will get a boost from private sector companies including IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Applied Materials and Lockheed Martin. 

“IBM is looking forward to playing an integral role, as we combine our talent, expertise, and research capabilities to accelerate progress towards the ambitious goal of achieving Quantum Advantage and the creation of a new quantum industry,” Dario Gil, IBM’s research director, said.

President TrumpDonald John TrumpThe Memo: GOP seeks to detoxify Trump at convention Harris honors Women’s Equality Day in op-ed, calls for voting reform Trump breaks with precedent on second night of convention MORE has frequently pushed to increase funding for both AI and quantum.

His proposed budget earlier this year included doubling nondefense AI spending from roughly $973 million to almost $2 billion. 

It also included plans to boost quantum information science research by 50 percent compared to the previous year.

There has been interest in quantum computing on Capitol Hill as well, with leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee introducing legislation in January meant to increase investments in artificial intelligence and quantum computing. 

A separate bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in May introduced the Endless Frontiers Act to create a Directorate of Technology at the NSF that would be given $100 billion over five years to invest in American research and technology issues, including quantum computing. 

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A group of Senate Democrats is reviving its concerns about the Pentagon’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing a spike in cases in July.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperRand Paul hits Biden over Iraq: He ‘will continue to spill our blood and treasure’ Overnight Defense: House panel probes Pompeo’s convention speech | UN council rejects US demand to restore Iran sanctions | Court rules against Pentagon policy slowing expedited citizenship Overnight Defense: Pompeo criticized for GOP convention speech from Jerusalem | State Dept says UAE arms sales under review | California Guardsman becomes sixth military COVID-19 death MORE, the nine senators called reports of a rise in cases among service members “concerning.”

“We are pleased to see that the department is taking some precautionary measures to address the spread of the virus, but are concerned that the department is still not properly prioritizing the health and well-being of our service members,” they wrote in the letter, dated Wednesday.

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As of Wednesday, the Pentagon has reported a total of 53,033 coronavirus cases connected to the department, including 36,600 cases in the military.

There have been a total of 80 deaths reported across the department, including six service members. Of the troops who have died, one was an active-duty sailor, while the others were reservists or National Guardsmen. 

The senators specifically highlighted that the number of COVID-19 cases connected to the Pentagon grew by more than 21,000 in July, a more than 100 percent increase.

The letter was organized by Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenNadler, Maloney endorse Markey in Senate primary Business world braces for blue sweep Trump claims Democrats ‘using COVID to steal an election’ MORE (D-Mass.) and co-signed by Democratic Sens. Mazie HironoMazie Keiko HironoSenate Democrats demand answers on migrant child trafficking during pandemic Overnight Defense: Guardsman to testify Lafayette Square clearing was ‘unprovoked escalation’ | Dems push for controversial Pentagon nominee to withdraw | Watchdog says Pentagon not considering climate change risks to contractors Democrats urge controversial Pentagon policy nominee to withdraw MORE (Hawaii), Patty MurrayPatricia (Patty) Lynn MurrayPelosi huddles with chairmen on surprise billing but deal elusive House approves two child care bills aimed at pandemic GOP, Democratic relief packages B apart on vaccine funding MORE (Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Jeff MerkleyJeffrey (Jeff) Alan MerkleyFilibuster fight looms if Democrats retake Senate Senate Democrats demand answers on migrant child trafficking during pandemic Hillicon Valley: NSA warns of new security threats | Teen accused of Twitter hack pleads not guilty | Experts warn of mail-in voting misinformation MORE (Ore.), Sherrod BrownSherrod Campbell BrownOn The Money: Fed officials saw recovery slowing, virus threat growing | Trump urges boycott of Goodyear tires, prompts backlash | Analysis blames monopoly power for income inequality Sherrod Brown blasts Trump’s ‘despicable’ call for Goodyear boycott What Trump’s orders will and won’t do for payroll taxes, unemployment benefits MORE (Ohio), Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenTrump payroll plan would deplete Social Security by 2023: Administrator Five takeaways from final Senate Intel Russia report Wyden: FBI didn’t share information related to GOP Obama-era probe with Democrats MORE (Ore.), Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharBiden says he felt no pressure to choose a Black woman as running mate Buttigieg says differences between Biden and Trump are ‘almost punching us in the face’ Biden unites Democrats — for now MORE (Minn.) and Ed MarkeyEdward (Ed) John MarkeyThe Hill’s Convention Report: Mike and Karen Pence set to headline third night of convention Nadler, Maloney endorse Markey in Senate primary Markey widens lead to 12 points in Massachusetts Senate race: poll MORE (Mass.).

The latest letter follows one sent in April by the same group of senators — plus Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisGOP sticks to convention message amid uproar over Blake shooting Police group leader calls Biden-Harris ‘most radical anti-police ticket in history’ Latino Victory to boost Alex Padilla to fill Harris’s potential Senate seat MORE (D-Calif.), who has since become the Democratic vice presidential nominee — that sparked a fierce response by the Pentagon.

