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Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs CommitteeapplaudedPresident TrumpDonald John TrumpMichael Cohen to be released early from prison amid coronavirus pandemic: report Biden assembling White House transition team Top Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation MOREs decision Thursday to suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), calling on the administration to make the United Statess voluntary contributions to the health body contingent on the resignation of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In a letter sent to Trump on Thursday, Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Mike McCaul (R-Texas) and 16 members of the panel raised concerns over the WHO and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) initial response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The lawmakers argued that there was misinformation spread during the early stages that led to preventable fatalities across the world.

This resulted in countries around the world, including ours, fighting the virus with incomplete information and valuable time wasted. Sadly, as a result, we will have to count the lives lost in China and around the world for far too long, they wrote.

The group went on to note that the U.S. contributes more funding than any other country to the WHO despite having a lower population than some countries.

The lawmakers also blasted the international body for allegedly ignoring early warning signs, citing experts in Taiwan cautioning human-to-human transmission of the virus.

As you know, the United States is the largest funder of the WHO, contributing more than $893 million during their current two-year budget cycle. ... In comparison, during the same budget cycle, the People's Republic of China (PRC) contributed approximately $86 million in both assessed dues and voluntary contributions, they continued.

According to a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, the WHO's public statements misled public health experts, giving a false sense of assurance that contributed to the spread of the disease, they wrote.

The group went on to criticize the WHO for whatit claimed was a delayed decision to declare COVID-19 a pandemic, alleging thatTedros has a troubled record of response to health emergencies and a record of embracing PRC propaganda and policies, arguing his close ties with the PRC undermines his ability to serve impartially as Director General.

As such, we have lost faith in Director-General Tedros' ability to lead the World Health Organization. We understand, and value, the vital role that the WHO plays around the world, especially in acute humanitarian settings. At times, the WHO is the only organization working on the ground in the worst places in the world, and the U.S. should continue to support this important work, the letter read.

In light of the information presented in this letter, we recommend that you condition any future Fiscal Year 2020 voluntary contributions to the WHO on the resignation of Director-General Tedros, it continued.

The letter echoes the sentiments of GOP House leaders, who have argued withholding funding is a necessary action to hold the organization accountable for its role in the spread of the virus.

I think what the president is saying is he wants more accountability, because what the World Health Organization told the rest of the world put us in a worse place. There are some amazing people who work in the World Health Organization, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyTop Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation McCarthy digs in on his calls for clean spending increase for PPP The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Frist says Manhattan Project-like initiative necessary to fight virus; WH to release plan for easing lockdowns MORE (R-Calif.) told reporters on Thursday.

I think there's a real question, who is the leader of that World Health Organization," he said. "And the president is making sure that there's accountability to the resources and the recommendations they're providing to the rest of the world we should not play politics.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz CheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyTop Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation Pelosi backs remote voting for House Trump taps members of Congress to advise on reopening MORE (Wyo.) told KFBC Radio that she believes holding back funding and doing an investigation is the right course of action.

I think that the World Health Organization has a crucial role to play, but as long as the Director of the World Health Organization is somebody who is doing the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party, theyre costing lives not saving lives, she said.

While Republicans have largely praised the administrations decision, top Democrats, foreign leaders and health groups have cautioned the move could hinder the global response in defeating COVID-19.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTop Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation Overnight Health Care: Trump guidelines on reopening to let governors make decision | Trump approach garners mixed reviews | Senate adjourns without deal on small business loans 14 things to know about coronavirus for today MORE (D-Calif.) went as far assaying the White Houses decision to withhold funding is illegal and that she will do everything in her power to reverse the controversial move.

This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged," she said in a statement.

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Top Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation | TheHill - The Hill

President Trumps leadership is undergoing a stress test. The coronavirus pandemic illuminates how partisan divides can affect both how people perceive a threat and what they think should be done in the face of such a formidable challenge.

Trump voters the people who feel deeply seen and represented by the president view their president as under attack. The foes include Democrats, the viruss relentless spread and, particularly, China. I spoke with several Trump supporters about how they see their governments leadership in this time of crisis.

