| | | | | |  | | By Melanie Zanona | Presented by |  | | with help from Andrew Desiderio TOTAL JOURNALIST MOVE -- A self-imposed deadline for a coronavirus relief deal came and went yesterday. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted in both a "Dear Colleague" letter and a TV appearance that she and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are making real progress on a massive stimulus package, and the two sides have decided to keep talking. From Pelosi's rather optimistic letter: "Today's deadline enabled us to see that decisions could be reached and language could be exchanged, demonstrating that both sides are serious about finding a compromise. On several open questions, the Secretary and I called for the committee chairs to resolve differences about funding levels and language." The deets on all the remaining sticking points from Heather and Sarah: https://politi.co/3jpg1wl. BUT across the Capitol, there's less room for optimism. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged the White House against striking a deal with Pelosi before the election, per WaPo's Jeff Stein and Erica Werner. And notably, McConnell only committed to put a Trump-backed relief bill on the floor "at some point," but did not specify when. Translation: Even if a deal on coronavirus aid manages to come together in the next week or so, don't expect it to get through Congress before the election. (And even then, there's no guarantee it wins enough backing from the Senate GOP.) What *is* getting a vote in the Senate today: a $500 billion stimulus package, which is expected to fail. And yesterday, Senate Republicans held a procedural vote on an amendment related to the Paycheck Protection Program, in an attempt to pressure Democrats. But most Dems dismissed the move as a stunt. Related read: "Leaked Reports Show White House Knew Of COVID-19 Spike As Trump Downplayed Crisis," from HuffPo's Jennifer Bendery: https://bit.ly/31I8gLZ. | | A message from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices: Small businesses continue to be left behind by Congress, which brings a cost of inaction. 30% of all small business owners will exhaust their cash reserves by the end of the year and 43% of Black small business owners will completely deplete their cash reserves by the end of the year. Learn more | | | DIFI UNDER FIRE -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein — who is poised to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee if Dems flip the Senate — is facing new questions about her future after progressive groups called on her to step down for the way she handled the SCOTUS confirmation hearings. But right now, Dems don't have a ton of answers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, when pressed on whether he'd make changes on the Judiciary Committee, told reporters: "I've had a long and serious talk with Senator Feinstein. That's all I'm going to say about it right now." Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), meanwhile, refused to comment on the whole controversy. And Feinstein waved away a question about whether she would run again for the top Dem slot on the panel. Notably, some of Feinstein's strongest defenders have actually come from across the aisle. That includes Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who, like Feinstein, is 87 and used to lead the Judiciary. "She's such an outstanding legislator, it's totally unjustified," Grassley said. "She's only three months older than I am, and I haven't announced I'm not running for reelection." For more on how Dems are grappling over Feinstein, check out this dispatch from Bres and Burgess: https://politi.co/2FM5rSd. Related reads: "Durbin signals he isn't interested in chairing Judiciary Committee," by The Hill's Jordain Carney: https://bit.ly/34dT5eQ; and "Court-Packing Alternatives Start Gaining Traction With Democrats," from Bloomberg's David Yaffe-Bellany and Jennifer Epstein: https://bloom.bg/3o8AWHz. HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this October 21, where it's nice to see the Trump Hotel is finally selling masks — there are certainly some folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave who could have used one! TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Forbes' story on the GOP's effort to block court-packing was the big winner. | 
ERIE, PA - OCTOBER 20: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at North Coast Air aeronautical services at Erie International Airport on October 20, 2020 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Trump is holding the rally two days ahead of the final presidential debate. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) | Jeff Swensen/Getty Images | | | | | THIS WEEK - 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 now for Season Two, launching Oct. 21. | | | | | GETTING TO KNOW HARRISON -- Jaime Harrison has raked in tens of millions of dollars from Democrats across the country who despise Donald Trump and, by extension, one of his top allies, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). But the Democratic Senate hopeful isn't going scorched-earth against the president directly, who remains popular in South Carolina. In fact, Harrison is strategically avoiding the ideological battle lines that could drive voters to Graham. Instead of going after Trump for his policies or personal transgressions — likely turning off a majority of voters here — Harrison zeroes in on the evolution of Graham's relationship with Trump, one he sees as hypocritical and self-serving. It's a gambit that has put Harrison within striking distance of a historic upset — and one that could provide a blueprint for Democrats trying to win in the south. "Listen, I'm a Democrat. I understand that," Harrison told Andrew in South Carolina last weekend. Harrison knows that going after Trump won't do him any good, and so he has run perhaps the most disciplined campaign this cycle — what amounts to a systematic offensive against a top ally of a president who is almost certain to win the state's nine electoral votes. "President Trump and Joe Biden aren't really campaigning here in South Carolina. The headline ticket is Lindsey Graham and Jaime Harrison," he said. It's unclear how far Harrison's strategy can carry him in South Carolina. The state is among the most conservative in the country, and there's only so much Harrison can do to insulate himself from Trump's popularity. Republicans are growing increasingly confident that Graham will fend off Harrison and the tens of millions of dollars he has raised, especially as they make the case that Harrison will be a rubber stamp for the national Democratic platform. The dispatch from Andrew: https://politi.co/35nMZIc. Related: "Fearing a loss, GOP senators keep distance from Trump and begin to ponder party's