Trump-free Friday politics roundup: Nov. 17

Trouble for Zimbabwe, the Senate faces a major tax bill, and Australia does something great in this week’s politics roundup.

Republican tax bill passes in House, still faces opposition

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have successfully passed their tax reform bill. The vote came out 227-205. 13 House Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues to oppose the bill. Otherwise, the vote broke along party lines, with all other Republican representatives voting in favor of the controversial change.

However, this isn’t the end for the tax reform bill. While the House version has passed, the Senate has yet to vote on their own edition of the bill. Things are bound to be less easy for the Senate bill, given Republicans’ razor edge two-vote majority there. However, the Senate Finance Committee has approved the bill, allowing it to go before the full Senate soon.

The Senate plan experienced a major setback on Wednesday, when conservative Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced that he would not back the bill in either its Senate or House form. Earlier, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) also expressed doubt about the bill, especially given its attempt to repeal Obamacare’s individual insurance mandate.

Information related to the Russia investigation gets more complicated

Remember that whole dossier about the president, wherein it was revealed that he allegedly engaged in some gross acts with sex workers in a Moscow hotel? The exact nature of what’s true and what’s not in that dossier has been up for debate since the document’s release earlier this year. Now, with testimony to Congressional investigators, it’s gotten a little more complicated.

Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson admitted to the House Intelligence Committee that Christopher Steele, the ex-British intelligence officer who compiled the report, did not pay his sources. Steele himself has not cooperated with the Committee or any other federal agents. However, Simpson says that he is still in regular contact with Steele.

Perhaps less sensationally, the dossier alleged deep involvement in the 2016 presidential campaign by Russian agents. However, it’s been difficult for some to accept the content of the dossier, which remains largely unverified. Simpson, however, alleges that neither has it been fully disproven (though members of the Committee noted that impossibility of proving a negative).

Meanwhile, it turns out that Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the president, has yet more contacts that he had failed to disclose to federal authorities. Specifically, he had received emails regarding WikiLeaks that he forwarded to colleagues. That’s along with something described as a “Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite”, which is a weird way to describe an attempt at meeting with Kushner.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Kushner’s lawyer on Thursday containing these charges. Both Grassley and Feinstein have since stated that they wish to uncover more information after it appeared that an earlier set of documents supplied by Kushner’s team appeared incomplete.

Roy Moore doubles down, Franken faces accusations

Since last week’s sexual assault allegations against Alabama Senatorial candidate Roy Moore, more women have since come forward. They all say that Moore targeted them when they were in their teens and Moore himself was in his 30s.

Other lawmakers have called for Moore to step down, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Some have even wondered if Moore could be expelled from the Senate if elected, though that would be a dicey proposition.

Moore himself has stayed firm in his resolve to continue campaigning. That’s despite evidence like that of Beverly Young Nelson, who claims that Moore had written in her yearbook (thus indicating that they had contact around the time of the alleged attack). The candidate’s attorney, Phillip Jauregui, has asked Nelson’s own attorney, Gloria Allred, to release the yearbook in question.

“Release the yearbook so we can determine is it genuine or is it a fraud,” Jauregui said on Thursday, standing in front of the Alabama Republican Party headquarters.

Moore himself has released inconsistent statements on his contact with young girls during his time as an assistant district attorney. In some cases, he has issued a blanket denial of misconduct. In others, he has been vaguer.

During one appearance on news commentator Sean Hannity’s radio talk show, he did not categorically deny the charges. Rather, he claimed that dating a teenage girl “would have been out of my customary behavior”.

Lest you think this kind of behavior is limited only to Republicans, you’d be sorely disappointed. Leeann Tweeden says that the now-Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) had groped and forcibly kissed her during a 2006 U.S.O. tour. Since the story broke, Franken has issued an apology. Reactions to his statements have varied from dismissive to skeptical, to condemnatory.

Zimbabwe’s military coup

On Wednesday, military leaders in Zimbabwe took control of the capital of Harare and placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest. Mugabe, who is 93 and has ruled over Zimbabwe for 37 years, has yet to release a statement. However, photographs show that he is alive and engaging in talks with leaders at his home.

In recent years, members of Mugabe’s party have grown frustrated with the long-serving president’s tactics. Some appeared to be especially angry when Mugabe suggested that his own wife replace him as head of Zimbabwe. More support former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who remains one of the most powerful people in the country thanks to military support.

And, finally, your palate cleanser

Australian voters did a good thing — namely, they made it so that LGBTQ Australians can now get married like any other citizen.

The vote wasn’t without controversy, and lawmakers there seemed endlessly set on dragging their feet. Still, this referendum found that more than 60% of Australians supported same-sex marriage. While it’s technically nonbinding, it’s widely expected to pass into law. That’s thanks to the clear support and turnout of about 12.7 million voters. All major parties in the country have promised to support the measure.

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So, while couples will still have to wait a few months before getting legally wed, this is still wonderful cause for celebration.