Maurice Rosenstein owns Casa Do Brasil, a steakhouse in College Station, Texas. He voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 and plans to vote for him again in 2020.

Hes a strong willed and minded man, Mr. Rosenstein said. I think hes done a great job with our economy.

He does not have the polish as a politician, but I think he has done a great job, Mr. Rosenstein added about the coronavirus response. He pointed toward shutting down the travel from China as a positive step. The mans just got guts, he added. He will go down in history as a very good president in my eyes.

Mr. Rosensteins restaurant has, in his words, been devastated by the pandemic restrictions. His staff of 64 is down to 20. The takeout business doesnt generate a profit.

While lauding the presidents response to the coronavirus, he directed most of his ire toward China.

I dont think I want to buy anything again from China, even if Ive got to pay double, he said. These people created a pandemic that I dont think well ever get out of 100 percent, probably in my lifetime. Its terrible.

Michael Ricciardi owns Global Cleaning USA, a commercial cleaning company in Toms River, N.J. Many of his regular customers have suspended services because their buildings are shut down, though his company is still doing specialty deep-cleans.

I think that him shutting down the travel from China early was a huge help as far as trying to contain it, Mr. Ricciardi said. It was just alarming to see how quick this thing spread.

Mr. Ricciardi believes that the coronavirus is a man-made virus by China during an election year.

He said that he would like to see the president hold China more responsible for the coronavirus. To me this is biochemical warfare.

China needs to be investigated and they need to be held responsible if found theres any evidence that they did this on purpose, he added.

The way I see it, you cant call a guy a racist for stopping travel to China a month ago and do a 360 flip a month later and say he didnt stop travel soon enough. Youre checkmated as far as Im concerned. You already made yourself look like a dummy by doing that, Mr. Ricciardi said.

Jarrett Stern is a hospital administrator in Littleton, N.H. He has worked in health care for 25 years. Mr. Stern said that he has been pretty impressed with the federal governments response to the coronavirus. Its always easier to sit back and armchair quarterback what they did.

He pointed to passing the stimulus package and advising states as to how to minimize the spread of the virus as positive steps. He said he has also been impressed with the daily White House briefings.

Jane Murphy Timken is the chairwoman of the Republican Party in Ohio. I think the president has been doing a phenomenal job, she said. He has assembled a fantastic team of leaders who are experts in their field.

The president, she said, is a take-action person. Hes not going to be sitting in his office. Hes going to be on the phone.

He has high expectations for people who work for him and theyre doing the best to deliver, Ms. Timken said. The attitude is all hands on deck. Everyone needs to step up.

For him the priority is the health and safety of the American people, she added. His America First is proving correct. We need to take care of the United States and its citizens.

Ms. Timken criticized Democrats for being critical of the federal government at this time. Theres a tendency to attack. Ive seen Democrats tend to do this, and I dont think it bodes well. When the American public is losing their jobs and concerned about their health and safety, partisan attacks dont go over well. I think there will be a backlash to that, she said.

The American people love the president because he is a fighter and he is fighting for them, Ms. Timken added.

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How Trump Is Doing vs. the Coronavirus, According to Republicans - The New York Times

Ted Cruz recently told Fox News that the mainstream media was trying to root for disaster. Both senators have just been named to a White House task force to open the economy, which makes me feel not one iota safer.

My particular favorite, though, is Ron Paul, the former congressman from Texas who published a very long column on March 16 on the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity website headlined The Coronavirus Hoax. There just werent enough people with the disease to warrant the incursion into our civil liberties, he warned. That was just about a week before his son, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, came down with the faux virus himself.

I will say in defense of my state that none of these people are stupid; they arent the stereotypical yahoos that so many non-Texans like to imagine live among us in droves. No. They represent the stubborn if expediently applied strain of anti-government independence that is inherent in the Texas character, which conveniently dovetails with being a Trump toady.

Mr. Abbotts fealty to the president, along with that of our senators, could mean that Texans could become the public health guinea pigs who will suffer mightily if the state opens too soon.

