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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) took its first step in moving Washington-based staff out West, offering up vacant, but perhaps lower profile positions to staffers, despite objections from lawmakers.

The Department of Interior announced in July that it would leave just 61 BLM employees in the capital and move about 300 other Washington-based employees to offices closer to the public lands they manage.

In an email to staff sent late Friday and obtained by The Hill, BLM head William Pendley encouraged staffers to apply for vacant positions that have been moved out West as part of the agency’s effort to relocate most of its D.C.-based staff.

Pendley’s email comes as some lawmakers on Friday asked the agency to suspend its relocation plans. Lawmakers have raised questions over whether such a move is even legal.

The email from Pendley says D.C.-based staff will be given “priority consideration” for vacant positions in order to “help retain Washington Office BLM employees.”

But those familiar with government pay grades say many of the positions offered up by Pendley are at a lower grade and may not pay as well as employees’ jobs in D.C.

Pendley’s email offers vacant positions at the GS-12 pay level and above, but many BLM Washington office employees are GS-13 and higher. Pay also varies by location, with employees in larger cities often earning more.

The vacant jobs are being offered up before BLM employees have been notified of where they are being transferred. 

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“I read it as, ‘Your job is going West … at a location as yet to be determined. However, if one of these other BLM jobs is attractive, you will get hiring/selection preference if you qualify,’” said Steve Ellis, who retired from BLM in 2016 as the deputy director for operations, the highest career-level position.

Ellis said in addition to possibly being lower paying jobs, the positions being offered by Pendley may offer work that is fundamentally different from roles Washington employees fill. 

“What they’re basically telling these people is we’re going to give you priority on GS-12 and above jobs in the field, but they may not be Washington office jobs,” he said. 

Washington office jobs are not always located directly in D.C, but they are usually policy-focused, he said.

Interior did not immediately respond to request for comment.

“This BLM internal hiring control will remain in effect until qualified and interested [Washington Office] BLM employees find placement in western locations, or as otherwise determined by leadership, whichever may occur first,” Pendley wrote.

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The Defense Department on Thursday identified two U.S. Army soldiers who died Wednesday as Master Sgt. Luis F. DeLeon-Figueroa and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez.

DeLeon-Figueroa, 31, of Chicopee, Mass., and Gonzalez, 35, of La Puente, Calif., were assigned to 1^st Battalion, 7^th Special Forces Group, and were killed in Faryab Province, Afghanistan, by small arms fire. The incident is being investigated, according to the Pentagon, which did not disclose the affiliation of who is believed to have killed them.

The two were in the country supporting the ongoing NATO mission Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

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The announcement of the deaths Wednesday, before the two were identified by name, brought the number of U.S. service members killed in combat in Afghanistan to the highest annual number since 2014.

The two were the 13^th and 14^th U.S. combat fatalities in Afghanistan in 2019. Two other U.S. fatalities in Afghanistan this year were not combat-related.

Thirteen servicemembers were killed in 2018, with 11 in 2017, nine in 2016, 10 in 2015 and about 40 in 2014.

The deaths came amid ongoing peace negotiations between the U.S. and Taliban forces, and indications of the threat of violence from other forces such as Afghanistan-based Islamic State fighters, who have taken credit for an attack on a wedding in Kabul that killed 80 people last weekend.

Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard Pompeo’China will not sit idly by’ if US sells fighters to Taiwan, official says The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump touts new immigration policy, backtracks on tax cuts Iceland’s prime minister will not be in town for Pence’s visit MORE this week said there are “certainly places where ISIS is more powerful today than they were three or four years ago.”

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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) said she supports requiring President TrumpDonald John TrumpHarris campaigns off of NRA attack Help wanted: American ambassador in Moscow Goldman Sachs CEO dismisses ‘impending economic crisis’ amid rising recession fears MORE and other presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the ballot for Election Day.

“We have to hold our elected officials accountable. I think this is just one way of doing it,” Brown said in an interview with HuffPost published Monday.

