House cracking on with committee building

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

Jan 17, 2023 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus GETTING RATIO'D — House committees are finally coming together, with key building blocks locked in. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) agreed on ratios for the top tier, most coveted committees in the House. Compared to the switch in majority control, the ratio tweaks are tiny. The A-Team: Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services and Ways and Means are the top tier panels. Growing: Appropriations will have one more seat on each side of the aisle. Shrinking: Energy and Commerce will shrink by three seats on each side, Financial Services will have one fewer on each side. Holding steady: The Ways and Means panel will stay the same size. "These ratios are consistent with an inversion of those from the last Congress where we held a similarly-sized majority, with the exception of a few changes in overall committee size," Jeffries wrote in a Dear Colleague letter to Democrats over the weekend. Appropriations: 34 GOP, 27 Dems E&C: 29 GOP, 23 Dems FinServ: 29 GOP, 23 Dems Ways & Means: 25 GOP, 18 Dems  "It is my expectation that ratios for the remaining committees will be negotiated by the end of next week," Jeffries told Democrats. "It is our intention to complete the committee assignment process this month, upon our return to Washington."   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.     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Jan. 17, where freshmen are awaiting committee assignments like theater kids for a cast list. COMMITTEES, ASSEMBLE — House lawmakers are itching for their committee assignments and some Republicans just got one step closer. The House Republicans Steering Committee gathered Monday evening to finalize their recommendations for who should sit on which committees. They focused on four key panels: Armed Services, Judiciary (a hot one, with investigations on the horizon), Agriculture and Transportation and Infrastructure. We'll save you the search: Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has not snagged a slot on any of these. Armed Services will have some new faces: Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Brad Finstad (R-Minn.), Carlos A. Giménez (R-Fla.), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Morgan Luttrel (R-Texas), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), Dale Strong (R-Ala.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.), and Cory Mills (R-Fla.). Judiciary newcomers: Reps. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Russell Fry (R-S.C.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), Ben Cline (R-Va.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), Laurel Lee (R-Fla.). FYI… Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wisc.) will remain on the panel. He was given a waiver to stay on after also getting a Financial Services Committee slot. Can you say Farm Bill? The new members of House Ag include Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Derrick Van Orden (R-Missouri), Mark Alford (R-Mo.), John Duarte (R-Calif.), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) and Max Miller (R-Ohio).   T&I adds: Reps. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Burgess Owens (R-Utah), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.), Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Mike Collins (R-Ga.), Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.), John Duarte (R-Calif.), Chuck Edwards (R- N.C.), John James (R-Mich.), Thomas Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Derrick Van Orden (R-Mo.), Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.), Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) and Eric Burlison (R-Mo.). A dozen spending shepherds: House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) announced last night what Olivia and Sarah reported last week: the chairs of each of the 12 spending committees, aka the cardinals. WHO IS IN DAVOS — U.S. lawmakers take the stage today in Davos for a panel on the new post-election legislative landscape titled "America (Un)Bound." Participants include Sens. Kystern Sinema (I-Ariz.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), plus Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) and Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia and JB Pritzker of Illinois. Others in the delegation include Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Madeline Dean (D-Pa.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.). Nuggets from the POLITICO team in Davos this week: A delegation of U.S. lawmakers had plans to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Monday night to discuss allegations from European nations that the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act unfairly boosts American companies. But the meeting was scrapped due to travel issues for von der Leyen (but lawmakers are hoping to connect later in Davos.)  Expect von der Leyen to address the tension in her Tuesday keynote.  Manchin: "That bill was designed to basically strengthen the United States so that we can help our allies and friends, which need it right now," Manchin said.  Coons: Europe and Germany "became too reliant on Russian energy," said Coons, adding "my hope is that we can together find a path forward." American and European leaders need to "have that conversation about the alignment of values and priorities." Some of the lawmakers, including Coons and Manchin, spoke to a gathering of CEOs Monday, a private event on the sidelines of the official forum, CNBC reported. