| | | | |  | | By Elana Schor and Jordain Carney | Presented by Chevron | With Daniel Lippman. THE NEXT REPEAL WAR — Republicans haven't yet taken back any power on Capitol Hill, but the White House is already previewing how it would approach a GOP that will likely start 2023 in control of one – if not both – chambers of Congress. And if you remember the years-long, ill-fated push to repeal Obamacare, the coming clash is going to feel familiar. Republicans "can't tell you what they're for, but … they'll tell you what they're against," President Joe Biden said Thursday during a visit to Syracuse to promote this year's bipartisan microchip investment measure. Biden ticked off various elements of Democrats' party-line climate, tax and health care law that he vowed Republicans would use any new power to unravel, from its prescription drug reforms to its corporate minimum tax. His White House also rounded up reports that GOP lawmakers are considering attempted repeal of parts of the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, it's not clear that House Republicans would make good on their suggested interest in a future unraveling of that $700 billion-plus plan. But if they do go there, the Obamacare repeal fight offers two instructive lessons. The first lesson: Repeal on its own isn't an easy sell. Republicans learned that the hard way during the Trump years, watching an Obamacare rollback barely pass the House only to stumble through several incarnations in the Senate before the final version's demise at the hand – er, thumb – of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). While the GOP adopted "repeal and replace" as a messaging mantra early on in that long journey, agreement on what exactly to replace the health care law with never materialized. So, if an incoming House Republican majority wants to take a whack at elements of the Democratic party-line bill that poll well on their own, particularly the prescription drug provisions, they may find themselves trying to define their own "replacement." The second lesson is borrowed from Sir Isaac Newton: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It's as true in politics as it is in physics. And since Democrats won big in the 2018 midterms after embracing Obamacare , Republicans might want to look at the Biden White House's latest messaging as a preview of what they'll face in the next Congress should they prioritize repeal of portions of the Inflation Reduction Act. That's not to say the GOP couldn't successfully sell it, particularly given that ongoing inflation helps the party argue that Biden's signature bill failed to achieve its literal goal. But nothing energizes a political party like a useful foil. Should "repeal" come back in style during the 118th Congress, we might expect Democrats to bring back "party of no" next.
| | | | A message from Chevron: The fuels of the future can come from unexpected places. Find out how Chevron is working with partners to convert the methane from cow waste into renewable natural gas. Learn more. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, October 28, where Elana has found the only one job she's more qualified for than leading the best Congress team in the nation: " Head of Uncertainty and Scenarios ." Jordain — a member of said team — is artfully declining to comment as she heads off to Nebraska. Follow Elana on Twitter @eschor and Jordain at @jordainc . Programming note: KTM, your regular Huddle host, will return Monday. DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE — Olivia is out with a dispatch from her travels with House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (poised to become majority leader if Republicans flip the chamber) who crossed Michigan and upstate New York over the course of two days fundraising for six GOP candidates in four states. Unmentioned amid Scalise's (R-La.) pre-election celebration was what awaits him and House Republicans' agenda next year if they do capture the chamber. The Louisianan, who's set to become majority leader should his party reclaim the House, repeatedly asserted to crowds that the conference's "Commitment to America" blueprint shows "exactly" what they'd do in the majority — yet party leaders still haven't drilled down into the details. One thing that did catch his attention… Scalise and his fellow Republicans did manage to pick up parts of a highly anticipated debate while traveling. No, not for a House race, but the Pennsylvania Senate debate, which Olivia recounts sent shockwaves through the House Republicans, including a prediction from Scalise that Oz had just won the election. Related: The Next Generation of House Leadership from The New Republic, Ambition Keeps Him Loyal to Donald Trump. But What Does Kevin McCarthy Stand For? from The Los Angeles Times' Jeffrey Fleishman and Nolan D. McCaskill, The 2022 Race for the House, in Four Districts, and Four Polls from The New York Times's Shane Goldmacher and Nate Cohn
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | BATTLEGROUND RUNDOWN — In honor of us heading into hell week (in college it's finals time, but, let's be honest, in campaigns, it's the final full week before election day) we're doing a little Senate lightning round: Arizona: Blake Masters got a coveted win by GOP fundraising standards — a chance to reach Donald Trump's prized donor list directly — but he'll see very little money from the email outreach, POLITICO's Zach Montellaro reports . Though the default split for the donations made through the email outreach is 99 percent to Trump's political operation and 1 percent to Masters' Senate campaign, the GOP nominee isn't coming away empty handed. Masters is getting access to contact info, and a pathway to new potential donors, that his campaign can then hit up separately from Trump's apparatus. Georgia: The Georgia Senate was rocked by new abortion allegations against Herschel Walker, but that hasn't yet resulted in national Republicans backing away or a change in the polls, POLITICO's Brittany Gibson writes . What's behind the stand-by-your-man strategy? Georgia conservatives say they are more concerned about flipping the Senate and they are willing to look past Walker's personal scandals as a result. (Republicans in Georgia, and nationally, watched the Senate slip from their grasp in 2020 when they lost both runoff elections.) Pennsylvania: Democrats have been publicly fretting in the wake of the only debate between Democratic nominee John Fetterman and GOP candidate Mehmet Oz, but The Washington Post's Colby Itkowitz and Paul Kane chatted with voters and found that Fetterman's supporters and leaners say the debate isn't deterring from casting their ballots for him. Meanwhile, retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), whom they are running to succeed, told The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Zitner that Fetterman's communication stumbles could make him less effective in the Senate, saying that "oral communication is very, very fundamental to the job of being a senator." Related: Fetterman Defends Debate Performance: 'We Showed Up' from POLITICO's Olivia Olander; Fetterman, Shapiro to Attend Pennsylvania Democratic Party Fundraiser Where Biden, Harris Will Speak from ABC News's Ben Gittleson, Karen Travers, and Morgan Winsor