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Brown’s remarks follow recent action in California, where Gov. Gavin NewsomGavin Christopher NewsomNew California law blocked over 100 people from buying ammo illegally in first month Trump, RNC sue to block California law requiring release of tax returns California governor says gender ‘missing in the national conversation’ about shootings MORE (D) last month signed into law a measure that would require candidates for president and governor to disclose federal tax returns from the five most recent years in order to appear on the primary ballot.

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Earlier this year, legislation was introduced in the Oregon state Senate requiring presidential and vice presidential candidates to disclose tax returns in order to appear on the ballot in general elections. The measure was still in committee when the Democratic-controlled legislature adjourned.

The state legislature is scheduled to reconvene in January. Oregon’s 2020 presidential primaries are scheduled for May.

The California law prompted legal challenges from Trump, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and a group of voters represented by the conservative group Judicial Watch.

The RNC weighed in on Brown’s comments Monday, with spokesman Steve Guest saying, “Instead of trying to beat President Trump at the ballot box, Democrats are resorting to unconstitutional, undemocratic, and just plain desperate tactics.”

A spokesperson for Brown said her remarks to HuffPost were made in response to California’s law, not any specific measure in Oregon.

Those challenging the California law have argued it’s unconstitutional. When Newsom signed the measure into law, he released statements from legal experts who argued that it is constitutional.

Brown told HuffPost that she expects “you’ll see other legislation like this in the future.”

Trump has refused to release his tax returns, becoming the first president in decades not to voluntarily make his filings public. He has cited an IRS audit, but the IRS has said nothing prevents people from making their own tax information public.

Democrats have taken a number of steps in their efforts to obtain Trump’s tax returns.

In Congress, House Democrats have requested six years of Trump’s federal tax returns from the IRS. The Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee filed a lawsuit last month in an effort to get a judge to order the Trump administration to comply with the request.

New York enacted legislation last month to allow the chairs of Congress’s tax committees to request officials’ state tax returns. Trump has filed a lawsuit challenging the New York law, and the judge overseeing the case has temporarily blocked New York from providing the Ways and Means Committee with Trump’s returns if the panel requests them.

Updated at 5:31 p.m.

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President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump cites brother’s struggles with alcohol as driving force behind fight against opioids Booker: ‘Knowing the bloody, violent truth of our past empowers me’ Analyst says Trump’s Venezuela policy is driven by Florida politics MORE tore into French President Emmanuel MacronEmmanuel Jean-Michel MacronHillicon Valley: DOJ approves T-Mobile-Sprint merger | Trump targets Google, Apple | Privacy groups seek to intervene in Facebook settlement | Democrats seize on Mueller hearings in election security push On The Money: US growth slows to 2.1 percent | Trump vows response to French tech tax | Trump won’t give Apple tariff waivers | House panel releases documents on Nixon tax return request to bolster case against Trump Trump vows ‘substantial reciprocal action’ against France over tax targeting tech giants MORE for sending Iran “mixed signals” following reports that he invited Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to this month’s Group of 7 (G-7) summit to meet with Trump.

“Iran is in serious financial trouble. They want desperately to talk to the U.S., but are given mixed signals from all of those purporting to represent us, including President Macron of France,” Trump said in a series of tweets.

“I know Emmanuel means well, as do all others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself. No one is authorized in any way, shape, or form, to represent us!” he continued.

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A French diplomat on Wednesday told Reuters that the report saying Macron extended the invite to Rouhani was incorrect. The French Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill regarding Trump’s tweets. 

France and other European signatories to an Obama-era nuclear deal are scrambling to negotiate with Tehran to reverse its recent enrichment of uranium beyond the agreement’s limits. Though Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pact last year, international observers say Iran had remained complaint until recently. 

Trump has sought to deploy a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran to force it back to the negotiating table to make a deal over its nuclear stockpile, missile program and support for armed groups in the Middle East. The administration has already slapped sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, metals sector, foreign minister and supreme leader, which Trump has suggested he can ramp up. 

“Iran is showing their colors. Going to work out very nicely. Iran is in big trouble right now,” Trump said last month. “A lot of bad things are happening to them. It’s very easy to straighten out, or it’s very easy for us to make it a lot worse.”