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) is throwing his hat in the ring for Senate. | Francis Chung/POLITICO JIM BANKS TAKE THE PLUNGE — Rep. Jim Banks is running for Senate. The Indiana Republican is the first to make it official that he'll be seeking the seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Braun, who is running for Governor. The race could capture the Republican Party's internal tug-of-war, write Olivia and Burgess this morning. Banks, a four-term congressman, is out front. But he and his allies are still bracing for a possible clash with Mitch Daniels, a two-term governor of the state who is weighing a bid of his own. No truce: Daniels called for a "truce" on social issues more than a decade ago, but that's not Banks' style. "I'll never be calling for a truce on social issues or cultural issues," Banks said in an interview, noting that Hoosiers are "looking for a fighter in the United States Senate," not someone who would call for a truce. In a private call last week, Banks recalled telling Trump: "I'd be very glad to have his support if he'd give it to me. We'd love to have him come to Indiana to campaign with me. He's very popular."   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.     A STUDY IN CONTRASTS — "Newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have a nearly 25-year age gap and political styles that are described by their colleagues as polar opposites, with one a glad-handing leader and the other a more sphinx-like strategist," write Liz Goodwin and Marianna Sotomayor in The Washington Post. "I think they're kindred spirits in a political sense," said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who also has served in both chambers with both men. "They're just in a different spot." "Drive a hard bargain," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), one of McCarthy's speakership holdouts, said about how the speaker should work with McConnell. "He's got to take a hard line." O-H-I-O — Remember Matt Dolan? He lost a turbulent GOP Senate primary in Ohio last year and NBC News reports he's coming back for more. Dolan is expected to announce his candidacy this week to try and oust Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Dolan is currently a state senator and his family owns the Cleveland Guardians. If he jumps in the race this week, he could be the first candidate on the GOP side to officially declare. BONAMICI HEALING — Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) is recovering after being hit by a car while crossing the street on Friday. Bonamici was treated at the hospital for a concussion and cut on her head and her husband, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon, was treated for minor injuries. Both are expected to recover fully. "Thank you to everyone for your well wishes, and to the first responders and health care workers who provided the care we needed," Bonamici tweeted on Sunday. KEEPING UP WITH SANTOS — Never a dull moment in Santos-world. The scandal-plagued GOP lawmaker built close ties with the cousin of sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, The Washington Post reported Monday. Andrew Intrater, Vekselberg's cousin, and his wife each gave the maximum $5,800 to Santos's main campaign committee (plus tens of thousands more since 2020 to committees linked to Santos). The pair's relationship is fleshed out a bit more in a court filing from a lawsuit brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission against Harbor City Capital, an investment firm where Santos worked for a year. (Yeah, he really did work there.) More from WaPo's Isaac Stanley-Becker and Rosalind Helderman.  On Monday, McCarthy told CNN that he "never knew all about his resume or not, but I always had a few questions about it." HUDDLE HOTDISH Getcha hot dogs here!... Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) found the cloakroom hotdogs. QUICK LINKS  The Bathroom Fight Fueling Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert's Break-Up from Ursula Perano and Zachary Petrizzo at The Daily Beast Marjorie Taylor Greene is taking a new approach to Washington, from Stephen Fowler at Georgia Public Broadcasting Congress barely dents scourge of hunger in military, from John M. Donnelly at CQ Roll Call TRANSITIONS  Lt. Commander Stephen Browning, a Public Health Service officer stationed at Center for Devices and Radiological Health, is now a Legislative Fellow in Sen. John Hickenlooper's (D-Colo.) office, focused on health policy. Mallory Baker is now a press assistant at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. Baker, a Kentucky native, most recently was a staff assistant for the committee and a former intern for Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.). Nathan Paxton has joined the Nuclear Threat Initiative as a senior director on the global biological policy and programs team. He previously served as a legislative assistant to Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). Hannah Anderson is now health policy adviser for the Senate HELP Republicans. She previously was energy and commerce policy director for Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas). Dan Kranz is now communications director for Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.). He was previously senior advisor & communications director for Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.). Zoe Bluffstone is now comms director for Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.). She previously was comms director for Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). Brian Phillips Jr. is now comms director for Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.). He previously was press secretary for the House Homeland Security Committee. Jason Edwards is now legislative aide for Rep. Kristina Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (D-Wash.). He previously was legislative aid for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Sanda LaMura is now counsel and policy adviser for the Senate Republican Policy Committee. She previously was oversight counsel on the Senate HELP committee. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 2 p.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 1 p.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL Quiet outside the pro formas. Trivia FRIDAY'S WINNER: James Miner correctly answered that Tallulah Bankhead, daughter of Speaker William B. Bankhead, once said, "I read Shakespeare and the Bible and I shoot dice. That's what I call a liberal education." TODAY'S QUESTION: Who was the first woman to fill a leadership position in a state legislature, serving as secretary of the Colorado House Republican Caucus? 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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