Shutdown stress simmers early

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Jan 13, 2023 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus Presented by the Network With an assist from Sarah Ferris Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) is looking for a way out of the knots House GOP promises have tied the spending process in. | Francis Chung/POLITICO SWEATING SPENDING, ALREADY — The historic moment of the first all-women team leading appropriations across congress is dampened, a bit, by bleak the hand they've been dealt. With a divided government on Capitol Hill – and Republicans' narrow majority in the House – there have been practical doubts about what Congress could actually accomplish this session beyond the very basics of governing. But even the most fundamental constitutional task for Congress, funding the government, is in peril. And it's in the laps of Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the Senate and ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and new House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) in the House. The White House and Democratic-controlled Senate will never accept the $130 billion in spending cuts House Republicans are pledging. The backup plan will also make lawmakers balk: a short term continuing resolution that includes a trigger for spending cuts as incentive for finishing comprehensive spending bills. Current government funding doesn't run out until the end of September, but lawmakers are already sweating the rough road ahead. McCarthy's promises: Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has made big promises on spending, including capping the next fiscal year at the spending levels from before the $1.7 trillion government funding package that passed in December. Republican appropriators are singing a different tune. GOP Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas called the closed door handshake deal on slashing funding "simply a non-swimmer." Put on your life jackets, folks. "I think we'll come to the realization that the '22 number was rolled off the tongue pretty well, but it's a lift that we're not going to be able to make," Womack told Caitlin and Connor O'Brien this week. Compounding challenges include the House Republican commitment to move each of the 12 spending bills separately and to open each to an unlimited number and scope of amendments. (Open rules and unlimited amendments have been around in recent history, but it has been decades since the spending bills moved one-by-one.) Blast from the past: Former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) weighed in last night on CNN, saying he thought he had too much power as speaker. "Look, the thing that bothered me the most were these omnibuses…a bill that thick, that four people ultimately decide on," Ryan said Thursday. The top Democrat on the House spending panel, DeLauro, says they are "up to the job," and that she is "optimistic" for avoiding any kind of government shutdown. "You know what they say, women need a seat at the table. We are the table," DeLauro said. The dang debt limit: Before the government funding showdown really comes to a head, there's a bigger fight that could siphon a lot of time, energy and political capital away from spending. That's the debt limit, which is expected to top out this summer. Republicans say they want spending cuts to reign in the debt before they back a debt limit hike, but that's not the order the challenges will come to the Hill. If you're already having sequestration stress dreams, you are not alone. Required reading: House GOP tempts fall government shutdown with impossible spending demands from Caitlin and Connor Related: Biden administration warily planning for debt ceiling showdown from Jonathan Lemire, Caitlin and Adam Cancryn Handy dandy: Changes to House Rules Affecting the Congressional Budget Process Included in H.Res. 5 (118th Congress) from the good folks at The Congressional Research Service A message from the Network: Help Wanted: Bold Leaders, Big Ideas! Across the country, voters rejected political extremes on both sides of the aisle in favor of leaders who touted bipartisan, common-sense solutions. But special interests push lawmakers into their corners, dividing them from what their constituents deserve. Enter the Network – an effort dedicated to encouraging lawmakers from all political backgrounds to work together on data-driven legislative solutions. Learn more about our bipartisan network solving America's greatest challenges at jointhenetwork.us!   GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, January 13 (spooky) where it is recess again already. We hardly know ya, 118th Congress. HUDDLE'S WEEKLY MOST CLICKED: The far-and-away winner was this Washington Post piece: Once-vibrant gateway to U.S. capital falls on hard times. Some hope to fix it, from Luz Lazo Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Gottheimer, just solving problems. | Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images WHAT JOSH HAS GOTT — Our colleague Sarah has a POLITICO Mag story out today on Rep. Josh Gottheimer – the abrasive and suddenly extremely relevant New Jersey congressman who as the co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus is about to play a pivotal role in a closely divided House. As an ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), he'll also be one of the guys who McCarthy needs to deliver Dem votes. Read on to learn... Why Al Gore once got a fake copy of Bill Clinton's SOTU... What Trump said on Christmas Eve about the real reason for that 2020 shutdown standoff... Why Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick feels like he's in an "arranged marriage" with his Problem Solvers counterpart and why his staff keep a portable printer in their car. WEST VIRGINIA DREAMING — "I'm seriously considering running for U.S. Senate. I want continued goodness for our state. I'll continue helping West Virginia no matter if I'm at home or in Washington, DC," West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice declared last night. As Burgess points out, there's a lot of moving pieces to this puzzle. The state's attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, is also eyeing the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). But we're still waiting to hear if Manchin will run again. MOOD BOARD — Paul Ryan riffed on a classic Will Rogers quote last night: "I'm not a member of an organized party — I'm a Republican."   