| | | | | |  | | By Melanie Zanona | Presented by |  | | with help from Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle GRIN AND BARRETT -- The Senate is on the brink of confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, shifting the balance of the court to the right for a generation to come and delivering President Donald Trump his third SCOTUS justice in four years. Or, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put it: "A lot of what we've done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come." The run of show: After ACB cleared a key procedural hurdle yesterday, the Senate stayed in session overnight for 30 hours of debate, teeing up a final confirmation vote for this evening. Then, ACB is expected to be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts shortly afterward. And apparently, the White House is considering another outdoor event to celebrate her confirmation, per ABC's John Santucci and Katherine Faulders, despite the Covid-19 outbreak at the last one. The roll call: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is planning to vote yes on final confirmation, despite opposing the GOP's process that took them here … Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is up for reelection, reiterated that she will vote no because of the process … And moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) is expected to vote no, meaning Dems will be united in opposition to ACB. The sub-plot: Several members of Vice President Mike Pence's inner circle have tested positive for coronavirus, but Pence is not quarantining because the White House said he is an essential worker and he may preside over the Senate chamber today for the SCOTUS vote. Two staffers for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) also contracted the virus, and Loeffler still plans to attend the floor vote today. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to the Dem caucus yesterday warning of the potential danger posed by Pence, urging lawmakers to "not congregate in the Senate chamber today" and "cast your votes quickly and from a safe distance." Related read: "Senate Democrats hold talkathon to protest Barrett's Supreme Court nomination," via The Hill's Jordain Carney: https://bit.ly/37Cv0Rc. | | A message from Freight Rail Works: Freight rail keeps America moving. In recent years, we've modernized operations and invested billions of dollars in infrastructure and technology. These changes enabled our swift and nimble response to COVID-19 and will serve U.S. businesses throughout recovery. See how our transformation keeps America moving. | | | PELOSI POWERS UP -- Nancy Pelosi is expected to coast to another term as speaker. And she is unlikely to even face a challenger, report Heather, Bres and Sarah, as she has wielded more power than ever before since reclaiming the gavel. "I've been around a while, I don't think anybody in our caucus, even in a drunken stupor, is thinking they could run against Nancy Pelosi and win the speakership," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). If you recall, two years ago Pelosi committed to only serving four more years as speaker. That means if she sticks to that timeline, this upcoming term would be her last. Pelosi, 80, declined to discuss that far into her future in an interview, but other lawmakers weighed in. "I hope it's not her last [term]," said House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. "But if it were up to me, I think Biden is going to need her… My preference is keep the team together." That hasn't stopped some members from quietly thinking of a post-Pelosi world. A number of younger lawmakers are already jockeying for lower posts on the leadership ladder, which could be a springboard to a higher position one day. "I think people are starting to think what's the team going to look like two or four years from now," said Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), who is running to be assistant speaker. "I think people are beginning to think who will be the next generation of leaders in the Democratic Caucus." The story: https://politi.co/3kwy4Sm. Meanwhile … Pelosi's team announced this morning that she raised more than $67 million during the third quarter — a record-breaking haul that brings her total fundraising to $227.9 million this cycle. She also participated in 56 virtual fundraisers during that period. And even more eye-popping, Pelosi has raised a total of $961 million for Democrats since she became a member of leadership in 2002, her team said. Related read: "House already won? Pelosi thinks so, and reaches for more," by The AP's Lisa Mascaro: https://bit.ly/2HzxUvo. CUTTING ROOM FLOOR -- Here are some Pelosi quotes that didn't make it into the story from Heather, Bres and Sarah: On if she's worried Trump might not sign a bill in lame duck if he loses and what would happen: "We'll be working until we have something that the president will sign. I don't see any circumstance where the House and Senate would have a bill that the president wasn't going to sign. We really have to get a bill done. Hopefully that will be the case. But whatever it is, we'll be ready in the new Congress to meet the needs of the American people. Hopefully those needs will be largely met, in terms of coronavirus, as soon as possible now." On what she'll do if Trump is elected again: "I can't even live the next 12 days with the thought that that could be possible. So I'd rather not visit that very strange hypothetical. We have to do everything in our power to make sure we have no regrets the day after the election. If he duly elected, if he is elected, we will respect the transfer of power." On Trump's comparisons to Abe Lincoln: "At least two or three times a week, he compares himself to Abraham Lincoln, I mean, delusional doesn't even rise to the occasion from a vocabulary standpoint to describe the lack of reality that's in his mind." On if she ever plans to talk to Trump again: "I don't see any lack of progress in anything that we've set out to do because he and I don't speak. I speak to his folks. I know the territory, I know the legislation, I know the subject matter. And if it were to rise to a place where we would have to speak, then we would have to speak. I don't see any reason to go over there just to chat. If there's a purpose, if there is an agenda that would be served, then certainty, none of us would reject the opportunity to have that conversation." HAPPY MONDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this October 26. FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The story from Alice Miranda Ollstein, Megan Cassella, and Holly Otterbein that Sen. Bernie Sanders is angling to join a potential Biden administration as secretary of labor was the big winner. | | | | HAPPENING TUESDAY - A GEN Z RISING DISCUSSION: Did you know Gen Z now makes up 1/10th of the electorate? Join a virtual conversation with Mike Brodo, executive director of Gen Z GOP, and Chelsea Miller, co-founder of Freedom March NYC, and other Gen Z voters to find out how young voters are interacting with the political parties, technology and electoral process. Moderated by Laura Barrón-López and Rishika Dugyala, this virtual conversation explores the mindset of Gen Z voters, their policy priorities, and their impact on Election Day. