Sep 23, 2016 5 min read

Wake Up To Politics - September 23, 2016

Friday, September 23, 2016

3 Days until the first Presidential Debate (Sept. 26)

7 Days until the Government Funding Deadline (Sept. 30)
46 Days until Election Day 2016 + my 15th birthday (Nov. 8)I'm Gabe Fleisher for Wake Up To Politics, and reporting from WUTP world HQ in my bedroom - Good morning: THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL!!!

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From the Editor

I quickly just wanted to apologize for the shorter and less frequent newsletters this week: I have not been feeling well all week, but am now getting better! Today's newsletter is, again, shorter than usual...but I'll be back with renewed energy next week, with the first presidential debate of the 2016 general election finally upon us (!). Look for my debate preview Monday (plus updates on a bunch of other big news happening), then follow my live-tweeting (@WakeUp2Politic) that night, and check back Tuesday for a recap of what you saw (or missed).

Politics Planner

White House At 10am, President Obama recieves the Presidential Daily Briefing.
At 3pm, the President will meet with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.
At 4:20pm, Obama will speak at a reception honoring the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opens Saturday. Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, will attend and address the opening ceremony.
The museum has been a work-in-progress since 2003, when Congress authorized its construction; construction has been ongoing since 2012.
In addition, President Obama has until midnight to veto the "Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act," a piece of legislation allowing 9/11 families to sue the Saudi government. The White House has promised that the President will veto the bill; constitutionally, he only has 10 days after a bill's passage to do so, or the measure becomes law. The 10-day clock runs out at midnight.
Obama is still expected to veto the legislation, but has been postponing to see f he has enough votes to avoid a veto override. Obama has vetoed just 10 bills in his presidency, and has not yet gotten one overriden, but congressional Republicans appear to have the 2/3 majorities needed in each chamber to counterract a veto.
The legislation would make foreign governments no longer immune from U.S. lawsuits, allowing federal civil suits if a country participated in a terrorist attack on the United States. The White House has said the bill could lead to unintended consequences, including opening U.S. diplomats and service members to lawsuits. However, congressional Republicans, joined by families of 9/11 victims, have insisted that those repercussions will not ensue.
Congress Both chambers of Congress are not in session today, as negotiation continue over a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open after funding is set to expire a week from today.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled a "clean" CR on Thursday, a stopgap funding measure that mostly maintains current funding levels. The few exceptions include $1.1 billion for combating the Zika virus and $500 million for Louisiana disaster relief after recent flooding. McConnell's proposal will face its first test Tuesday, with a cloture vote already on the calendar.
McConnell could face opposition inside his own party: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has demanded that his amendment to stop the federal government from transferring overnight of the Internet master directory to an international organization be included. Cruz has considerable support for his provision, including from formal rival GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are expected to filibuster McConnell's proposal due to its exclusion of their provision to appropriate $220 million in aid to Flint, Michigan.
Campaign 2016 Neither presidential candidate has any public events today, as they presumably prepare for Monday's primetime debate.

Smart Reads

Doris Kearns Goodwin Interviews Obama (Vanity Fair) In what the magazine billed as "the ultimate exit interview," top presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and President Barack Obama discuss his "ambitions, frustrations, and the decisions that still haunt him."
When Clinton Changed Her Tune (BuzzFeed) Before May, Hillary Clinton was running against Donald Trump as an example of the usual brand of Republican extremism. BuzzFeed goes behind the campaign's decision to go beyond party lines and run against Trump as a different kind of Republican.
The West Wing, 15 Years Later (CNN) Actors from the great presidential drama "The West Wing" will campaign for Hillary Clinton in Ohio this weekend (for fellow "Wing-nuts," the actors who played Toby, CJ, Josh, Charlie, Will, and Kate will be on the trail). Is the show still relevant, after celebrating its 15th anniversary of being on the air Thursday. Answer: yes.

Today's Trivia

Today's Question Who was the first President to have their veto of a bill overridden?
Email me at trivia@wakeuptopolitics.com with your guess; correct respondents will get their name in Monday's edition of Wake Up To Politics.