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Tensions increased between Washington and Tehran after Iran was accused of bombing oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and downing an unmanned U.S. surveillance drone. Trump said he authorized a retaliatory strike but then aborted the attack after learning 150 Iranians could be killed. 

The president has said he’s open to negotiating with Iran on a range of issues, though Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has likened talks with the U.S. to “poison.”

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A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed one of two charges against former Obama White House counsel Gregory Craig, who was indicted earlier this year on charges that he made false statements to investigators and concealed information about his work for Ukrainian officials.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee, dismissed the charge against Craig for making a false statement to the Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit, according to a court filing in Washington, D.C.

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She wrote that there is ambiguity surrounding whether the federal statute can be applied to the document Craig submitted in October 2013 that allegedly contained materially false information. Craig served in the White House from 2009-2010.

The remaining charge alleges that Craig engaged in a scheme to conceal his work that began in 2012 for the Ukrainian government under now-former President Viktor Yanukovych. Craig’s attorneys unsuccessfully requested the charge be dismissed.

Craig’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday. He has pleaded not guilty.

The former Obama administration official was indicted in April for allegedly making false statements to investigators and withholding information about work related to Paul ManafortPaul John ManafortUsing the pardon power to encourage law breaking Federal prosecutors examining Trump friend’s role in foreign lobbying: report Mueller’s ignominious finale MORE’s lobbying in 2012 on behalf of pro-Russia politicians in Ukraine.

That same year, Manafort hired Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where Craig worked at the time, to draft a report about defending the Ukrainian government’s imprisonment of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko was a political opponent of Manafort’s client, Yanukovych.

Manafort went on to become Trump’s campaign chairman in 2016. He was later convicted on various criminal charges.

Craig left Skadden Arps in 2018, and earlier this year the firm agreed to register as a foreign agent as part of a settlement with the Justice Department.

Craig was reportedly investigated by now-former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerTrump calls for probe of Obama book deal Democrats express private disappointment with Mueller testimony Kellyanne Conway: ‘I’d like to know’ if Mueller read his own report MORE before his case was referred to the Southern District of New York and then back to federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. He was the first known major Democratic figure to be charged in one of the probes stemming from Mueller’s investigation.

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The Interior Department took notes from the FBI, which handles reams of classified material and is known as a slower responder to public records requests, while developing its controversial policy for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, according to emails reviewed by The Hill.

Internal emails obtained through a FOIA request by Earthjustice and shared with The Hill show that Interior employees were eager to talk to FBI staff who oversaw FOIA requests as it sought to deal with its own mounting public records requests.

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“I understand from my discussions with the US Attorney’s Office in D.C. that the FBI’s FOIA program and strategy in FOIA litigation is pretty much the ‘gold standard,’ ” Rachel Spector, an official with Interior’s Office of the Solicitor, wrote to an unnamed FBI official on April 14, 2018.

“Sorry to be so persistent, but we are scrambling to get our arms around a significant surge in FOIA requests and accompanying litigation,” she wrote to another FBI official seeking information on their procedures.

The emails show Interior was particularly interested in the FBI’s “500-page per month policy,” under which the FBI only releases 500 pages of requested material to each requester per month. That rule has routinely been challenged in courts with mixed success by advocacy groups who argue it skirts FOIA law.

The “500-page per month policy” did not become a part of Interior’s new FOIA process, but critics say the discussions show the lengths to which the department went to try to find ways to not have to respond quickly to requests.

“I can’t imagine any reason for adopting the FBI’s approach other than it seems like a slow enough rate for them to be happy with processing records,” said Jeffrey Light, a FOIA specialist attorney.

The emails also show Interior reached out to officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) while it was working on its policy.

Both the EPA and Interior in 2018 were actively working to draft new FOIA policies under President TrumpDonald John TrumpFormer White Supremacist calls on Trump to stop using fear to motivate people Walmart employee urges workers to strike until the company’s stores stop selling guns Biden: Violent video games ‘not healthy’ but aren’t ‘in and of itself why we have this carnage’ MORE. Interior ultimately submitted its draft policy in December 2018. EPA submitted its finalized policy without a public comment period at the end of June.

An Interior Department official said the policies were drafted in a way to “increase the value of the services we provide to the American people.” 

