What is happening now? Leader Schumer raised a point of order that the impeachment articles themselves are unconstitutional - that they do not rise "high crimes or misdemeanors".

Senate is voting on that. No debate is warranted for this point of order in impeachment court. Staff and senators are now huddling, seemingly to discuss the procedural mechanics, maybe options here. Note that Leader McConnell's staff is huddling with conservatives as McConnell listens from just outside the circle.

NEWS here. @SpeakerJohnsontext to House members:
"the House Rules Committee will be posting soon today the text of three bills that will fund America’s national security interests and allies in Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and Ukraine, including a loan structure for aid..." That is a main headline. Here is the full text sent by @speakerjohnson:

"After significant Member feedback and discussion, the House Rules Committee will be posting soon today the text of three bills that will fund America’s national security interests and allies ...

New and newsy letter now out from @SenSchumer. Many bottom lines:
- Baltimore: The WH sent over a authorization request this morning for the bridge and port. That will need bipartisan support to move.

1/ @SenSchumer - Ukraine aid: Waiting on Speaker Johnson. "Speaker Johnson has to ultimately decide for himself whether or not he will do the right thing for Ukraine ... if he’ll allow the extreme MAGA wing of his party to hand Vladimir Putin a victory"
- Israel: Is NOT mentioned.

2/

NEW: House has released another 5,000 hours of footage from J6. The prev. release was what Tucker Carlson got plus some cameras far from central areas.

Not sure yet what is in here - looking. And you can too! Reply with anything interesting.

rumble.com/c/CHASubcommit… Here is footage of a moment rioters broke through, on the East Front on J6. (The side we have seen less footage from.)

These were the folks I saw violently breaking through the giant brass doors of the Capitol.

rumble.com/v41geie-camera…

Hunter Biden transcript:

This is dense. Still going through it. Many detailed questions and answers.

But as I compile/sort out if anything is new here on Hunter, there are a number of exchanges about Hunter Biden's addiction that stand out. Rep. Gaetz: Were you on drugs when you served on the Burisma board?

Hunter Biden: Mr Gaetz, look me in the eye. You think that's appropriate to ask me?

Gaetz: Absolutely.

Hunter Biden: Of all the people sitting around the table, you think that is appropriate to ask me?

OK. I have a lot of reporting on the - what is the right word? - unusual, explosive briefing that just happened in the U.S. Senate on Ukraine and border.

1/ First, the room, briefing. TOP officials. Some of the most important military and diplomatic personnel in the world

Sec of State, Antony Blinken
Secof Defense, Lloyd Austin
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown
USAID Deputy Administrator, Isobel Coleman

Let's break down the House Ethics Committee report on Rep. Santos. First thing you should know is that this committee is best known for being cautious. And slow. Some would say they pull punches. They rarely - very rarely - issue sharp statements definitively blasting members wholesale.

2/

Wow. House Dem #2 just called @jim_jordan an “insurrectionist”.

Twice.

Saying he fought a J6 subpoena and pointedly fueled 2020 doubts is one thing but man, saying he wanted to overthrow the government….

Asking what specific evidence and logic they have for this. Hello all, my sincere thanks for the responses - whatever your reaction, reporters need to listen and know how our words are heard and seen.

We need praise and criticism both. So thank you and I am listening.

To follow up …

DEBT DEAL. Let's talk.

It took me some time but let me lay out how this debt deal seems to work - the math.

A bunch of this is *NOT in the bill*.

1/ IN THE BILL:

Defense next yr = $886 B
NonDefense = $704 B.

BUT, NOT IN THE BILL, per sources, there was a handshake agreement that:

Veterans will get $121 B.

That comes out of NonDefense.

2/

McCarthy news conf underway. No news yet. McHenry says the deal had substantial shifted the spending curve and they got significant changes on work requirements. McCarthy says bill will be fewer than 150 pgs. But will be “transformational”.

BREAKING: There is a verdict in the E. Jean Carroll case.

She asked a jury to hold former President Trump liable for rape and defamation.

She charges that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 90s. The jury of 6 men and 3 women have been deliberating for *fewer* than 6 hours.

The 34 counts.

Going to tweet two ways of understanding them all.

Short summary and then each one separate.

1/ The 34 counts. Simple version.

11 months in 2017 w/ three charges most months:

1. An invoice from Cohen falsely said to be for "legal service"
2. A similar false entry went in the General Ledger
3. A check went to Cohen for a "legal" retainer.

Plus an extra invoice in Feb.

Good morning all.

Thanks for all of the fantastic comments and being with me for the wild ride Friday night.

You all know I take feedback seriously. I don't respond to every criticism, b/c some are not serious.

But many are. And it's part of my job to hold myself to account. I'm looking forward to tweeting about what's ahead in the House.

But first, I spent time this morning (after a day catching up w/ family) looking over responses to my tweet about the Jan. 6 commemoration ceremony. And doing research.

B/c clearly that sparked big reaction.

2/

ICYMI - here is the GOP Rules pkg.

(Among the key prizes in the negotiations here.)

rules.house.gov/sites/republic… Among the key rules that the GOP plans to change (most of these are not new this week):

- Pay-go. Bills must not raise mandatory spending.
- Tax increases will require 3/5 of House.
- Faster votes. Votes after the first in a series can be timed to just 2 minutes.

1/

FOLKS, it seems we have maybe 3-4 hours left of little to no rules in the House.

Please send me thoughts for how best to use this time.

(Caveat: I am a respectful person and love my job. And won't do anything to jeopardize future rules getting tougher.) Update!

Already rules are starting to phase back in - even the expectation of rules here leads to rules.

SO, FYI, I have done the following things:

Here we go - first test of if anyone switching... Biggs: Jordan
Bishop, NC: MCCARTHY

This is it.

I'll be live tweeting here. NOW: Rep. Paul Gosar, R-AZ is doing something else I don't think has happened in a century, rising to nominate a third person for speaker.

He nominates Andy Biggs, to very scattered applause.

UNPRECEDENTED.

J6 is referring crim. charges against Trump.

Here they are:

- Obstruction of an official proceeding. (Against Trump and John Eastman.)

1/ 2. Conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Multiple instances - including the Big Lie, the theory that Pence could refuse to certify and other instances. (Against Trump and John Eastman.)

2/

Happy World Cup everyone.

For those of you who could not care less, our cat is here for you. I don’t know about that penalty call… wow. And I like Argentina.

THIS: Fed criminal complaint in the Pelosi attack.

justice.gov/opa/press-rele…

1/ Federal prosecutors:

- This was an attempt at seizing or kidnapping @SpeakerPelosi
- Depape had zip ties, tape, rope and at least one hammer.
- After a struggle over it, Depape swung a hammer into Paul Pelosi's head and per officers knocked him unconscious.

2/

Current scene in NC: sunset, Trump rally and FOX News - live - pushing back hard at idea that Trump did anything wrong with any documents. Crowd now pushing back at the rare all-broadway tracks tonight. As “I dream a dream” from Les Mis plays, crowd chants “We want Trump!”