| | | | | |  | | By Melanie Zanona | Presented by Mastercard | with help from Marianne LeVine, Connor O'Brien and Sarah Ferris SQUAD COALS -- Is Congress trying to get coal in its stocking for Christmas? They're barreling toward a brief government shutdown. Leaders still haven't finalized a desperately needed coronavirus relief deal. Lawmakers will likely need to work through the weekend. The government suffered a massive hack. President Donald Trump is preparing to veto a bipartisan defense bill. And one member even cracked open a beer on the House floor yesterday in a bid to end the bickering. So, in other words: classic Washington behavior right before the holidays. Absolutely no one should be surprised that Congress is once again blowing past their deadline and will attempt to jam through a multi-trillion dollar spending and rescue package just before the holidays. So, what's holding up the relief deal? Per our Congress crew, "disagreements remained over who is eligible for stimulus checks, how to spend money for health care, disaster relief funds and winding down the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program." And the year-end scramble and behind-the-scenes negotiating has turned into a predictable game of "whack a mole," as Sen. John Thune put it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, however, said lawmakers won't stop until they reach an agreement — "even if it means working through the weekend, which is highly likely," he said. But the absence of a deal means that Congress still hasn't passed an omnibus spending bill, which is supposed to be the legislative vehicle for an aid package. That means a very short-term funding bill will be needed to avoid a temporary government shutdown at midnight. But it's expected to run into objections, in which case a government funding gap is likely to occur over the weekend. The latest from Heather, Burgess and Jake Sherman: http://politi.co/3h0G7pS. Related: "White House aides talked Trump out of last-minute demand for stimulus checks as big as $2,000," by WaPo's Jeff Stein: http://wapo.st/34GtyLt; and "How Georgia is driving Congress toward a stimulus deal," via Burgess, Andrew and Marianne: http://politi.co/3am2iFo. | | A message from Mastercard: With the pandemic accelerating the adoption of electronic payments, Mastercard is working with businesses and consumers to drive our economy forward, keep small businesses open, deliver innovative solutions that extend beyond the card, and ensure our financial system is inclusive. Learn more here. | | | SHOT CLOCK -- Vice President Mike Pence and President-elect Joe Biden aren't the only ones getting coronavirus vaccines. Top congressional leaders are set to receive vaccines in the coming days and other lawmakers are being encouraged to quickly follow suit, as a limited batch of doses arrives on Capitol Hill. Late Thursday evening, Attending Physician Brian Monahan outlined key details for how the process is going to work. Members of Congress will receive top priority and were encouraged to schedule an appointment to receive their vaccines as soon as possible. The Office of the Attending Physician will then identify essential staff who will be next in line. Even as some members of Congress are wrestling with when to take the vaccine, Monahan was clear: "My recommendation to you is absolutely unequivocal: there is no reason why you should defer receiving this vaccine. The benefit far exceeds any small risk." Both Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell said Thursday they will take the vaccine in the coming days. Lawmakers argue that it is important for public officials to take the vaccine in order to encourage public confidence in the shot. "I'd take one right now. I'll take two right now," said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). "I hear a lot of 'I'm not gonna take it, because I don't know what's in it.' And you know what I tell them? Do you eat hot dogs? You don't know what's in hot dogs, but you eat them. Take the vaccine." The scoop from your Huddle host, Marianne and Sarah: http://politi.co/2WudRCt. Related: "After Positive COVID-19 Diagnosis, GOP Lawmaker Deletes Post Mocking Precautions," from HuffPo's Amanda Terkel: http://bit.ly/34oWCXk. THE RICE IS RIGHT -- Rep. Kathleen Rice took home the prize of a contested seat on Energy and Commerce after a showdown with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday. Democrats filled five seats on the panel, but it was the Rice versus AOC battle that drew the most eyeballs around the caucus this month. It was so contentious that the New York delegation refused to make a choice between two of their own high-profile members. In the end, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team, too, refused to get into the fray. Pelosi offered a "slate" of preferred candidates for four of the seats -- but left out the contested New York seat. That essentially forced Steering and Policy to do the deed via secret ballot on a lengthy video call. Rice won with a whopping 46 votes, compared to 13 for AOC. The drama doesn't end there . Several Dems, particularly moderates, lobbied against AOC for the seat in the final minutes, calling out her work to help primary challengers and her refusal to pay party dues. "I'm taking into account who works against other members in primaries and who doesn't," said Rep. Henry Cuellar, who fended off an AOC-backed primary challenger this year. The story from Sarah and Heather: http://politi.co/2J1vYwt. Full list of Dems who got spots on exclusive committees: https://bit.ly/2LREyPz. HAPPY FRIDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Dec. 18, where we're all gearing up for a nice relaxing weekend of *checks notes* covering the stimulus deal. (That beer that Rep. Joe Cunnigham opened on the floor isn't looking so bad.) THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Intercept's interview with AOC was the big winner. | | | | NEW EPISODES OF THE GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps us identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | | TROUBLE IN TUBERVILLE? -- Trump is