“As part of the Department’s efforts to improve its FOIA program, we consulted other federal agencies to better understand their practices including training, technology, and processing. We are committed to increasing transparency and improving our ability to meet our statutory obligations with an ever-increasing volume of FOIA requests,” Interior spokeswoman Molly Block told The Hill in a statement.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its interactions with the Interior Department.

Thomas Cmar, a lawyer with Earthjustice, said Interior’s use of the FBI as a potential model for handling FOIA requests was troubling because “the FBI has a long and storied history of lack of transparency.”

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“I think it says a lot about Interior’s point of view on transparency that they are looking for examples on efforts trying to clamp down on transparency as models for how the agency should adopt its procedures,” he said.

The FBI provided Interior with full texts of one of the court cases connected to the 500-page rule’s proceedings, writing: “The Appeal Court concluded the FBI’s policy was not in violation of the FOIA; the policy is a non-obstructionist; the policy serves to promote efficient responses to a larger number of requesters.”

Light, who has represented clients challenging the FBI’s FOIA rule, said he understood Interior’s interest in the FBI policy even though it was a bit like comparing “apples and oranges” given the often classified nature of FBI information.

“I can certainly understand from an agency’s perspective why they would want to have a cap on how many pages they want to do,” he said. “Because then, if there is a request that is large, you can forward the requester to be in a position to give up documents they really want or having to wait an inordinate amount of time to get them. It gives them a lot of leverage.”

The emails show Interior officials were interested in learning more about the EPA’s recent reorganization of FOIA request handling to a central office in Washington, D.C.

EPA in April 2018 quietly moved its national FOIA office to its Office of General Counsel, a big change that meant requests went to a general office rather than specific EPA bureaus.

Critics say the shift made EPA political appointees — and not career officials — the first gatekeepers for FOIA requests.

The EPA’s new policy has been challenged in the courts by a number of environmental groups over its lack of transparency and also spurred a bipartisan group of senators at the end of July to introduce a FOIA reform bill.

Interior set up meetings with EPA officials to discuss the rules after they learned of them.

“FYI,” wrote Cindy Cafaro, an officer in Interior’s FOIA policy office, as she forwarded an internal EPA press release about the National Freedom of Information Act office. The April 25, 2018, email was sent to Juliette Lillie, director of Interior’s Office of the Executive Secretariat and Regulatory Affairs, and Robert Howarth, the director of congressional affairs.

Four months later, Interior’s acting solicitor Edward Keable and EPA’s acting FOIA director Timothy Epp held a meeting.

“Thank you again for taking the time this afternoon to meet with us,” Keable wrote Epp on Aug. 24. In the email, Keable suggested further discussing topics at a second meeting, scheduled for Aug. 28.

“What is your experience with and how do you minimize false positives? How do you manage quality control?” Keable asked Epp in the Aug. 24 email, referring to ways the agency could minimize the chances of releasing incorrectly identified documents from FOIA request match search results.

Cmar said the interactions were troubling because “we’ve seen serious abuses of the process at both agencies under this administration.”

Another internal email suggested that Interior Secretary David Bernhardt personally requested learning more details about EPA’s FOIA process. Bernhardt was deputy secretary at the time.

In August, an email sent from Lillie to acting Interior Solicitor Daniel Jorjani and Hubbel Relat, a senior counselor at Interior, said a “David” had asked staff to reach out to EPA.

“This morning we met with David on FOIA. He asked us to reach out to EPA to learn about their management processes, including clearing out backlog, accountability, management, staffing, tools, etc. and how they made the changes. Would it be possible for you to reach out within the next week?” Lillie wrote. “We are on a tight time frame to provide some additional guidance back to David. I am happy to discuss further with you, when you are available.”

Interior did not respond to a specific question about Bernhardt’s involvement.

The EPA told The Hill that it will “continue to work with all federal partners to share best practices for FOIA responses.” The agency did not comment on its communications with the Interior Department regarding FOIA policies.

Interior’s final draft FOIA policy submitted in December did not include EPA’s centralization plan.

Interior did not respond to questions about why the two policies were not included and whether it is looking to incorporate them.

