| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | Presented by First Five Years Fund | With help from Jordain Carney
|  Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) didn't need six senators advice on how to cut government spending. ( Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) | AP | COLE'S COLD WATER — Rep. Tom Cole wasn't impressed by pressure from six conservative Senators for the House to take up across-the-board spending cuts, including to the military, as part of negotiations with the White House over the impending debt limit. The Oklahoma Republican and key House appropriator said he isn't interested in an imprecise hatchet job and he doesn't think many of his House GOP colleagues are, either. "If your goal is to achieve some arbitrary number, that's fine, but that's not what governing is about to me. You make choices. You make decisions," he told Huddle on Wednesday. He insisted that "everything is on the table," but that he doesn't have an appetite for sweeping cuts to any and all departments. "I mean, that's what you have committees for is to make rational decisions," he said. Cole, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee on defense, also took issue with the focus on the Pentagon's expenditures. "If you don't think we're in a dangerous world, go talk to a Ukrainian. It's a very dangerous world. And I think it'd be sending the wrong signal to be savaging defense," he said. He knows that the defense increases over the last two years make the Defense Department a target for fiscal hawks, but he stressed that even under Democratic control, both chambers boosted the Pentagon budget over what President Joe Biden requested. "If there's someplace we can save money, great. In an $800 billion plus budget, I bet you there's something that probably shouldn't be there.," said Cole. "But I wouldn't expect major cuts in defense," he predicted. Earlier in the week, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was singing a different tune. He is pitching a continuing resolution to fund the government at 99 percent of its current levels – a 1 percent across-the-board cut to discretionary programs – to buy Congress time to do more tailored spending cuts. And Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said Wednesday that he wants to see action on his border proposal as part of the debt ceiling negotiations. "We're going to have to use the debt ceiling and the spending fight in September to demand that [President Joe] Biden do the right thing," Roy said Wednesday on Fox News. TEST CASE — It's time. The House will operate today under a "modified open rule" for the first time in nearly seven years, considering the dozens of amendments members have submitted to the Republican energy bill that hits the floor today. Anyone who submitted their amendment in time to the Congressional Record will get a chance to advocate for their proposal on the floor. Right now, the number of amendments is in the dozens – totalling many, many more words than the underlying bill, which is just three pages long – but Wednesday's Congressional Record hasn't been published yet. About a quarter of the proposals are from Republicans and three quarters are from Democrats. The bill would tie Strategic Petroleum Reserve releases to increased drilling on federal lands and waters. (Two weeks ago the House voted to ban sales from the reserve to China.) It is a relatively low-stakes measure for the House to resume the open amendment process. It won't go anywhere in the Democratically controlled Senate and the White House has issued a statement saying that Biden would veto the bill if it got to his desk. While Democrats could eventually use the freewheeling amendment process to inflict some political pain on Republicans, it won't be on this bill.
| | | | A message from First Five Years Fund: Child care programs dramatically improve a child's opportunities for a better future while making sure parents can go to work and provide for their families. Yet, millions of families either lack access to quality child care or can't afford the care they can find. This has a devastating impact on children, families, and employers. The 118th Congress has an essential role to play in meeting families' needs and helping the economy grow. Learn more here. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, Jan. 26, where there are amendments at the desk. Correction: Yesterday's Huddle misquoted Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). The correct quote is: "I would be reluctant to try to use the rules committee to achieve a legislative outcome, particularly if it doesn't represent a large majority of our caucus." NOT SO FAST — The Treasury Department isn't ready to hand over bank records to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) just yet. In a letter obtained by POLITICO, the department told Comer that it would need to "engage in discussions" with the committee, after which it would identify potential documents and "make determinations" about how to accommodate "legitimate" legislative needs with executive branch interest, like protecting law enforcement investigations. That process, the department warned, "will take time." Comer had sent a wide-ranging letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen earlier this month asking for Suspicious Activity Reports — records that are filed by financial institutions and don't necessarily signal wrongdoing but can be used in law enforcement probes — related to Hunter Biden and a network of associates as part of his investigation into the president's son, the Biden family and President Joe Biden. In response to the Treasury letter, Comer said that he's willing to "use the power of the gavel to get them if needed." (ICYMI, he told Jordain and Kyle that it was "very likely" he would need to subpoena bank records he wants.)
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Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) doesn't think three is a crowd for Arizona's senate race. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | GALLEGO'S GOT A PLAN — Three might feel like a crowd next year in Arizona, where a GOP candidate could face both incumbent and newly independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Democratic challenger Ruben Gallego. Holly Otterbein digs into Gallego's strategy for the tangled three-way contest this morning. "Let's be clear about one thing. Sinema is not going to split the Democratic vote," Gallego told Holly. "She's even more unpopular with Democrats than she is with Republicans, and actually has a better chance of taking votes away from their side if they nominate another MAGA candidate — which they likely will."
