| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | With Olivia Beavers FIRST IN HUDDLE: STEERING THE SHIP — When leadership elections are done, the House GOP will have another big task ahead — naming lawmakers to the panel known as the Steering and Policy Committee, which decides panel assignments for each conference member in the next Congress as well as many chairmanships (that is, of course, provided that Republicans take back the majority). And we have a copy of the schedule for you. On the afternoon of Nov. 16, eight days after the election, Republicans will go over conference rules and ratify the structure of the steering and policy committee. Two days later, on the morning of Friday, Nov. 16, there will be regional elections for that group of members. So get ready for a long first week back after the midterms... The Steering Committee selection is part of a deluge of insider decision making ahead of a new Congress, a sometimes overwhelming task for newcomers who have been elected but aren't even sworn in yet. Casting key votes within the party without knowing their colleagues (or where their office is, or the bathrooms are) is a tall order for members-elect. These votes ahead of the new Congress are so crucial that the House Freedom Caucus warned new members in a guide book against arriving in Washington without being ready. "It perfectly suits some if you are unprepared or unaware" of the significance of those initial intra-party votes, the HFC wrote in its guide.
| | | | 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 . | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, November 2, where there's a dog in the rotunda today. CALLS FOR RESIGNATION — A key group of lawmakers are calling for Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to resign after the AOC's own inspector general released a report finding that Blanton misused government-owned vehicles as personal vehicles for himself and his family and passed himself off as a law enforcement officer. Lawmakers calling for Blanton's exit include top appropriators Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Legislative Branch subcommittee chairs Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). House Administration Committee chair Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Senate Rules and Administration chair Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), whose panels have oversight responsibilities for the AOC, joined their spending committee colleagues in calling for Blanton's resignation. "Based on the overwhelming evidence of misconduct outlined in this report, Mr. Blanton must resign. He should be held accountable and reimburse the government," the six lawmakers said in a joint statement provided to Huddle. Many of these lawmakers were part of the 14 person commission who selected Blanton as a candidate for nomination by President Donald Trump in 2019. The Architect of the Capitol serves for a fixed 10-year term, and the laws that lay out the appointment, salary and responsibilities of the AOC do not include any process for punishment or removal. Blanton was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. Members of Congress can call for his resignation, but do not have the authority to remove a sitting architect. The AOC is technically a presidential appointee and serves at the pleasure of the president. More on the findings from the report from Nicholas and you can read the report itself here . For a Congressional Research Service report on the evolution of the process for choosing a new Architect of the Capitol (featuring your Huddle host cited in the footnotes), I've gotchu .
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks during the "Our Future is Now" tour on October 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) | Getty Images for MoveOn and NextGen America | PROG ROCK STARS YIELD THE STAGE — Progressives are hitting the trail to support Democratic candidates, both vulnerable incumbents and hopeful newcomers. But they don't need that photo-op or an on-stage hug. The most liberal wing of the Democratic party can turn out the Democratic base and rake in cash. But its members know that for some candidates in tough districts, there's a challenging calculation at play of not alienating moderates or even Republicans disillusioned with the transformation of their own party. Top progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) are all on the road, but their schedules aren't packed with side-by-side events with endangered incumbents. Instead they are hosting rallies to boost voter turnout. Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, gets it. "I'm fine with people saying, 'Look, you're too high-profile, a progressive, and I prefer if you can raise me money and do other things separately,'" Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in an interview with Nicholas. "So we take our cues from people and what they want and what they need. But certainly, I'm never gonna go into a district if somebody doesn't want me there." Sanders, a kind of progressive rock star, sees his hype-man role as critical. "The bottom line is that if we do not create a sense of excitement in young people and working-class people and our voter turnout is not high in a midterm election, I think Democrats may be in a lot of trouble. That's what we are trying to do." Nicholas and Marianne have more on the political calculus for progressives this cycle, plus the cash they are raking in .