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In the April letter, the senators expressed “grave concern” with how the Pentagon was handling the pandemic, citing incidents such as the outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and images of Marines standing close together in long lines without face masks to get haircuts to comply with grooming standards.

The April letter elicited a six-paragraph statement from the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, a rebuke from Esper during a Pentagon press briefing and a letter from Esper to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.).

The Pentagon also replied directly to the senators in May in a letter released Thursday by Warren’s office.

“It is unfortunate that your letter used inaccurate media reports that have been discredited to unfairly portray the department while we are in the middle of the COVID-19 fight,” Robert Hood, the then-assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, wrote in the May response.

“To be clear, what we have done is work with some of the leading health care experts in the military and throughout the government to find the right balance of protecting our people and protecting America,” he added.

The Pentagon declined Thursday to comment on the senators’ newest letter, with spokesperson Jessica Maxwell saying that “as with all congressional correspondence, we will respond directly to the authors of the letter.”

In the new letter, the senators said they were “surprised” Esper would “deflect our concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on readiness and morale.” They cited Esper’s comment in his letter to Inhofe that their earlier letter “does not respect the 62,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines currently deployed across the nation.”

“To be clear: our motivation is to protect the health and wellbeing of service members and their families, and our concerns are with you and the civilian leadership at DoD who are responsible for keeping American service members and their families safe and ready to accomplish their missions,” the Democratic senators wrote.

“While we understand the desire to write off the series of ongoing COVID-19-related problems in the DoD [Department of Defense] as a byproduct of ‘inaccurate media reports,’ and that DoD cannot prevent all cases of COVID-19, the fact remains that cases within the Department are rising at an alarming rate,” they added.

In addition to the thousands of COVID-19 cases tied to the department, the senators said that dozens of U.S. troops deployed to South Korea have tested positive for the virus when they arrived from the United States, and new cases among U.S. troops in Japan prompted the Japanese defense minister to accuse “the U.S. military of lax coronavirus controls.”

“Ensuring American service members and dependents do not have COVID-19 before traveling abroad must be of paramount concern to DoD leadership to maintain trust with partners and allies,” the senators wrote.

The Democrats said the May letter from Hood did not answer the specific questions in their April letter. They reiterated that they want answers to those dozen questions, including what the department’s current plan to address the pandemic is while continuing operations and protecting troops’ health, whether the department knows how many service members actually have the virus given asymptomatic cases, and what the department’s plan is for long-term mitigation in the event of future outbreaks.

“Congress stands ready to support the department, but we cannot do so if basic questions are not answered regarding DoD’s response,” they wrote. “We know you share our desire to protect U.S. service members, DoD civilians and their families while maintaining the highest possible readiness.”

Updated at 9:32 a.m.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Tuesday unveiled an ad campaign against Rep. Devin NunesDevin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: Protests against George Floyd’s death, police brutality rock the nation for a second week Sunday shows preview: Leaders weigh in as country erupts in protest over George Floyd death The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – George Floyd’s death sparks protests, National Guard activation MORE (R-Calif.) over allegations he met with a former Ukrainian official to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE. 

“When Rep. Devin Nunes isn’t palling around with the soon-to-be criminally indicted, he’s traveling to Europe trying to pressure foreign governments to dig up dirt on President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s political rivals while wasting thousands in taxpayer funds,” DCCC spokesman Andy Orellana said in a statement.

“It’s become abundantly clear that Nunes is doing the absolute most to make himself more and more vulnerable while he ignores the hardworking folks of the Central Valley in order to do Trump’s political bidding,” he added.

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The DCCC is spending under $100 on the new ads, according to Facebook’s ad archive.

The group specifically cited new reporting that Nunes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, met with former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin in December to discuss Biden, one of Trump’s chief political rival.

The California Republican played a starring role in the House’s impeachment inquiry, defending Trump from allegations that he tied $400 million in military aid and a White House visit for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Kyiv launching an investigation into the former vice president on unfounded corruption charges.

The ads started running Tuesday and will appear on Facebook across California’s 22nd Congressional District.

“Devin Nunes thinks YOU ALL are a bunch of turkeys. While Nunes was stuffing his pockets with $57,000 in taxpayer dollars, he was jetting off to Europe to do Trump’s political dirty work at the expense of Central Valley families,” one ad reads, referencing the price tag of Nunes’s trip to Vienna to meet with Shokin. 

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Nunes now could face a congressional review of whether he violated House ethics rules by allegedly meeting with Shokin on a taxpayer-funded trip after an outside group filed a complaint against him with the independent Office of Congressional Ethics.

Multiple Democrats are running against Nunes next year as the party seeks to unseat him in his rural district, though a victory there remains a long shot for the Republicans’ competitors. 

