| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With an assist from Sarah Ferris and Nicholas Wu
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House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries is running unopposed for Democratic leader in the new Congress. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo | FOLLOW THE LEADER — Who will lead Democrats as they embark on the displeasurable position of being in the minority of the House? Most of the key players are running unopposed and the roster has been set for weeks, but in two days of closed-door meetings beginning this morning, House Democrats will also consider changes to the internal caucus rules for the new Congress. Elections are set to run in descending order of rank, starting with the caucus chair, minority leader, minority whip, and Democratic Caucus vice chair before moving on to rules changes. No spoilers: The unopposed big three are Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for Democratic leader, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) for Democratic whip and Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) for Democratic Caucus Chair. It's a trip: The caucus will vote on a proposal to change the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair role from an elected position to an appointed position, which many Democrats who've talked to POLITICO say they expect to be adopted despite opposition from key progressives. Proponents say the move would keep Democrats from repeating the challenging situation of having a frontline Democrat in a competitive race juggling their own political future alongside defending all House Dem incumbents. But opponents, including much of the progressive "squad," wants everyone to have a voice in the matter and have concerns about concentrating power within the leadership to appoint the campaign chief. But frontliners could get their own seat at the table, with the proposed creation of a "battleground leadership representative," which Dems will vote on today. Other proposals include the creation of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) chair of chairs, which Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) is expected to fill. CBC weighs in: The Congressional Black Caucus is out with its list of endorsements ahead of House Democrats' leadership and rules votes starting today. Here's who the group, which makes up a powerful voting bloc in the party, is supporting:
- The top troika of Jeffries, Clark and Pete Aguilar
- Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) for Assistant Democratic Leader
- Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) for Vice Chair
- Neguse for DPCC Chair
- Reps. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) and Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) for DPCC co-chairs
The CBC is also opposing a proposed rules change that would reduce the number of members the leader can appoint to House Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee and shrinking the panel. JEFFRIES HOLDS COURT — On the eve of the election, Jeffries spoke to reporters in the Capitol. Here's what he said: What it means to be the first Black member of Congress to lead a party: "Leadership is incredibly important. When we get an opportunity as diverse leaders to serve in positions of consequence, the most meaningful thing we can do in that space is do an incredibly good job." Whether he can forge a relationship with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): "I think I've been pretty gentle on Kevin McCarthy... Moving forward, it's my hope that House Democrats can find common ground with Republicans to get things done that would make life better for everyday Americans whenever possible. We are also prepared to oppose their extremism when we must... I have an open mind about being able to engage with Kevin McCarthy for the good of the country." On serving alongside soon-to-be-speaker-emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in Congress: "She's not going to be the type of individual that's looking over the shoulders of those leaders that she just helped to elevate." On how Democrats will counter Donald Trump and the far-right: "We're still working through the implications of Trumpism, and what it has meant as a very destabilizing work for American democracy... In my view, hopefully House Republicans will govern in a way where we may be able to agree to disagree on issues, without being disagreeable to each other, or threatening to upend democracy. But if they double or triple down on extremism moving forward, House Democrats, I believe, are prepared to continue to call that out."
| | | | A message from the Association of American Railroads: Freight rail employees enjoy total compensation that ranks in the top 10% of all U.S. industries —and that's before the 24% pay raise in the negotiated labor agreement, which has been ratified by a majority of the unions. Learn more about the agreement that charts a better, stronger future for our employees and industry, and the economy. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, Nov. 30, where House Republicans and Democrats are changing the rules. RIDING THE RAILS — The House takes two votes today in an attempt to avert a devastating strike by railroad workers. One vote would be to impose contract terms brokered between railroads and the Biden Administration but that a handful of unions have rejected. A second vote would layer on seven days of paid sick leave for rail workers subject to the deal. Sick leave has been a major point of contention, and the underlying agreement did not satisfy some of the largest unions. Even if the House clears both pieces, they still would need to be taken up by the Senate, where there's uncertainty about a path forward. The two-track approach would allow progressive Democrats in the House to sign onto the rule for consideration of the measures, while leaving the possibility that the Senate scraps the paid leave provision. THE GOP SHIFT ON MARRIAGE — A total of 12 Senate Republicans voted with all Democrats in support of a bill Tuesday to enshrine same-sex marriage protections in federal law and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which Burgess writes this morning signals a "tidal shift" among Republicans. The original bill passed the House back in July with all Democrats and 47 Republicans voting in favor. It wasn't just wheeling and dealing centrists or libertarians who backed the effort on Tuesday. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) gave a speech in support, talking about the mountain of criticism she's facing in her home state and the "soul-searching" she did to settle on her "yea" vote. "Times change. And senators change," former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said on Tuesday. More from Burgess on how the deal came together and what it means for a divided GOP .
