| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With Sarah Ferris and Andrew Desiderio. SENATE DEMS CHRISTMAS WISHES COULD RUN OUT — For Senate Democrats, not getting their social spending and climate plan wrapped up, or even just through the Senate, before Christmas is going to feel a bit like getting coal in their stockings. Talks between Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and President Joe Biden have soured. There's just nine days left on Advent calendars and it isn't clear if there's a $1.7 trillion bill packed with Democrats' economic priorities behind any of those doors as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) Dec. 25 deadline draws closer. Neither Biden, Schumer nor Manchin are giving up just yet, but frustration is growing as the days tick by. Manchin briefly boiled over Wednesday when questioned about whether he opposes a provision in the bill to extend the expanded child tax credit. He denied that he wants to end the monthly installments of $300 to families with young kids, but first called the reporter's questions "bullshit." He later expanded on where he stands and Marianne has details. The hangup in negotiations between two usually-jolly Joes -- Manchin and Biden -- has left the entire Senate in limbo and Democratic senators unclear on what will come next. Burgess and White House reporters Alex Thompson and Jonathan Lemire explore the Biden-Manchin relationship and where things stand. BUT ACTUALLY…WHAT IS NEXT? — Noms 'till you drop. Schumer teed up votes on 22 nominees, from judicial nominees to long-stalled ambassador picks, a move designed to tempt a deal with Republicans. Without an agreement to speed things up, he has set up a marathon series of votes on Friday, pushing Senate action into the weekend and even into the week of Christmas. Schumer is in a standoff with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over confirming Biden's ambassador nominees, dozens of which are awaiting a vote in the Senate but are being held up by Cruz. A proposal from the Texan to move forward on 16 nominations in exchange for a vote on Nord Stream 2 sanctions was thwarted Wednesday. "We have been working over the past day to secure a lift on many of these holds. I want to echo what Sen. [Bob] Menendez (D-N.J.) has made clear: If the Senator from Texas offers a proposal that does not include lifting all State, Treasury, and USAID nominees' holds, we cannot come to an agreement," Schumer said in a floor speech. RELATED: Bipartisan deal to crack down on China's treatment of Muslims stalls in Senate, from Andrew | | | | JOIN TODAY FOR A WOMEN RULE 2021 REWIND AND A LOOK AHEAD AT 2022: Congress is sprinting to get through a lengthy and challenging legislative to-do list before the end of the year that has major implications for women's rights. Join Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph and POLITICO journalists Laura Barrón-López, Eleanor Mueller, Elena Schneider and Elana Schor for a virtual roundtable that will explore the biggest legislative and policy shifts in 2021 affecting women and what lies ahead in 2022. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, December 16, where the Senate is like a choose-your-own-adventure story in which you have no control over what happens next. PROG ROCK (AND A HARD PLACE) — It wasn't easy to pass the nearly $2 trillion domestic policy bill out of the House with an emboldened liberal faction of the Democratic Caucus pushing the bill to the left. But with the Senate now the final hurdle, House progressives are preparing their own response: They did all they could. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who steered the Congressional Progressive Caucus through its first dust-up with party leaders, says her members are ready to back whatever makes it out of the 50-50 Senate intact. "What we're trying to do is make sure it stays as good as possible. We are now counting on the Senate to make sure to preserve it," Jayapal said of the bill, which includes key wins such as public housing, universal pre-K and a half-trillion for climate change. Still, liberal leaders are bracing for big cuts in the Senate this week, either because of Manchin or the chamber's budget rules. Paid leave, immigration, drug pricing negotiation are all on the chopping block. Even hardliner House progressives say they're bracing for an all-or-nothing scenario when the bill comes back to the House. And no liberal Dems say they're willing to take that gamble.. "I don't really see a world in which I vote against Build Back Better, because we need those investments," said Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.). More from Sarah and Nicholas: 'Know when to hold and know when to fold': Progressives accept limits of their power | | | | A message from Blackstone: Blackstone is accelerating growth and innovation in life sciences. Over the last decade, rapid scientific and technological advancements have contributed to explosive growth in the life sciences industry. This innovation has yielded more products than can be adequately funded, forcing companies to prioritize based on the financial realities and risks of drug development. Blackstone is helping fill this gap by investing in underfunded therapies and technologies with the potential to transform patients' lives. See how. | | | SINEMA SOURS DEMS' VOTING PUSH — Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) threw cold water on Senate Democrats implementing any shortcuts around the filibuster in order to sweeping elections or voting legislation with a simple majority in an end-of-year push. Sinema