| | | | | |  | | By Melanie Zanona | Presented by |  | | | IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CRUNCHTIME -- Congress returns to Washington this week following the Thanksgiving recess — and lawmakers are racing to finish a mountain of end-of-year business in a very short amount of time. But the coronavirus is once again cramping their style. In the Senate … Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is suspending in-person lunches for the GOP, reports Marianne. The decision comes amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases both nationwide and in the Senate. Democrats had already been holding their weekly meetings via conference call instead of gathering in person. The story: https://politi.co/37ioWLT. And in the House … Democratic leaders have adjusted the floor schedule for the rest of the year. Now, the chamber won't gavel into session until Wednesday, and lawmakers are being advised to stay in town over the weekend instead of traveling back home. As of right now, the House is scheduled to adjourn next Thursday. AMONG the legislative items lawmakers are trying to close out: a massive government funding bill, which is always a heavy lift, and an annual defense policy bill, where language over renaming military bases that honor Confederate leaders remains unresolved. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to veto the measure over the language, remains a wild card in the whole process. Pressure is also growing on Congress to provide some much-needed coronavirus relief to the American people before a host of critical aid programs are set to expire at the end of this year. While a massive stimulus package is unlikely to come together at this point, some provisions could hitch a ride on the funding bill or be passed as standalone measures. In a new op-ed, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) urged his "Republican colleagues to come to the table and work with Democrats to get a deal done." And while he would have preferred to pass the Heroes Act, Murphy also said "I'm realistic about the fact that we will need to compromise to get another stimulus passed." "At the very least, any agreement should include additional money for small businesses to pay their staff and keep customers and employees safe," he wrote. More in the Hartford Courant: https://bit.ly/39vss8i. ALSO on tap this week: Democrats and Republicans in the House will select their committee leaders for the new Congress ... House Democrats will also pick a new campaign chief for the next cycle. Related read: "Congress returns with virus aid, federal funding unresolved," via The AP's Andy Taylor: https://bit.ly/3q7KzqV. | | | | A message from McDonald's: Yenis started as a crew member at McDonald's speaking limited English. After taking free English language courses through McDonald's, Yenis improved her fluency and boosted her career opportunities. Today, she is the training manager for 19 restaurants. Learn how Yenis and others succeed at McDonald's. | | | UNDER PRESSURE -- Joe Biden will name some members of his economic team this week. And per WSJ, that includes announcing plans to nominate Neera Tanden to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget, setting up a brutal confirmation fight on Capitol Hill given her sharp and vocal criticism of Senate Republicans. But while Biden has managed to keep the peace in his party thus far with his Cabinet picks, he is coming under increasing pressure from all directions. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), a key Biden adviser during the campaign who was instrumental in his primary victory, is calling on Biden to select more Black candidates for top administration posts. And he has been pushing for Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to serve as Agriculture Secretary. Meanwhile, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are calling on Biden to tap New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to be the head of the Health and Human Services Department, a critical post amid the pandemic. "Latinos constitute 18 percent of the U.S. population and the diversity of the Latino population in itself is incredibly varied, with Mexican-Americans making up 62.3 percent of the total Latino population," the CHC wrote in a letter to Biden. "We write to restate our strong support for the first Democratic Hispanic woman elected state governor in U.S. history." More from NYT's Michael D. Shear and Jonathan Martin: https://nyti.ms/36jaJ22. Related read: "Criticized by moderates and pressured by their base, liberals fight for a voice in the Democratic Party," via WaPo's Sean Sullivan and Rachael Bade: https://wapo.st/3qd5fO1. SPEAKING OUT -- While more and more Republicans are starting to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect, there are very few voices in the GOP who are actually pushing back on Trump's false claims of voter fraud. And that is especially true when it comes to sitting members of Congress. But there is a small — yet vocal — crew that is willing to call Trump out. That includes Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who was just reelected in the House. Here's his latest tweet: "The @FBI did not rig the election. If you find yourself believing they did, please stop, and say it out loud, and you will realize how silly it sounds. @realDonaldTrump simply flooding the zone with baseless conspiracies again." And then there's Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.), who is retiring: "Oh my God. . @realDonaldTrump Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these arguments without evidence or factual basis. #stopthestupid." Related read: "Pennsylvania Supreme Court tosses GOP congressman's suit seeking to throw out all ballots cast by mail," from Jeremy Roebuck of the Philadelphia Inquirer: https://bit.ly/37Aa0cj. HAPPY MONDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Nov. 30, where your host can't be the only one concerned about the mysterious monolith that was discovered — and then vanished — from the Utah desert. LAST WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: BuzzFeed News' report on how coronavirus cases in Congress are climbing drew the most clicks. | | | | TUNE IN TO OUR GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded in 2020 amid a global pandemic. 