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Subject: 
The Hill's Morning Report - Trump again urges Federal Reserve to cut interest rates I White House works overtime to 
publicly calm recession jitters while weighing options for potential contraction I Lujan becomes highest-ranking House Dem to back 
Trump impeachment I Omar, Tlaib hit back at Israel over banned visit I Kamala Harris loses steam, reaches crossroads in push for 
Democratic nod I Warren apologizes to Native Americans over handling of past ancestry claims I US gives businesses another 90 days 
before they must cut ties with Chinese tech giant Huawei I Attorney General Barr replaces Bureau of Prisons chief following Epstein 
suicide I Election Commission chairwoman admonishes Trump to cease tales of massive voter fraud in 2016 that never occurred 
Welcome to The Hill's Morning Report. Happy Tuesday! Our newsletter gets 
you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, 
plus trends to watch. Co-creators are Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver 
(CLICK HERE to subscribe!). On Twitter, find us at @asimendinger and 
galweaver22. 
President Trump may argue the U.S. economy is roaring, but he clearly 
worries that a recession is not out of the realm of possibility next year and 
could jeopardize his bid for reelection. 
"I don't see a recession," the president said on Sunday before he flew from 
New Jersey to Washington at the end of his summer break. 
Back in the White House, Trump renewed criticism of Federal Reserve 
Chairman Jerome Powell, bellowing Twitter instructions to the independent 
central bank on Monday to prime the pump with lower interest rates. The 
president resists the view shared by many that his tariff policies added a drag 
on U.S. growth. He argues that American consumers, the engine of growth, 
will keep spending. 
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White House national economic adviser Larry Kudlow and Trump counselor 
Kellyanne Conway both worked Monday to tamp down market and analyst 
predictions that a recession looms next year, or by 2021 (The Hill). 
Kudlow has scheduled briefing calls this week with state and local business 
leaders in an effort to talk up economic confidence, The Washington Post 
reports. A White House spokesman said the calls are about Trump's 
economic agenda and "have been long-planned." 
The Associated Press: Seventy-four percent of U.S. business economists 
said on Monday in a new report they expect a recession in the U.S. by the 
end of 2021. 
Later Monday, the White House knocked down a report that Trump's 
economic team is in the early stages of discussing the virtues of a temporary 
payroll tax cut as a way to stimulate spending to potentially stave off a 
recession. The White House, which in general favors lower taxes, is open to 
weighing executive and legislative actions that could buoy a slowing 
economy into next year. But any GOP-favored legislative tax changes this 
year, in the absence of an economic crisis, would run into a brick wall in the 
Democratic-controlled House heading towards a presidential election. 
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren, who was one of 
two officials on the Federal Open Market Committee who dissented when the 
panel voted to cut interest rates in July, continued to push back on Monday 
against further interest rate cuts by the central bank. He says he's not 
convinced that slowing trade and global growth will significantly hobble the 
U.S. economy (Bloomberg). 
"We're likely to have a second half of the year that's much closer to 2 percent 
growth,"he said during a Bloomberg Television interview. "I'm not saying 
there are not circumstances in which I'd be willing to ease. I just want to see 
evidence we are going into something that is more a slowdown." 
Markets and the White House will listen intently to Powell on Friday, looking 
for reassuring clues about Fed policy for the remainder of this year. Powell is 
giving a high-profile speech at the central bank's annual economic forum in 
Jackson Hole, Wyo. (CNBC). 
EFTA00047365

Investors were cheered on Monday by stimulus measures adopted over the 
weekend in China and Germany, two major economies experiencing sluggish 
growth. China's central bank unveiled a key interest rate reform to nudge 
borrowing costs lower for companies, while Germany signaled readiness to 
make available up to $55 billion worth of extra spending (Reuters). 
The Wall Street Journal: Consumer luxury items, such as RVs, have seen a 
real decline in sales, considered a recession warning alert. "The RV industry 
is better at calling recessions than economists are,"said 
Hicks, a Ball 
State University economist in Muncie, Ind. 
The Associated Press: So, is a recession near? 
The Hill: Five administration officials who shape Trump's trade agenda. 
Gerald F. Seib: If economy sours, Democrats will face a tough choice. 
