Where the House GOP’s haunted October goes next

Presented by Chevron: An evening recap of the action on Capitol Hill and preview of the day ahead

Oct 24, 2023 View in browser   By Daniella Diaz Presented by Chevron With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team Majority Whip Tom Emmer has ended his speakership bid after he, too, failed to unite the highly fragmented House GOP. | AP TICK TOCK: The government will shut down in 24 days if Congress can’t pass a funding patch. It’s been 21 days since the House last had an elected speaker. EMMER’S OUT Steve Scalise couldn’t do it. Jim Jordan couldn’t do it. Now Tom Emmer has tried and failed. “I’m sad. It’s sad. I'm heartbroken,” Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ohio) told reporters, lamenting that “a lot of really, really good people [got] left in the wake” of the House GOP’s slow-motion October catastrophe. We could recap this roller-coaster day for Emmer, which began with a five-ballot victory over six speakership rivals and ended in an ignominious knifing by former President Donald Trump, who quickly began calling Republican lawmakers to whip up opposition. (In fact, we’ve reported about Emmer’s Trump problem extensively here, here and here.) But instead, we’ll tell you what’s next: Lawmakers who lost the speakership nod hours ago are quickly jumping back in, including Reps. Kevin Hern (Okla.), Byron Donalds (Fla.) and Mike Johnson (La.). A three new names are also launching a run: Rep. Mark Green (Tenn.), Chuck Fleischmann (Tenn.) and Roger Williams (Texas). Johnson came closest to beating Emmer on Tuesday, snagging 97 votes to Emmer’s 117 on the final ballot – which makes him effectively the leading candidate now. But the Louisianan, who is currently vice chair in the GOP conference, will have his own hard time getting 217 floor votes because of his more conservative lean, including his vote against the short-term spending patch that doomed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Can’t forget this: Trump’s anti-Emmer activity showcased his active base of support among House Republicans, with three pro-Trump members who had supported the Minnesotan turning to no votes quickly after the former president called Emmer a “RINO.” But look no further than Jim Jordan’s failure on the floor for a sign that more centrist and establishment-minded Republicans are also willing to squash speaker candidates they see as unacceptable. Here we go again: There will be an “abbreviated” candidate forum at 6 p.m with lawmakers who are running – yes, we went through all this less than a week ago, but it’s required by conference rules. Keep an eye on Democrats: The majority of members on both sides of the aisle are incredibly eager to get back to moving bills on the floor in the wake of the looming government funding deadline and the urgent need to get aid to Israel and Ukraine. Democrats have previously made clear they could help to empower acting speaker Patrick McHenry but won’t do it for free. Womack declared Tuesday that it’s time to “test the constitutional limits” of McHenry’s power. “Given what we have just been through for the last several weeks, the more appropriate move would be [for] us to test maybe the constitutional limits of what we can do with the speaker pro tem,” Womack said. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) has a privileged resolution to empower McHenry that he could use to try to force to a vote. But a Republican aide tells Huddle they’re still figuring out that question. — Daniella Diaz, with assists from Nicholas Wu, Caitlin Emma and Sarah Ferris   A message from Chevron: Chevron knows methane management is critical for a lower carbon future. We’re striving to lead in methane management with innovative practices, partnerships, and new technologies. These are a few ways we’re aiming to keep methane in the pipe.   GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Oct. 24 where the GOP conference stakeouts are getting sillier by the day. SENATE SPENDING PACKAGE GETS UNSTUCK Senate leaders have finally reached a breakthrough to kick off voting on their three-bill spending package as soon as Wednesday. This follows weeks of gridlock over potential amendments, most of which aren’t likely to succeed. What’s the deal? A whopping 40 amendments will receive a vote, 24 of which will be bundled together to speed up what’s sure to be an already grueling vote series. And why even try…? With another shutdown deadline fast-approaching and an outstanding emergency aid request from President Joe Biden to tackle, spending so much energy on a nearly $280 billion spending measure that has no chance of passing the shuttered House might seem like a waste of time. But Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray and her GOP counterpart, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), are determined to see it through. They’re hoping to show the upper chamber can make progress on its most basic task of funding the government amid historic congressional dysfunction. The three fiscal 2024 bills in the package are considered some of the least controversial, funding the Agriculture Department, Department of Veterans of Affairs, Transportation Department and other agencies. Murray and Collins are determined to pass the remaining nine spending bills in similar bundles — no easy feat, even during less chaotic times. The bigger picture: With no time for a broader bipartisan, bicameral government funding deal, Congress will almost certainly have to pass another stopgap spending patch to stave off a shutdown in a little more than three weeks. What exactly that process will look like is clear as mud, while the House tops three weeks without a speaker and has no clear solution to its own shutdown. — Caitlin Emma    A message from Chevron:     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.     AGUILAR’s MESSAGE ABOUT THAT JACKSON LEE TAPE House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) called on his fellow lawmakers to treat each other respectfully after an audio recording of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) berating a staff member leaked out over the weekend. “Every member has an obligation to treat staff respectfully and to treat each other with dignity and respect. And when people fall short, they should say that they fell short,” Aguilar said, adding that he’d heard the tape but would let Jackson Lee “speak for herself on what’s next.” In the recording that circulated on social media over the weekend, Jackson Lee profanely berated her staff. In a statement Monday night to the Texas Tribune, she said she was “not perfect” and added: “I recognize that in my zeal to do everything possible to deliver for my constituents I have in the past fallen short of my own standards and there is no excuse for that.” Jackson Lee, who’s also running for mayor of Houston, has long had a reputation as a difficult boss on Capitol Hill. Legistorm ranks her offices as having some of the highest turnover among House offices. — Nicholas Wu   PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     HUDDLE HOTDISH It’s spooky season at the Capitol. (We learned later the Democratic National Committee arranged this.) Someone in the House has a nice ride. There’s still kindness in Congress. Even if it’s very rare. QUICK LINKS  Runaway zebras delighted the nation — and exposed their owner’s dark past, from Katie Mettler and Maura Judkis at The Washington Post Tammy Baldwin has won big in closely divided Wisconsin. Can she do it again?, from Amanda Becker at The 19th News Is the Ted Cruz Sports Curse Real?, from Ryan Nanni at The Messenger Biden's $106B package is in big trouble in the Senate, from Burgess Everett and Ursula Perano   A message from Chevron: By 2028, our upstream methane intensity target is set to be 53% below the 2016 baseline. To help us get there, we’ve trialed over 13 advanced methane technologies including satellites, planes, drones, and fixed sensors to help reduce methane emissions intensity. In the Permian, we have deployed real-time autonomous optimizers that continuously monitor facilities and well conditions to help prevent flaring, venting and well shutdowns. Developing new solutions to provide energy that’s affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner, that’s energy in progress.   TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House is ??? The Senate is in. WEDNESDAY AROUND THE HILL 12:30 p.m. Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Jesús "Chuy" Garcia (D-Ill.) and others will host a press conference to urge President Biden to expand parole for spouses of US citizens impacted by current immigration policies (House Triangle) TRIVIA MONDAY’S ANSWER: Mitch Rabalais correctly answered that William Howard Taft was the first president to attend a baseball game’s opening day and throw the ceremonial first pitch, beginning the tradition in 1910. TODAY’S QUESTION from Mitch: Which future Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee was originally denied a seat on the committee by Majority Leader Robert Byrd? In justifying the rejection to the rest of the Democratic leadership, Byrd citied this Senator’s “definite Republican tendencies.” His words proved prophetic, as this Senator joined the Republican Party in 1994. 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 evening. Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela.   Follow us

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