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POTUS has had a busy week solidifying his legacy by advancing policy, designating national monuments, and paying homage to his team. The president-elect also had a busy week being showered with questions from his golden tower in New York. One week from today, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of these United States. Let that sink in. Here’s your Friday read... Obama and Holder
Giving us a little light at the end of this tunnel, President Obama has decided to make the process of legislative redistricting a central political priority in his first years after the presidency. Emerging as Obama’s chief collaborator and proxy is Eric Holder, the former attorney general and a personal friend of the president. Holder has signed on to lead the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, a newly formed political group aimed at untangling the creatively drawn districts that have helped cement the Republican Party in power in Washington and many state capitals. More here.
Obama Names Civil Rights Monuments
In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, POTUS designated three new national monuments honoring our country’s civil rights history and taking new steps to promote diversity in our national parks and other public lands. The new monuments are the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument in Alabama, the Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston, Alabama, and the Reconstruction Era National Monument in coastal South Carolina. More here.
Obama Ends Exemption for Cubans Who Arrive Without Visas
On Thursday, POTUS stated that he was terminating the 22-year-old policy that has allowed Cubans who arrived on United States soil without visas to remain in the country and gain legal residency. Obama's action is an unexpected move long sought by the Cuban government. More here.
60 Minutes with POTUS
President Obama will appear in his last presidential interview on network television in the CBS News program, 60 MINUTES PRESENTS, “Barack Obama: Eight Years in the White House,” an hour-long special to be broadcast this Sunday on CBS. More here.
Speaking of Fake News…Remember the Birther Thing?
The White House on Wednesday hit the incoming Trump administration for its lack of transparency, urging it to release more information to back up their claims of false information, such as reports about the president-elect’s supposed entanglements with Russia. Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said that’s the approach the White House took when confronted with false allegations that the president was not born in the U.S., charges advanced by Trump himself. More here.
Swearing on Jan. 20th
Vice president-elect Mike Pence will be sworn into office Jan. 20th by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Trump will be sworn in by the Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Traditionally, the chief justice swears in the president, and an incoming vice president picks someone else to administer the oath of office. More here.
Additional Committee Members for 115th Congress
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has recommended that the Democratic Caucus approve additional committee members from the Tri-Caucus for the 115th Congress. Agriculture: Dwight Evans (PA-our apologies for not noting this one on Wednesday). Budget: Ro Khanna (CA), Pramila Jayapal (WA), and Salud Carbajal (CA). Foreign Affairs: Ted Lieu (CA). Natural Resources: Colleen Hanabusa (HI), Nanette Barragán (CA), Darren Soto (FL), Jimmy Panetta (CA), A. Donald McEachin (VA), and Anthony Brown (MD). Oversight and Government Reform: Val Demings (FL) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL). Small Business: Dwight Evans (PA) and Stephanie Murphy (FL). Veterans Affairs: Lou Correa (CA). Click here to see all additional committee members.
Kamala Harris Calls Tyrone
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) has named Tyrone Gayle as her press secretary. Gayle was a national ppokesperson for Hillary for America and a former staffer for Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). He penned a letter to Hillary Clinton encouraging her to pick Kaine as her running mate while he was battling stage four cancer. Today, Gayle is cancer free. Born in Canada to Jamaican parents, Galye and his family moved to Jacksonville, FL in 1992. He has worked for Media Matters and the DCCC. Congratulations, Tyrone! For more on Gayle’s professional background, click here.
Cummings Staffer in Critical Condition
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings’ (D-MD) district staffer Katie Malone is in critical condition after a fire at her Baltimore home that killed six of her nine children. “It’s hard for me to imagine losing one child. But to lose six in an instant is very, very, very difficult," Cummings said at a news conference Thursday. More here.
Ellison Hires DNC Comms Director
Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), a leading candidate to head the Democratic National Committee, on Wednesday hired the organization's former Western regional communications director to be the national press secretary for his chairmanship bid. Walter García had been at the DNC since 2015. More here.
Former Hill Staffer Leading MGM DC Team
MGM disclosed Thursday that their new DC office will be led by Ayesha Khanna, a political veteran who, among other credits, most recently served as chief counsel to Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). She has also served as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel at the Department of Commerce, and as an associate at an international trade law firm. Khanna, named MGM's senior vice president for federal government affairs, will be joined by Norman Ross, vice president of federal government affairs. More here.