LEADING 
THE DAY 
CONGRESS: The pro-impeachment crowd gained a key new ally on Monday 
when Rep. Ben 
Lujan (D-N.M.), the No. 4 House Democrat who is 
running for the Senate and competing in a contested primary, came out in 
favor of the push, making him the highest ranking member of the caucus to 
do so. 
Lujan, the assistant Speaker and former chairman of the House Democratic 
campaign arm, said in a statement that he moved into the pro-impeachment 
column due to warnings that Russian efforts to interfere in U.S. elections 
have continued into the 2020 cycle (The Hill). 
"The Trump presidency is creating grave national security concerns,"Lujan 
said in a statement. "Not only has he ignored the warnings that our 
Democracy is being targeted, but he has also actively encouraged Russian 
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interference." 
"President Trump's lack of action is jeopardizing our elections, national 
security, and Democracy," Lujan said. "What is evident is that President 
Trump is abdicating his responsibility to defend our nation from Russian 
attacks and is putting his own personal and political interests ahead of the 
American people." 
Lujan's announcement adds to a majority of the House Democratic Caucus 
who now support opening an impeachment inquiry against the president. The 
total number is 123 lawmakers. Rep. Katherine 
(D-Mass.) was the 
highest ranking member to back an inquiry before Lujan's announcement. 
> Israel: Days after Reps. lihan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-
Mich.) were barred from entering Israel for an official visit, the pair of 
progressive lawmakers urged their fellow members of Congress to visit and 
kept up their criticism of the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu. 
"I would encourage my colleagues to visit, meet with the people we were 
going to meet with, see the things we were going to see, hear the stories we 
were going to hear,"Omar said at a news conference in St. Paul, Minn. "We 
cannot let Trump and Netanyahu succeed in hiding the cruel reality of the 
occupation from us." 
The Muslim lawmakers were blocked by Israel from making the trip last week 
over their support for the boycott, divesture and anctions movement, a 
decision that was cheered by Trump. Omar and Tlaib had planned to visit the 
Israeli-occupied West Bank on a tour organized by a Palestinian group and 
make a stop in Jerusalem. The two are frequent critics of the Israeli treatment 
of the Palestinians. 
Despite being uninvited initially, Tlaib was granted a permit to visit on 
humanitarian grounds so she could see her grandmother in the West Bank. 
However, she declined, citing Israel's "oppressive conditions meant to 
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humiliate" her (The Associated Press). 
> Mueller fades away: Former special counsel 
Mueller's 
investigation has largely faded from the airwaves less than a month after his 
high-profile testimony on Capitol Hill, serving as a possible sign for 
Democrats that public interest in the probe is waning. 
During a rally in New Hampshire last week, Trump did not launch into his 
usual diatribes criticizing the Mueller probe as a partisan "witch hunt" that 
aims to damage his presidency. Instead, the president opted for fresher 
targets by going after Omar and Tlaib over what he claims are "anti-Israel" 
views. 
The president is not the only one shifting focus away from the probe, which 
until recently dominated the cable news airwaves. In late July, the topic of 
Mueller's investigation and impeachment were largely absent as the crowded 
bunch of Democratic contestants sought to debate each other over policy 
issues such as health care and who is the best bet to fight against Trump in 
the general election. 
A fading public interest in the Mueller probe would be an unwelcome change 
for House Democrats, particularly as Democrats on the House Judiciary 
Committee — many of whom viewed Mueller's testimony as a hallmark 
moment for the pro-impeachment push — presses forward with its 
investigation into possible obstruction and potential abuses of power by the 
president (The Hill). 
*** 
POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: Nearly two months after she made waves in the 
first round of Democratic presidential debates, Sen. Kamala Harris's (D-
Calif.) campaign is facing a crucial moment. 
As Amie Parnes reports, Harris has lost steam in polling consistently over the 
past month and has been unable to keep pace with former Vice President 
Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who pace the 2020 field, 
leaving some Democratic strategists to question how she's positioned herself 
in the race. 
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One Democratic strategist noted that she has pitched herself as both a 
progressive and a moderate, causing her to be viewed as "inauthentic." 
