Congress is facing a looming deadline to pass a spending bill and keep the government open past mid-February, but serious gaps exist between Democrats and Republicans over how to move forward.

Lawmakers have to pass a spending bill by Feb. 18 or risk shutting down the federal government. While Republicans and Democrats say a shutdown is unlikely, most lawmakers are unsure if a bipartisan budget deal is possible. If it isn’t, they would have to rely on another short-gap funding measure.

“If we could cut a deal, and it’s something we could live with, that’s what this place is about,” said Sen. Richard Shelby, Alabama Republican. “But it has to be something that would be palatable to our caucus and theirs too — maybe not everything [that] everybody wants.” Read Full Story

• Townhall: Victimhood: Favorite Status of the Left
• The Washington Free Beacon: Biden Admin Official Boasts About Releasing Migrants Into US
• The Hill: Court Fight Represents Golden Opportunity for Cruz, Hawley, Cotton
• Washington Examiner: Top GOP Super PACs Outpace Democratic Counterparts
• PJ Media: Key Evidence Undermining Ukraine Impeachment Narrative Withheld From Trump Defense

Two Republican lawmakers are calling on Democrats on the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol to release staff reports, saying the disclosures are required by House rules.

Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Rodney Davis of Illinois accused the committee of “operating as a rogue body” in a letter to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, California Democrat, who chairs the Committee on House Administration. Lofgren is also a member of the panel investigating the Capitol riot.

“The J6 committee has abused its subpoena power, its deposition power, its contempt power, and its power to unilaterally release documents,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. “These actions represent a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars and deserve aggressive internal oversight.” Read Full Story

• The Hill: House Republicans Bash Democrats’ China Competition Bill
• PJ Media: Prominent Doctors Argue Masks for Kids Should Be Optional
• American Thinker: Democrats Get Silly About Threats to Democracy
• The Federalist: Catholics for Choice Masquerades as Religious Crusade to Protect Women
• The Washington Free Beacon: 79 Percent of Americans Expect Inflation to Persist

A bipartisan group of senators met via Zoom on Monday to try to figure out a path forward on Russia sanctions legislation amid growing tensions with Moscow.

The call, which included Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and ranking member James Risch, R-Idaho, comes as fears are growing of a potential incursion into Ukraine by Russia, which has amassed troops along the countries’ border.

Menendez, backed by 41 members of the Senate Democratic Conference and the Biden administration, introduced legislation earlier this month to impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced the legislation in the lower chamber last week. Read Full Story

• Washington Examiner: Senate Republicans Preemptively Blast Biden Police Reform Order
• Townhall: Most Dangerous Virus Today Is Runaway Government Spending
• American Thinker: More Bad News for Democrats on Border
• The Federalist: It’s Past Time to Stop Treating Healthy Kids Like They’re Sick
• The Washington Times: Bipartisan Group Pressures Pelosi for Movement on Lawmaker Stock Deals