The National Interest Foundation Newsletter
Issue 25, December 24, 2019
Welcome to the last NIF Newsletter of 2019! As we head towards 2020, we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
In this week’s domestic headlines: the impeachment process stalls in the lead up to the U.S. Senate trial, and a new North American trade deal is passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Meanwhile, around the world: Twitter removes over 88,000 accounts tied to a Saudi Arabian disinformation campaign, and Lebanon appoints a new Prime Minister as anti-government protests continue.
United States
Impeachment Stalemate
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated that he is “not anxious to have the trial,” as the impeachment process hits a holiday stalemate. (Photo from AP)
Impeachment Process Stalls in the Lead Up to the U.S. Senate Trial
The impeachment process is on pause after the U.S. House of Representatives voted last week to approve two articles of impeachment against President Trump, one for abuse of power and the second for obstruction of Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has delayed sending the articles to the U.S. Senate in an effort to maintain leverage for Senate Democrats as they lay out procedures for the trial in the upper chamber of Congress. One of the demands from Democrats is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell call witnesses that President Trump refused to provide during the course of the House investigation and trial. The stalemate over the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate appears set to continue over the holidays and into the start of the new year.
House Passes USMCA
The House voted to overwhelmingly pass the USMCA, a replacement for NAFTA, and the bill is now set to be deliberated in the Senate early next year. (Photo from Getty Images)
USMCA, a Replacement for NAFTA, Passes in the House
On December 19th, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – a replacement for the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – in a sweeping 385-41 vote. American labor groups have backed the new trade deal which ensures stronger labor and environmental provisions. The deal is expected to revitalize U.S. manufacturing, and is likely to be approved by the U.S. Senate early next year. USMCA will mark a significant change in U.S. economic strategy toward the rest of the world.
Around the World
Saudi Arabia
Twitter removed thousands of accounts for aggressively posting messages that aligned with the interests of the Saudi Arabian regime. (Photo from AP)
Twitter Removes Accounts Tied to a Saudi Arabian Disinformation Campaign
Last Friday, Twitter announced that it had taken down more than 88,000 accounts linked to Saudi Arabia because of concerns that they were involved in spreading misinformation and spam. The accounts were removed for aggressively liking and retweeting messages that were favorable to the Saudi government’s interests. Twitter traced the accounts back to Smaat, a social media and marketing company based in Saudi Arabia that is known to manage accounts of Saudi government agencies. This is one of the largest single crackdowns on state-backed accounts in the history of the social media platform.
Lebanon
Newly appointed Prime Minister Diab pledged to form a government “as soon as possible,” saying he will start consultations with political parties and representatives of the popular movement this Saturday. (Photo from Getty Images)
Lebanon Appoints a New Prime Minister, as Anti-Government Protests Continue
Two weeks following the beginning of anti-government protests in Lebanon, Saad Hariri resigned as Prime Minister. Hassan Diab, a former Education Minister, was selected last week as Lebanon’s new Prime Minister to break a political deadlock amid mass protests. Diab, a professor at the American University of Beirut, was appointed by President Michel Aoun after a day of consultations with lawmakers in which he gained a simple majority in the 128-member parliament. He has vowed that his government will only consist of independents and experts. Friendly nations, such as France, have expressed that they will not support a heavily-indebted Lebanon before a reform-minded Cabinet is created.
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