"I still don't think anyone really understands why she's running," the strategist 
said, adding that she's come off as "inauthentic" due to her attempt to pitch 
herself as a progressive and a moderate. "And if you're running for president 
and you don't know why you're running, no one else will either." 
Facing the key moment in her campaign, Harris held three fundraisers over 
the weekend, including one on Martha's Vineyard where she impressed 
Democratic donors, according to one fundraiser who was in attendance. 
> Biden up with Iowa TV ad: As the former vice president begins a week of 
campaigning in New Hampshire this week, his team is spending money in 
Iowa, launching his campaign's first television ad there to target voters in Des 
Moines, Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities and Sioux City markets, campaign 
manager Greg Schultz announced. The 60-second advertisement before 
Labor Day argues the country has been "battered by an erratic, vicious, 
bullying president" while Biden has the experience to bring "strong, steady, 
stable" leadership to the Oval Office. Images of former President Obama 
with Biden are prominent in the six-figure ad campaign, accompanied by 
another six-figure digital investment stretching into "coming weeks," 
according to the campaign. 
The Washington Post: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) continues her 
summer sprint to make the debate stage in Houston. 
The Associated Press: Sen. 
Bennet (D-Colo.) banking on 
moderation in age of Trump. 
> Warren apologizes (again): Warren waded back into the ancestry waters 
on Monday when she apologized to an audience of Native Americans for 
"harm I have caused" over her past claims of Native American ancestry, 
saying that it was a mistake on her end. 
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Warren's remarks came from the outset of her address at a forum on Native 
American issues, where she pitched her newly-released policy plan aimed at 
those topics. 
"Now, before I go any further in this I want to say this: Like anyone who's 
been honest with themselves, I know that I have made mistakes,"Warren told 
the crowd. "I am sorry for harm I have caused. I have listened and I have 
learned a lot. And I am grateful for the many conversations that we've had 
together." 
"It is a great honor to be able to partner with Indian Country, and that's what 
I've tried to do as a senator, and that's what I promise I will do as president of 
the United States of America,"she said. 
The comments came after her decision late last year to release DNA results 
showing some Native American ancestry dating back six to 10 generations as 
she tried to put to bed accusations that she falsely claimed minority status for 
past employment. However, she has been questioned by some voters on the 
campaign trail about her decision and forced to apologize multiple times. 
None of this has stemmed attacks from Trump, who continues to derisively 
refer to her as "Pocahontas" (The Hill). 
The Hill: Soft levels of support mark this year's Democratic primary. 
The Hill: In a key Senate race, Sen. Martha McSally's (R-Ariz.) lead early 
this year against her Democratic opponent, retired astronaut Mark Kelly (D), 
has evaporated, according to a survey released today by OH Predictive 
Insights, a Phoenix-based pollster. 
HuffPost: Julian Castro to announce ambitious animal welfare plan. 
The Associated Press: Democrats are spending millions of dollars to try to 
win statehouses. 
IN 
FOCUS/SHARP 
TAKES 
WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: The administration, which has been 
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torn about how best to punish Chinese tech giant Huawei as a risk to the 
United States, announced on Monday it will again extend the deadline before 
U.S. businesses are required to cut ties with the company. "It is another 90 
days for the U.S. telecom companies," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross 
said on Fox Business Network. "Some of the rural companies are dependent 
on Huawei. So, we're giving them a little more time to wean themselves off. 
But there are no specific licenses being granted for anything." Nov. 19 is the 
new deadline for the penalty. Trump reaffirmed on Sunday his commitment to 
a complete ban on U.S. business with Huawei and said he believes the 
company poses a national security risk (The Hill). On Tuesday, Huawei said 
it does not expect to see any relief from U.S. sanctions but remains confident 
about company growth based on development of its own technology (The 
Associated Press). 
> Justice Department: Attorney General William Barr removed the acting 
head of the Bureau of Prisons, replacing the agency's top official in the wake 
of the pre-dawn suicide of inmate Jeffrey Epstein in his New York City cell. 
In a statement, Barr, who had said he was "api Sr 
at events at the 
Metropolitan Correctional Center, said 
, who had served in the 
acting position since last year, would return to the assistant director position 
he formerly occupied. Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, who led the bureau from 
1992 to 2003, is the new director (CNN). 