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.     HOT WATER — State election officials probe whether Ferguson voted illegally, from Tia Mitchell and Mark Niesse at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution CRYPTO COMMITTEE — How critical is crypto in Congress? It's important enough that incoming House Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is making a new subcommittee to help close what he calls "a big hole in how we structure the committee" as it tries to tackle crypto issues. "The subcommittee on digital assets, financial technology and inclusion will be chaired by Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), who has led Republican efforts to explore the viability of a central bank digital currency. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), another prominent crypto voice in the House, will serve as the subcommittee's vice chair," report Zachary Warmbrodt and Eleanor Mueller. AAPI DEMS JOCKEY FOR CHINA PANEL — Asian American Democrats in Congress have concerns that the new select committee to examine competition between the U.S. and China could stoke anti-Asian rhetoric, so they are angling for a seat at the table. McCarthy appointed Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) as chairman of the new panel and Jeffries will have the final say on who the top Democrat will be. Scott Wong at NBC News reports there's jockeying afoot. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) is advocating for Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) to get the top slot Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) has expressed interest Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also wants the job Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), who is not Asian American, is also interested  ICYMI: 146 House Democrats voted for the new panel aimed at countering economic and security threats posed by China.   A message from the Network:   HUDDLE HOTDISH Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) played defense against allegations she mistreated staff. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Porter responds… California Senate candidate Rep. Katie Porter responded to anonymous complaints from former staff about how she treats the team that works for her. In an episode of Pod Save America released Thursday, Porter said: "Let's be clear: Of course I want their best effort. Of course I want my best effort. The American people deserve no less." Porter's conduct with staff has been in the rumor mill since she got to Capitol Hill, but anonymous postings on the Dear White Staffers Instagram and her plunge into the race for Senate have put them in the spotlight. Networking 101… Don't be terrible. But beyond that, the Modernization Staff Association has more guidance. Next Thursday it is hosting an in-person panel and discussion "on the do's and don'ts of networking in Congress." Sign up.  QUICK LINKS  The Mysterious, Unregistered Fund That Raised Big Money for Santos, from Alexandra Berzon and Grace Ashford at The New York Times G.O.P. Leaders Stand by Santos as New York Republicans Call on Him to Resign, from Annie Karni and Michael Gold at The New York Times Civics in the shadow of Capitol Hill: Letter from a D.C. high school, from Sophie Hills at The Christian Science Monitor TRANSITIONS  Colleen Castle as its new deputy director of federal policy at the Council for a Strong America. Castle was most recently legislative director for Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.).   JOIN NEXT TUESDAY TO HEAR FROM MAYORS AROUND AMERICA: 2022 brought in a new class of mayors leading "majority minority" cities, reshaping who is at the nation's power tables and what their priorities are. Join POLITICO to hear from local leaders on how they're responding to being tested by unequal Covid-19 outcomes, upticks in hate crimes, homelessness, lack of affordable housing, inflation and a potential recession. REGISTER HERE.     TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 11 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 1:30 p.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL A quiet one. Trivia THURSDAY'S WINNER: Windsor Johnston was the first to correctly guess that Joe Cannon was the first speaker to be subjected to the motion to vacate. TODAY'S QUESTION from Windsor: Which former Speaker of the House had a daughter who once said, "I read Shakespeare and the Bible and I shoot dice. That's what I call a liberal education." 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 A message from the Network: Help Wanted: Bold Leaders, Big Ideas! Across the country, voters rejected political extremes on both sides of the aisle in favor of leaders who touted bipartisan, common-sense solutions. But the incentives in politics often push lawmakers into their corners and divide them from what their constituents want and need. To transform this broken system, a group of advocates who helped pass the most significant federal bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation in a generation created the Network – an effort dedicated to encouraging lawmakers from all political backgrounds to work together on data-driven legislative solutions. Through high-profile events, investments in lawmakers' districts, strategic giving and promoting evidence-based policy, the Network is putting people over partisanship. Learn more about our bipartisan network solving America's greatest challenges at jointhenetwork.us!     Follow us

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