PBS News Hour - Politics

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen recently declared a "compact” with El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, aiming to reduce their migration to the U.S. But since then, the Trump administration said it will cut aid to those countries, including to programs that seek to address the violence and poverty making their residents desperate to flee. John Yang talks to Nick Schifrin for more.

Although it's the beginning of a new month, recent partisan tensions on Capitol Hill show no sign of subsiding. Democrats in the House Oversight Committee are investigating Trump administration practices around granting security clearances, while the House Judiciary Committee plans to authorize subpoenas related to the Mueller report. John Yang talks to Lisa Desjardins for details.

Although he has yet to declare whether he will launch a 2020 presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden is facing a controversy that could potentially derail it. Two women have revealed past interactions with Biden in which his behavior made them uncomfortable; one of them, Lucy Flores, calls the experience “disqualifying” of Biden as a candidate. Lisa Desjardins reports.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Lisa Lerer of The New York Times talk to Lisa Desjardins about the week in politics, including complaints regarding former Vice President Joe Biden’s interactions with women and the “cultural moment” around sexual misconduct, fundraising for 2020 Democratic candidates so far and what voters are talking about on the campaign trail.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to analyze the week's news, including Attorney General William Barr’s handling of the Mueller report, President Trump’s “bewildering” announcement on the Affordable Care Act and how Democrats should approach health care policy.

Federal immigration officials in El Paso say they're overwhelmed by a massive influx of families seeking asylum. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has responded to the surge by moving personnel in from other areas, but that could exacerbate the problem by further slowing processing of asylum requests. Amna Nawaz reports and talks to Bob Moore of Texas Monthly about the ‘completely new’ situation.

From the Mueller investigation's end to renewed debate about health care, it's been a busy week in Washington. But how are these political issues resonating outside the nation's capital? Judy Woodruff talks to Kent State University professor and columnist Connie Schultz and Chris Buskirk, editor of conservative journal and website American Greatness, about what the Americans they talk to think.

Yamiche Alcindor and Lisa Desjardins join Judy Woodruff to discuss upcoming high-profile policy debates in Washington, including President Trump’s desire to eliminate the Affordable Care Act and what he thinks should replace it, Republican and Democratic proposals for funding family leave and ideas for addressing climate change.

With the country feeling deeply polarized and a Supreme Court that has moved to the right under President Trump, the role of Chief Justice John Roberts is attracting increased interest and scrutiny, including in "The Chief," a new book by Joan Biskupic. Judy Woodruff talks to Biskupic about the pivotal justice's “guarded” personality, drive to achieve and hallmark judicial decisions.

The Mueller report remains the top story in Washington, but Republicans and Democrats are viewing it from two very different perspectives. Democrats are pressing for full disclosure of the special counsel's findings so they can make their own judgments of the facts, while President Trump and his allies insist the matter is concluded, with the president in the clear. Lisa Desjardins reports.