One more House GOP first-termer is chasing a plum prize

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

Aug 23, 2023 View in browser   By Jordain Carney and Daniella Diaz Rep. Chris Stewart's retirement on Sept. 15 could also spark a round of musical chairs that reverberates beyond the Appropriations Committee. | Getty Images HOUSE REPUBLICANS ALREADY VYING FOR APPROPS OPENING Rep. Chris Stewart is set to retire on Sept. 15 and behind-the-scenes jockeying is underway among younger Republican colleagues who want to claim his coveted Appropriations Committee seat. Conversations among GOP lawmakers eyeing Stewart’s spot have played out quietly so far, largely out of respect for the well-liked Utahn — who announced he would step down due to his wife’s illness. But members of the House GOP Steering Committee — the leadership-driven group that decides most gavels and committee assignments — told us they have already gotten taps on the shoulder from interested Republicans. Two steering committee members — Reps. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) — said they’ve heard from first-term members who are hoping to get on the panel that boasts major sway over the federal spending process. “My guess is that it will be all freshmen” looking to join Appropriations, Armstrong said, adding that at least two of the three members who have contacted him “were trying to get on it [at the start of this Congress] and barely missed the cut.” The names we’re hearing: The lobbying campaign focused on Steering Committee members is likely to ramp up as Stewart’s departure approaches. But so far, three first-term Republicans are known to want on Appropriations: Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) is highlighting his previous appropriations experience in the North Carolina state Senate. Edwards told us that he wants to “bring more of N.C. to D.C., specifically to the House Appropriations Committee” to help “rein in wasteful spending and get our country back on a better fiscal trajectory.”  A GOP aide familiar with the steering talks told us recently that Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) — part of the crop of Northeast Republicans that helped win back the majority — “started making the rounds with steering, approps, and leadership …in July and those meetings have become calls during recess.” He sought an Appropriations Committee seat initially this Congress, pitching himself as a “principled conservative and a dealmaker,” but fell short. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) is also interested in the seat “and has been discussing it with her colleagues,” we heard from her office two weeks ago. Roll Call first reported her and LaLota’s interest. Stay tuned: More Republicans may yet jump in. And expect any internal competition to remain largely underground for now. The GOP aide familiar with the steering discussions noted that “everyone is just kind waiting to see who is going to play their cards.” The defense spending factor: Beyond the vying for a seat on the full committee, there is expected to be further jostling over who gets Stewart’s seat on the defense appropriations subcommittee, a particularly plum position that helps route hundreds of billions of dollars in military funding. Senior committee members are expressing an interest in the defense seat. Another consideration could be whether or not to give it to a frontline Republican facing a tough 2024 race, who could use it to tout military spending back in their home district. A broader reshuffle? Stewart’s retirement could also spark a round of musical chairs that reverberates beyond the Appropriations Committee. He’s also a member of the Intelligence Committee and a Judiciary Committee subpanel tasked with investigating GOP claims of federal government politicization. Those spots are up to Speaker Kevin McCarthy to assign, and filling them promises to create a domino effect – requiring whoever gets Stewart’s open seats to give up their existing slots. If that happens (or another retirement crops up), a person familiar with the jockeying noted to us that Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) “has been encouraged by several steering committee members to pursue an A-committee assignment …should a spot become available.” Molinaro would not challenge LaLota for Stewart’s Appropriations seat, this person added. But there are four additional “A” committees to consider beyond an additional Appropriations seat opening up: Ways & Means, Energy & Commerce, Rules and Financial Services. So keep an eye on Molinaro if there is more reshuffling. — Jordain Carney   GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, Aug. 23, where butter cow, we hardly knew ye. McCARTHY FLIRTS WITH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY McCarthy is increasingly flirting with the potential that House Republicans could launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden as soon as next month. The California Republican has talked up the idea more as an investigative tool than a historic step toward recommending Biden’s removal from office. Still, the chatter sparks heartburn in the center of the GOP conference. What McCarthy is saying: During an interview Tuesday with Fox Business’s Larry Kudlow, McCarthy pointed to whether or not GOP requests for information are stonewalled as the party’s red line on a formal impeachment inquiry. “If they withhold the documents,” he said, “we will move forward with impeachment inquiry when we come back into session." Friendly reminder: It’s far from clear whether McCarthy’s interview with Kudlow amounted to a literal announcement on the timeline for deciding on an impeachment inquiry. A spokesperson for the speaker didn’t