| | | | A message from Chevron:   | | | SCHUMER'S NOVEMBER PROGNOSIS: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) got caught in a hot mic moment on Thursday as he gave his assessment of the Senate races to President Biden. Schumer's assessment? In Pennsylvania "it looks like the debate didn't hurt us too much" and that the party is "picking up steam" in Nevada. But, but but … In Georgia, Schumer warned that Democrats are "going downhill." As a reminder, with a 50-50 majority, Republicans only need a net gain of one seat to flip the chamber. More on Schumer's remarks here . Related: In Final Weeks, Trump Opens War Chest to Help GOP Senate Candidates from Bloomberg's Bill Allison JAN 6. COURT UPDATE — Atlanta-area prosecutors are urging the Supreme Court to reject Sen. Lindsey Graham's effort to avoid testifying in their investigation of Donald Trump's effort to subvert the 2020 election, POLITICO's Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein And Nicholas Wu report . Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told the high court that granting Graham's (R-S.C.) request to block a subpoena for his testimony would undermine the grand jury's work by either delaying it or forcing it to draw conclusions about the election-related pressure campaign without having the senator's account. Meanwhile… A Jan. 6 rioter who committed one of the day's most brutal assaults against a police officer has been sentenced to 90 months in prison, the second-longest sentence yet for a member of the mob that stormed the Capitol, Kyle reports . Related: January 6 Committee Moves Forward with Secret Service Interviews from Annie Grayer, Jamie Gangel, Zachary Cohen and Whitney Wild MURK WEIGHS IN— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), during a Senate debate on Thursday, said she thought Trump should comply with the Jan. 6 committee's subpoena, making her one of the few current GOP lawmakers to endorse such a step. When a moderator asked if Trump should testify before the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack, Murkowski said that the subpoena "needs to be taken seriously. I think that he should accept and testify under subpoena. I doubt that he will." More on the debate from The Hill's Julia Mueller here . A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) endorsed Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and will head to Michigan for an event with her on Tuesday, Nov. 1. It's the first time Cheney has endorsed and campaigned for a Democrat, but the two have worked together on and off the hill. See more about the details of the announcement here .
| | | | DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | |
'3,000 FRIENDS' — Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) rallied on Thursday in Eugene, Ore. with Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as Rep. Peter DeFazio, Democratic congressional candidate Val Hoyle and Democratic Gov. nominee Tina Kotek. The progressive senator's political apparatus flagged for Huddle that more than 3,000 people turned out , "making it one of the largest rallies of the midterm campaign so far." (Your Huddle co-host would just note "3,000 friends," to borrow the Sanders' team's phrasing, sounds like her personal nightmare, but to each their own.)
UNION UPDATE — Staffers in Rep. Cori Bush 's (D-Mo.) office unanimously voted to unionize , joining a growing number of other progressive Democratic House members. Bush, in a tweet , congratulated her staff and said that she "could not be prouder of their efforts to unionize." SPOTTED — Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) with Mera Rubell at the opening last night of the Rubell Museum in southwest D.C. -- pic by Ben Droz QUICK LINKS Who Can Lift Up Congress? Maybe Dogs from Roll Call's Sandhya Raman and Ariel Cohen Dozens of Subpoenas Issued in Investigation Involving Sen. Bob Menendez from NBC News's Jonathan Dienst, Tom Winter and Courtney Copenhagen The First Mexican American Woman in Congress Leaves a Legislative Legacy Focused on Children and Families from NBC News's Edwin Flores University of Florida Faculty Has 'No Confidence' in Sasse Selection from The Washington Posts's Susan Svrluga and Lori Rozsa Appeals Court Clears Way for IRS to Turn Over Trump Tax Returns to House Committee from CNN's Tierney Sneed and Katelyn Polantz Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Hispanic Oasis in Ruby-Red Ga., and the Latino Vote from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Lautaro Grinspan TRANSITIONS Aliyah Chance has been promoted to be director of operations for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). She most recently was director of scheduling and staff for Wyden. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House will hold a pro forma session at 10 a.m. The Senate is out. AROUND THE HILL Halloween is coming to Hart from 3:30-5:30 p.m today. As of Thursday, 34 offices are participating in the event — spearheaded by the staffs of Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) — for congressional staff and Capitol employees to bring their kids trick-or-treating. Costumes and office decorations are encouraged! | | |
THURSDAY'S WINNER: Jennifer Joly was the first to correctly guess that the four spices in the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte are cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
TODAY'S QUESTION: Friday's question from Jennifer: Name four of the eleven states that have no limits on individual contributions to statewide candidates? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to KTM at ktullymcmanus@politico.com . GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Elana on Twitter @eschor and Jordain at @jordainc . | | | | A message from Chevron: Energy demand is growing. Meeting that demand calls for innovation. That's why at Chevron, we're working with partners to convert the methane from cow waste into renewable natural gas. Through our partnerships, we expect to increase our RNG production 10x by 2025. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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