What all this behavior will mean in a state that is slowly turning purple is anyones guess. We are lucky that, thanks to local stay-in-place orders and a comparative lack of density in our cities, the number of Texas cases is only over 16,000, with deaths at over 390. But we are not at peak, experts tell us, and meanwhile over one million Texans have filed for unemployment. Thats a number that will cause a lot of restiveness here, and maybe some reflection on just how much actual leadership Republican leaders have displayed during this awful time.

Not that leadership hasnt been on display in other quarters. Some of the slack has been taken up by the private sector, with restaurant and small-business owners banding together to help their colleagues and trying their best to fill in for a government that is M.I.A.

The big businesses have gotten into the act, too, in particular HEB, a San Antonio-based grocery store chain that has become a lifesaver during the kinds of climate emergencies that have become the new normal here (see: Hurricane Harvey, 2017). As my colleagues Dan Solomon and Paula Forbes reported recently in Texas Monthly, HEB has had a pandemic and influenza plan since 2005, when it first took note of the H5N1 threat. The chain put that plan in effect in 2009 when the H1N1 swine flu hit.

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Texas Republicans Have Spectacularly Failed the Coronavirus Test - The New York Times

with help from Sarah Ferris

GOPEN UP SESAME -- Calls are growing in the GOP to open up the economy and return the country to normal. While some Republicans are still expressing caution and emphasizing that restrictions need to be lifted gradually, others are being more aggressive in calling for an off-ramp. It should have happened yesterday, said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who has pleaded his case in op-eds, letters and numerous texts and phone calls to the White House and GOP leadership. And Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.) told a local radio station that policymakers need to put on their big boy and big girl pants and say it is the lesser of these two evils."

The growing pressure comes as President Donald Trump has already been itching to restart the economy, which was supposed to be the GOPs crown jewel heading into the 2020 election. The president assembled a task force to explore ways to get the country moving again and has mused about reopening as soon as May 1. But the push has sparked a backlash among Democrats, who warn there could be another deadly spike in cases if they ignore the advice of health experts.

And there are also constitutional concerns at play. Some Republicans think decisions about commerce are best left up to the states and local governments, despite Trump recently declaring that his authority is total. That comment prompted some mild criticism from Republicans: Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted that the federal government does not have absolute power, while Sen. Marco Rubio argued the Constitution & common sense dictates these decisions be made at the state level. The dispatch from Burgess, your Huddle host and Marianne: https://politi.co/3adSedU.

Speaking of executive power ... Reps. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Justin Amash (I-Mich.) trolled Trump by introducing a one-line resolution that says when someone is the president of the United States, their authority is not total.

Related reads: CDC, FEMA have created a plan to reopen America. Heres what it says, by WaPos Lena H. Sun, Josh Dawsey and William Wan: https://wapo.st/2V6QvCV; and Why Trump cant flip the switch on the economy, via Ben White: https://politi.co/2yeEK4o.

President Donald Trump departs after speaking about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, April 14, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) | Alex Brandon/AP Photo

STILL STALLED -- No movement yet on the small business aid that is stuck in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he hopes Democrats will stop holding things up and let Congress act this week, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi said we cannot accept Leader McConnells proposals that would ... do nothing to aid desperate hospitals and state and local governments. (The speaker also tore into Trump in a scathing Dear Colleague letter, saying a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility.) And Trump weighed in on the whole saga via tweet: Democrats dont want to approve more money for our great workers under the incredibly successful Paycheck plan. Replenish Account Now!

Meanwhile The New York and New Jersey delegations are urging House and Senate leaders to create a new $40 billion fund that hands out cash to states based on infections rather than the standard lump sum given to each state. The bipartisan group, which includes roughly 40 members, sent a letter to congressional leaders after one analysis showed that states like Nebraska and Montana have received roughly $300,000 in aid per reported case, compared to New York, which received about $12,000 per case.