Booker Backlash Over Prescription Drug Vote
Thirteen Democrats, including Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) voted against an amendment that would have allowed Americans to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, and criitics say the vote is a sign that Big Pharma has too much power in the party. Booker said in an emailed statement that he supported the importation of prescription drugs to control costs generally, but that this amendment didn’t adequately make sure foreign drugs meet U.S. safety standards. More here.
The Congressional African Staff Association
The Congressional African Staff Association is “made up of people who have a heart for Africa,” according to Diana Konaté, the group’s president. Konaté is a scheduler for Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL). Vice President Kemah Dennis-Morial is a scheduler and legislative assistant for CBC Chair Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA). Communications Director Oumou Ly, works on foreign affairs issues in Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s office. More on this staff association here.
Trump War Room Director
Shripal Shah is the new vice president and "Trump war room director" at American Bridge 21st Century. He was previously communications director for the Senate Majority PAC. In 2014, Shah was communications director and then deputy campaign manager for Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and in 2012 served as national press secretary for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Richmond Has Words for Sen Judiciary Committee
Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) slammed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday when testifying against Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL). "First I want to address my concerns about being made to testify at the end of the witness panels," Richmond said. "To have a senator, a House member, and living civil rights legend testify at the end of all of this is the equivalent of being made to go to the back of the bus." More here.
NHLA Voices Opposition to Labor Pick
The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda has voiced their opposition to Trump’s pick for Labor Secretary. In a letter to the Senate they write, “(Andrew) Puzder has consistently chosen to adopt practices and policy positions that are at odds with the needs and aspirations of American workers.” See the full text of the letter here.
Warren v. Carson
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) grilled Dr. Ben Carson at his Thursday confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “Can you assure me that not a single taxpayer dollar you give out will financially benefit the president-elect or his family?” Warren asked Carson. In response, the former GOP presidential candidate promised to not “play favorites.” “I can assure you that the things that I do are driven by a sense of morals and values,” he said. But that wasn’t enough. Warren pressed Carson further. Click here to read the full story.
Carson: LGBTQ Don’t Deserve “Extra Rights”
It didn’t stop there. Ben Carson has often run afoul of the LGBT community, suggesting they take advantage of “political correctness.” He reiterated his belief Thursday that LGBT Americans don’t deserve “extra rights," after Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) pressed the Housing and Urban Development pick about whether he would enforce LGBT protections in the public housing sector. More here.
Rubio v. Tillerson
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) asked Secretary of State hopeful Rex Tillerson about a range of topics on Wednesday. Rubio tried to get Tillerson's opinions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, China, and human rights violations in the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, among other issues. But as the day wound down, Rubio said he didn’t get the answers he wanted. More here.
Muslim Registry
During his confirmation hearing, Rex Tillerson did not rule out the creation of a national registry of Muslims. But he did say he would not support a "blanket-type" ban on all Muslim immigration into the United States. "I would need to have a lot more information around how such an approach would even be constructed,” he said. “If it were a tool for vetting, it obviously extends to other groups as well that are threats to the U.S.” More here.
Liberal Dems Warn Against Narrow Focus on Rural Or Coastal Voters
In a Tuesday letter to the heads of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), Congressmen Keith Ellison (MN), Raúl Grijalva (AZ) and Mark Pocan (WI) push the notion that a strong adherence to liberal Democratic values will have broad appeal with voters of all stripes. "As our party deliberates on how best to move forward, the Congressional Progressive Caucus encourages our colleagues to move beyond misguided debates such as whether to aggressively court blue-collar, rural, and inland voters or instead focus on professional, urban, and coastal Democrats," the liberals wrote to the DPCC co-chairs, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL), and Congressmen David Cicilline (RI) and Hakeem Jeffries (NY). More here.
Paul Ryan, The Art Critic
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Thursday he’s confident a controversial painting would come down from a wall in the Capitol, calling the artwork of a high school student “disgusting.” Each year, MoCs put out a call for students to compete in the contest, and the resulting work is displayed on the white walls of a long tunnel that connects House Office Buildings to the Capitol. “This is disgusting and not befitting of the Capitol,” Ryan told conservative radio host Mike Gallagher. In a letter to Ryan, Congressman Lacy Clay (D-MO) argued that taking down the painting is a violation of the freedom of expression protected under the First Amendment. More here.