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. | | | | | READY FOR REDISTRICTING -- The decennial redistricting process is about to begin. And with the looming reapportionment numbers coming soon, Ally Mutnick takes a look at some of the longtime House members who could be on the chopping block. The story: "It could be months before Census apportionment data shows exactly which states will gain and lose seats, and it will take even longer to gauge the impact of the maps, from those drawn by partisan state legislators to commission-drawn maps in places like Michigan and New York. "But already, there are a few members of Congress who will almost certainly find themselves in more challenging terrain in 2022. This redraw will be most painful in the roughly ten states which are on track to lose a district, particularly ones with smaller populations. That could mean bare-knuckled maneuvering between the two Democrats in Rhode Island and three Republicans in West Virginia — states likely to drop a seat." More: https://politi.co/3ocCEH5. WOW … From the Iowa City Press Citizen: "Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks remains atop Iowa's 2nd District congressional race despite a Saturday recount in Clinton County that eroded her already single-digit lead to just six votes." Related: "Former House Republican flips central California seat," from The AP: https://bit.ly/3moupH8. NO JUDGES FOR YOU -- Mitch McConnell has spent the past four years remaking the federal judiciary — and it's going to be hard for Biden to reverse course if the GOP hangs on to the Senate majority. Marianne explains: "McConnell will have unilateral authority to stifle Biden's picks to the federal judiciary, weakening Democrats' hopes to make up for four years of confirming conservative judges and two years of a McConnell blockade during President Barack Obama's final years. "While an increasing number of Republicans say they're willing to work with Biden on his Cabinet nominees, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin isn't optimistic about GOP cooperation on judicial nominees. In an interview, Durbin, who is vying for the top spot on the Judiciary Committee, predicted Biden will have 'very little' impact on the federal judiciary if Republicans keep the Senate in January and remained skeptical they'd approve his appointments to the federal bench." More: https://politi.co/3fQMs6s. Related: "Senate Democrats Face Power Struggle for Top Judiciary Job," via NYT's Carl Hulse: https://nyti.ms/3fNURYt. | | | |   | | | GEORGIA ON MY MIND -- Trump finally said he would campaign for the GOP candidates in the Georgia runoff races — but he's not the only one. The Hill's Max Greenwood has a look at the Republicans who have already flocked to the battleground state: "Georgia is emerging as an early proving ground for the 2024 presidential race, with a handful of potential Republican hopefuls flocking to the state to test their political coattails in its two Senate runoffs. "Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who just landed the chairmanship at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is among the prospective 2024 contenders who have visited Georgia in recent weeks. So are Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Vice President Pence. … The high stakes give potential 2024 Republicans a chance to show off their leadership chops and political influence at a time when the party is still coming to terms with President Trump's loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the November election." More: https://bit.ly/37ofNS3. Related: "Awaiting Georgia runoffs, U.S. Senate and its committees have been plunged into uncertainty," by WaPo's Paul Kane: https://wapo.st/3qbcHJD. UP IN SMOKE -- More and more states have legalized marijuana. But don't expect Congress to follow suit anytime soon. Natalie Fertig explains: "Many of the Senate's older, conservative members are still resistant to any path to legalization for marijuana. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has mocked the House for action on cannabis and was unmoved even by Republican marijuana champion Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, a member of the chamber's leadership, who won't be around next year. "Red states including Oklahoma, South Dakota and Mississippi have now legalized some form of pot — but for the foreseeable future, millions of Americans will be consuming a product the federal government still categorizes as a highly dangerous illegal drug with no medical value. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), for example, remains decidedly anti-weed although his home state made history by legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana on Election Day." The dispatch: https://politi.co/2Jt2g3m. Related: "How One of the Reddest States Became the Nation's Hottest Weed Market," by Paul Demko for POLITICO Magazine: https://politi.co/2Vksmbf. | | | | NEXT WEEK - DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT 2020: POLITICO will feature a special edition Future Pulse newsletter at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators determined to confront and conquer the most significant health challenges. Covid-19 has exposed weaknesses across our health systems, particularly in the treatment of our most vulnerable communities, driving the focus of the 2020 conference on the converging crises of public health, economic insecurity, and social justice. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage from December 7–9. | | | | |
|  | TRANSITIONS | | Rep.-elect Ashley Hinson's (R-Iowa) campaign manager Jimmy Peacock, also a Marco Rubio alum and Terps fan, will join her office as chief of staff. Ashley Etienne, former comms director and senior adviser to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), will be comms director for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. | | TODAY IN CONGRESS | | The House is out. The Senate meets at 3 p.m. At 5 p.m. the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Taylor B. McNeel to be U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the McNeel nomination.
| | AROUND THE HILL | | Nada. | | TRIVIA | | LAST WEDNESDAY'S WINNER: Dan Cohen was the first person to guess that L'Enfant was originally supposed to design the Capitol building — but he was fired from the job, because he refused to show his plans for the project and kept insisting they were in his head. TODAY'S QUESTION: From Dan: The U.S. Capitol Building opened for the Congress in 1800, following construction led by Dr. William Thornton. Since that time, name the two other locations that the Congress met in regularly scheduled session. 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 McDonald's: Yenis started working at McDonald's with big ambitions — but limited English skills. So she seized opportunities to take free English language courses from McDonald's, helping propel her from crew member to training manager. Today she leads hundreds of training sessions for restaurant employees. And uses her bilingual skills to help others succeed.
There are thousands of stories like Yenis' at McDonald's, where restaurant employees can develop skills that are useful throughout their career, helping them learn, grow, and achieve their goals. In addition to resources that support restaurant employee's development, like English Under the Arches, McDonald's offers the opportunity to develop work readiness skills sought after by hiring managers across the nation — teamwork, customer service, time management, and responsibility.
Learn how Yenis and others build careers at McDonald's. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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