Interior’s draft FOIA policy has been criticized for including what’s known as an “awareness review,” which allows senior political appointees to review public documents referencing them before release. Critics warn the practice can slow the dissemination of public information and gives officials undue authority to potentially influence the withholding of documents.

Sen. Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenTrump casts uncertainty over top intelligence role On The Money: Trump to hit China with new tariffs next month | Stocks plummet on latest trade threat | Senate sends budget deal to Trump | Judge orders NY not to share Trump’s tax returns for now Top Democrat: ‘Disqualifying’ if Trump intel pick padded his résumé MORE (D-Ore.) last week placed a hold on Jorjani’s nomination to be the official Interior solicitor, citing concerns over his work on Interior’s FOIA policy and a lack of candor about his involvement while testifying to Congress.

Interior’s Inspector General is separately investigating the merits of the Interior FOIA policy.

“I am writing to ask you that you include in the scope of your investigation the role Deputy Solicitor Daniel Jorjani played in establishing DOI’s ‘supplemental’ FOIA review policy or any awareness he may have had of the policy’s existence before his confirmation hearing,” Wyden last week wrote to the Inspector General’s Office.

“I believe your investigation may be the best hope of uncovering information critical to a possible DOJ investigation before the Senate moves forward with his confirmation vote,” he wrote.

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.

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Happy Friday and welcome back to On The Money, where we’re more than willing to test all 2020-themed ice cream flavors. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com, njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

 

Programming note: On The Money won’t be taking a summer vacation, but we’ll only be running once a week throughout August. We’ll still have plenty of coverage of Trump’s trade war, the state of the economy, the battle over Trump’s tax returns and far more at TheHill.com though.

 

THE BIG DEAL–Positive July jobs report: The U.S. added 164,000 jobs in July, the Labor Department reported Friday, a positive sign amid concerns about the long term health of the economy.

The July jobs report largely met expectations, showing a resilient but slowing labor market. The unemployment rate held even at 3.7 percent, and the labor force participation rate was little changed at 63 percent.

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The jobs report comes one week after the Commerce Department released data showing a notable slowdown in U.S. growth and sharp declines in business activity. 

While the labor market has rallied through many of those obstacles, the July jobs report showed unmistakable signs of a cooling economy, a potential challenge for President TrumpDonald John TrumpKentucky miners’ struggle is that of many working Americans Cummings releases statement on attempted break-in after Trump attacks PhRMA top lobbyist to leave post MORE as he seeks reelection. I explain why here.

• May’s dismal jobs gain of 72,000 was revised down to just 62,000, while a stellar June jobs gain of 224,000 jobs was cut to a less impressive 192,000 jobs. The 41,000-job reduction dragged down the average monthly gain over the past three months to 140,000 jobs.

• The economy also leaned heavily on the service sector for expansion, creating roughly 130,000 jobs, while goods-producing and construction industries stayed largely stagnant.

• The manufacturing sector added just 16,000 jobs, remaining largely unchanged, and wage growth has stayed flat since notching 3.2 percent in 2018. The lackluster employment figures follow a decline in U.S. industrial activity since the start of 2019 and a 5.2 percent decline in exports in the second quarter.

 

LEADING THE DAY

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Trump signs two-year budget deal: President Trump on Friday signed a sweeping budget deal that increases federal spending and lifts the nation’s borrowing limit, the White House said.

The new law suspends the debt ceiling through July 2021, removing the threat of a default during the 2020 elections, and raises domestic and military spending by more than $320 billion compared to existing law over the next two fiscal years.

Trump signed the measure without fanfare at the White House one day after the Senate voted 67-28 to send it to his desk. Last week, the House passed the budget package by a vote of 284-149 before starting its August recess. 

Fiscal hawks and some conservative Republicans decried the measure, which is projected to add nearly $2 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. 

Even so, Trump threw his support behind it in large part because it cleared the decks of a messy budget fight as the 2020 campaign kicks into high gear and because it boosts military spending.

 

…But a border fight is throwing a curveball: Lawmakers are bracing for a fierce fight over President Trump’s border wall as they work to prevent a shutdown showdown but with no plan on how to avoid it.