For Democrats, theyre treading carefully when it comes to dealing with Trump. Lawmakers are trying to strike a delicate balance between working with the administration to help their states and also holding the president accountable, knowing full well that any criticism could spark retribution from Trump. Thats one reason why Democrats are increasingly turning to other officials like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice President Mike Pence. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) even sent Pence a thank you note for helping him secure N95 masks. The story from Marianne, Burgess and Sarah: https://politi.co/34FNlcG.

Related reads: Republicans warn coronavirus aid program running out of cash, by Reuters David Morgan and Susan Cornwell: https://reut.rs/2yk0rAg; and Small Business Loan Funds Running Out With Congress Stalled, from Bloombergs Josh Wingrove, Laura Litvan and Billy House: https://bloom.bg/2VsbiQu.

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ITS GONNA BE MAY -- McConnell announced that the Senate wont convene until May 4, joining House leaders in delaying their return to the Capitol. The decision to extend the Senate recess which McConnell made in consultation with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and public health officials means bills can only pass by unanimous consent for the next three weeks. As the country continues working together to flatten the curve the full Senate is not expected to travel back to Washington D.C. sooner than Monday, May 4th," McConnell said. More from Burgess: https://politi.co/3a71MYk.

Related reads: Some staff in the Capitol told to wear masks, but not lawmakers, per Roll Calls Chris Marquette: https://bit.ly/2VsX69V; and Sidelined by Coronavirus, Congressional Leaders Face Pressure to Vote Remotely, by NYTs Sheryl Gay Stolberg: https://nyti.ms/3bd5xwr.

WERE HALFWAY THERE! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, April 15, where Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) is living proof that safety measures can still be fashionable.

TUESDAYS MOST CLICKED: Burgess, Heather and Zachary Warmbrodts story on the stalled small business aid was the winner.

WHOS WHO -- Trump announced that he is halting funding to the World Health Organization while his administration reviews the group's response to the coronavirus pandemic. The WHO has emerged as a top target on the right, with critics slamming the organization for opposing early travel restrictions to China and accusing the WHO of being overly deferential to the Chinese early on in the outbreak. "With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether Americas generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said during his nightly press briefing.

But the controversial move is sure to reignite a battle with congressional Democrats, who are already crying foul over the move. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) compared the decision to "cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in." And Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) suggested Trump does not have the legal authority to withhold funds appropriated by Congress. You might think Donald Trump would have learned this important fact during the past 9 months! he tweeted, referring to the Ukraine scandal that led to Trumps impeachment. The latest from Alice Miranda Ollstein: https://politi.co/2wFa9N3.

Related read: Scoop: Lawmakers demand answers from WHO, via Axios Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian: https://bit.ly/3cuGsO7.

BURRNING UP -- It looks like Sen. Richard Burr is embroiled in another controversy. ProPublica with the scoop: The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, has come under fire in recent weeks for unloading stock holdings right before the market crashed on fears of coronavirus and for a timely sale of shares in an obscure Dutch fertilizer company. Now the North Carolina Republicans 2017 sale of his Washington, D.C., home to a group led by a donor and powerful lobbyist who had business before Burrs committee is raising additional ethical questions.

Burr sold the small townhouse, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, for what, by some estimates, was an above market price $900,000 to a team led by lobbyist John Green. That is tens of thousands of dollars above some estimates of the propertys value by tax assessors, a real estate website and a local real estate agent. The sale was done off-market, without the home being listed for sale publicly. Green is a longtime donor to Burrs political campaigns and has co-hosted at least one fundraiser for him. In 2017, the year of the sale, Green lobbied on behalf of a stream of clients with business before Burrs committees. The story from Robert Faturechi: https://bit.ly/3cn25PY.

ALSO! Carole Baskin and Doc Antle, who were both featured in Netflixs Tiger King documentary, have both donated to Burr (h/t to Dave Levinthal and Allan Smith.)

COLLINS CALLS OUT TRUMP -- Sen. Susan Collins, one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection this fall, had some choice words for Trumps handling of the coronavirus crisis during an interview with Burgess. The dispatch: Susan Collins hasnt decided whether to endorse or oppose President Donald Trumps reelection bid. But she has reached a conclusion on his public performance during the coronavirus pandemic: Very uneven.