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA'S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | COTTON BLOCKED — "Tom Cotton says he will slow down confirmation of all of Biden's nominees until Congress is allowed to review the classified documents found at the residences of Biden and former President Donald Trump," report Burgess and Nicholas. Cotton (R-Ark.) said senators will "impose pain on the administration until they provide these documents. And that is coming from both parties." FEINSTEIN'S TIMELINE — Don't expect an announcement on retirement or a run for reelection from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) any time soon. "I need a little bit of time, so it's not this year," the California Democrat told Matt Laslo on Wednesday. Her thoughts on House colleagues jumping into the race on the presumption that the 89 year old is likely to retire? "The more, the merrier." FETTERMAN'S SENATE SCREEN — At Sen. John Fetterman's desk on the edge of the Senate chamber, there's a screen the size of a tablet computer that provides closed captioning that helps the Pennsylvania Democrat follow action, debate and speeches on the floor. The device is a basic accommodation for Fetterman, coordinated by the Senate Sergeant at Arms team, as he continues to recover from a June stroke and experiences auditory processing issues. And while Fetterman's desk looks different from his colleagues, the tablet is just the latest in a long history of updates and alterations made to make Congress more accessible for members (and others) living with disability. The Senate floor and rostrum were made accessible decades ago to accommodate then-Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.), a disabled Army veteran who used a wheelchair. The same ramps are used today by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
| | | | A message from First Five Years Fund:   | | | | | | Sing it, Santos… When scandal comes calling, many politicians choose to lay low. Not Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). He was out at Hill Country BBQ karaoke last night, posing for selfies, talking to reporters and not getting up to sing. That's the opposite of laying low. Related: George Santos Says He'll Answer All the Questions — But He Won't Say When, from Steven Dennis at Bloomberg Let's put a pin in this… The bright green members' pins are a little polarizing, according to Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), who said he's wearing his two green ties more often than ever because they match. But he's heard from colleagues who have preferred neutrals or red or blue, and say they don't like clashing with the mandatory accessory. "It's cool. I kind of like it. It's different," Peters told Huddle. "There are definitely some strong adverse reactions, too." Peters also has advice for any absentminded colleagues: don't lose the pin. "There's a whole rigmarole you have to go through to get another one," he said. I brought the tiger…. Olivia learned that The National Republican Campaign Committee's theme of the year is "bring the tiger." It is a nod at the fake lip reading videos from the Speaker's floor fight, one that closes with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) saying "I brought the tiger" to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). But the branding also looks familiar: The tiger could be a close cousin of the LSU tiger, Steve Scalise's (R-La.) alma mater. Up in smoke… Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) is fed up with indoor smoking, which has returned to the House. QUICK LINKS Lapses persist for Capitol Hill panic buttons two years after insurrection, from Jess Bidgood and Lissandra Villa de Petrzelka at The Boston Globe Josh Hawley needles Nancy Pelosi by renaming his congressional stock trading ban bill after her, from Warren Rojas at Insider The 'Reid Machine' Rolls On, from Carl Hulse at The New York Times The private angst over Donald Trump's racist attacks on Elaine Chao goes public, from Meridith McGraw TRANSITIONS Ben Williamson is back on the Hill as Rep. Michael Cloud's (R-Texas) chief of staff. Williamson previously worked for Mark Meadows, both in the Trump administration and in the House. Sam Spencer is now political director for McCarthy. Spencer was formerly a regional political director at the NRCC. Theresa Winegar was promoted to deputy political director at the NRCC. She was previously a regional political director for the NRCC. Hannah Muldavin is joining the Congressional Integrity Project as a senior communications advisor. She was previously the deputy communications director for the Jan. 6 select committee and is an alum of Rep. David Trone's (D-Md.) office and did DNC rapid response during the 2020 election.
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE 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. 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. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. Votes are expected around 5 p.m. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. and will vote at 1:45 p.m. on a measure to recognize January as National Stalking Awareness Month. AROUND THE HILL 9:30 a.m. Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) hold a press conference on the reintroduction of EACH Act for Reproductive Justice. (House Triangle) 10 a.m. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will hold his weekly news conference. (Studio A) 10 a.m. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Greg Casar (D-Texas) hold a press conference on the Biden administration's recent border policies. (Senate Swamp) 11 a.m. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) holds a press conference to launch the Congressional Dads Caucus. (House Triangle) 11:30 a.m. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Chris Murphy (D-Conn.),Duckworth and others speak on rifles marketed to children. (Senate Studio)
| | | WEDNESDAY'S WINNER: Loretta Kane correctly answered that Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts had four different party affiliations during his tenure: Democrat, American Party, Republican and Independent. TODAY'S QUESTION from Loretta: Who was the first Black person to address a session of the House? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLEemailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus
| | | | A message from First Five Years Fund: Most parents with young children need child care in order to work, but more than half of families with young children live in child care deserts, where parents can wait months, if not years, for an available spot to open. Even where child care is available, it's often unaffordable. Since 1990, child care costs have risen 214% - twice as fast as other major expenses like housing and groceries. As a result too many families are forced to choose between jobs or caring for their kids. A post-election poll by First Five Years Fund found that voters and small business owners across the political spectrum want Congress to take action. By prioritizing policies that bring high-quality, affordable child care to more families, the 118th Congress can support working parents, strengthen the economy, and dramatically improve a child's opportunities for a better future. Learn more here. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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