> FEC: The chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission, Democrat 
Ellen Weintraub, sent Trump a letter on Saturday telling him there is no 
evidence of rampant voter fraud in 2016 or in any other U.S. election, 
suggesting he produce evidence of his claims of voter fraud or cease his 
repeated assertions of illegal voting. The president began making those 
accusations after he failed to win the popular vote in 2016. Trump 
subsequently put Vice President Pence in charge of a special commission to 
investigate allegations of election fraud, but the panel was quietly disbanded 
by the White House a year later without uncovering any evidence to back up 
Trump's statement that 3 to 5 million ballots were illegally cast for Clinton 
(The Associated Press). 
During a CNN interview, Weintraub said, "It is damaging to our democracy to 
spread information that ... is baseless. ... These are serious allegations ... 
but if there is no proof, then these things really shouldn't be said" (The Hill). 
> North Korea: The administration is extending a ban for another year on the 
use of U.S. passports for travel to North Korea. A State Department notice 
released Monday said the ban will remain in place until Aug. 31, 2020, unless 
revoked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The ban was imposed in 2017 
by then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and renewed in 2018 (The 
Associated Press). 
EFTA00047371

> Venezuela: The United States, frustrated after unsuccessful international 
efforts to oust 
Maduro from power, has made secret contact with 
Diosdado Cabello, who is considered the most powerful man in Venezuela 
after Maduro (The Associated Press). ...Axios reported over the weekend 
that Trump spoke with military advisers about a potential naval blockade of 
Venezuela's coastline to enforce an international embargo. The president's 
idea was described as impractical because of the size of the area and too 
costly for the U.S. military at a time of competing priorities. 
> Iran: An Iranian tanker seized by Great Britain on July 4 was released on 
Monday and headed to Greece. Tehran warned against additional attempts to 
seize its tankers and accused the United States and its allies of trying to 
provoke a confrontation (Reuters). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it 
was "unfortunate" that the British Royal Marines released the tanker. 'These 
are oil profits, when this is ultimately sold somewhere into the market, that will 
run back to Qasem Soleimani and the Iranian Quds force, their elite forces 
that have sown terror and destruction and killed Americans all around the 
worla," Pompeo said during a Fox News interview. "If they're successful, 
they'll have more money, more wealth, more resources to continue their 
terror campaign, to continue their assassination campaign in Europe." 
OPINION 
Why President Trump must keep speaking out on Hong Kong, by Larry 
Diamond, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2Zh2lYA 
Congress must exercise its power to ensure America has no war with 
Iran, by Kelly Magsamen, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2KHTvAn 
WHERE 
AND 
WHEN 
Hill.TV's "Rising" at 9 a.m. ET features The Hill's senior correspondent 
Mike Lillis, talking about Congress's agenda next month, including gun 
measures; freelance journalist Zaid Jilani, discussing Biden's China policy; 
and Nate Snyder, a former senior counterterrorism official with the 
EFTA00047372

Department of Homeland Security, unpacking the administration's policy 
toward Huawei. 
Find HiII.TV programming at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. 
The House is in pro forma sessions until returning to Washington on Sept. 4 
to begin consideration of legislation to respond to mass shootings. 
The Senate continues to meet pro forma but is not scheduled to return for 
votes until Sept. 9. 
The president will have lunch with the vice president at 12:30 p.m. at the 
White House. Trump will host Romanian President Klaus lohannis in the 
Oval Office for bilateral meetings this afternoon. 
The vice president heads for Chantilly, Va., to chair the sixth meeting of the 
National Space Council. Pence will speak at 9:30 a.m. about "the 
administration's commitment to expand space exploration" and leadership in 
commercial space. Location: Udvar-Hazy Center National Air and Space 
Museum. 
Pompeo heads to New York City and meets with the Committee to Unleash 
Prosperity at 11:30 a.m. He will host a working lunch with Serbian President 
Aleksandar Vtleie at 12:30 p.m. The secretary participates in a United 
Nations session on Middle East peace and security at 3 p.m. Pompeo joins a 
press conference with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz at 6:10 
p.m. and then meets with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and 
6:50 p.m. 
