Senate set to dissect GOP debt plan

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

May 01, 2023 View in browser   By Katherine Tully-McManus and Daniella Diaz Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants the GOP debt limit plan under a microscope. | Francis Chung/POLITICO SENATE SETS A TRIAL  — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced in a Dear Colleague letter this morning that Senate committees will hold hearings on the House Republicans legislation on the debt limit and spending cuts that passed the House last week. The move is not an attempt to move the bill forward, but to message against the proposed cuts. “The Senate will show the public what this bill truly is. Beginning this week, our Committees will begin to hold hearings and expose the true impact of this reckless legislation on everyday Americans. On Thursday, the Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the Default on America Act,” Schumer (D-N.Y.) writes, creating his own moniker for the GOP proposal. The Senate Budget Committee hearing on Thursday will feature Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics and leaders of the Environmental Defense Fund and the Solar Energy Industries Association. New month, same standstill:  A soggy Washington weekend didn’t spark fresh attitudes toward debt ceiling negotiations and positions of both Republicans and Democrats seem as entrenched as they were before the House passed its GOP debt ceiling and spending cuts package. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) says Republicans are “demanding hostage negotiations” while House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) says President Joe Biden is “running out the clock” on the debt limit. House Republicans were certain that their starting bid to rollback federal spending in exchange for lifting the debt limit would force Biden to the negotiating table. But last week’s action on the House GOP package has yet to move the needle much. Now the House is out of town, leaving the Senate to weigh in on the GOP proposal and how Biden should handle it. That’s the Budget Committee’s cue. Treasury Department officials there are expected to update the public on the “X date,” before which Congress will need to pass a debt limit lift to avoid default, in the coming days. That will ramp up the pressure, but it’s not yet clear what will get leaders to budge. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said last week that Biden not getting in a room with Speaker Kevin McCarthy to negotiate on the debt limit “signals a deficiency of leadership, and it must change.” The West Virginia Democrat said “we are long past time for our elected leaders to sit down and discuss how to solve this impending debt ceiling crisis” and called on Biden to “negotiate now.” Most other Democrats aren’t going that far. They are talking about talks, but are drawing distinction between talks on spending and negotiations on the debt limit. “He will sit down with Speaker McCarthy to talk about these issues in the framework of the budget and the appropriations process,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told “Fox News Sunday.” But not the debt limit. And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Sunday that Biden can “start negotiating tomorrow” (i.e. today) on possible spending cuts, but stressed that those talks can only move forward if Republicans commit to raising the debt limit. “I’m willing to look at any other proposals. There’s a lot of waste within government. Let’s go after it. But don’t go to war against the working class of this country, lower-income people,” Sanders said. Republicans maintain that what they view as government overspending and the nation’s growing debt are inextricably linked and that conversations about each cannot be separated. "As we're addressing the debt limit, we also have to address the problem that got us here," Scalise (R-La.) told ABC’s "This Week." The House majority leader also challenged Senate Democrats to put forth their own legislation. “If they’ve got a better idea, I want to see that bill and tell them to pass it through the Senate,” Scalise said. Democrats aren’t likely to meet Scalise’s challenge. Instead, they’ll be bringing the GOP legislation up in committee and dissecting it. ALSO ON THE SENATE AGENDA — Schumer is expected to file cloture on more judicial nominations this week and the chamber could take action on at least one GOP-led Congressional Review Act resolution. Most likely to hit the floor is a proposal from Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) to overturn the Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken – one of the most fraught fowl that Congress deals with annually – as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, May 1. For those showers, we were promised flowers. HUDDLE WEEKLY MOST CLICKED: You folks love messy drama. (Still wishing those youngsters the best.) Second most clicked was How Two History-Making Congresswomen (and Roommates) Made It Through 100 Days in Office, from Madison Feller at Elle. EARMARKS ROUNDUP — Last week the House Appropriations Committee published all earmark requests for fiscal 2024 and seeing what's on lawmakers' federal funding wishlists is always interesting. Big picture: House members are warming up to the revival of earmarks, with 5,067 earmarks, a nearly 7 percent increase over last year. If all the requests were passed into law (they won't be) they'd total $19.4 billion. Republicans have big asks and the party leads the list of earmark requests by dollar amount. All of the top six requests come from the GOP side of the aisle. Check out the requests for yourself from the Appropriations Committee or this streamlined spreadsheet created by Daniel Schuman at Demand Progress Education Fund. MCCARTHY ABROAD — Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is in Israel today, preparing to address the Knesset as it convenes after a month-long recess and in the wake of a divisive fight over a plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary. McCarthy will be the second House speaker to address the Knesset (Newt Gingrich did so in 1998). In an interview Sunday with the conservative Israel Hayom daily, McCarthy said that if President Biden doesn’t invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House, the speaker will invite him to Congress. McCarthy started his trip, his first venture abroad since winning the speaker’s gavel, in Jordan, where he and his 18-member delegation met with King Abdullah II and the crown prince.   