| | | | |  | | By Anthony Adragna and Nancy Vu | | | With help from from Jennifer Scholtes and Marianne LeVine THE INTERVENING WEEK? Besides a House effort to end normal trade relations with Russia, Congress is essentially entering the government equivalent of a bye week. It's not recess, but they're coming off one big game and preparing for another ( very Tom Brady vibes). They're basking in the glow of getting a fiscal 2022 spending bill to President Joe Biden's desk with the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson fast approaching. Arguably the biggest item on the House's to-do list will be that legislation ending normal trade relations with Russia amid its ongoing war with Ukraine. They're not back until Tuesday, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement last week the bill will "formalize this revocation, and it is our hope that it will receive a strong, bipartisan vote." A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said it's on his chamber's radar as well: "We're working on an agreement that the Senate can pass quickly." Some long-standing areas of interest will get committee action this week, as well. The House Administration Committee will consider various proposals to curb stock trading by members of Congress on Wednesday. The Rules Committee will gather testimony on the future of proxy voting and remote committee work on Thursday. And the Judiciary Committee will consider a bill on Wednesday designating a national hymn. We'll be on the lookout for next steps on additional Covid aid. Democrats ultimately pulled $15.6 billion in funds from the massive spending bill last week, but leaders have vowed to try to find a new path forward. By the way: KBJ will resume her meetings with Republican and Democratic senators on Tuesday.
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GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, we're Anthony and Nancy, your guides to Congress Minutes . We try to take you through the ins and outs of daily congressional action with real-time analysis. And we try to make it a bit fun! KTM turned over the reins to Huddle to us for today. We might give it back, but *ONLY* if she acknowledges the Nationals will always be superior to her lowly Red Sox.
STAY CLASSY — Senate Republicans have agreed on one approach towards Judge Ketanjii Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court: They'll keep it classy, reports Marianne LeVine. "The best message I can give you at this point, but I think you've heard me say it before: It's going to be a fair, thorough hearing, and we're not going to get in the gutter like the Democrats did," said Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee. In the past, the Senate's minority party coalesced around a central message against the pending nomination ― but for Republicans on the Judiciary Committee this year, they don't have one set strategy. They plan on hitting home on her past public defender record representing Guantanamo Bay detainees, while also highlighting briefs she filed in private practice for groups that worked against the George W. Bush's administration's detention policies. But the lack of a main anti-Jackson message points to a reality Republicans are acknowledging: Jackson is on a smooth path to confirmation, with or without the GOP, who are likely to largely oppose her confirmation. However, the party has made promises that it'll be respectful in scrutinizing the judge ― and will avoid questioning her qualifications. Most of the drama has been procedural, with Grassley expressing skepticism of Democrats' confirmation timeline and demanding additional documents about Jackson's time on the U.S Sentencing Commission. Related : Anti-aboriton groups are launching a blitz against KBJ, while crime victims and advocates are urging for her swift confirmation. USING THE STOPGAP — Congress is still cruising on a continuing resolution, even after the Senate cleared the $1.5 trillion package late Thursday to fund the federal government into the fall. It takes awhile to prep such a behemoth measure before it can be sent down to Pennsylvania Avenue, so the government is running on that four-day spending patch lawmakers deployed along with the real-deal funding bill. President Joe Biden has until midnight Tuesday to turn the more than 2,700-page package into law before funding expires, and a White House official tells us the president looks forward to making that happen this week. COMPLETING THE CABINET — Senators are going to confirm Shalanda D. Young to lead the Office of Management and Budget this week, installing a Senate-confirmed leader in the only Biden administration cabinet post to remain vacant since inauguration day. Young's effectively been in charge since the start of the administration, serving as OMB's acting director once the White House withdrew Neera Tanden's nomination for budget chief. There's now a vacancy in the Cabinet thanks to the resignation of science advisor Eric Lander amid allegations that he fostered a hostile workplace. FORMER WORKERS OF CONGRESS, UNITE! ― In an open letter from former staffers, organizers are urging passage of H. Res. 915 , along with any twin Senate bill, which would reinforce the protections of the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to staffers that wish to organize. The letter described the conditions of the Hill as "a volatile workplace and toxic environment marked by overwork, underpay, discrimination, abuse, and/or harassment," that contributed to a "Congressional brain drain" that they argue weakens the capabilities of the institution. The signers of the letter urged lawmakers, along with senior staff, to commit to bargaining with the union and ensure an agreement is reached. Read the letter here.