|  U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) looks towards Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as Cheney offers her support during a campaign rally, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) | AP | Meanwhile… Moderate Democrats are doing something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago: warmly welcoming endorsements from Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) . Cheney got on stage with Rep. Elisa Slotkin (D-Mich.) last night . LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING — Capitol Police had a real-time video feed of the break in at Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home, but no one was watching, reports The Washington Post. USCP employees who monitor many video feeds, including those at the Pelosi residence, didn't see that something was wrong until San Francisco police were already on the scene. RELATED: 'Take them all out': New details from Paul Pelosi assault emerge as suspect arraigned , by Jeremy White in San Francisco PORTER'S FINAL PUSH — "After four years of besting CEOs in viral congressional hearing exchanges and building a fundraising juggernaut, [Rep. Katie] Porter has become what was once unimaginable: a national Democratic star from Orange County, the onetime conservative bastion," writes Melanie Mason for the Los Angeles Times. The California Democrat has been introducing herself to new would-be constituents in her redrawn district and hoping to fend off a Republican flip back to Orange County's recent history as a Republican stronghold. She's raised the most money this cycle out of any House member, except for fellow Californians Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) More: Democratic star Katie Porter fights against a conservative resurgence in O.C. CHUY FOR CHICAGO — WWJD? That's what some Chicagoans are asking themselves as Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.) runs polls to feel out a potential mayoral run in his hometown. A new poll shows that Garcia is the only top potential challenger who'd win a head-to-head match-up to defeat incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "It's further encouragement to consider taking the dive into the race. ... If I sense that there is a way forward and that I can win the support of people across Chicagoland, I'm inclined to do so," Garcia, whose supporters have been circulating his nominating petitions for weeks, told the Chicago Sun-Times Monday . SASSE PASSES CLASS — Leaders at the University of Florida unanimously backed Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) as the flagship school's next president, reports Andrew Atterbury from Florida. The move was backed by school trustees but faced resistance from both faculty members and students opposed to Sasse's selection. "One of the things that's sad about our moment is that we often reduce whole humans to specific views on supercharged policy issues at a given moment," Sasse said on Tuesday. "Humans are a lot more complex and interesting than that." "I think neighborliness is a lot more interesting than politics," he continued. But politics have been at play since the announcement of Sasse's selection. Our Florida colleague dissects the dynamics in the Sunshine State . Big raise: Sasse is expected to be paid somewhere between $1.4 million — the current president's salary — and $1.6 million. That's a raise from his Senate salary of $174,000.
| | | Don't panic… Capitol Police are conducting an exercise this morning between 7 and 8 a.m. that involves helicopters on the Capitol grounds. There is not an incident, it is strictly practice. Dog days of November… Local celebrity dog Mando, the Washington Commanders' pup, will be on the Hill today for a K9s For Warriors event. He's taking time out of his busy schedule to hang in the Capitol Rotunda between 1:30-2:30 p.m. for staffers (or reporters) to meet him. The final countdown … Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) had a helpful countdown to Election Day yesterday that only he could deliver .
| | | | 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 . | | | | | QUICK LINKS Library of Congress gets $10 million for early Americas gallery , from Michael E. Ruane at The Washington Post House Republicans Demand CBP Commissioner Resign , from Henry Rodgers at The Daily Caller From Yale to Newsmax, Usha Vance Has Helped J.D. Vance Chart His Path , from Joseph Bernstein and Katherine Rosman at The New York Times TRANSITIONS Ted Ellis is now director of coalitions and member services for the Republican Study Committee. He was previously the director of coalitions for Americans for Prosperity. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are out. AROUND THE HILL 1 p.m. Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) hold a virtual press conference on a bill to expand the public service student loan forgiveness program (online).
| | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Patrick Purtill correctly answered that first lady Mamie Eisenhower publicly decorated the White House for Halloween for the first time in 1958. TODAY'S QUESTION from Patrick: Who is the only President to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day both left-handed and right-handed? 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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