| | | | |  | | By Daniella Diaz | | | With contributions from Jordain Carney, Katherine Tully-McManus, Burgess Everett and Nicholas Wu
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House Republicans, including Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), are angry over the prosecution of Donald Trump and the plea deal struck by Hunter Biden. Jordan's conservative-packed committee is eager to take more punitive steps against the FBI and Justice Department. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images | JORDAN VERSUS WRAY It’s here: House Republicans’ big chance to go toe-to-toe with FBI Director Christopher Wray. Technically, Wray will be visiting the Judiciary Committee for a routine oversight hearing Wednesday morning. But his testimony will give panel chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other conservatives their best opportunity all year to draw rhetorical blood from the FBI chief. Jordan told us he expects the hearing to cover roughly a half-dozen topics, including:
- FBI’s tracking of threats against school boards;
- The billion-dollar new bureau HQ, slated for Maryland or Virginia;
- Reauthorization of a warrantless surveillance program, a move he said would be “ridiculous” without reforms (note: some Dems agree);
- And myriad FBI investigations that he called evidence of a “double standard” — think the now-closed Trump-Russia probe and an uncorroborated bribery allegation involving the Biden family.
House Republicans, angry over the prosecution of Donald Trump and the plea deal struck by Hunter Biden, are eager to take more punitive steps against the FBI and Justice Department. Expect them to use Wednesday’s hearing to make the case for those. But it’s far from clear, based on our reporting so far, that any of the GOP’s proposals will actually survive this year’s government funding battle.The reason is simple: Democrats still control the Senate and White House. They have little to no reason to engage with a House GOP whose anti-FBI push they see as motivated purely by Trump protection and/or fury toward Biden.
But wait, there’s more: Jordan also wrote Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) with more ideas to jab at the FBI in her panel’s upcoming DOJ funding bill. Check those out here. The other Judiciary bureau skeptics we’re watching: Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.). What Dems will say: Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the panel, will call the hearing “little more than performance art,” according to excerpts obtained by Huddle. “Republicans’ claims that the FBI have been weaponized, their personal attacks on Director Wray, their repeated calls to, quote, “Defund the FBI” — these are not victimless acts. They are a clarion call to anti-government extremists, and that call is being heard,” Nadler will add. You can read his opening remarks here. Here’s what Wray will say: “I want to talk about the sheer breadth and impact of the work the FBI’s 38,000 employees are doing, each and every day. Because the work the men and women of the FBI do to protect the American people goes way beyond the one or two investigations that seem to capture all the headlines.”
| | | | A message from Electronic Payments Coalition: STOP THE BIG-BOX BAIT AND SWITCH: Big-box retailers, led by Walmart and Target, are seeking a massive handout from Congress, paid for by consumers. Mega-retailers are trying to trick Congress into enacting harmful credit card routing legislation (S. 1838/H.R. 3881), falsely claiming that it will help small businesses. In reality, this bill transfers billions from consumers to big-box corporations while eliminating popular credit card rewards programs, weakening cybersecurity protections, and reducing access to credit. Congress: reject this Big-Box Bait and Switch. www.stopthebigboxbaitandswitch.com | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, July 12, where your Huddle author is wondering if Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary has met Beth yet. MTG, ANSWER YOUR PHONE Is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) still in the House Freedom Caucus? Greene told reporters this afternoon she still has no idea about her status following a pre-recess vote on her expulsion. She said she has yet to speak to Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who didn’t respond to a question himself about her supposed ouster on Tuesday. “All the information I found out was from you guys,” she said. (Reminder: Rep. Ken Buck, another member of that group, told CNN she hasn’t returned Perry’s phone calls on the subject.) Why is this all so complicated? The HFC doesn’t share its membership list (it’s thought to be around three dozen members or so) or its internal rules, so it’s never totally clear who’s in or out of the group. Last month’s vote followed grumbling over Greene’s closeness to Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which roiled a caucus that prizes its ability to push GOP leadership to the right.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: POLITICO’s California Playbook newsletter provides a front row seat to the Golden State’s political power centers, from inside the state Capitol and governor's mansion in Sacramento, to the mayor’s office and City Council and Los Angeles, to the influence of Silicon Valley. Authors Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner bring you exclusive news, buzzy scoops and behind-the-scenes details that you simply will not get anywhere else. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the game! | | | | | MENENDEZ HOLDS THE LINE ON F-16s … FOR NOW Fighting about fighters: Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said Monday he remains opposed to sending F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, even as President Joe Biden said he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are negotiating the matter. But Menendez did crack the door open: “We’re having conversations with the administration. I still have concerns. I’ve told them about those concerns. If they can find a way to ensure that Turkey’s aggression against its neighbors ceases — which has been great, but that has to be a permanent reality.” The sale cannot happen without Menendez’s support, alongside nods from other top leaders of the congressional foreign-policy committees. Bipartisan skepticism of the sale grew as Turkey blocked Sweden’s access to NATO, and Monday’s breakthrough may have eased some minds on Capitol Hill. Menendez’s qualms have long run deeper. He doesn’t want to reward what the senator says is Erdoğan’s “disregard [for] human rights and democratic norms,” as well as his engaging “in alarming and destabilizing behavior in Turkey and against neighboring NATO allies.” SENATE PRIORITIZES NDAA The House Rules Committee approved an initial package of nearly 300 amendments to the annual defense authorization bill in a party-line vote just after 11 p.m. But Republicans are still fighting over the most divisive amendments, including Pentagon abortion policies, medical care for transgender troops and diversity programs. The Rules Committee will have to meet again to send even more proposals to the floor for votes this week. Some in the GOP are questioning if the National Defense Authorization Act will even come to the floor this week, let alone pass by Friday. The Republicans we talked to mostly