ELSEWHERE 
-. United Kingdom: Britain says it will end European Union freedom of 
movement rules immediately on Oct. 31 if the exit from the bloc occurs 
without a transition deal. Prime Minister Boris 
maintains his new 
government would not be hostile to immigration. 'After Brexit, the government 
will introduce a new, faker immigration system that prioritises skills and what 
people can contribute to the UK, rather than where they come from,"a 
spokesman for Britain's interior ministry said in a statement (Reuters). On 
Monday, Trump and 
spoke by phone about trade, the global 
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economy and Brexit, the White House said. 
-+ New York: Following five years of investigations and protests, the New 
York City Police Department on Monday fired 
Pantaleo, an officer 
involved in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner, the unarmed black man 
whose dying gasps of "I can't breathe" gave voice to a national debate about 
race and police use of force. Pantaleo, who is white, was terminated based 
on the recommendation of a department disciplinary judge, said Police 
Commissioner 
O'Neill (The Associated Press). 
NBA star Stephen Curry announced Monday that he is making a donation 
to Howard University in a bid to help restart the school's long-dormant golf 
program. The two-time MVP will fund the program for the next six years as 
the school pushes to to have men's and women's teams ready for 
competition by the 2020-21 school year. "This is one of the most generous 
gifts in the history of Howard University,"said Kery Davis, the athletic 
director at the historically black university in Washington. Curry, an avid golfer 
himself, became interested in helping to revive the team after meeting Otis 
Ferguson IV, a Howard senior and golfer, during a campus visit in January 
(ESPN). 
THE 
CLOSER 
And finally ... All the world's a stage! Service dogs-in-training — poodles 
and golden retrievers who help humans with autism and post-traumatic stress 
disorder — last week attended a live theater performance in Canada of the hit 
musical "Billy Elliot" as part of the canine curriculum, and the photo of 
attentive pooches calmly watching the theatrics from their seats went viral. 
The point of the training is to help the dogs prepare to assist their humans 
wherever they may roam (Fox News). 
"All of the dogs were fantastic and remained relaxed throughout the 
performance. Some even watched through the cracks of the seats,"said 
Mackenzie, owner of K-9 Country Inn Working Service Dogs in 
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Ontario. "The dogs loved the show almost as much as their handlers." 
The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al 
Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: [email protected] and 
[email protected]. We invite you to share The Hill's reporting and 
newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! 
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The Hill 1625 K Street. NW 9th Floor. Washington DC 20006 
O2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp.. a subsidiary of News Communications. Inc. 
EFTA00047375

The Daily 202: Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on an immigration plan as he 
seeks to reassure Latinos 
From 
The Washington Post 
To 
M, The Washington Post 
Date 
2019,12/06 10:49 
Subject: 
The Daily 202: Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on an 
immigration plan as he seeks to reassure Latinos 
Attachments: 
TEXT.htm, Mime.822 
If you're having trouble reading this click here. 
The Daily 202 
Share: 
Listen to The Big Idea 
Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches 
on an immigration plan as he seeks to 
reassure Latinos 
Joe Biden sits with children from the Union Baptist Crusaders drill team on Thursday 
at the Brown Derby Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) 
BY MARIANA ALFARO AND 
HOHMANN 
THE BIG IDEA: Joe Biden won't apologize for the deportations. 
Barack Obama's administration deported more than 3 million 
undocumented immigrants during his two terms, including 1.18 million 
in his first three years. In that equivalent amount of time, President 
Trump has deported fewer than 800,000. 
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Page 17865 
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II I CH 1 11 1101 VIGVV LI IOL CHI GU I I lUI cuay I iiyi IL Ul I 
I GIVI I IUI IUU, LI IV JIJOII HOU 1-
language station owned by NBC, anchor Jose Diaz-Balart tried 
repeatedly to get the former vice president to say he was sorry — to no 
avail. 
Sitting on his "No Malarkey" bus, which he's been using to barnstorm 
Iowa this week, Biden said he has "nothing" to apologize for. "Nothing," 
he said with emphasis, adding that he and Obama did the best they 
could to help "the undocumenteds," as the 77-year-old referred to them 
at one point during the back-and-forth. 
