[Dave Briggs, Cnn Anchor:] Shutdown averted. Congress kicks the can another month. But major issues remain as lawmakers and the president leave out for the holidays.
[Christine Romans, Cnn Anchor:] Testimony from the deputy FBI director suggests he can backup Comey's claims about President Trump.
[Briggs:] And the U.S. is not backing down after a lopsided U.N. vote criticizing the president's Jerusalem decision. The response of a former CIA director, calling the president a, quote, "narcissistic vengeful autocrat." John Brennan with one heck of a debut on Twitter yesterday. Welcome back. I'm Dave Briggs.
[Romans:] I'm Christine Romans. We're 30 minutes past the hour this Friday morning. And the lights will stay on. The government running for another month. Crisis averted. The Senate approving a stop-gap funding bill last night to keep federal agencies open through January 19th. The House approved the measure earlier in the day. Pushing the measure through means lawmakers get to go home for the holidays.
[Briggs:] The president also getting away for the holidays. He heads to Mar-a-Lago after signing the Republican tax bill this morning. But after averting a shutdown, many issues still remain. CNN's Phil Mattingly has more from Capitol Hill.
[Phil Mattingly, Cnn Congressional Correspondent:] Christine and Dave, in the end, the scent of jet fumes overwhelmed the idea of having a fight when it came to a potential government shutdown. House Republicans having the votes on their own to keep the government funded through January 19th. the Senate following suit shortly thereafter. There will not be a government shutdown, at least for now. What is actually in the bill they passed, it's more than just funding through January 19th. It's also funding through the end of March the Children's Health Insurance Program, a program that lapsed in September. This bill will have # billion to keep that moving forward. This bill will also extend through January 19th a key FISA surveillance program, a warrantless surveillance program the intelligence community says it desperately needs. It will also have some elements of funding for community health hospitals as well. Key components, but no doubt, setting up major fights for January. DACA, obviously, the program that President Trump said he would wind down by the end of March, that has been punted to January as well. And you also have a disaster supplemental bill basically funding for hurricane-ravaged Texas and Florida and Puerto Rico. While the House passed that with a vote, the Senate put that aside, so they didn't have the votes for it this time around. That will have to be addressed in January as well. Republicans and Democrats agreeing not to shut down the government, low bar, but that's progress on some level. But what it does do, again, is set up major fights in January. For now, though, everybody is going home to celebrate the holidays with their families Christine and Dave?
[Romans:] All right, Phil, thank you for that. Still reported no deal on DACA, the law that protects DREAMers, young undocumented immigrants brought here as children. Just before the vote on the short-term spending bill, more than a dozen members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus marched on Senator Chuck Schumer's office, calling for a no-vote on the spending bill, unless it contains a DACA fix.
[Briggs:] They say Schumer only committed to galvanizing support for the nation's DREAMers. Earlier this week, Republican Senator, Jeff Flake said he has a commitment from majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to vote on a bipartisan immigration bill next month.
[Romans:] Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe wrapped up more than 16 hours of testimony this week before members of three House committees. Multiple sources from both parties tell CNN McCabe described interactions with his one-time boss, former FBI director, James Comey.
[Briggs:] Testimony suggests McCabe can back up Comey's claim the president asked him to pledge his loyalty and to go easy on the Michael Flynn investigation. That's because McCabe told lawmakers Comey informed him about conversations with President Trump soon after they happened.
[Romans:] McCabe's closed-door testimony came amid growing calls for his firing from Republicans critical of the FBI's handling of the Russia and Clinton e-mail investigations. Democrats, like Congressman Jerrold Nadler, were pushing back hard, pressuring Republicans to stop demonizing Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
[Rep. Jerrold Nadler, , New York:] Republican attempts seemingly at the behest of the White House to discredit, interfere and undermine Robert Mueller and his team must be called out and exposed as a systematic attempt to provide cover for the president as the walls close in on him and on his family and his inner circle.
[Briggs:] Another CNN poll shows a majority of Americans, 56 percent, disapprove of the president's handling of the Russia investigation. Meanwhile, 47 percent approve of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's approach to the probe. Polls also are sharply divided along party lines. No surprise.
[Romans:] Nikki Halley taking names, as promised, after a U.N. vote condemning President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capitol. The America's ambassador to the U.N. calling the United Nations a, quote, "hostile place for Israel" after a 128 to nine vote against the U.S.
