Congress sweats debt limit timeline

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

May 23, 2023 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus and Daniella Diaz With help from Nicholas Wu, Jordain Carney and Jennifer Scholtes Speaker Kevin McCarthy stressed that his meeting with President Joe Biden was "productive, but not progress.” (Francis Chung/POLITICO) | AP NOT READY FOR TAKEOFF — The runway to move a debt limit deal through both chambers of Congress and over to the White House is getting shorter, while negotiating days keep getting longer. Negotiators met late Monday night, arriving at the Capitol after 10 p.m. and leaving a little over an hour later. The White House team did not give updates after the meeting, which followed the Oval Office meeting between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden earlier in the day. The upshot: Even if a deal emerges in the coming days, the timing could be very, very tight. X-date update: First things first: There’s no sign yet of any deadline reprieve. The Bipartisan Policy Center said in its latest projection this morning that there is “an elevated risk [of default]” between June 2 and June 13. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, meanwhile, reiterated Monday that the cash could run out “as early as June 1.” How to count to 72: House Republican leaders have pledged to give their members 72 hours to examine any debt deal, and members say they are ready to hold McCarthy accountable for that promise, which was part of the deal he struck with conservatives to win the speaker’s gavel. Like so much on Capitol Hill, though, exactly how to count the 72 hours could be up to interpretation. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), for one, told Jordain that 72 hours means 72 hours. He's not into a plan that would give members two days plus an hour or so to review the bill. McCarthy, he said Monday night, “knows where the majority of his conference is.” Remember, though: A majority vote can waive any House rule, and the 72-hour pledge was cast aside when House Republicans passed their debt-and-spending legislation back in April. That package underwent substantial late-night changes after it was introduced, and House GOP leaders proceeded with votes the same day as the 2 a.m. tweaks. Memorial Day plans: The House is set to begin a weeklong holiday recess Thursday, and members are itching to leave town. But at Monday night’s House GOP leadership meeting, there was skepticism about getting a deal passed by the weekend, Sarah and Olivia reported, even if a deal between McCarthy and Biden comes together quickly. To vote by Friday, House lawmakers would likely need to see text no later than Wednesday night. But it doesn’t seem like negotiators are anywhere close to drafting a bill. "I think we both agreed we want to be able to come to agreement," McCarthy said Monday night after the White House meeting. "Nothing has been agreed to. Everything is being talked about." In fact, Jordain heard some banter between House Republicans outside a GOP whip meeting last night about being back next week. Another House GOP member told us, “I’m not making any firm plans this weekend.” What about that discharge petition? As of last night, 210 House Democrats signed on to the petition, with Reps. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) yet to join, according to Nicholas, who’s been tracking the discharge petition efforts from Democratic leadership. While Democrats have largely united around this last ditch effort, they still need to convince the stragglers plus at least four Republicans to get it over the finish line. Not only is that unlikely, but the timeline for action could extend well past the possible X-date. Under House rules, the discharge petition could not ripen for a floor vote sooner than mid-June. Debt-limit potpourri: The New Democrat Coalition is set to host Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at their weekly lunch tomorrow, according to a person familiar with the conversation. … House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) announced just before midnight yesterday that she’d scrapped markups planned for this week “in order to give the Speaker maximum flexibility as talks continue,” she said in a statement. Hot and fresh this morning: Why the debt talks are McCarthy’s second job interview, from Olivia   DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW.     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, May 23, where we’re escaping to Sesame Street tonight (more on that below). LATINAS LAUNCH IMMIGRATION BILL — Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) are set to introduce bipartisan immigration reform legislation today. They offered no advance details on what the bill would entail, but it is notable to have two Latinas leading legislation when much of the immigration conversation in the House has been led by men. “We worked together so well, and even with areas where we did not agree, we wanted to achieve the same overall goal,” Escobar told Huddle in an interview. “And it was really a pleasure working with her. We wanted to find a solution. We wanted to get to a place where we were addressing something that has gone unaddressed for so long. And we developed deep trust and respect for one another along the way.” MAGIC CARPER RIDE — Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) retired his iconic silver 2001 Chrysler Town & Country minivan back in 2021, but now he’s downshifting towards retirement himself. There will be plenty to say in the coming weeks and months about his legislative legacy and the race to replace him — Democrats are already coalescing around Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) — but here’s a random roundup of Carper tales: #NeverForget: The viral shirtless photo of him gassing up the Silver Bullet before he gave it up for a Tesla.  