"No, I think what we should be doing is acknowledging that comparing 
what President Obama did and what Trump did is night and day," 
Biden said. 
"No, but the numbers are there," said Diaz-Balart. 
"No, no, no, no," said Biden. 
"More than 3 million people were deported," said the anchor. 
"I understand that," Biden said, blaming Republicans. "That was what 
the law was at the time." 
Biden said Obama deserves credit for minimizing deportations in the 
second term once it became clear Congress wouldn't act. The 
Supreme Court is now considering the fate of the Deferred Action for 
Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. "If the Supreme Court 
rules against it, we're going to get it passed," Biden said, referring to 
the fate of the "dreamers," undocumented immigrants who were 
brought to the country as children. 
-- Unlike most of his opponents in the Democratic field, Biden 
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Page 17866 
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Jill. I ICJ. 
I L I CICCIZeU Q LA-8111p' CI MI MI VC  
 
CILILDI I FICUS. 
Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker have unveiled 
proposals. So did Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and California Sen. 
Kamala Harris before they dropped out. Among the other contenders in 
the top tier, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg also hasn't 
released a detailed plan on immigration. 
-- The Biden campaign is working to finalize a plan. In an interview 
with the Daily 202, Crist0bal Alex, former president of the Latino 
Victory Fund and the Biden campaign's most senior adviser for issues 
involving Hispanic voters, previewed the plan he said will be 
"forthcoming." It will outline an end to Trump's family separation policy, 
protections for "dreamers" and address the root causes of the 
immigration crisis. This will include a proposal for foreign aid to 
stabilize the Northern Triangle countries in Central America, similar to 
what Sanders and Warren had in their plans. 
Alex said Biden has repeatedly emphasized to him personally 
that he's committed to spending considerable political capital to 
achieve a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration laws if 
he's elected president. Alex said that will include legislation to 
provide citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented 
immigrants living in the country. 
In the Telemundo interview last night, Biden said he supports 
allowing undocumented immigrants to benefit from his 
proposed expansion of the Affordable Care Act, specifically the 
public option. He quipped that as he builds out Obamacare, it will 
eventually become "Bidencare." 
"And they'd be able to buy in just like anyone else could," Biden said of 
inrInnimAntpri imminrants 
Page 17867 
EFTA00047378

Biden's plan will be more moderate than his rivals. So far, the 
biggest flashpoint in the Democratic immigration debate this year has 
been over whether to repeal a portion of the law that makes it a 
criminal offense to illegally enter the United States. The proposal was 
first made by former housing secretary Julian Castro, the first 
candidate to publish a detailed immigration plan, and it targets Section 
1325 of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, which the Trump 
administration used to defend its family separation policies. Sanders 
and Warren endorsed Castro's idea. 
Biden still opposes repealing Section 1325, and that won't 
change. He said during one of the debates that changing the law 
could incentivize more illegal immigration. "Repealing that section 
could undermine our immigration system. It could undermine efforts to 
combat human smuggling," Alex said in an interview. "It would shift an 
additional burden into the immigration court system. Additionally, if the 
logic behind ending 1325 is to end family separation, there are likely at 
least eight other laws on the books that someone nefarious and anti-
immigrant like Trump could use to separate families. So the problem 
isn't 1325. The problem is Donald Trump." 
Biden's lack of contrition for the Obama administration's 
deportation record threatens to become a bigger hurdle as the 
field winnows and the contrasts sharpen. Overshadowed by the 
impeachment inquiry, plus the ideological clashes over Medicare-for-
all, the immigration issue has drifted to the backbumer of the 
Democratic conversation since the spring and summer.But Latinos are 
poised to play a potentially pivotal role in the Nevada caucuses on 
Feb. 22, the third early state, and then when Super Tuesday arrives on 
Page 17868 
EFTA00047379

marcn S, wnen ualitornia, I exaS ana coloraao go to tne 
"I think the big question for Biden is whether he will learn from 
what the Obama administration failed at when it came to 
immigration," said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the 
National Immigration Law Center, in an interview. "He must 
recognize that we are in a different place and what the Trump 
administration has exposed is what happens when immigration 
agencies, whether it be Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the 
Border Patrol, are allowed to continue to grow and to do so without any 
accountability or liability. What we're experiencing right now is part of 
the mechanism and machinery that the Obama administration put into 
place." 
