| | | | |  | | By Nicholas Wu | | | With Sarah Ferris, Marianne LeVine, Andrew Desiderio, and Anthony Adragna. Triple question mark, we meet again — Congressional negotiators are inching towards a deal on a massive spending bill after staff worked through the night to prepare text. Top Democrats told their members on Monday night they plan to release the text of that sweeping funding deal today, with a vote in the House on Wednesday — as long as it all goes according to plan. Projecting confidence : House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) wouldn't entertain questions on Monday night about whether lawmakers would need a stopgap by week's end. "I am going to try and make sure that we meet our deadline. That's our goal," DeLauro told us, echoing the positive message she delivered to an antsy group of House Democrats earlier in the night. Asked about outstanding issues, DeLauro told us: "Many of the bills are done already." One of those hurdles, per our Helena Bottemiller Evich, is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) opposition to an omnibus provision that would extend waivers that have allowed schools to serve universal free meals during the pandemic. A Senate Republican leadership aide said the waivers were a temporary provision to be sunsetted as schools return to a more normal phase of operations. Of course, these kinds of deals are tricky — and time-consuming. If the House can clear its bill by Wednesday, it would take something of a Senate miracle to get the government funded by Friday night. Still, Democrats in the House aren't yet talking about a stopgap: It's all eyes on the omnibus. And there is an obvious time crunch: House Democrats are set to leave Wednesday afternoon for their annual retreat in Philadelphia. LIBERALS SQUIRM OVER PENTAGON HIKE — Whenever party leaders do unveil that funding deal, House progressives will be looking closely at one number — the Pentagon's budget, expected to be one of the biggest in U.S. history. In a typical year, 40 to 50 House progressives might take a stand against that kind of defense increase. But not this year. Several progressives told us it'll be harder to vote against a Pentagon increase with Ukraine's humanitarian — and military — needs escalating by the hour. As House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) put it: "I don't like it. I think we're spending far too much anyways. But I think it's a harder political vote now to vote against significant increases in defense." There will still be consternation on the left, and some will still oppose. The total number will depend on exactly how it's packaged when it comes to the floor. About that process. .. Senior Democrats are still mulling whether to tee up the spending bill, along with the Ukraine aid, in a single vote, or to divide up different pieces of the 12-bill omnibus. (This is the "dividing the question" debate you might've been hearing). Asked Monday evening about that divide-it-up strategy, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) didn't rule it out. "We might," Hoyer said, acknowledging they'd split up the legislation in the past. AOC speaks... Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told us her vote might come down to that process: "I think that's the thing. We never support the defense budget," though she added: "I do support military aid to Ukraine."
| | | | HAPPENING TODAY, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ON THE WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN: Join Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph for a panel discussion on the future for Afghan women. Guests include Hawa Haidari, a member of the Female Tactical Platoon; Cindy McCain, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the U.S.; and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Learn how female Afghan veterans are planning their futures, what the women still in Afghanistan face, and what the U.S. can do to help. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this March 8, 2022, where your fill-in Huddle host is looking for Philly cheesesteak recommendations ahead of the House Democratic retreat. BOXED IN — Democratic leaders on the Hill spent the last two weeks largely deferring to Biden's judgment when it comes to new sanctions on Russia; they even said new legislation wasn't necessary, and that Biden should continue doing everything in lock-step with Europe. But when it comes to the bipartisan push to ban Russian oil imports, Democrats are threatening new legislation as a way to force Biden's hand — regardless of widespread opposition to such a move throughout Europe, Andrew, Burgess and Jonathan Lemire report. It's a remarkable shift, and one that has caused Biden administration officials to warm to an oil ban despite their previous reluctance due to concerns about gas prices rising even higher. It's born out of a desire to avoid a protracted debate over bipartisan oil-ban legislation on the Hill, and to avoid the potential embarrassment of Congress appearing tougher on Putin than Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Md.) said he spoke with the White House and "they're looking closely at it." Meanwhile, some Democrats are saying they're okay with gas prices going up as a result of banning Russian oil. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, said Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy "is risking his life for this cause," adding: "We need to stand by them and accept that it might create some hardship" with gas prices. Much more from the trio. KBJ RETURNS TO THE HILL: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is back on the Hill today to meet with Senate Democrats and Republicans, ahead of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, slated to begin March 21. Among the senators Jackson will meet with are Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), all of whom are on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In addition, Jackson will meet with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who Democrats view as one of the most likely GOP senators to support her nomination to the high court. Collins will not make a decision until after Jackson's confirmation hearing.
| | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance: A record-setting 409 bipartisan members of the U.S. House and Senate — over 75% of Congress – sent letters to the Biden administration supporting Medicare Advantage coverage. Why? Because Medicare Advantage is delivering high-satisfaction, lower costs, and better outcomes for the over 28 million seniors it serves. Medicare Advantage – it's working. | | | CAN MANCHIN HELP DEMS KEEP THE SENATE?: Democrats' most at-risk senators are pushing for a revived effort to pass legislation along party-lines to address inflation, ahead of the November midterm elections. And they're open to an outline from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who suggested last week he could support a package that would address inflation and deficit reduction and lower prescription drug costs. "That obviously would have an effect on helping people in their reelections," said Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), who defeated an incumbent GOP senator in 2020. Schumer offered a potential roadmap for Democrats to resuscitate their stalled domestic agenda, indicating in a "dear colleague" letter that the Senate FInance Committee will hold a hearing this week on lowering prescription drug costs. The party's cost-cutting effort is also expected to be a central focus in House and Senate Democratic retreats this week, a sign that the party is hearing out its endangered members who want to see a rebrand of its signature legislative effort. Burgess and Marianne have the whole story. USCP OFFICERS' PERSPECTIVE — A new report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office highlighted issues with Capitol Police officers' training and preparation ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection and surveyed over 300 officers who were on duty that day on their experiences. About 114 officers were injured on Jan. 6, according to the report, and among those who responded to the survey, 39 percent said they'd experienced physical assault on Jan. 6 (123 of the 314 who answered the question). The report also noted that about 18 percent of officers surveyed said they were hesitant to use force on Jan. 6, including "because of a fear of disciplinary actions" or because the leadership culture of the department discouraged it. The report also quantified how officers used force during the attack — officers reported 293 uses of force on Jan. 6, of which the most common occurrence was "empty hand control" like pushing people. 37 officers reported drawing their firearms on Jan. 6, though only one officer fired a weapon that day. A statement from Capitol Police Tom Manger included in the report noted the department agreed with GAO's recommendations on officer training and preparation and was taking steps to implement them. Roll Call's Chris Marquette has more.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today. | | | | | CAUCUSING — Both the Black Caucus and Asian Pacific American Caucus made the trek to the White House Monday to meet with senior White House staff and Biden about the priorities for both groups. Black Caucus chair Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) told your fill-in Huddle host on Monday evening after the meeting that CBC members talked about the group's "critical core issues" including the bomb threats to HCBUs, voting rights, crime, and criminal justice reform. Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) said in a brief interview that Biden "spent a long time with us talking about his ideas and also about the AAPI community." They brought up issues like the disaggregation of data to reflect differences among Asian American communities, language access for government programs, and the implementation of the AAPI Hate Crimes Act. The Black Caucus members included: Beatty, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Dem Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) plus Reps. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.). The Asian Pacific American Caucus members included: Reps. Chu, Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). Both groups met with aides including Brian Deese, Gautam Raghavan, Susan Rice, Cedric Richmond, Louisa Terrell, and Shalanda Young. Erika Moritsugu was part of the meeting with the Asian Pacific American Caucus (she'd been named to her White House position after Sens. Hirono and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) raised objections about the lack of AAPI representation in Biden's cabinet last spring). STEFANIK BACKS 10 MORE — House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik's (R-N.Y.) PAC, E-PAC, is endorsing ten more women seeking House seats: Tanya Contreras Wheeless in Arizona's 4th (Stanton); Anna Paulina Luna in Florida's 13th (Crist); Erin Houchin in Indiana's 9th (Hollingsworth); Annie Black in Nevada's 4th (Horsford); Liz Joy in New York's 20th (Tonko); Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in Ohio's 13th (newly redrawn); Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon's 5th (Schrader); Morgan Ortagus in Tennessee's 5th (Cooper); Cassy Garcia in Texas' 28th (Cuellar) and Mayra Flores in Texas 34th (Vela). Stefanik's PAC has now endorsed 18 women this cycle. HAGEDORN FUNERAL — Rep. James Hagedorn's funeral service will be held today at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Falls Church, Va. Lawmakers will depart from Rayburn around 11:50 a.m. for the 1:00 p.m. service and will leave Falls Church around 2:15 p.m.
| | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance:   | | | | | |
CAPITOL REOPENING? The Capitol complex has been mostly closed to the public since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but Congress could be inching closer to a reopening. House chiefs of staff were told on a Monday conference call a decision on the reopening would be made in the next few weeks, multiple sources told Sarah and Nick.