Immigrants Head to Washington to Rally While Obama Is Still There
While many people are planning to attend the Women’s March the day after the Trump inauguration, there’s a more modest rally focused on the rights of immigrants happening tomorrow. The "We Are Here to Stay" march is scheduled to start at 11A at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in downtown DC. “As an organizer, the 14th is a date that I feel safe mobilizing people to Washington,” said Natalia Aristizabal, of Make the Road New York, one of the rally’s sponsors. “We don’t know what’s going to happen after the inauguration.” More here.
How an Obscure U.S. Policy Effort Could Hurt American Muslims
The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, introduced this week by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) in both chambers of Congress, advocates for the "terrorist" designation on the grounds that the Muslim Brotherhood espouses “a violent Islamist ideology with a mission of destroying the West.” Proponents of the measure, including members of Trump’s incoming administration, have long used the Muslim Brotherhood label as shorthand for Muslim organizations, and for politicians and government officials who they disagree with. Civil rights advocates fear those allegations could be used as a pretext to investigate and alienate those who challenge the government’s treatment of Muslims. More here.
Tonight Show is All FLOTUS
Michelle Obama’s goodbye fete Wednesday on “The Tonight Show” was not the tear jerker like President Obama’s emotional farewell address to the nation the previous day. She stayed the whole hour and was joined by comedians Dave Chappell and Jerry Seinfeld -- who wore a tux for the ocassion -- for a game of "Catchphrase." More here.
FLOTUS is Booked
Over the past eight years, the United States has come to know and love First Lady Michelle Obama. She even has a higher approval rating than the president. And as the world prepares to say goodbye to the first family, a new book, "The Meaning of Michelle: 16 Writers on Iconic First Lady and How Her Journey Inspires Our Own," pays tribute to the person President Obama calls "Girl of the South Side." More here.
Chao’s Low Key Confirmation Hearing
During her low-key and genial Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Elaine Chao, Trump’s choice for Transportation secretary, said that a big bout of “traditional” government spending is the best way to rebuild America. More here.
From MLK Day to Trump’s Inauguration
President Barack Obama and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have both been praised for their sweeping rhetorical skills, an ability to seize the moment and provide the comfort and inspiration needed. Even their detractors -- and they have plenty -- would admit this. There is the irony of the week to come, bookended by a celebration of the life and works of King, and the inauguration of the next president, Donald Trump. More here.
POTUS Polling
Donald Trump will be a worse president than Barack Obama, say 45 percent of voters, while 34 percent think he will be a better president, and 15 percent offer that he will be about the same -- this according to a new poll by Quinnipiac University. More here.
Vanderbilt Speaker Series
Just days before the presidential inauguration, Jon Meacham will engage Joshua DuBois, Joy-Ann Reid, and Michael Steele on the campus of Vanderbilt University in a glance back at what the Obama presidency portended for the nation, an exploration of the dynamic intersection of race and politics, and a look forward at what a Trump presidency means for America and our role within the wider world. More here.
Puerto Rico Turns to Lewandowski to Lobby Trump on Debt
The hedge funds and insurance companies that want financially strapped Puerto Rico to pay them back in full may have found a new ally: Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski. The newly elected governor of Puerto Rico is in discussions to hire Lewandowski’s lobbying firm, at a time when the island’s creditors are hoping that the incoming Trump administration will be more sympathetic to them than the Obama administration has been. Such a shift would add to concerns that the new administration’s tight ties to banks and investment funds could tilt its policies in favor of Wall Street. More here.
Mexico to name new ambassador to the U.S.
Mexico will name a new ambassador to the U.S. Ambassador Carlos Sada Solana, who took the post in April, will move to an unspecified undersecretary position in Mexico City. He will be replaced by Gerónimo Gutiérrez, the managing director of the North American Development Bank. Gutiérrez was previously undersecretary for North American affairs at the Foreign Relations secretariat. More from The Hill here.
Divide Among the Nation’s Law Enforcement
The Pew Research Center recently released a national survey of law enforcement officers which found that 92 percent of white police officers believe the United States has already assured equal rights for African Americans. Only 29 percent of black officers agreed with that. More here.
DC Housing Market
Hoping to own a home in DC? Start saving. Home prices in the Washington area are being driven up by low inventory. With the number of homes for sale on the decline in the past eight months, buyers are competing over a sparse supply and pushing prices to new highs. That’s beneficial for homeowners whose equity is rising but less advantageous for anyone struggling to come up with a down payment. Last month, the median price of a home sold in the D.C. area reached $410,100. More here.