| | | | 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. | | | | | CARNAHAN LAUNCHES MINNESOTA RUN ― Former chair of the Minnesota's Republican Party Jennifer Carnahan is officially running for Congress, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday morning. Her campaign to replace her late husband, Rep. Jim Hagedorn, puts her in a crowded primary race with more than a dozen candidates. In a press release, Carnahan referenced her ties to both her late husband, reinforcing her commitment to continue his "legacy" while fighting to "safeguard the integrity of our elections," and likened herself to former President Donald Trump. Despite her obvious political ties and name recognition, her run comes with a lot of baggage, as Olivia outlined last week. Here's how. HOLD UP — Iran claimed responsibility for a missle strike near the U.S. consulate in northern Iraq near the Kurdish region's capital, Irbil, prompting lawmakers from both parties to urge the U.S. to pump the brakes on talks with Iran. "If reports are accurate, the Biden Administration must withdraw its negotiations with Iran. We cannot re-enter a failed [Iran nuclear deal] to further empower Iran and threaten global security," Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) said in a tweet . Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) weighed in, as well: "Iran is openly targeting Americans with missile strikes. Sanctions relief for Iran's terrorist regime should be completely off the table," he said. DELEGATION MEETS WITH UKRAINIAN REFUGEES — A bipartisan group of four senators — Rob Portman (R-Ohio.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) — trekked to the Polish border with Ukraine where they met with refugees and other officials. Shots from Portman, Blumenthal and a video from Klobuchar. I'LL BE THERE: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told The New York Post in a weekend interview that "I would be there for" Trump if he runs for reelection. The California Republican said he "wouldn't be opposed to" Ukraine joining NATO, even as he hit the Biden administration's response to the war with Russia: "Poor. America is not leading. Europe is leading." ICYMI: It was a last-minute phone call that sealed the deal for Congress to double the White House's original ask for aid to Ukraine, increasing it by $1.5 billion in a single conversation, Burgess and Andrew report. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) phoned Schumer, his Democratic counterpart, as Russian forces doubled down to attack Ukraine. "To Chuck's credit, he said, 'OK,'" McConnell recalled in an interview Thursday in his Capitol office. "It wasn't a hard sell." Read more about that clutch phone call here.
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U kno what … Chuck Grassley explained the origin of his 99 county tour in Iowa from the Windsor Heights Dairy Queen infamous for 'u kno what'
More positives: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) announced she has a "mild case" of Covid-19. Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) also disclosed a positive test with "mild cold symptoms." Backfire… Former President Donald Trump bashed Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) at a rally on Saturday for a video she shot in front of Trump Tower in New York. Shots fired … Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) slammed former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) for "parroting false Russian propaganda" and warned it could get people killed. QUICK LINKS Budget deal is latest sign of Democrats' empty weed promises, from Natalie Fertig House Democrats Push Biden to Build a Better Midterm Message, from Jonathan Martin at The New York Times 'Don't expect the Mueller report': Video to play key part in Jan. 6 hearings and report, from Robert Costa at CBS News Dems catch a break from the culture wars, from David Siders and Elena Schneider Alabama's only Black member of Congress welcomes a fight over her voting rights bill, from Donna M. Owens at NBC News Democrats Grapple With Mixed Covid-19 Stimulus Legacy on Anniversary, from Andrew Duehren and Amara Omeokwe at The Wall Street Journal
| | | | 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. | | | | | TRANSITIONS Send us your news and moves! TODAY IN CONGRESS The House will next convene on Tuesday at noon. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. with a 5:30 p.m. procedural vote on the nomination of Shalanda Young to lead the Office of Management and Budget. AROUND THE HILL Yeah, not much on the schedule to date.
| | | FRIDAY'S WINNER: Laura (we didn't get a last name!) knew the first Senate page was a nine-year-old boy named Grafton Hanson who was appointed by Sen. Daniel Webster all the way back in 1829. TODAY'S QUESTION: What was the second state to grant women full voting rights? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to aadragna@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Anthony on Twitter @AnthonyAdragna and Nancy @NancyVu99. | | A message from Freight Rail Works: Alleviating an extraordinary supply chain crisis requires an extraordinary transportation network—like America's freight railroads. The dedicated employees of America's freight railroads are working 24/7 to find powerful solutions to maximize efficiency and reliability. Learn more about how railroads are creating an unbreakable link between manufacturers, retailers and other critical rail customers. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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