| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With help from Anthony Adragna DEMS UNDAUNTED BY CERTAIN DEFEAT— Senate Democrats embark today on what is broadly understood to be a futile attempt to shore up Voting Rights Act protections and enact federal election standards by changing the chamber's rules to circumvent the universal opposition of their Republican colleagues. Two of their fellow Democrats back the bill, but not the party-line workaround to pass it. It looks to be an evening event , with the cloture vote on the elections and voting legislation slated for 6:30 p.m., which, with only 50 Democrats in favor, will fall short of the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and cut off debate. That will be the first of a few votes tonight. Frankenstein's filibuster fix: The filibuster proposal that Schumer will take to the floor is a hybrid of two options the caucus has been mulling for weeks, one part old-school "talking filibuster" and another part limited carve out exemption from the 60-vote threshold. Talk, talk, talk: "Once members of the minority party have exhausted all of their speaking rights and defended their position on the Senate floor, the debate will have run its course, and the Senate will move to vote on final passage at a majority threshold," Schumer told reporters Tuesday. He framed the move as "restorative" of the Senate's two-speech rule, part of Senate Rule 19, which states " no Senator shall speak more than twice upon any one question in debate on the same legislative day without leave of the Senate, which shall be determined without debate." That's the talking filibuster part. The carveout: Under the talking filibuster proposed by Schumer, the voting and elections package would only require a simple majority to advance toward final passage, preceded by a lengthy debate. No further bills would get the same treatment. Burgess and Marianne have more, including the flying threats and deflections of primary challenges. In a closed-door meeting of the Senate Democratic Caucus on Tuesday evening, the group discussed the impending clash and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) spoke up to once again reiterate his disagreement with a party-line effort to change Senate rules. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is also standing firm on her opposition to rules changes. That will leave Democrats short of the votes they need for filibuster reform. RELATED: Democrats tie 'talking filibuster' gambit to Senate's two-speech rule, from Niels Lesniewski at CQ Roll Call | | | | DON'T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, January 19. Check the weather for Thursday and let's guess if the House and Senate will stick around much longer. FIRST IN HUDDLE: HOYER ASKS AGAIN — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is following up on his December 14, 2021 letter to the Capitol Police Board, this time requesting that the the board take steps to clarify firearms rules for the Capitol complex, including posting them prominently, clarifying that members cannot carry firearms in committee rooms or suites adjacent to committee rooms, and assessing if a complete ban on firearms, including in members' offices, is warranted. The latest letter from Hoyer, sent Wednesday, follows a Dec. 30 response from the USCP Board saying the panel "plans to host a briefing open to all Members of Congress as soon as practicable." USCP Chief Tom Manger was asked about the policies at a closed-door Democratic Caucus meeting earlier this year, but Hoyer is seeking further clarity and action. "I understand that the CPB intends to meet as soon as this week," Leader Hoyer wrote in the follow-up, "and it is my hope that you will use this opportunity to discuss necessary revisions to your current firearms regulations." He continues: "I will stand firm in my commitment to advocating for Members' accessibility to clear and prudent firearms guidelines in order to prevent further ambiguity and ensure compliance with the rules." Read Hoyer's latest letter to the Capitol Police Board HERE . The changes Hoyer proposes the USCP Board considers would be to a 55 year-old document: Police Board Regulations Pertaining to Firearms, Explosives, Incendiary Devices, and Other Dangerous Weapons, dated October 31, 1967
| | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance: Nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries today choose Medicare Advantage, and they're ready to make their voices heard. In a new poll conducted by Morning Consult, 92% say that a candidate's support for Medicare Advantage is important to them when casting their vote, while 93% believe protecting Medicare Advantage should be a priority for the Biden administration. Medicare Advantage – it's working. | | | PRESSURE CAMPAIGN — Sinema seems unlikely to yield, but the latest pressure on the Arizona Democrat comes from EMILY's List and NARAL Pro-Choice America, which both said Monday they'd pull backing for her if she doesn't support changes to the filibuster needed to enact an election reform bill. In a statement Tuesday, Sinema said "the Senate's 60-vote threshold to end debate on legislation has been used repeatedly to protect against wild swings in federal policy, including in the area of protecting women's health care." Anthony has more on Congress Minutes. TECH TEST FOR MCCARTHY — "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy once said that his vision was 'to have government as innovative as Google, customer-centric as Apple, and as quick as Amazon.' Now, he's the man charged with leading the GOP's battle against Big Tech — a position that will become particularly important if his party