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | BATTLE FOR THE SENATE -- Nine days away from the election, and nearly a dozen Senate Republicans are in varying degrees of danger, while only two Dems are at risk. James Arkin on the state of play: "Democrats began the 2020 election cycle with only a narrow path back to the Senate majority. But entering the final week before the election, there are competitive races everywhere. "Republicans are scrambling resources into red and purple states alike — from Kansas and South Carolina to Iowa and North Carolina — cutting down Democrats' massive financial edge and hoping for a late-breaking turn in their favor, similar to four years ago. But their defensive posture underscores just how broad the playing field is, with nearly a dozen Republican senators in various levels of danger, and only two Democratic seats at risk. "Democrats aren't declaring the chamber won, given that the map still tilts heavily toward red states. But their paths back to the majority have expanded significantly as the election nears its close, leaving party strategists more optimistic about their chances than two years ago — when retaking the Senate seemed next to impossible, even in a wave election." More: https://politi.co/3mnx5V5. Related read: "Trump privately tells donors it would be 'very tough' for GOP to hold Senate," by WaPo's Josh Dawsey and Rachael Bade: https://wapo.st/34wh49v. LOOKING AHEAD -- The 2020 election isn't even over yet, but Dems already have their eyes on a 2022 Senate target: Sen. Ron Johnson. The deets from Natasha Korecki: "With the presidential election not yet even in the books, Democratic opposition is already lining up to run for the Republican's Senate seat two years from now in Wisconsin. "Democrat Tom Nelson, Outagamie county executive and a former state Assembly majority leader, has officially launched his bid for the 2022 Senate race, Nelson announced to POLITICO. He has already filed his papers, making him the first prominent challenger nationally to declare a 2022 run in what's sure to quickly become a high-profile Senate contest. "Johnson, a two-term senator who hasn't said whether he'll run again, has been an adamant defender of President Donald Trump — and Democrats think that record will not play well in the perennial battleground in 2022." More: https://politi.co/2Hva97j. Related read: "Susan Collins Hasn't Changed Much, but Maine Has," via NYT's Jonathan Martin: https://nyti.ms/31L2vNn. YIKES: "U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin campaign reports threat of violence to police," per Todd Spangler of the Detroit Free Press: https://bit.ly/34rSuq0. | | | |   | | | PAST DUE -- Democratic fundraising this year has been so strong that even some of the party's most vulnerable members — the so-called "frontliners" — have been paying the party dues. Reps. Jason Crow (D-Col.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) contributed $50,000 and $35,500, respectively, though they're both in the frontline program after flipping GOP seats last year. But there are some Democrats who haven't chipped in, despite having noncompetitive elections this year, according to the most recent dues report for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which was obtained by POLITICO. Two of those Democrats aren't coming back to the House next year — Reps. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), who's running for Senate, and Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who's retiring, according to the September report. Others who didn't pay dues include two freshmen without competitive races — Reps. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) — and incumbents, including Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio.) and Charlie Crist (D-Fla.). Related read: "Democrats capitalize on 'fundraging' to dominate GOP Senate candidates on the airwaves," via WaPo's Paul Kane: https://wapo.st/35uLacC. BOOTING BUSTOS -- The GOP could sink further into the House minority, but they see one potential bright spot: they may be able to oust DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos, which would be a majority victory for Republicans. More from The Hill's Olivia Beavers and Juliegrace Brufke: "Bustos, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), represents a congressional district that then-candidate Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016. And while she trounced her GOP competitor in 2018, winning by more than 24 percentage points, Bustos is now facing what may be her most expensive and heated battle yet against GOP candidate Esther Joy King. "The Cook Political Report on Wednesday moved Bustos' race against King from likely Democrat to a lean Democrat district. And internal GOP polling has also elevated Republican hopes that they can win the seat from the woman leading the House Democrats' campaign effort. Bustos, in a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday, projected confidence heading into the final stretch, while also acknowledging that she has always expected tough races with her Trump-leaning district." More: https://bit.ly/34tJlxi. Related read: "National Republican Party Formally Backs QAnon Supporter," by The Daily Beast's Sam Stein: https://bit.ly/3jug4Hc. SPOTTED at the Los Angeles Dodgers-Tampa Bay Rays World Series game in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday night: House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY. | | | | DONT MISS - NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but many of those issues exploded over the past year. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | |
|  | TRANSITIONS | | Abby Atkins is now deputy scheduler for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). She previously was assistant scheduler for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Lina Khan is returning to Columbia Law School. Her last day with the House Judiciary's antitrust subcommittee was last week. Shannon Beckham will lead comms for Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative started by Eric and Wendy Schmidt. She previously worked for Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) Senate office and presidential campaign. | | TODAY IN CONGRESS | | The House is out. The Senate will be in session to vote on whether to confirm Amy Coney Barrett's nomination for the Supreme Court. | | AROUND THE HILL | | Nothing but the ACB floor vote. | | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY'S WINNER: James Casto was the first person to guess that the first nationally televised political debate was between Adlai Stevenson and Dwight Eisenhower, but those two men did not appear in the debate. Instead, two surrogates — former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and former Sen. Margaret Chase Smith of Maine — debated in their place. TODAY'S QUESTION: From Max Baker: The idea of Georgia being a blue state isn't a new phenomenon. In fact, for a 130 year period, there were only Democratic governors. Who were the two GOP governors that bookended this long span of Democratic dominance? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess to mzanona@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. | | A message from Freight Rail Works: Transportation is fundamentally changing, so is freight rail. Thanks to robust investment in our network and modernized operations, the rail industry is transforming into a more responsive transportation solution. These improvements ensure U.S. businesses receive the consistent, reliable and affordable service they need today – and in the weeks, months and years to come. With freight shipments anticipated to rise nearly one-third in the next 20 years, we're preparing today to meet the needs of an evolving global economy to deliver a brighter future for America. Where trains go, big things follow. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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