Biden disputes this criticism. "They would have been able to do that 
before that structure," he said on Telemundo. "They could have done 
that if we didn't do anything." 
All the Democratic candidates onstage raise their hands, including Biden, when asked 
at the June 27 debate in Miami if they would provide health care for undocumented 
immigrants. (Wilfredo ■/AP) 
-- The sit-down with Telemundo is part of a strategy to convey to 
Latinos that he's not taking them for granted after his national 
coalitions director Vanessa Cardenas, his most senior Latina 
staffer, quit last month. She told at least two allies that she was 
frustrated her advice on immigration wasn't being heeded, 
according to Politico. "The campaign is just hyper-focused on whites in 
Iowa and African-Americans and it placed less value on Latino 
outreach," an unnamed immigration activist and friend who spoke with 
Page 17869 
EFTA00047380

ner tom mart; uaputo. vanessa Kept uanging ner neat] against we 
wall trying to get them to take the community more seriously. And 
Biden just really won't change when it comes to the way he talks about 
immigration. It became too much." 
Biden acknowledged Cardenas's frustrations during a 
conference call with reporters last week when he was asked 
about her departure. The candidate complimented the "very, 
very good" work she did for him and insisted that Latino 
outreach is one of his priorities. He said he has no choice but to 
spend as much time as possible in Iowa and New Hampshire because 
he didn't join the race until April. "I can understand her frustration, in 
terms of the number of days" spent in certain states, Biden said, 
according to the Associated Press. "I understand her frustration. I'm 
getting the same thing, and I'm sure every candidate is, no matter what 
state you're in, why you're not spending more time in other states. I 
wish her well. I'm sorry she was frustrated." 
Cardenas did not respond to a request for comment. 
-- Just days after she stepped down, on Nov. 22, Biden clashed 
with immigration activist Carlos Rojas when he asked the former 
vice president if he would pledge to halt deportations. Biden said 
no, explaining that he will prioritize deportations only for "people who 
have committed a felony of serious crime." When Rojas, who noted 
that he was a volunteer for the 2008 Obama-Biden campaign, 
countered by saying that he became disenchanted with the Obama 
administration after it deported so many people, Biden suggested that 
maybe Rojas "should vote for Trump." 
--There have been other, smaller missteps. In October, the Biden 
ramnainn i ormailtarl "a national notuoinrk of I atinn co onnnrtorc" rallarl 
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"Todos Con Biden." But they didn't reserve the URL for the web site or 
the Twitter handle. The Trump campaign snapped up both and used 
them to troll Biden with unflattering content. "Oops, Joe forgot about 
Latinos," the landing page on todosconbiden.com says in English and 
Spanish, with a link to Trump's Latino outreach page. 
-- Notably, none of the Democratic presidential candidates are 
calling to abolish ICE. For a while last year, that looked like it 
might become a new litmus test from the left. Warren said she 
believes the agency needs to be "reorganized significantly." Sanders 
spokeswoman Beier' Sisa said the Vermont senator believes in 
breaking up ICE to curtail an agency that he believes has been 
"completely unaccountable to some of the monstrosities" that have 
occurred in the last three years. 
Castro supports maintaining some of the ICE and DHS 
operations he considers critical to U.S. safety. His spokesman 
Sawyer Hackett pointed out that there are investigators within these 
agencies that conduct a lot of work around sex and drug trafficking. 
"We can maintain those components while also moving the 
[Enforcement and Removal] section of ICE to the Department of 
Justice where we have more oversight and more accountability of 
those agencies," Hackett explained. 
-- For now, Biden is polling well among Latinos, something he 
touted during last night's interview. A Telemundo poll published 
last month showed Biden holding on to the support of 26 percent of 
Latino voters who identify as Democrats, with Sanders in second place 
at 18 percent. Warren trailed with 10 percent and Castro, the only 
Latino candidate in the race, polled at 2 percent.But even his boosters 
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