The Maine Republican senator said in an interview on Tuesday that Trump has been effective when hes focused on the coronavirus response and the recommendations of public health experts like Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S. But when hes beefing with governors and journalists, far less so. There are times when I think his message has been spot on and he has really deferred to the public health officials who have been with him at these press conferences, Collins said. And then there are times when I think hes been off message and has brought up extraneous issues. So I think its been mixed. More: https://politi.co/2K98baG.

Related read: Mark Kelly widens fundraising lead over Martha McSally in big-dollar Senate race, via Henry Brean of the Arizona Daily Star: https://bit.ly/2XyMwRn.

WHO LET THE WATCHDOGS OUT -- Trumps recent attacks on the independent community of inspectors general has brought together a broad coalition of critics in Congress, report Andrew and Kyle. The story: Two key Republican senators on Tuesday raised alarm about President Donald Trumps recent hostility toward the governments internal watchdogs, tacitly warning that he has threatened their independence and asking the president to support, rather than undermine, them.

The GOP senators gentle rebuke of Trump is the latest in an unusual, concerted push by Democrats, Republicans and the federal watchdog community to brush back the president for his incursion into the independence of inspectors general. And it came just minutes before a bipartisan duo, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote to Michael Horowitz, who leads the council of inspectors general, demanding information about the White Houses process for vetting and submitting nominees for confirmation by the Senate. The latest: https://politi.co/2Vbe2Tb.

Related: Stimulus Oversight Panel Has One Person Trying to Watch $2.2 Trillion Alone, by Bloombergs Joshua Green: https://bloom.bg/2ygKRoO.

David Mork is now assistant VP at Zurich North America. He previously was COS to former Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.).

The House and Senate are out.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) holds his weekly pen and pad briefing via teleconference beginning at 11 a.m.

Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) holds a webcast on "the coronavirus' disproportionate impact on Black America beginning at noon.

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) holds a telephone town hall to provide an update on mitigating the spread of COVID-19 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

TUESDAYS WINNER: Dan Cohen was the first person to guess that seven speakers of the House regained their position to serve in the role non-consecutively.

TODAYS QUESTION: From yours truly: Of all the current senators who have written books, who has written the most? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess to [emailprotected].

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.

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Republicans crank up the pressure on Trump to open the economy - Politico

Another day, another act of arson by President TrumpDonald John TrumpMichael Cohen to be released early from prison amid coronavirus pandemic: report Biden assembling White House transition team Top Republicans call on Trump to fund WHO pending director-general's resignation MORE against good government. By now, good government is close to a wasteland. There are a few good institutions left standing. No problem. Theyll be razed in due course.

Parts of the wasteland now include: the intelligence community; law enforcement; Congressional oversight; whistleblowers; medical, scientific, diplomatic and the foreign policy communities. Did I miss one? Trump is currently working on torching inspectors general. Hes just getting warmed up.

So far, his antics are working and will continue to work. Theres no viable resistance.

Trumps latest developing attack against the inspector general community rips at the heart of government oversight. I worked in that community for 10 years, and I know its level of effectiveness and professionalism. IG offices provide much-needed objective assessments, investigations and evaluations of crucial issues that congressional committees are often unable to handle. I worked on Senate oversight committees for 19 years. I am well-steeped in the capabilities of both.

In sniping against the IG community, Trump is attacking Congresss baby. A direct reaction to the abuses of the Nixon administration during Watergate, the signing of the IG Act of 1978 was witnessed by only one remaining member of the United States Senate Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahyThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump turns to lawmakers to advise on reopening Trump taps members of Congress to advise on reopening Can the Trump administration prevent asylum-seeking aliens from entering the US during COVID-19? MORE (D-Vt.). The Act was the law of the land while literally all other present-day senators came into office.

