Tax plan offers uncertain returns for both parties
Final pieces of tax bill fall into place with Collinsâ support - Bloomberg: âRepublican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said sheâll back the GOP tax bill -- putting to rest any questions about her support. With Collinsâs backing  the GOP has all but clinched the votes necessary to pass the legislation. Collins had said previously she wanted to review the final legislation before deciding. This week marks the last leg of Republicansâ push to revamp the U.S. tax code  with both the House and Senate planning to vote by Wednesday on final legislation before sending it to  President Donald Trump . The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the tax bill following a floor debate that morning. The House Rules Committee will meet Monday evening to set the terms for the floor vote  according to a statement from the Committee. The legislation will then be sent to the Senate  where GOP leaders intend to bring it up as soon as they get itâ¦â
No consensus - Politico: âRepublican leaders in both houses of Congress face a sticky situation this week as they try to avert a government shutdown: Each side has promised its members things that will not fly in the other chamber. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) heâd support passage of legislation by the end of the year to prop up Obamacare insurance markets â so long as she votes for tax reform. That addition  however  puts Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in a pickle: His members are loath to be seen as bailing out a health care law they hate. â¦ Theyâre eager to delay internal spending fights until the tax package â which Republicans view as critical to maintaining their congressional majorities in the 2018 midterm elections â reaches the Oval Office for  President Donald Trump âs signature sometime this week.â
 TRUMP  SAYS  HE âS NOT THINKING OF FIRING MUELLER
AP:  âPresident Donald Trump  says  he  is not considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller  but that didnât stop  him  from adding to the growing conservative criticism of Muellerâs acquisition of thousands of emails sent and received by  Trump  officials before the start of  his  administration. The disclosure came in a letter sent to two congressional committees by Kory Langhofer  general counsel of Trumpâs still-existing transition group  Trump for America. â¦ While conservatives have been critical of Muellerâs probe of Russian activities during the 2016 campaign   Trump  said Sunday afternoon that  he  has no plans to fire Mueller.  The president  did criticize the fact that Mueller had gained access the emails  however.  Trump  said it was ânot looking goodâ and again stressed that there was âno collusionâ with Russia â an important question the probe is examining.â
Report: House Intel was to interview Wasserman Schultz  Goldstone - The Hill: âThe House Intelligence Committee is set to interview Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and British publicist Rob Goldstone on Monday as part of its ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election  CNN reported. Wasserman Schultz resigned as head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in July 2016 after leaked emails showed party officials appeared to favor Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Wasserman Schultz has also denied knowing about an arrangement for the DNC to help fund an unverified dossier containing salacious allegations about  President Trump .â
The Hill: âMatthew Petersen  whom  President Trump  had tapped to be a federal judge in Washington  D.C.  has withdrawn his name after a cringeworthy clip from his confirmation hearing went viral. A White House official told The Hill  âMr. Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and  the President  has accepted.â Petersen struggled to answer questions from GOP Sen. John Kennedy (La.) about basic principles of law during a wince-inducing appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. In an interview with WWL-TV Monday morning  Kennedy said  Trump  called him after seeing the exchange. âThe president and I get along fine  and he has told me  âKennedy  when some of my guys send somebody over whoâs not qualified  you do your job â he said. â¦ In his withdrawal letter  obtained by Daily Beast reporter Sam Stein  Peterson touted his two decades of experience in administrative and constitutional law  but told  Trump  his nomination has become a âdistraction.ââ
Final pieces of tax bill fall into place with Collinsâ support - Bloomberg: âRepublican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said sheâll back the GOP tax bill -- putting to rest any questions about her support. With Collinsâs backing  the GOP has all but clinched the votes necessary to pass the legislation. Collins had said previously she wanted to review the final legislation before deciding. This week marks the last leg of Republicansâ push to revamp the U.S. tax code  with both the House and Senate planning to vote by Wednesday on final legislation before sending it to  President Donald Trump . The House is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the tax bill following a floor debate that morning. The House Rules Committee will meet Monday evening to set the terms for the floor vote  according to a statement from the Committee. The legislation will then be sent to the Senate  where GOP leaders intend to bring it up as soon as they get itâ¦â
No consensus - Politico: âRepublican leaders in both houses of Congress face a sticky situation this week as they try to avert a government shutdown: Each side has promised its members things that will not fly in the other chamber. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) heâd support passage of legislation by the end of the year to prop up Obamacare insurance markets â so long as she votes for tax reform. That addition  however  puts Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in a pickle: His members are loath to be seen as bailing out a health care law they hate. â¦ Theyâre eager to delay internal spending fights until the tax package â which Republicans view as critical to maintaining their congressional majorities in the 2018 midterm elections â reaches the Oval Office for  President Donald Trump âs signature sometime this week.â
 TRUMP  SAYS  HE âS NOT THINKING OF FIRING MUELLER
AP:   [TGT] says   [TGT]   is not considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller  but that didnât stop  him  from adding to the growing conservative criticism of Muellerâs acquisition of thousands of emails sent and received by   [TGT]   officials before the start of   [TGT]   administration. The disclosure came in a letter sent to two congressional committees by Kory Langhofer  general counsel of Trumpâs still-existing transition group  Trump for America. â¦ While conservatives have been critical of Muellerâs probe of Russian activities during the 2016 campaign    [TGT] said Sunday afternoon that   [TGT]   has no plans to fire Mueller.  The president  did criticize the fact that Mueller had gained access the emails  however.   [TGT] said  [TGT]  was ânot looking goodâ and again stressed that there was âno collusionâ with Russia â an important question the probe is examining.â
Report: House Intel was to interview Wasserman Schultz  Goldstone - The Hill: âThe House Intelligence Committee is set to interview Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and British publicist Rob Goldstone on Monday as part of its ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election  CNN reported. Wasserman Schultz resigned as head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in July 2016 after leaked emails showed party officials appeared to favor Hillary Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Wasserman Schultz has also denied knowing about an arrangement for the DNC to help fund an unverified dossier containing salacious allegations about  President Trump .â
The Hill: âMatthew Petersen  whom  President Trump  had tapped to be a federal judge in Washington  D.C.  has withdrawn his name after a cringeworthy clip from his confirmation hearing went viral. A White House official told The Hill  âMr. Petersen has withdrawn his nomination and  the President  has accepted.â Petersen struggled to answer questions from GOP Sen. John Kennedy (La.) about basic principles of law during a wince-inducing appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. In an interview with WWL-TV Monday morning  Kennedy said  Trump  called him after seeing the exchange. âThe president and I get along fine  and he has told me  âKennedy  when some of my guys send somebody over whoâs not qualified  you do your job â he said. â¦ In his withdrawal letter  obtained by Daily Beast reporter Sam Stein  Peterson touted his two decades of experience in administrative and constitutional law  but told  Trump  his nomination has become a âdistraction.ââ