Senate puts NDAA in its crosshairs

A play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news

Oct 11, 2022 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus DEFENSE POLICY BRINGS THE SENATE BACK — The Senate is in today, but don't expect a crowd. The die-hard Defense wonks will take the lead today as the chamber kicks of debate of the massive annual must-pass defense policy bill. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and ranking member Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) will be at the helm for debate on the National Defense Authorization Act, which the pair hoped would see floor action before recess is instead coming up during this mid-recess session. Nine hundred is no joke: Staff, meanwhile, are sorting through more than 900 (!) amendments that members have filed to the bill, on issues from support for Ukraine, servicemembers seeking abortions, which nations can and can't buy F-16 fighter jets and the looming threat that China could move against Taiwan. It's no surprise that Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) wants to see a repeal of the 2002 Iraq War and 1991 Gulf War authorizations (which the House version of the NDAA includes.) There are multiple bipartisan amendment proposals to speed the transfer of munitions to Ukraine and another bipartisan effort on dialing up sanctions to enforce an international price cap on Russian oil. (If you yourself are a die-hard defense wonk, Connor O'Brien has highlights of amendment issues to watch over on Pro.) Now or never: The NDAA is a one-stop-shopping situation. There is little standalone defense legislation passed each year, so lawmakers try to tackle every issue and priority within the massive defense apparatus from military academies to war powers to Afghan refugees, in one huge bill. Lawmakers want to keep the six-decade-long streak for enacting the sweeping defense policy legislation going, even if that means lame-duck action to negotiate differences with the House and then considering the compromise legislation.   JOIN WEDNESDAY FOR A TALK ON U.S.-CHINA AND XI JINPING'S NEW ERA:  President Xi Jinping will consolidate control of the ruling Chinese Communist Party later this month by engineering a third term as China's paramount leader, solidifying his rule until at least 2027. Join POLITICO Live for a virtual conversation hosted by Phelim Kine, author of POLITICO's China Watcher newsletter, to unpack what it means for U.S.-China relations. REGISTER HERE.     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, October 11, where we want to know which Senator will be presiding over today's sparsely attended session. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., speaks during a news conference following the Democrats policy luncheon meeting on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) | AP TIME TO BRING THE HAMMER DOWN — Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) wants to block all future U.S. weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and is calling for the Biden administration to "immediately freeze all aspects" of cooperation with the kingdom after it (as part of OPEC) slashed oil production, which will deepen a global energy crisis. "I will not green light any cooperation with Riyadh until the Kingdom reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine," Menendez said in a statement first obtained by POLITICO. "Enough is enough." "There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict — either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping ... an entire country off of the map, or you support [Russian President Vladimir Putin]," Menendez added. Menendez, whose panel oversees foreign arms sales, is just the latest Democrat to reevaluate the American partnership with Saudi Arabia. On Thursday, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the third ranking Democrat in the Senate, tweeted that "it's time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance." He cited higher oil prices, the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and "unanswered questions about 9/11." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is also on board: "For years, we've looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political oppression, for one reason: We wanted to know that when the chips were down ... the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia," he said on ABC News. "Well, they didn't." He added, "There's gotta be consequences for that." Legislative options: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has signaled that he's considering action on a bill addressing OPEC's price fixing and antitrust violations and other lawmakers are calling for action on legislation to draw down U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. Andrew and Connor O'Brien have the latest. WHO'S YOUR BUDD? — North Carolina Republican Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis are no moderates, but with one of the most conservative members of the House running to replace retiring Burr, he's making them look practically purple. Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) is a three-term House member, just voted against funding the government through December and is a member of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus. Budd broke from Burr and Tillis on key votes in the last two years. Both senators backed the gun safety and bipartisan infrastructure bills that Tillis helped negotiate while Budd broke the opposite way. On impeachment, Burr voted to convict Trump after Jan. 6, while Tillis and Budd were aligned on acquittal. Burgess and Olivia dig into how Budd would fit into the North Carolina Senate delegation mold if he defeats Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley next month: Conservative Budd challenges N.C.'s purple tradition in Senate battle WALKER GETS A BOOST — Key Republicans on the national stage head to Georgia today to lend their support to GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in the wake of the news last week that he paid for one abortion for a former girlfirend and urged her to have a second. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (Fla.) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) are in Georgia to bolster Walker and show that national Republicans are still behind him, in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. The Washington Post has more on today's trip. More from Georgia: Democrats sidestep Herschel Walker abortion firestorm, from Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Republicans split on allegations against Herschel Walker, from Riley Bunch at Georgia Public Broadcasting GATORS TAKE A BITE OUT OF SASSE — "Hey hey, ho ho, Ben Sasse has got to go" chanted hundreds of student protesters as Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) made his first official visit to The University of Florida since the school announced the senator as the lone finalist to be the university's next president. As students flooded the hall where Sasse was participating in a forum, the university moved his next event, a forum with UF employees, online. Students and faculty both pressed Sasse on his statements opposing same-sex marriage while faculty raised concerns about his role in eliminating tenure at his last university post. Students made demands for transparency about the presidential search process. More from UF's student paper The Independent Florida Alligator: UF presidential finalist Ben Sasse addresses community in campus visit, protestors storm forum and The Tampa Bay Times: UF student protesters loudly greet Sen. Ben Sasse during his campus visit ZELDIN'S CLOSE CALL — Two teens were shot outside Rep. Lee Zeldin's (R-N.Y.) home on Long Island on Sunday, while his daughters were inside and Zeldin and his wife were driving back from campaigning in the Bronx. Zeldin is running for governor against the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Kathy Hochul. The incident was a drive-by shooting according to Suffolk County Police and investigators "do not believe there is any connection" to Zeldin's work or campaign. But the shooting gave his family a scare. In July, a man was arrested for attempting to stab Zeldin during a campaign event. HUDDLE HOTDISH Her high horse… Country music star Kacey Musgraves worked in a dig at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during her set at the Austin City Limits music festival, adding him into the lyrics of her song High Horse. "Cause everyone knows someone who kills the buzz, every time they open their mouth—Ted Cruz," Musgraves, Texas native, sang to the crowd. "I said what I said," she added. The Houston Chronicle has a write up. QUICK LINKS  How 560 Pounds of Barbecue Unites Across-the-Aisle Senators Once a Year, from Tierney Plumb at Eater Tina Smith Is Working On It, a glossy profile by Lyz Lenz in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine Nevada Senate race tests potency of abortion focus for Dems, from Steve Peoples at The Associated Press   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.     TRANSITIONS  Elayne Weiss is joining the Federal Housing Administration as a special policy adviser. She previously was director of housing, community development and insurance policy for the House Financial Services Committee. Rachel Levitan is joining the Education Department as a senior adviser to Secretary Miguel Cardona, where she will focus on student loan debt cancellation policy. She previously was comms director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and is a House Foreign Affairs Committee alum. De'Marcus Finnell is now deputy press secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He previously was comms director for Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 11 a.m. for consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act. AROUND THE HILL Most of the action will be on the Senate floor. TRIVIA FRIDAY'S WINNER: Nick Pearson correctly answered that Calvin Coolidge, one time mayor of beautiful Northampton, Mass., is the most recent mayor-turned-president. TODAY'S QUESTION from Nick: This former president was both the youngest ever elected (at the time) and had previously never held public office. No, not George Washington. 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   Follow us

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