weren’t sweating it: House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) asked “what is the rush?” and Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) said NDAA could be the focus “for the next few weeks.” Meanwhile: The Senate is preparing to close out its own work on the sprawling Pentagon policy bill. The Senate Armed Services Committee filed its version of the NDAA yesterday, and Chairman Jack Reed told Huddle he hopes the bill hits the Senate floor next week. TERMED OUT Another senior SCOTUS critic: Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) signaled his support for Supreme Court term limits in an exclusive interview with Nicholas. The 82-year-old former House whip compared it to the ten-year term limit established for the FBI after J. Edgar Hoover’s 48-year leadership of the bureau. “These lifetime appointments are bad. They're not democratic, and they're bad for democracy,” he told Nick. Clyburn joins a growing movement on the left to address the high court’s ethics controversies and rulings against liberal priorities. He ruled out, however, an expansion of the court, which some Democrats have called for, favoring smaller-bore reforms.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | NEWSMAKER OF THE DAY Sen. Tommy Tuberville … The Alabama Republican wound up clarifying Tuesday afternoon that “white nationalists are racists” after spending the last 24 hours arguing semantics. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was quick to slam Tuberville’s comments on the floor, and he went on to take a swing at the Alabamian over his blockade on military promotions in the Senate later in the day. Asked if he will begin holding individual votes on military promotions, the majority leader cited disapproving comments from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans: “It’s up to them. They have to put the pressure on him to back off." Meanwhile, the Alabama senator’s comments about white nationalism drew a reproach from McConnell: “White supremacy is simply unacceptable in the military and in our whole country." REDISTRICTING RUMBLE House Democrats are set to hear from former Attorney General Eric Holder in their closed door meeting Tuesday morning, a person familiar with the situation tells Nicholas. Holder now runs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the party’s arm aimed at fighting gerrymandering, and he’s likely to update House lawmakers on the party’s redistricting fights.
| | | | A message from Electronic Payments Coalition:   | | | BATTER UP! Meet the congressional rookies playing in tonight’s Congressional Softball Game: Reps. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Mary Peltola (D-Ala.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) and Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.). Women of the House and Senate are looking for a repeat win after last year's one-run victory against the women journalists of the Bad News Babes. “I know the press team is looking for redemption, or we will call it revenge,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), one of the game’s announcers, told Huddle on Tuesday. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will be back on the mound for Congress, but a few other lawmakers may be sidelined with non-softball related injuries, including Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who broke her ankle doing yard work this spring. Competitive, for a cause: The game is a fundraiser to support young women diagnosed with breast cancer and has raised more than $3 million over the years, with a record-breaking $537,000 in 2022. Buy your tickets here. QUICK LINKS Manchin earned $476K in 2022 from family coal company, congressional disclosures show, from Jacob Fischler at West Virginia Watch How MTG’s district became Biden’s climate poster child, from Robin Bravender at E&E News Blocked Rail Crossings Snarl Towns, but Congress Won’t Act, from Peter Eavis, Mark Walker and Niraj Chokshi at the New York Times TRANSITIONS Michael Pawlowski is now a partner at Capitol Counsel. He was previously Sen. Lisa Murkowski's chief of staff. Marc Chaaban is now press secretary for the House Budget Democrats. He was most recently staff assistant and press assistant for Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). The Democratic Digital Communications Staff Association relaunched their class of executive officers: Erin Bryers as External Affairs Director; Christine Ho as Programs and Events Director; Eric Jones as Strategic Communications Director, Ben Kamens as Membership Director; and Michael Suchecki as Creative Director.
| | | | A message from Electronic Payments Coalition: CONGRESS: DON’T FALL FOR THE BIG-BOX BAIT-AND-SWITCH: Despite vigorous lobbying efforts from mega-retailers like Walmart and Target, proposed credit routing mandates (S. 1838/H.R. 3881) face steep bipartisan opposition. Consumers and small businesses don’t want to lose valuable credit card benefits or suffer from weakened cybersecurity protections– both consequences of proposed credit card routing mandates. Americans didn’t send their lawmakers to Washington to be fooled by the retail giants’ massive corporate welfare scheme--and they won’t forget those who sold out Main Street so that big-box retailers could line their pockets while consumers and small businesses suffer. Last year, Congress wisely rejected a similar Big-Box Bill, and they must do so again. Congress must protect consumers, preserve the integrity of the payment ecosystem, and reject this detrimental and unnecessary government intervention. www.stopthebigboxbaitandswitch.com | | | TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. First and last votes of the day are expected to begin at 1:30 p.m. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with two votes at 11:30 a.m., one vote at 2:30 p.m. and one vote at 5:30 p.m. AROUND THE HILL 10 a.m. House Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI oversight. Director Christopher Wray testifies. (2141 Rayburn) 10 a.m. Congressional-Executive Commission on China Chair Chris Smith holds a press conference with Pastor Pan Yongguang. (House Triangle) 10 a.m. Senate Budget Committee hearing on “Protecting Social Security for All: Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share.” CBO Director Phillip Swagel testifies (608 Dirksen) 12 p.m. The Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party hosts an interfaith roundtable on the CCP's threat to religious freedom. (H-144) 1:30 p.m. Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters, Rep. Juan Vargas, Rep. Sean Casten, and other members of the Sustainable Investment Caucus hold a post-Financial Services hearing press conference. (House Triangle) 4:15 p.m. Rep. Yvette Clarke et al. on reintroduction of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act. (House Triangle)
| | TUESDAY’S WINNER: Bradley Jaye correctly guessed that Ronald Reagan was the only GOP President to have voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt for president four times. TODAY’S QUESTION from Bradley: What future president was nominated for the office despite having never voted? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ddiaz@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Daniella on Twitter @DaniellaMicaela | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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