POTUS’s Thank You Most Retweeted
We’re still not over Obama’s farewell. His tweet thanking Americans, posted following his farewell address on Tuesday night, is now the most retweeted post ever from the @POTUS account with over a half million tweets, surpassing Obama’s June 2015 tweet following the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage across the country. That post got more than 425,000 retweets. More here.
Spotted
Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) meeting with Virginia gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello at the Dem club Thursday night.
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Videos of the Day
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 | POTUS awards VPOTUS the Medal of Freedom. | |
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As we prepare for President Barack Obama's final days in office, we look back on Christopher Jackson (with Lin-Manuel Miranda) performing "One Last Time" during Hamilton's cast's visit to the White House. | |
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 | In a Tonight Show taping that aired Wednesday, FLOTUS surprises guests recording goodbye messages to her. | |
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In an unprecedented move Wednesday during the confirmation hearing for Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) for attorney general, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) testified against his colleague, saying he has to stand up for what his conscience tells him is best for the country. | |
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In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) -- the last surviving member of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders -- slams the civil rights record of Trump AG pick Jeff Sessions while Senator Cory Booker looks on. | |
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Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) questioned NAACP President Cornell William Brooks on a scorecard the organization uses to rate lawmakers. Brooks was testifying at the confirmation hearing for Senator Jeff Sessions. | |
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Omarosa appears on Fox News to discuss the backlash toward Talladega College -- an HBCU -- for participating in the inaugural parade. | |
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Pic of the Day
(click image for more info)
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 | This month’s Vogue highlights the organizers of the Women’s March. Top row (from left): Ting Ting Cheng, Tabitha St. Bernard, Janaye Ingram, Paola Mendoza, Cassady Fendlay, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, Nantasha Williams, Breanne Butler, Ginny Suss, Sarah Sophie Flicker. Bottom row (from left): Tamika Mallory, Carmen Pérez, Vanessa Wruble.
Photographer: Cass Bird | Sittings Editor: Jorden Bickham | |
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Her middle name is LaVaughn.
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She learned of her ancestor, Jim Robinson, while reconnecting with relatives in South Carolina during a campaign trip. Robinson, who was born around 1850 and was a slave until at least around the Civil War, worked on a plantation in the state. So Obama, a descendant of slaves, lived in the White House which was built by slaves.
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FLOTUS grew up in a small bungalow in Chicago with her mom, dad and older brother, Craig. She and her brother shared the living room as a bedroom, with a sheet separating the room for privacy. Her dad worked in a city water filtration plant, and her mom was a secretary but later became a full-time homemaker.
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Both FLOTUS and her brother skipped second grade and learned to read by age four. She attended Chicago’s first magnet high school (Whitney Young), on the opposite side of the city, where she took Advanced Placement classes. She woke up every morning at 6 a.m. for her hour-long commute to school.
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FLOTUS said that she didn’t have a babysitter to look after 4-month-old Sasha while she was scheduled for an interview with the University of Chicago Hospital. So the mom brought her infant along. “And I thought, 'Look, this is who I am; I got a husband who’s away; I got two little babies, they are my priority,” she told them. “If you want me to do the job, you gotta pay me to do the job, and you’ve gotta give me flexibility.” She got the job.
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Tyrone Gayle
Newly named Press Secretary for
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Twitter: @TyroneGayle
Instagram: @TyroneGayle
Facebook: facebook.com/tgayle
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Monday, Jan. 16th, 2P: The Washington Cathedral hosts A Tribute to Dr. King: Sanctuary, Witness, Covenant. More info here. Tuesday, Jan. 17th: The Beat and The Raben Group presents Rising Tide: Celebrating What Makes America Great. Invite only.
Wednesday, January 18th, 7:30P: A Salute to African American Leaders: Celebrating the 58th Presidential Inauguration will honor African Americans who have been appointed to Trump’s administration, the presidential transition team and the presidential Inaugural staff. The event will take place Wednesday, January 18th, from 7:30P to 11:30P at The Watergate Hotel. RSVP here.
Thursday, Jan. 19th-22nd: The American Indian Society of Washington, DC is hosting the 13th American Indian Inaugural Celebration. RSVP here.
Thursday, January 19th, 6P: PETA hosts an inaugural celebration with actress Pamela Anderson.
Friday, January 20th, 7P: The United States of Women along with Sara and Derek Lemke-von Ammon, Michele and Zoë Taylor, for the Empowerment Party host an evening of drinks, dancing and empowering women at Malmaison, 3401 Water St NW. Click here for ticket information.
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