wins back the House and he becomes speaker next year," write POLITICO's Emily Birnbaum and Hailey Fuchs. Don't miss their deep dive into McCarthy's (R-Calif.) relationship with Silicon Valley and how different his approach is behind closed-doors with companies than the GOP's public rhetoric to "check big tech." HOCKEY IN THE HOUSE — The House is set to vote Wednesday on legislation to honor Willie O'Ree, the first Black player to play in the National Hockey League. The Senate voice-voted the measure last week, the same week the Boston Bruins raised his jersey to the rafters and retired O'Ree's number 22. | | | | 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. | | | | | LANGEVIN LEAVES A LEGACY — Rep. Jim Langevin's (D-R.I.) retirement means that more than twenty years of advocacy and personal commitment to accessibility on Capitol Hill will be headed out the door. Langevin, the first quadriplegic to serve in the House, took a leading role advocating both for himself, and for other lawmakers and staff with disabilities, veterans and more. The historic buildings and heavy doors on the Capitol complex still post serious accessibility issues and Langevin advocated last year for staff training on disability rights or accessibility services and procedures. After a renovation of the Speaker's Rostrum to include a lift, Langevin made history: "I'll always cherish the moment that I became the first Congressman in a wheelchair to preside over the House of Representatives as Speaker Pro Tempore, as we marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act," he wrote in his retirement announcement in The Providence Journal. | | | Wordle to the wise… Players of the insanely popular online game Wordle (spoiler alert!) may have noticed Monday's puzzle had a distinctly congressional bent. "Proxy" was the word, though the Supreme Court didn't take the hint and deliver a decision on whether it will take up the pending challenge to the House's proxy voting rules. Other ideas for Congress-themed words: "gavel," "bills" and "House." Goodbye Gaetz… Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) announced he canceled his membership at the Capitol Hill Club because they are complying with Washington D.C.'s new vaccination policies. Last week other members of the House GOP caucus proposed a boycott. Fly-in 'fit check… An evening caucus meeting and no votes scheduled meant casual Tuesday for Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and others. Burgess snapped a pic of Tester and C-SPAN had Manchin covered. | | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance:   | | | QUICK LINKS House, Senate eateries won't enforce DC vaccination mandate, from Chris Cioffi at CQ Roll Call Cherfilus-McCormick, first Haitian American from Florida, officially joins Congress, from The Miami Herald TRANSITIONS Ryan Shay is now director of government and regulatory affairs at Faegre Drinker. He most recently was legislative director for Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.). Melissa Connolly is now assistant VP for government affairs at the Association of American Railroads. She most recently was legislative director for Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for morning hour debate and noon for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with a vote at 6:30 p.m. and additional votes expected. AROUND THE HILL 10:15 a.m. House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Vice Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) hold a news conference after the Democratic caucus meeting (Studio A). 10:45 a.m. House GOP Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and others hold a press conference after the GOP conference meeting (Studio A). 11 a.m. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) hold a press conference with Republicans from the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees (SR-325). 2 p.m. Senate Republican and Senate Democratic leaders will hold separate media availabilities after caucus lunches.
| | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Taylor Hulsey correctly answered that in 1971, Republican Leader Everett Dirksen justified the added expense of the amplification system by saying it was in the interest of providing equal treatment for all senators: "As one grows older," said the honey-throated Dirksen , "his vocal chords lose a little of their dynamite — a little of their resonance. The voice becomes thin, sometimes a little squeaky. Well, even a squeaky voice — or a thin, piping treble — is entitled to be heard on the floor, as well as a resounding bass." But Kirtan Mehta correctly answered that the 1971 system wasn't the first! That was back in 1933. TODAY'S QUESTION: What is the name of the first private aircraft ever used by a candidate during a presidential campaign? It is in the care of the Smithsonian Institution but not currently on display. Hint: It could make a stadium full of Red Sox fans sing "BAH BAH BAH!" 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 Better Medicare Alliance: Leaders in Washington face tough choices today, but protecting seniors' Medicare Advantage coverage? That's an easy call. According to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult, 9 out of 10 seniors are satisfied with their Medicare Advantage, and 88% would oppose efforts to cut the program.
What's more, 76% of beneficiaries would be less likely to vote for a lawmaker who supported cuts to Medicare Advantage. 29.5 million Americans are projected to enroll in Medicare Advantage in 2022 alone, and they're ready to stand up for the health coverage they choose and enjoy. Read more.
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