What that means is that IGs have been part of the fabric of good government oversight since the day those other 99 senators took the oath of office. You would think those senators have some skin in the game to protect the institution. All of them, I trust, have called upon IGs to investigate, referee, or provide information either for their committee assignments or, at a minimum, for their constituents.

I invoke the Senate as an institution, here, because it is the most appropriate bulwark against attacks on government oversight. Senators have a bigger bully pulpit than House members, and they each have the power to put holds on administration nominees until they get what they want. This Senate also has the credibility to take action because they are in the presidents party. The question is, does this Senate want to play hardball, or do they just want to jeer from the sidelines? Will they brave Trumps political threats and tweets to rescue their own baby? Lets see if there are any public hints.

For starters, three years of history between Trump and Senate Republicans suggests the Senate will genuflect to Trump. Since Trumps broadside on the IGs, Senate Republicans such as Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and others have issued milquetoast statements expressing outrage, concern or being troubled. Theres been no desire yet to actually do something to crack down on the president for his assault. They simply want the president to respect the next poor sap he picks, if anyone will take the job.

There are some measures individual or groups of senators can take to play hardball with Trump on IGs. In ascending order of toughness: a full-frontal assault in the court of public opinion by numerous senators who oppose Trumps actions and in defense of good government IGs; putting a hold on nominees or legislation, or both, that the White House desperately wants; passing tough legislation as part of Phase Four of the stimulus. The new IG legislation dropped by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) last week giving IGs a 7-year term with narrow restrictions for dismissal would be a good start; squeezing the White Houses travel budget such as to Mar-a-Lago and other Trump golf hangouts could be another.

These are the traditional ways of playing hardball with the White House or other departments who mess around with IGs. A combination of all four by numerous senators would be daunting. In my Senate career, I was instrumental in removing four IGs from office, with at least an equal number of good IGs rescued from Trump-style assaults (though none was as formidable an opponent as a rogue president). As a staffer, I often used such tactics to get my bosss way.

A starting point for groups of like-minded senators intent on defending the IG community could be the Senate Whistleblower Caucus. Whistleblowers depend on protection from IGs, and Congress depends on IGs to vet whistleblowers. Another group could be individual members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, with jealous jurisdiction over the IG Act.

A third group has already surfaced: the eight signatories to the April 8 letter spearheaded by Grassley calling for further explanation from Trump on why he sacked ICIG Michael Atkinson. This is an interesting development. It could be the start of a serious push-back against Trump, or it could be a half-hearted attempt, more for show than for results.

On the bright side, the eight are heavy-hitters, and theyre bipartisan. The three Republicans Grassley, Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyRomney is only GOP senator not on new White House coronavirus task force Trump taps members of Congress to advise on reopening Trump and Senate Republicans at a showdown over government oversight? MORE (R-Utah) and Collins are one Republican short of a potential majority when added to the 47 Democrats. The issue chosen by the eight is the perfect point of departure for a push-back effort The IG did the right thing at the time, by all accounts; the IG was prematurely removed by Trump; and, the explanation was statutorily insufficient. A simple request for a substantive explanation is a logical place to begin pulling on the thread.

On the other hand, check out Grassleys tweet and statement last week regarding Trumps IG removals. He seems to have chosen footsy over hardball. It seems like hes trying to reason with a ten-year-old to eat his vegetables, suggesting IGs are merely trying to drain the swamp of problems created by President Obama. This is hardly the language of some Braveheart seeking revenge for the presidents assault on his baby.

This development warrants watching to see if Grassley can pull together a coalition to push back against Trump, or if its all for show while another institutional norm goes the way of Humpty Dumpty. This may be the last chance at a viable resistance to Trump the arsonist.

Kris Kolesnik is a 34-year veteran of federal government oversight. He spent 19 years as senior counselor and director of investigations for Sen.Chuck Grassley(R-Iowa). Kolesnik then became executive director of theNational Whistleblower Center. Finally, he spent 10 years working with the Department of the Interiors Office of Inspector General as the associate inspector general for external affairs.

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Trump and Senate Republicans at a showdown over government oversight? | TheHill - The Hill