respond to questions about the remarks. The House returns from its summer break on Sept. 12 and the California Republican didn’t say how quickly after the recess the conference could make a call. Even without an inquiry, GOP lawmakers will have their hands full in September with a push to fund the government before an end-of-month shutdown deadline. The House is also scheduled to leave town for the first half of October (barring a government shutdown that could keep lawmakers around). What are Republicans asking for? Asked Tuesday what his party is after, McCarthy pointed to bank records, credit card statements and other financial records requests. Responding to McCarthy’s remarks, Democrats were quick on Tuesday to flag comments from Oversight Committee Chair James Comer at the end of June touting compliance with his subpoena requests. But the Kentucky Republican has also increasingly warned in recent weeks of a looming court battle with the Bidens over their financial records, accusing “Biden attorneys” during a Fox News interview this week of “building Fort Knox records around these bank accounts that we are going to subpoena next." – Jordain Carney THE SENATE’S SEPTEMBER X-FACTOR: RETIRING INCUMBENTS As Senate Democrats prepare to negotiate with a House GOP that essentially wants to replay this spring’s debt limit fight on government spending — forcing conservative concessions in exchange for a deal — it’s worth watching four members in particular. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) have already announced their retirements next year, liberating them from any lingering reelection concerns. Their numbers may yet grow, as Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema (an independent who largely votes with Democrats but doesn’t attend their caucus meetings) weigh their futures. And if Cardin is any indicator of the mood in Chuck Schumer’s 51-seat majority, Senate Democrats have no interest in attaching any House GOP giveaways to the stopgap funding patch that will almost certainly be needed to keep the government open. As Cardin put it: “Here we go again. We saw the same type of threats on paying our bills on the debt ceiling. Here we're talking about continuing government because we can't get the appropriation bills done. And a [continuing resolution] is exactly that. It should be clean,” he told reporters Tuesday. Your reminder of the House’s stance: Conservatives across the Capitol threw a fresh hurdle in the path of any stopgap solution on Monday. Freedom Caucus members vowed that their support for any continuing resolution would hinge on the addition of multiple polarizing provisions related to border security, the Justice Department and diversity policies at the Pentagon. All of those ideas have, bluntly, zero traction in the Democratic Senate. Which may well put the onus on Schumer’s caucus to stand together against a House bill stocked with what they see as right-flank poison pills. Cardin, for his part, indicated that McCarthy would have little choice but work with Democrats. “It's totally irresponsible” to give in to conservatives on a funding plan that can’t pass the Senate, Cardin said. “And I think they'll figure that out. I hope they can figure it out before there's a shutdown.” Bonus Tuberville update: Cardin said the Senate Democratic caucus is trying to figure out how to handle Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) blockade of military promotions when members return from recess in September. But getting around Tuberville by calling the promotions up one at a time is off the table, he affirmed. “We don't have the luxury to bring each one of these promotions up for a vote. There's not enough time on the calendar for that,” Cardin said of Tuberville’s hold on hundreds of military promotions, including multiple members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Alabamian began his stoppage in protest of a Pentagon policy offering paid leave for service members seeking abortions. “I do hope that we will have time for individual votes on those that are contested, such as our judges and ambassadorships,” Cardin said. “But not on military [promotions]. That's not controversial. That's a waste of time.” – Daniella Diaz   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO APP: Stay in the know with the 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. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.     HUDDLE HOTDISH Sen. Chuck Grassley is celebrating 69 years of marriage with his wife Barbara. Congratulations! QUICK LINKS  Latina Candidates Courted by GOP to Diversify House Majority, from Zach Cohen at Bloomberg Government US wildland firefighter pay threatened by Republican feud in Congress, from David Morgan at Reuters TRANSITIONS  Angela Nguyen is now operations manager for Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). She most recently was scheduler and continues in her role as a congressional aide for Lofgren. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House is out. The Senate is out. AROUND THE HILL *crickets* TRIVIA MONDAY’S ANSWER: Betsy Wright Hawkings correctly answered that paintings in the Rotunda of the Capitol, a statue in Statuary Hall of the Capitol, and a Little League World Series championship all have the name of “Trumbull”, a town in Connecticut, in common. TODAY’S QUESTION from Betsy, just in time for the first presidential debate of the 2024 primary: How many times have both major party presidential nominees been incumbent members of Congress? Who were the most recent two? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to huddletrivia@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela.   Follow us

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