future," from CNN's Manu Raju and Alex Rogers: https://cnn.it/35iBj9M. THE TEN DUEL COMMANDMENTS -- Since Trump won't endorse in the Georgia senate race, Rep. Doug Collins and Sen. Kelly Loeffler are battling for the next best thing — sorta. Andrew explains their dueling endorsements: "Two key figures in President Donald Trump's attacks on the 2016-era Russia investigation endorsed dueling Republican candidates in one of Georgia's hotly contested Senate races. "Trump's former acting intelligence chief Richard Grenell on Tuesday endorsed Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to her seat earlier this year after Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) retired. Just hours earlier, Michael Flynn, the president's former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017, had endorsed Loeffler's challenger, Rep. Doug Collins. The race, which has grown contentious in recent months, has essentially turned into a battle of who supports Trump the most." More: https://politi.co/3jhwMcF. Related: "Poll: Democrats even with Republicans in Georgia Senate races," per Quint Forgey: https://politi.co/2TqSctv. | | | |   | | | DEMS WANT TO MESS WITH TEXAS -- Dems want the party to spend even more money in Texas, where they are increasingly optimistic about their prospects in November, reports The Hill's Rafael Bernal. The story: "Congressional Democrats bet big and early on House campaigns in Texas, but some Democrats are calling for the party to invest more in the Lone Star State. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is bullish on its prospects for Texas, which it considers 'ground zero' for its 2020 expansion plans. "The DCCC has listed eight Texas districts in its 'Red to Blue' campaign — by far its largest statewide effort — which supports top-tier Democratic challengers vying to take over a GOP seat. The bet on congressional campaigns in the state comes after the party's significant wins in 2018, including electing the first two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress. But some Texas Democrats are griping about a lack of investment from other party committees, putting the weight of flipping the state on down-ballot candidates." More: https://bit.ly/2HcGRe5. Related: "In Michigan district, Trump factor could turn seat over to Democrats," by Roll Call's Jim Saksa: https://bit.ly/3ocz6oT. AT LEAST CONGRESS AGREES ON SOMETHING! -- Yesterday, the Justice Department slapped Google with an antitrust lawsuit — and it earned bipartisan praise on Capitol Hill, something that is rare to come by these days. The latest from Cristiano Lima: "Progressive Democrats, populist Republicans and even libertarian-leaning conservatives voiced support for the DOJ suit, the first major U.S. monopolization case in decades. The DOJ and 11 Republican attorneys general filed the legal complaint in Washington, D.C., federal court, accusing Google of abusing its dominance in the online search market to crowd out competitors. "Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, said in a statement that she is 'pleased that the Justice Department is finally taking action' on years of complaints that Google has abused its dominance in search to squelch competitors. But she said the 'questionable timing of the suit so close to the election' could undermine efforts to rein in the tech giant's conduct." More: https://politi.co/3klzRcQ. CASH DASH -- The September fundraising numbers for the congressional campaign committees are in — and Dems continue to hold the cash advantage. —From Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick): "New: The DCCC outraised the NRCC in September by $6.5M and began October $11M more in the bank DCCC raised $29.5M & had $64M on hand
NRCC raised $23M & had $53.1M on hand" —From James Arkin (@JamesArkin): "SEPT Senate committee fundraising DSCC
$43.8 million raised
$54.7 million spent
$30 million in the bank NRSC
$32.7 million raised ($6m loan)
$23.7 million spent
$22.6 million in the bank." Related: "Scoop: Republican super PAC raised $92 million in September," via Hans Nichols of Axios: https://bit.ly/37zdhKa. | | | | GLOBAL PULSE, GLOBAL PURPOSE: At a high-stakes moment when global health has become a household concern, it is pivotal to keep up with the politics and policy driving change. Global Pulse connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the people and politics driving global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today for this new weekly newsletter. | | | | |
|  | TRANSITIONS | | Varun Krovi, who was until recently chief of staff to Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), will join the lobbying firm Invariant on Nov. 9 as a director. He'll lobby for the firm's technology, defense and startup clients. Krovi serves on the South Asians for Biden National Council, according to the firm. Meghan Pearce , former legislative correspondent to Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), has joined TechNet as its new federal policy coordinator. | | AROUND THE HILL | | The House is out. The Senate meets at noon to resume consideration of the nomination of Michael Newman to be a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Ohio. At 1 p.m., they will conduct a live quorum call and then will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on a substitute amendment to S. 178 (116). | | TODAY IN CONGRESS | | Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) will hold a press call with civil rights groups ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote to advance the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett at 10 a.m. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) holds a press call at 12 p.m. | | TRIVIA | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Nick Magallanes was the first person to guess that six American provinces currently have non-voting delegates: The District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. TODAY'S QUESTION: From Nick: Medicare Part D passed the House in June 2003. How many current U.S Senators voted as House Members on Part D? 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 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices: Small businesses are in dire need of support. As Congress continues to leave the small business community behind, their inaction comes at a tough cost. 30% of all small business owners will exhaust their cash reserves by the end of the year and 43% of Black small business owners will completely deplete their cash reserves by the end of the year. The federal government hasn't done enough. Congress and the Administration must work together, regardless of party lines, to provide relief for the American people. Small businesses can't wait. Learn more | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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