| | | | | |  | | By Melanie Zanona | Presented by |  | | | with help from Andrew Desiderio and Sarah Ferris ALL SYSTEMS JOE -- Joe Biden has won the White House and brought an end to Donald Trump's norm-shattering presidency — but the immediate road ahead won't be easy for the former vice president. Here's a look at all the hurdles Biden is facing: First up: Biden has to unite a bitterly divided nation while also tackling dueling economic and health crises. And the pandemic is only expected to get worse this winter, while Congress has failed to deliver another round of aid. But Biden plans to hit the ground running, and will announce a coronavirus task force today. Much more on his strategy for defeating the virus, from our stellar health care reporters Alice Miranda Ollstein and Dan Diamond: https://politi.co/3eGVxhu. Then there are the congressional challenges. Biden needs to get his cabinet through the Senate, but Republicans will try to block Biden from veering too far left in both his personnel and policy decisions. WaPo reports that "one option being discussed is appointing Cabinet members in an acting capacity, a tactic that Trump also used." But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) did say Biden "deserves a Cabinet." Here's POLITICO's comprehensive guide on the top contenders for Biden's cabinet: https://politi.co/3lfkGCs. Biden may also struggle to get his agenda through a Congress that may or may not be split, write Alice and Megan Cassella. And whoever holds the Senate will only do so with the slimmest of majorities, making legislating a real challenge. While Biden and Mitch McConnell have a history of working together, the majority leader has taken pride in turning the Senate into a "legislative graveyard" for the Dem agenda. And Biden could face backlash for cutting deals with such a reviled figure on the left. Which brings us to the next obstacle: Biden will have to navigate divisions in his own party. The left and centrist wings papered over their divisions in an effort to defeat Trump, but it's unclear how long the truce will last. Already, there are signs of fraying. Moderates blamed progressives for their poor performance in key congressional races. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn even said on "Meet the Press" that the "defund the police" movement hurt Dems. But liberals are punching back against that narrative, arguing progressive energy helped deliver the presidency to Biden. "If the party believes after 94 percent of Detroit went to Biden, after Black organizers just doubled and tripled turnout down in Georgia, after so many people organized Philadelphia, the signal from the Democratic Party is the John Kasichs won us this election? I mean, I can't even describe how dangerous that is," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told NYT's Astead Herndon. AOC's full interview: https://nyti.ms/3eEz2K6. … And here is the rebuttal from centrist Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), a frontline Democrat, who also gave an interview to the Times: https://nyti.ms/32uYL34. The Senate isn't the only potential problem for Biden. In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have a slimmer majority next year. Republicans are already vowing to use every procedural tool at their disposal to divide Democrats. That could make it more difficult to advance liberal priorities even in the Democrat-led House, which could further stoke tensions in the party. SO ... while the chaos of the Trump presidency is coming to an end — the drama in Washington isn't. The post-Trump world will likely just be your normal, run-of-the-mill Hill drama (with perhaps less tweet notifications from the commander-in-chief). Related read: "Lame-duck Congress and lame-duck president face huge challenges in coming weeks," from WaPo's Erica Werner, Paul Kane and Yasmeen Abutaleb: https://wapo.st/2U5Mqh2. | | A message from Chevron: It's only human to want to build a better future for all. Chevron is working together with women and minority owned businesses, spending $4 billion since 2014. Because valuable ideas only come when you value everyone. Learn more. | | | MAR-A-TIME TO GO -- So how is Congress handling the news? Democrats, unsurprisingly, celebrated Biden's victory after a tense week and a disappointing performance in congressional races. Rep. Pramila Jayapal danced around and banged on pots and pans; Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester cheered from a balcony in Delaware; and during a call with Biden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer even held up his phone to a crowd of cheering supporters so Biden could hear the celebration. BUT across the aisle … The president's refusal to concede the election to Biden is putting GOP lawmakers in a bind. Top Republicans offered dueling sentiments over the weekend about Trump's false claims of a "rigged" election and widespread voter fraud. Plenty of Republicans are following Trump's lead and refusing to accept the results, while only a handful of GOP lawmakers have congratulated Biden or acknowledged him as the president elect. Here is a running list from Forbes: https://bit.ly/3pepNoQ. Meanwhile, McConnell has yet to weigh in since Biden was declared the winner. While most Republicans all but said the race is over, none of them specifically urged Trump to concede. That posture won't be tenable for long; the presidential transition was already delayed after it took four days for a winner to be declared, and Biden's team is eager to get the process started. How McConnell and other GOP leaders approach the matter will undoubtedly shape the transfer of power in the coming weeks. Sen. Lindsey Graham urged the president to keep fighting his long-shot legal battles. But other top Republicans, like Sen. Roy Blunt, said that even after Trump's team makes its case in court, it "seems unlikely that any changes could be big enough to make a difference." Their comments came as world leaders, and even former President George W. Bush, officially congratulated Biden and Harris on their win. The latest from Andrew: https://politi.co/3ketE1J. Related read: "The Election That Broke the Republican Party," via Tim Alberta: https://politi.co/3kajMG5. GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Nov. 9, where your host is wishing everyone a happy Monday — but especially this Twitter user who said "LAWN ORDER" in response to Rudy Giuliani's head-scratching press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping. FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Roll Call's report on how the battle for the Senate continues in 2022 was the big winner. | 
Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images | | | | | TRACK THE TRANSITION, SUBSCRIBE TO TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: The definitive guide to what could be one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Our Transition Playbook newsletter—written for political insiders—tracks the appointments, people, and power centers of the new administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | | WE ON THE GRIND IN GEORGIA -- Georgia will officially be home to two runoff races on Jan. 5 that will determine control of the Senate. A preview from CNN's Alex Rogers, Fredreka Schouten and Manu Raju: "Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are bracing for a two-month slog in Georgia that could determine the next Senate majority, planning to argue that they need to keep their seats to prevent Democratic control of Washington. "Having fallen short in a number of Senate races, Democrats' only realistic path to claiming the majority hinges on flipping the two Georgia seats -- one of which is already headed to a runoff, while the other looks likely to -- with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris able to break ties in the Senate. "Both Georgia Republicans will need to avoid the fallout from President Donald Trump, who has baselessly claimed that Democrats are stealing the election from him. They argue that electing their opponents -- Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock -- would give House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Biden the ability to run roughshod over the GOP." More: https://cnn.it/3lh0uQE. Related: "Five takeaways from the battle for the Senate," by The Hill's Alexander Bolton: https://bit.ly/36jrl8v. JOCKEYING JAMS -- With the election over, both parties are now looking ahead to their internal leadership elections. First up is the Senate, which returns to Washington this week. But per Burgess , no big leadership changes are expected in either party. Sen. Rick Scott, however, is throwing his hat into the ring to lead the Senate GOP's campaign arm. Marianne with the deets: https://politi.co/3lhg6Un≥ And across the Capitol … Speaker Nancy Pelosi is officially seeking the gavel for another two-year term, per Bres, Heather and Sarah. And Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) will run to be secretary of the GOP conference, according to Playbook, while the current secretary Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) will seek the top spot on the Budget panel. Hudson's email to colleagues. EYEBALL EMOJI -- "GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw to Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'Start acting' like a member of Congress," from Matthew Choi: https://politi.co/32v57PY. | | | |   | | | BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE -- House Dems had a mixed bag of results this weekend: Three incumbents prevailed: Reps. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Susie Lee of Nevada. But Republicans held onto Arizona 6th — where Rep. David Schweikert succeeded despite a long-running ethics scandal — and California's 50th, where they'll send former Rep. Darrell Issa back to Congress. There are 11 Dem incumbents in battleground races whose races haven't been called yet: Rep. TJ Cox (Calif.), Gil Cisneros (Calif.), Harley Rouda (Calif.), Lauren Underwood (Ill.), Tom Suozzi (N.Y.), Max Rose (N.Y.), Sean Patrick Maloney (N.Y.), Anthony Brindisi (N.Y.), Antonio Delgado (N.Y.), Ben McAdams (Utah) and Tom O'Halleran (Ariz.). As Sarah and Ally wrote Friday, the most likely scenario for Dems is a loss of between seven and 11 seats. And since the president's party typically loses seats in the midterms, that means the House is most certainly in play in 2022. Their rundown: https://politi.co/36log89. MEANWHILE … DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos announced an all-member briefing next Tuesday to "reflect on the results," per Sarah . CALIFORNIA, HERE WE COME -- Kamala Harris, the Democratic senator from California, will become vice president — an office that has only been held by white men. That means Harris will become the highest-ranking female politician in the country, followed next in line by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It also means that California Gov. Gavin Newsom must appoint someone to fill Harris's seat. Here's a look at the possible contenders, from The Los Angeles Times: "Never shy about making a political splash, Newsom could appoint California's first-ever Latino senator. He might select a Black woman to replace Harris, who was only the second Black woman in the nation's history to serve in the U.S. Senate. The Democratic governor, who championed same-sex marriage while mayor of San Francisco, may choose to send to Washington California's first senator to have come out as gay." More from Phil Willon and Taryn Luna: https://lat.ms/38DlopZ. WEEKEND WEDDING! -- Lauren Blair Aronson, comms director for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Phil Bianchi, policy adviser for Squire Patton Boggs, got married Saturday at the Officina at The Wharf in a smaller ceremony and dinner with family and friends. Pic | | | | KEEP UP WITH THE GLOBAL HEALTH AGENDA: If nothing else, 2020 revealed how critical it is to keep up with the politics, policy, and people driving global health. How are governments working to improve the health of their citizens? What role are NGOs playing? Who is driving the agenda? Our Global Pulse newsletter connects leaders, policymakers, and advocates to the people, and politics impacting our global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today. | | | | |
|  | TRANSITIONS | | Maggie Rousseau will be associate director of federal affairs at the Hub Project. She previously was deputy COS and comms director for Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.). | | TODAY IN CONGRESS | | The House is out. The Senate meets at 3 p.m. Lawmakers will resume consideration of the nomination of James Knepp to be a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Ohio. They will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination at 5:30 p.m. | | AROUND THE HILL | | Fly-in day. | | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY'S WINNER: Diana Deem was the first person to guess that the technology used for CNN's "magic wall" was originally invented for military applications. TODAY'S QUESTION: In honor of the late Alex Trebek: What is the record for the longest winning streak on "Jeopardy" and who holds the title? 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 Chevron: Chevron is committed to helping give thousands of entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to thrive. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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