DON’T MISS THE POLITICO ENERGY SUMMIT: A new world energy order is emerging and America’s place in it is at a critical juncture. Join POLITICO on Thursday, May 18 for our first-ever energy summit to explore how the U.S. is positioning itself in a complicated energy future. We’ll explore progress on infrastructure and climate funding dedicated to building a renewable energy economy, Biden’s environmental justice proposals, and so much more. REGISTER HERE.     BIPARTISAN PAIRS IN THE INSULIN FIGHT — “With insulin price caps promising to become one of Congress’ signature health care priorities this year — helping tens of millions of Americans along the way — Sens. Suan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) are squaring off against an odd-couple Southern pair of prominent junior senators: Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and John Kennedy (R-La.),” report David Lim and Burgess Everett. VETERANS DEBATE — House Republicans held a press call this past weekend to convey one message and one message only: They do not plan to slash veterans’ benefits, despite what the White House is saying. GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik led the call Sunday afternoon, where she told reporters that Republicans have no plans to touch veterans affairs, arguing that Democrats (including Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough) were making false claims about McCarthy’s debt ceiling proposal that passed last week through the House. “Joe Biden and Democrats are so desperate to cover up for Joe Biden's weakness and absolute failure on the debt ceiling negotiations that they're shamelessly lying about veterans benefits and politicizing the VA to do so,” she said on the call. “Joe Biden is putting veterans benefits and coverage in peril as he plays politics with the debt ceiling and refuses to negotiate.” McDonough warned last week that scaling back federal funding to fiscal 2022 levels, as Republicans propose, could mean a more than 20 percent cut to the agency and said outpatient visits and regular screenings for veterans would be slashed. While Republicans have pledged to exempt the Defense Department and VA from cuts, the bill text does not provide specific protections for VA. “In our appropriations process, we will ensure that both defense and our VA are fully funded,” Stefanik said. LISTEN UP, DADS — House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) responded to last week’s letter on access to baby changing tables from the Congressional Dads Caucus, thanking it for its interest and outlining what’s already been done. “According to the Architect of the Capitol, there are currently 98 diaper changing stations in the House Office Buildings. In the event a bathroom with a diaper changing station is difficult to find, we are happy to work with your offices to identify where signage throughout our buildings may be useful,” Steil wrote. HUDDLE HOTDISH Move over, Rev. Kibben… The House’s guest chaplain program is in a revival. House members can recommend guest chaplains to offer the opening prayer. One guest prayer is expected per week, usually on the fly-out day. Congress meets jumbo slice… First term (and TikTok famous) Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.) got a classic D.C. late nite delicacy after the White House Correspondents Dinner. The selfie and the slice. Crenshaw crushes an Eagle Scout… Your Huddle host is obsessed with the guts of a 15-year-old Boy Scout who challenged Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) to a pushup competition. The scouts bowed out at 40 while Crenshaw kept going. QUICK LINKS  SINEMAFILE: Kyrsten Sinema’s Party of One, from Robert Draper at New York Times Magazine; The Kyrsten Sinema Theory of American Politics, from McKay Coppins at The Atlantic George Santos, Instead of Shrinking From the Spotlight, Steps Into It, from Nicholas Fandos at The New York Times Needing Younger Workers, Federal Officials Relax Rules on Past Drug Use, from Ernesto Londoño at The New York Times TRANSITIONS  House Admin Welcome Mat: Mike Platt is now senior advisor to Steil. He previously had a consulting practice, was assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the Commerce Department during the Trump Administration and chief of staff for then-Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Mary Beth Burns recently started as press secretary for the Committee on House Administration. She was most recently press assistant for Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) and is a Heritage Action alum. Gerry Petrella is now general manager for U.S. public policy at Microsoft. He previously was policy director for Schumer. Danu Rojzman will be deputy press secretary for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). She currently is speechwriter and press secretary for the House Appropriations Dems. Aaron Cummings is joining Crowell & Moring as co-chair of its government affairs practice group. He previously was chief of staff for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).   The McCain Institute will convene its 10th annual Sedona Forum on May 5-6, featuring lawmakers, journalists, military leaders, business executives, and more. This year’s theme, “Indispensable Power,” will examine the diplomatic, military, and economic means employed to protect democracy, human rights, and the global competitive edge. Established by Senator John McCain, the Sedona Forum is held each spring in the red rock country of Sedona, Arizona, to advance the mission of the McCain Institute – fighting for democracy, human dignity, and security. Visit TheSedonaForum.org to register for the livestream today.     TODAY IN CONGRESS The House is out. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. to resume consideration of the nomination of Anthony Devos Johnstone, of Montana, to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. At 5:30 p.m. the Senate will vote on the Johnstone nomination. AROUND THE HILL Chill start to the week. TRIVIA FRIDAY’S WINNER: Eric Feldman correctly answered Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Rep. Earl Pomeroy all represented North Dakota in Congress for nearly 20 years, but got their start working a state campaign where one was the candidate (Dorgan), the other the campaign manager (Conrad), and the third the driver (Pomeroy). More on the trio. TODAY’S QUESTION from Eric: What member of Congress famously asserted that we must stop “partisan politics at the water’s edge”? 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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