TRUCKER UPDATE — The trucker convoys are still in the DMV, but security officials aren't as concerned, according to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who received a briefing Monday from Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger. Norton, recounting her briefing with the chief, said in a statement there were about 2,000 vehicles among the two convoys, including several hundred trucks. The groups didn't plan to disrupt D.C. other than circling the Beltway at about 45-55 miles per hour (so, fast by Beltway rush hour standards, though they might end up being disrupted by Beltway traffic too). Manger told Norton he was more worried about truckers last week during the State of the Union, and didn't expect there to be security problems. The update comes as the Pentagon confirms the National Guard deployment to assist MPD and Capitol Police was extended for two more days, to March 9. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) are also set to meet with the convoy Tuesday. The Washington Post's Ellie Silverman, Karina Elwood, Justin George and Lori Aratani reported on yesterday's protest. FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD — There's a new made-to-order sushi counter opening in the Rayburn Cafeteria today, open when the House is in session. It will offer sushi rolls, and starting next week, poke bowls too. Every Wednesday the House is in session, Mission BBQ will host a pop-up in the Rayburn cafe. And this Thursday morning, District Doughnuts will hold a pop-up event in the Longworth Cafeteria. QUICK LINKS The Senate has passed a bill making lynching a federal crime, from Burgess Everett Supreme Court won't block new battleground state congressional maps, from Steve Shepard Attorney John Eastman says 'conflicting' advice to Trump negates Jan. 6 committee's claims of criminal intent, from Kyle Cheney Unforgiven: Two years later, small businesses still waiting for promised PPP loan forgiveness, from McClatchy's Ben Wieder Ex-judge Carl Marlinga to run as Democrat in Macomb-area congressional district, from the Detroit Free Press' Dave Boucher TRANSITIONS Michael Decker is now digital manager for Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.). He previously was digital press fellow for Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and an offensive lineman for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Charlotte Laracy is now communications director for Rep. Mikie Sherill (D-N.J.). Laracy was previously communications director for the House Problem Solvers Caucus. Leah Mercik has been promoted to be deputy scheduler and executive assistant for Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). Mariel Sáez will be an SVP of the public affairs practice at SKDK. She previously was director of broadcast media at the White House, and is a Biden campaign and Hoyer alum. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 10:30 a.m. AROUND THE HILL 9:30 a.m. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on reviewing testimony from the U.S. Strategic Command and Space Command for the fiscal 2023 defense authorization request (G50 Dirksen). 10:00 a.m. Senate Judiciary hearing on Combating the Rise in Hate Crimes (Dirksen 226). 10:00 a.m. House Intelligence Committee Hearing on Worldwide Threats (2175 Rayburn). 10:15 a.m. Jeffries and Caucus Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) hold a post-Caucus meeting press conference (HVC Studio A). 10:45 a.m. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) plus Reps. Garret Graves (R-La.) and Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) hold a post-conference meeting presser. (HVC Studio A). 11:00 a.m. Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission holds a hearing examining options for accountability for the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine (WebEx). 11:00 a.m. Hoyer holds a pen-and-pad briefing (Zoom). 2:00 p.m. Senators speak after their party lunches. | | |
TUESDAY'S WINNER: Stephen Díaz Gavin correctly answered that Nikita Khruschev was the foreign leader who made a 13-day visit to the U.S. in September 1959 and was especially frustrated he was not able to visit Disneyland as planned.
TODAY'S QUESTION from Stephen. Nikita Khrushchev made an "impression" during another visit to the United States. In particular, what did he do during a visit to New York City in October 1960, where in New York did he do it, and who was the other world leader who immediately remarked, "Mr President, perhaps we could have a translation?" 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 Nicholas on Twitter @nicholaswu12 | | | | A message from Better Medicare Alliance: Bipartisan consensus can sometimes seem elusive in Washington, but 409 members of the U.S. House and Senate proved it's still possible – coming together in record-setting numbers to declare bipartisan support for seniors' Medicare Advantage coverage.
It's not hard to see why. More than 28 million beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage today, giving it a 94% satisfaction rate, and 89% say it saves them money compared to other coverage options.
With ongoing bipartisan support in Washington, Medicare Advantage will continue delivering lower costs and better outcomes to seniors today and in the future. Medicare Advantage – it's working. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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