supports the legislation, but won't entertain proposals for circumventing the chamber's 60-vote threshold in order to move one of the party's key legislative priorities. "It is time for the Senate to publicly debate its rules, including the filibuster, so senators and all Americans can hear and fully consider such ideas, concerns, and consequences," Sinema spokesperson John LaBombard told POLITICO. "If there are proposals to make the Senate work better for everyday Americans without risking repeated radical reversals in federal policy, Senator Sinema is eager to hear such ideas and — as always — is willing to engage in good-faith discussions with her colleagues." Burgess rounds up the leading options for Democrats and what Sinema's team has to say. WATCH YOUR BACK — When a Russian politician called for Rep. Ruben Gallego to be kidnapped and thrown in jail, the Arizona Democrat had a terse response: "Fuck around and find out," Gallego tweeted, along with an American flag emoji. Russian lawmaker Aleksei Zhuravlyov made the remarks about Gallego on live TV, according to The Daily Beast, over Gallego's recent comments about Russia's military buildup on the board with Ukraine. Gallego, who traveled to Ukraine over the weekend on a bipartisan CODEL, has since suggested that the U.S. should make clear that the weapons it is providing to Ukraine could cause significant loss of life among Russian troops. Clearly, Zhuravlyov didn't take kindly to that remark. "We should be looking for that bud, and if he travels anywhere — grab him … and bring him over here," Zhuravlyov said. | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | JOLIE PUSHES FOR VAWA — Angelina Jolie returned to the Hill for a second day of meetings Wednesday, focused on efforts for a bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Sources tell your Huddle host that in addition to a sit-down with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Olivia snapped a pic ), the actress and humanitarian also met with Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) … who both brushed off your Huddle host's questions about planned meetings with Jolie on Tuesday night. She also met with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). Jolie is specifically advocating for VAWA to include "Kayden's Law" which is centered on trauma-informed court processes that minimize the risk of harm to children, judicial training and qualifications of custody evaluators. She is also seeking inclusion of a grant program for forensic evaluators to use technology to identify and recognize bruising across all skin tones. | | | Bet you some beef jerky… Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) are betting beef jerky from their home states as their alma maters face off in Bozeman this weekend. Daines' Montana State University Bobcats play Rounds' South Dakota State University Jackrabbits in the FCS football semifinals. In addition to forking over beef jerky, the loser also has to wear the opposing team's hat on the Senate floor (which might be a decorum violation?) See some goofy videos here. If the Capitol gift shop won't cut it… Jim Saksa from Roll Call talked to lawmakers, Hill staff, CSPAN veterans and beltway insiders about their book recommendations. From books on Real Housewives to Winston Churchill (plus some fiction!) there really is something for just about everyone. | | | | A message from Blackstone:   | | | QUICK LINKS The Jan. 6 puzzle piece that's going largely ignored, from Kyle Congress had the votes to overhaul how the military handles serious crimes. Why didn't it? From Amanda Becker at The 19th* News Meadows and the Band of Loyalists: How They Fought to Keep Trump in Power, from The New York Times Exclusive: More Georgia Secretary of State's office officials interviewed by Jan. 6 committee, from Stephen Fowler of Georgia Public Broadcasting Bob Dole, Master Comedian of the Senate, from C-SPAN'S podcast The Weekly TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 11 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. AROUND THE HILL 12:30 p.m. House Administration Committee hearing on protecting Smithsonian facilities and collections against climate change (1310 Longworth). | | | WEDNESDAY WINNER: Joe Bookman correctly answered that seven White House Chiefs of Staff have held different administration jobs in later administrations (We did not count those, like former acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who took different jobs in the same administration they served as COS.) TODAY'S QUESTION from Joe: Who is the only person who served as a Supreme Court Justice as well as a state Governor, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Congressman? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus | | | | A message from Blackstone: Blackstone is backing promising companies, products and technologies in the life sciences industry. The number of medical products in phase III clinical trials, the final step before regulatory approval, has almost doubled in the last decade – reflecting the rapid pace of growth in the life sciences industry. Blackstone is providing funding to help foster this innovation by backing businesses and investing behind underfunded products that have the potential to meaningfully improve outcomes for patients. Today, Blackstone is supporting Anthos Therapeutics, a company it launched alongside Novartis in 2019, as they develop a promising treatment for high-risk cardiovascular patients. See the approach. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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