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) celebrated passage of the same-sex marriage bill with a call to his daughter, Alison Schumer and her wife. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | Meanwhile… Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) promised that his first call after passage would be to his daughter and her wife. He wore the same tie for the vote that he wore to their wedding. They are expecting their first child and Schumer said "that child will now grow up in a more accepting, inclusive and loving world, a world that will honor their mothers' marriage and give it the dignity it deserves."
| | | | POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP . | | | | | REPUBLICAN RULES ROUNDUP — A group of House Republicans gathered Tuesday in GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) office to talk about Republicans' Conference rules ahead of today's scheduled vote by the full group on changes to the internal governance, Olivia and Jordain have a readout , along with analysis of what it all means for McCarthy's bid for the gavel. McCarthy has agreed with his critics that in a GOP-led House, there will be more opportunities for rank and file members to have their amendments considered on the House floor. But details of how that would work are still being massaged. (Open rules, anyone?) Earmarks: On the table today is a proposal from Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) to ban earmarks, which fiscal conservatives and outside groups support. But leadership allies predict that the conference will keep the "directed spending" in order to give McCarthy a valuable tool to keep his conference in line. Steering: One of the Freedom Caucus-backed demands is a proposal to reshape the House GOP Steering Committee, a leadership-driven group of lawmakers that decides most gavels and committee assignments. A proposal from HFC chair Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) would take committee chair appointments off Steering's plate. He's also offering a proposal that would require any amendment considered on the House floor to have backing from "the majority of the Republican conference." Scheduling note: The debate and voting on GOP Conference rules might not wrap up today. There's so much to discuss that it could continue into tomorrow.
| | | | A message from the Association of American Railroads:   | | | CAUGHT IN THE NET — Google provided the FBI location data for more than 5,000 devices found to be within a geofence on Capitol Hill during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. This story was a clicker for your Huddle host, but there's no mention of what happened to reporters' data caught in the data sweep. Who escaped the net: "In the second step, the FBI asked Google for a list of devices that were present at the Capitol from 12 pm to 12:15 pm on January 6, and from 9 pm to 9:15 pm. As there were no rioters in the Capitol during those times, these devices likely belonged to congressional members or staff, police, and other people authorized to be there. Over 200 such phones were excluded from the initial list, reducing its total to 5,518." MEET YOU IN THE PELOSI CAUCUS ROOM — The House is set to take up a measure that would rename the historic Cannon Caucus Room the "Speaker Nancy Pelosi Caucus Room.''
| | | | GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our "Future Pulse" newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE . | | | | | | | | Transition fair… Come one, come all! The Womens' Congressional Staff Association and the Modernization Staff Association are hosting an in-person fair on "all things Hill jobs" Monday, December 5th from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Those on the job hunt or folks just curious about the benefits offered to Hill staff are welcome to stop by. "All House and Senate staff and interns are welcome," the invite says. RSVP here . QUICK LINKS Cyberthieves stole $186,000 from a Republican member of Congress as fraud epidemic plagues political committees , from Insider's Dave Levinthal TRANSITIONS Casey Lee is now a policy advisor for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). She was previously a staff assistant at the House Judiciary Committee and an APAICS fellow for Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). Kelsey Cooper is now deputy chief of staff for communications for Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), expanding her previous communications director role to include Paul's personal office and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's GOP communications team. Chief to the chief: Clay Armentrout is now chief of staff for Sen.-elect Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who was once chief of staff for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Armentrout was most recently legislative director and counsel for Shelby. Raphael Chavez-Fernandez is joining Rep. Ruben Gallego's (D-Ariz.) office as chief of staff. He most recently was deputy assistant VA secretary for intergovernmental affairs, and is a Bob Menendez alum. Cally Perkinsis joining Rep.-elect Morgan Luttrell's (R-Texas) office as comms director. She previously was national press secretary for the Congressional Leadership Fund and American Action Network and is an RSLC, Tom Rice and Trent Kelly alum. Ian O'Keefe is now comms director for Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.). He previously was deputy comms director for Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.). Ven Neralla has joined Federal Street Strategies. He was most recently chief of staff to Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.). Kripa Sreepada is now a health policy adviser with the Senate Finance Committee under Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). She was previously a health policy adviser for Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.). ATI Advisory announced that Anna Kaltenboeck will lead its new drug reimbursement group. She most recently served as a senior health adviser for the Senate Committee on Finance. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 9 a.m. for the legislative session with votes expected on the rail deal and an accompanying sick leave proposal. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with votes on nominations expected at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. AROUND THE HILL 2:30 p.m. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on five nominations, including Lynne M. Tracy to be U.S. Ambassador to Russia (419 Dirksen).
| | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Joe Bookman correctly answered that Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas) are twins, as is Rep.-elect Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas). Bonus points for Joe, who also shouted out the Senate's twins: Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). TODAY'S QUESTION from Joe: There have been 27 examples where a Senator served in Congress with his sibling, either Senate or House. Name the three recent examples since 2000. 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
| | | | A message from the Association of American Railroads: Today, the average unionized freight rail employee earns $126,000 per year in total compensation that includes best-in-class healthcare coverage and substantial sickness benefits. On top of providing pay and benefits that rank in the top 10% of all U.S. industries, railroads remain committed to being a leader in union jobs. The tentative labor agreements will boost our already excellent wages by a total of 24%, bringing average annual compensation up to a projected $160,000, and will provide employees an average payout of $16,000 once ratified. The negotiated contracts have now been ratified by a majority of railroad unions. See how the agreements reward workers for the vital role they play in America's supply chain and build on railroads' proud tradition of providing stronger compensation packages than comparable industries. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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