Government funding for Trump’s wall and agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become a landmine in spending bill negotiations, with talks late last year leading to a 35-day partial closure that marked the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore CapitoTrump border fight throws curveball into shutdown prospects The Hill’s Morning Report — Mueller testimony gives Trump a boost as Dems ponder next steps The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Muller testimony dominates Washington MORE (R-W.Va.), who chairs the Department of Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee, put her hand to her chin as though she were deep in thought when asked if there was a plan to avoid another battle over the wall and immigration-related issues.

“Hmm, that’s a good question. I think it’s going to be a problem,” she said. 

 

The issue: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the 12 individual appropriations bills that need to pass Congress and be signed into law by Oct. 1 or be extended by way of a continuing resolution to buy lawmakers more time.

• Senators on both sides of the aisle say they have no appetite to repeat the knock-down, drag-out fight similar to last year’s funding bills.

• But appropriators responsible for moving funding legislation through Congress are struggling to find an offramp to avoid another high-stakes fight.

The Hill’s Jordain Carney tells us why here.

 

GOOD TO KNOW

• China threatened on Friday to levy retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. in response to President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would place new tariffs on Chinese goods beginning next month.

• President Trump on Friday announced a deal with the European Union to increase market access for U.S. ranchers… and then scared the heck out of U.S. Trade Representative Bob LighthizerRobert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerChinese, US negotiators fine-tuning details of trade agreement: report The Trump economy keeps roaring ahead Trump says no discussion of extending deadline in Chinese trade talks MORE with a joke about tariffs on European cars.

• “The American middle class is falling deeper into debt to maintain a middle-class lifestyle,” according to The Wall Street Journal. 

 

ODDS AND ENDS

• The merger of two major Kosher food brands is like General Motors buying Ford for some American Jews. 

 

RECAP THE WEEK WITH ON THE MONEY:

• Monday: Trump banks on Fed, China to fuel 2020 economy | Judge orders parties to try to reach deal in lawsuit over Trump tax returns | Warren targets corporate power with plan to overhaul trade policy

• Tuesday: Fed poised to give Trump boost with rate cut | Parties unable to reach deal in Trump tax return lawsuit | New York opens investigation into Capital One data breach

• Wednesday: Fed cuts rates for first time since financial crisis | Trump rips Fed after chief casts doubt on future cuts | Stocks slide | Senate kicks budget vote amid scramble for GOP support

• Thursday: Trump to hit China with new tariffs next month | Stocks plummet on latest trade threat | Senate sends budget deal to Trump | Judge orders NY not to share Trump’s tax returns for now

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A prominent conservative group is raising concerns about a potential budget deal that would raise spending caps and suspend the debt limit.

The Club for Growth is taking issue with the fact that a budget agreement could lead to an increase in the debt at a time when debt and deficit levels are already high. The group’s comments come after the Office of Management and Budget estimated that the deficit will be about $1 trillion this year.

“Congressional Leadership continues to aggressively pursue spending agreements that propel our country toward bankruptcy and fiscal crisis,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh said in a statement Friday. “President TrumpDonald John TrumpCould Donald Trump and Boris Johnson be this generation’s Reagan-Thatcher? Merkel backs Democratic congresswomen over Trump How China’s currency manipulation cheats America on trade MORE will be running for reelection with an annual deficit over $1 trillion and without Congress having made any progress on America’s staggering national debt, which exceeds $22 trillion.”

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McIntosh added that the Club for Growth has been encouraged by people in the Trump administration who are interested in reining in deficits, but that “too many in Congress, especially those in Leadership, have no intention of showing fiscal restraint.”

Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinHow China’s currency manipulation cheats America on trade The Hill’s Morning Report: Trump walks back from ‘send her back’ chants Trump faces new hit on deficit MORE said Thursday that he and House Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDHS chief to Pelosi: Emergency border funding ‘has already had an impact’ The Hill’s Morning Report: Trump walks back from ‘send her back’ chants Trump faces new hit on deficit MORE (D-Calif.) have reached an agreement on the top-line numbers for defense and nondefense discretionary spending for a two-year budget deal. 

Mnuchin said that the administration and congressional leaders are still discussing what amount of spending cuts and revenue raisers would be included in the package to help pay for the agreement.