He was just like all of us when Covid forced things online, mad as hell about Zoom problems.  Chicken salad fueled his campaigns. And he wasn’t picky about where it came from.  If you are looking for a commemorative item, there’s a signed Wilmington Blue Rocks bobblehead on eBay right now.  On policy, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told our colleague Josh Siegel: “It's been a privilege to work closely with him on infrastructure and energy security, and I look forward to continuing this critical work with the chairman during the remainder of his term by finally fixing our outdated permitting laws in a bipartisan manner.” Related reads: Carper retirement sets up committee leadership shuffle, from David Jordan at CQ Roll Call; Carper Exit Could Pave Way for First Transgender Congress Member, from BGov’s Zach Cohen SANTOS SAGA CONTINUES — Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) gave thank you letters to some of his Republican colleagues for voting to refer Democrats’ expulsion recommendation to the House Ethics panel instead of expelling him from Congress. “This has been an especially difficult time in my life…you demonstrated great dedication and courage by putting differences aside,” Santos wrote in the letter, obtained by Olivia. Also worth noting: Santos met Monday with McCarthy — but what happened in that meeting remains unknown. HUDDLE HOTDISH Familiar face: Former “Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise” contestant Jillian Anderson is now working in Rep. Cory Mills's (R-Fla.) D.C. office as communications director. Keturah Hetrick at LegiStorm has more (including a rose ceremony pun) on the hire. How to get to Sesame Street: Characters from PBS KIDS and Sesame Workshop will be in Rayburn today from 5 to 7 p.m. for an event with the First Five Years Fund and the Pre-K & Child Care Caucus. “Snacks and beverages will be provided and character guests will be available for photo opportunities with kids and grown-ups alike,” reads the invite. Your Huddle hosts hear that Elmo, Grover, Zadie the Wombat and Daniel the Tiger could be there. Speaking of PBS, Sen. Mark Warner got the library card song from Arthur stuck in our heads with this tweet. QUICK LINKS  Driver detained as truck crashes near White House; Nazi flag found, from Nathan Howard at Reuters TRANSITIONS  Starting yesterday, the Congressional Hispanic Conference is now fully staffed for the first time since Rep. Nanette Barragán took over as chair. Brian Garcia is acting communications director (he is also Rep. Juan Vargas communications director). Allison Zayas is the operations director and Eddie Meyer is the policy director. Andrew Coffield is now a professional staff member for the House Small Business Committee. He most recently was a field representative in the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.   GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE.     TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for morning hour debate and noon for legislative business. First votes expected: 1:30 p.m. Last votes expected: 4:00 p.m. The Senate convenes at noon for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL 10 a.m. Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Max Miller (R-Ohio) hold a press conference following the House GOP conference meeting. (RNC Lobby) ​​10 a.m. House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on “The Role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in Prescription Drug Markets Part I: Self- Interest or Health Care?” (2154 Rayburn) 10:15 a.m. Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) hold a press conference after the House Democratic Caucus meeting. (Studio A) 10:30 a.m. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and House Caucus Leadership hold a press conference to announce Social Security legislation. (Studio B) 2 p.m. House Homeland Security Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Subcommittee hearing on “A Security Sprint: Assessing the U.S. Homeland’s Vulnerabilities to Chinese Communist Party Aggression.” (310 Cannon) 3:15 p.m. Scalise, Stefanik, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and the GOP Doctors Caucus hold a press conference on the fentanyl epidemic. (House Triangle) TRIVIA TUESDAY’S WINNER: Kathy Curran correctly answered that President James Madison and Wife Dolley lived at The Octagon at 18th Street and New York Avenue NW after the British burned down the White House in August 1814. TODAY’S QUESTION from Kathy: Which two presidents served as assistant secretary of the Navy? 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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