[Nikki Haley, U.s. Ambassador To The U.n:] The United States will remember this day in which it was singled out for attack in the General Assembly for the very act of exercising our right as a sovereign nation. We will remember it when we are called upon to once again make the world's largest contribution to the United Nations. And we will remember it when so many countries come calling on us, as they so often do, to pay even more and to use our influence for their benefit.
[Briggs:] Haley's remarks triggering a harsh response from former CIA director, John Brennan. His second ever tweet. Quote, "The Trump administration threats to retaliate against nations that exercise sovereign rights in U.N. to oppose U.S. position on Jerusalem is beyond outrageous. It shows Donald Trump expects line loyalty and subservience from everyone. Qualities usually found in narcissistic vengeful autocrats." Thirty-five countries abstained from the U.N. vote and 21 others were absent.
[Romans:] Ambassador Haley inviting representatives from all 65 nations that did not vote against the U.S. to a thank-you reception in January. Part of the invitation reading, "Think of this as just a first symbolic step of the U.S. taking note of who supports us and who doesn't." Let's go live to Jerusalem and bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann. Oren, what is the reaction to the U.N. vote there?
[Oren Liebermann, Cnn International Correspondent:] Well, the Palestinians very much see the results of this vote, 128 voting against the United States, as a success. Only nine states voted with the U.S. They see this as a stinging rebuke of U.S. foreign policy and President Trump's unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel. In speaking to the Palestinian representative to the United States, he says it's a rejection of unilateralism, moves done by only one country, and a sweeping acceptance of multilateralism, international law and a global approach to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, and the goal of recognizing and establishing a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capitol. Strangely enough, this is a situation where even Israel is celebrating the results of the vote to an extent. That's because of a third number, 35 abstentions. They see that as a diplomatic success, at least partially, by getting that many countries to stay out, nearly two dozen countries that were absent during the results of the vote. So both sides claiming are a measure of success. And yet, as you pointed out, this is largely symbolic because it's a nonbinding resolution and doesn't affect anything on the ground here. And it certainly doesn't change President Trump's recognition as the capital of Israel Christine?
[Romans:] All right, Oren, thank you for that, live from Jerusalem for us this morning.
[Briggs:] A federal judge dismissing an ethics lawsuit against President Trump. An organization called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, claim Mr. Trump's business interests are causing conflicts of interest and violate the Constitution. Their argument resting on the president's decision not to sell his business holdings before the inauguration. On Thursday, the judge ruled CREW did not have legal standing to bring the suits since Congress must raise the issue first. CREW calls the ruling a setback and vows to appeal.
[Romans:] Mike Pence is now the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit an active U.S. combat zone. The vice president making a secret visit to Afghanistan Thursday night, meeting with top Afghan officials and rallying the troops.
[Mike Pence, Vice President Of The United States:] Today, on behalf of your commander-in-chief I say to all of you, in the days ahead, mind your mission, take care of one another, respect the unified chain of command, and never doubt every day every operation and every decision that you make matters.
[Romans:] The vice president has departed Afghanistan, we're told, and is heading back to the U.S. for the holidays.
[Briggs:] President Trump paid a holiday visit to wounded troops at Walter Reed Medical Center.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] Some of the bravest people anywhere in the world. We're just going to wish them a merry Christmas and happy new year. And we love those people.
[Briggs:] During the visit, the president awarded the Purple Heart to First Lieutenant Victor Prado, of the 127th Airborne engineer battalion, who was injured last month while deployed in Afghanistan. This is Trump's second visit to Walter Reed as president. His two predecessors also visited servicemembers there, wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Breaking news overnight, legendary sportscaster, Dick Enberg, has died.
[Dick Enberg, Former Sportscaster:] Oh, my, what an exciting day.
[Briggs:] Oh, my, what a voice. Family members of the beloved Hall of Fame announcer confirm Enberg was found dead in his home in California Thursday. His family suspects the cause of death was a heart attack. Long-time voice of UCLA basketball and the San Diego Padres, Enberg was heard for decades on NBC, CBS and ESPN. He covered 28 Wimbledons, 10 Super Bowls and eight NCAA championships. Dick Enberg, dead at the age of 82. But on that Mount Rushmore of sports broadcasters we grew up with, one of those legendary voices and talents.
[Romans:] All right, 49 minutes past the hour. Strong signups for Obamacare, even as the White House refused to help enrollment efforts. We'll crunch the numbers, next.