The Trump administration is pushing for about $150 billion in offsets to be included in the deal. The White House sent Capitol Hill a list of offsets on Thursday night.

A Democratic source close to the talks said that the White House’s list is a “starting point for negotiations on this aspect,” and that the administration understands that those levels are “nonstarters” for Democrats. Discussions about offsets remain ongoing.

The Committee for Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a budget watchdog group, said in a statement Friday that any budget deal shouldn’t add to the debt.

“Now is the chance for Congress to show they can support federal investments and national security without abandoning fiscal responsibility and leaving the bill for future generations,” CRFB President Maya MacGuineas said.

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Democratic presidential candidate Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegButtigieg on Biden’s Iraq War vote: ‘that vote was a mistake’ Buttigieg on Biden’s Iraq War vote: ‘that vote was a mistake’ Buttigieg on offers of foreign intel: ‘Just call the FBI’ MORE responded to remarks from President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump defends Stephanopolous interview Trump defends Stephanopolous interview Buttigieg on offers of foreign intel: ‘Just call the FBI’ MORE regarding offers of foreign intelligence, saying that in that case, the president should “call the FBI.”

The South Bend, Ind. mayor told CBS’s “Face the Nation” that it is not acceptable to receive information from a foreign government about a political opponent. 

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“Just call the FBI. It’s not hard. It’s not complicated,” he said. “If you think there’s a foreign effort to tamper with an American election and you’re an American who cares about America, you call the FBI.”

Buttigieg also said that this issue “isn’t hypothetical,” referring to Russian interference attempts in in past elections. 

“We were attacked by a hostile foreign power that decided that they could damage America, destabilize America, by intervening in the election to help him win. And they did and he did, and now America’s destabilized,” he said, apparently talking about Trump. “So this is not some academic exercise. This is something that has happened and will probably happen again.”

The presidential hopeful also questioned how a president who cares about the U.S. could allow a “potentially hostile foreign power” to interfere in its elections. 

“You have to draw a very clear line,” he said. “If you care about this country, if you believe in putting this country first, how could you ever talk about allowing a foreign- potentially hostile foreign power to interfere in the most sacred thing that we have in our civic tradition in America, which is our elections?” 

Buttigieg’s remarks come after President Trump said Wednesday that he would consider accepting information political opponents from foreign entities. 

“I think you might want to listen. There’s nothing wrong with listening,” Trump told ABC News. “It’s not an interference. They have information. I think I’d take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI.”

In the interview, ABC News host George StephanopoulosGeorge Robert StephanopoulosButtigieg on offers of foreign intel: ‘Just call the FBI’ Buttigieg on offers of foreign intel: ‘Just call the FBI’ Trump weighs in on UFOs in Stephanopoulos interview MORE noted that Trump’s FBI director, Christopher Wray, has said campaigns should report such contact from foreign entities to the bureau.

“The FBI director is wrong,” Trump responded.

 The president’s remarks received criticism from several lawmakers.   

 

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A British human rights watchdog has launched an investigation into the Labor Party following complaints about anti-Semitism.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said Tuesday the investigation will determine if the left-leaning party has “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimized people because they are Jewish.” 

It will also seek to determine if the party has responded to complaints efficiently and effectively.

The Labour Party has committed to fully cooperate with the investigation, the commission said in a release. 

A report of the investigation findings will be published once the probe is concluded. 

Accusations of anti-Semitism within the party and regarding party leader Jeremy Corbyn have been circulating since mid-2016, ahead of the Brexit vote, according to the BBC.

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In February, seven Labor Party lawmakers quit the party after claiming anti-Semitism was not adequately being addressed within its ranks.

Mike Katz, chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, told the BBC that the party’s response to anti-Semitism for years has been “woeful at best, and institutionally racist at worst.” 

“Last year we took the unprecedented step to refer the party to the EHRC, and we welcome their decision today to launch a full statutory inquiry,” Katz said. 

Accusations of racism among British politicians are not contained to one party. 

On Tuesday, The Muslim Council of Britain asked the watchdog group to launch an investigation into allegations of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, the BBC reported.