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates Nunes’s seat as “Likely Republican.”

Reporters and campaign staffers looking to quickly jet to New Hampshire after the Iowa caucus have a chance to grab tickets on a direct charter flight out of Des Moines at 1 a.m.

The Granite Express, a one-time charter flight launched by Washington, D.C.-based logistics expert Doug Landry, is scheduled to fly in and out of private terminals on the morning of Feb. 4.

The flight’s organizers tout it as a chance for press and staffers to bypass layovers and long security lines, and they’re offering more than 100 seats on the flight.

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The first 30 seats, for $750 a ticket, have already been booked, organizers said. The next 30 seats are available for $950 each, followed by another 30 for $1,450 each and the final 30 for $1,950 each.

Landry told The Hill the first seats booked have all been taken by “large media organizations,” but added that he’s been in discussions with “3 out of the 5 frontrunners in Iowa” since publicly announcing the charter Monday. He did not specify which campaigns he was referring to. 

“It’s likely we’ll end up with a fairly healthy chunk of staff on board, based on those conversations — but the press is still the main target market,” Landry said. 

The Granite Express is not associated with a campaign or media organization. Landry most recently worked as trip director on Sen. Tim KaineTimothy (Tim) Michael KaineWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Senate panel passes amendment to bar using troops against protesters Defense bill turns into proxy battle over Floyd protests MORE’s (D-Va.) aircraft for the 2016 general election. Kaine was Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE’s running mate.

The charter plane will not have Wi-Fi access, though, which means staffers and press on the flight won’t be able to check on the Iowa results until the plane lands in New Hampshire, according to the Des Moines Register. But Landry dismissed the need for internet access on the 2 ½-hour journey out of Iowa.

“No matter whether the results are fully settled or not, there’s like a ‘drop dead’ point where there’s not so much more you can do in Iowa,” Landry told the newspaper.

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“I figure that, by 2 a.m. Eastern, whether the results are settled or not, nobody’s watching, you know, effectively,” he added.

The flight will leave Des Moines at 1 a.m. Central time on Feb. 4, an hour after caucus day, and land in Manchester, N.H., at around 4:45 a.m. Eastern time.

Ticket holders are allowed one checked bag and one standard carry-on with the cost of a seat. Additional bags, including checked camera gear, will cost $75 each.

Organizers are offering 100 percent refundable fares through Jan. 1 and 50 percent refundable tickets through Jan. 20 given the possibility of more candidates dropping out of the race before the first two states vote in the Democratic primary.

Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook McEnany says Juneteenth is a very ‘meaningful’ day to Trump MORE (D-Calif.) became the latest candidate to drop out of the race on Tuesday.

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Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE has reportedly signaled that he would only serve one term in the White House if elected in 2020 as the top-tier Democratic candidate faces questions about his age. 

Four people who regularly speak with the 77-year-old Biden told Politico that it is unlikely he would run for reelection in 2024, when he would be in his 80s. 

“If Biden is elected,” an adviser to the campaign told the news outlet, “he’s going to be 82 years old in four years and he won’t be running for reelection.”

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“He’s going into this thinking, ‘I want to find a running mate I can turn things over to after four years, but if that’s not possible or doesn’t happen then I’ll run for reelection.’ But he’s not going to publicly make a one-term pledge,” another adviser reportedly said.

Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director, declined Politico’s request for comment but later tweeted “this is not a conversation our campaign is having and not something VP Biden is thinking about.” 

Lots of chatter out there on this so just want to be crystal clear: this is not a conversation our campaign is having and not something VP Biden is thinking about. https://t.co/mXNEnX6GrU

— Kate Bedingfield (@KBeds) December 11, 2019

The Associated Press reported that Biden said in October that he wouldn’t promise to serve just one term but that he wasn’t necessarily committed to running for another four years. 

“I feel good and all I can say is, watch me, you’ll see,” he told the AP at the time. “It doesn’t mean I would run a second term. I’m not going to make that judgment at this moment.”

Biden has been a front-runner in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, and polling aggregation website RealClearPolitics has him in first place nationally, although his support is weaker in some early voting states.

-Updated 11:06 a.m.

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Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE has predicted that the 2020 presidential election will be “closer than one would like or expect” due to political divisions in the U.S. 

Asked about the upcoming election by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Clinton said, “I have no crystal ball. I think that it’s going to be a very tough election, as they seem to be these days, probably closer than one would like or expect and in part because we are so divided.”

“We are really a divided nation,” the former secretary of State added in an episode of Gillard’s podcast that was released Tuesday. 

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She attributed the divides to working in different kinds of economies, living in rural or urban areas, and accepting or rejecting cultural changes. 

Clinton made the remarks last month at King’s College London, and she referenced the start of public impeachment hearings that were occurring at the time.

Clinton was defeated in the 2016 election by President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE despite winning the popular vote. More than a dozen Democrats are currently running to face off against Trump next year. 

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