publicly ramping up his campaign to pressure his Hill allies to challenge the election results when Congress certifies them on Jan. 6. He has repeatedly tweeted (and retweeted) praise for Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who is considering objecting to the vote-counting process. "That's because he is a great champion and man of courage," Trump said of Tuberville in one tweet. "More Republican Senators should follow his lead." But Tuberville hasn't actually publicly committed to pulling the trigger yet, so he could be backed into a corner now. But he (and others) will also be facing pressure from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who urged Senate Republicans to do the opposite of what Trump is encouraging and warned the GOP it will force everyone to take a tough vote. Stay tuned! MEANWHILE … During a GOP conference call yesterday, several House Republicans complained about the long-shot Texas lawsuit to overturn the election results in other states. That includes Reps. Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney, Chip Roy, Anthony Gonzalez and Don Bacon. Over 100 Republicans signed on to an amicus brief for the lawsuit, which was thrown out by the Supreme Court last week. Per several sources on the call: Roy said it was a violation of federalism and a waste of time, Gonzalez said it divided the GOP, Cheney called the lawsuit "unconstitutional", and Bacon raised concerns that the effort was harmful to Republicans in purple swing districts and wants the party to have a more thoughtful strategy in the future. That backlash prompted Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), who was spearheading an effort to get more Republicans to sign the amicus brief at the apparent direction of Trump, to issue a mea culpa of sorts. Johnson — who will become a member of GOP leadership next year — explained he wasn't trying to put anyone in a bad spot and apologized if any members faced criticism over it. Related: "Top Republicans offer conflicting messages about Trump's loss while campaigning in Georgia," by WaPo's Cleve Wootson Jr. and Paul Kane in Columbia, Ga.: http://wapo.st/34oIQnS. | | | |   | | | LET'S JUST GET THIS OVER WITH -- Congress is gearing up to deliver its first override of a veto by Trump, but the fight could literally come down to the final hours of the 116th Congress. Democrats and Republicans alike fear Trump will run out the clock and veto the National Defense Authorization Act at the last possible moment when lawmakers hope to be long gone from the Capitol. Trump has until Dec. 23 to sign or veto the massive defense bill or allow it to become law without his signature. He reiterated the threat in a tweet Thursday morning. But if Trump drags out his veto, it would give the House and Senate just a handful of days in late December to overturn him. House leaders are discussing bringing members back the week of Dec. 28, but won't make final plans until Trump formally vetoes the measure. The most likely scenario in the Senate, meanwhile, is to hold the vote on Jan. 3, just hours before the new Congress is sworn in. More on all the maneuvering from Sarah, Connor O'Brien and Heather: http://politi.co/3rgRgHR. SPENDING UNDER SCRUTINY -- "Palazzo subject of House Ethics Committee inquiry," via Roll Call's Chris Marquette: http://bit.ly/3apmFlo. HELLO, HAALAND -- Joe Biden will nominate Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) to be his Interior secretary, in a huge win for progressives. And Haaland would become the first Native American to become a Cabinet secretary, if confirmed. "I'm over the moon right now. I think the Biden climate appointments, they represent progress, real progress, so I'm really excited," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). "It's historic on multiple levels." Haaland is the third member of Congress to be tapped for the Biden administration. And her selection comes a day after House Democratic leaders pushed back against claims that they discouraged Biden from plucking Haaland from Congress because of concerns about their slimmer majority next year. The story from Tyler Pager, Alex Thompson and Ben Lefebvre: http://politi.co/3r2RIsS. BIDEN'S FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS -- "Scoop: Biden privately pushes first big deal," by Alayna Treene of Axios: http://bit.ly/34pGRQ0. | | | | STAY UP TO SPEED ON THE PEOPLE AND POLITICS DRIVING GLOBAL HEALTH: The global pandemic has revealed just how critical it is to keep up with the politics, policy and people driving global health. Will America reclaim its leadership on the worldwide health stage as the Biden administration assumes power in 2021? What will the global distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine look like? Which counties and people will be prioritized? Our Global Pulse newsletter connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the politics impacting our global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today. | | | | | |  | TRANSITIONS | | Michawn Rich will be comms director for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.). She previously was comms director at USDA. | | TODAY IN CONGRESS | | The House gavels in at 10 a.m., with first votes around 1 p.m. Today's agenda: http://bit.ly/3p3DxBY. The Senate meets at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha to be U.S. district judge for the Central District of California. Also, there will be possible consideration of legislation providing further funding for FY2021; and possible consideration of legislation related to COVID-19 relief. | | AROUND THE HILL | | Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) holds her weekly press conference at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A. | | TRIVIA | | THURSDAY'S WINNER: Stefani Koorey was the first person to name Eric Holder and Karl A. Racine as two attorney Generals who reported for jury duty as a civic duty. TODAY'S QUESTION: From Stefani: Which presidential cabinet department has been proposed by Senator Matthew Neeley in the 1930s, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and Marianne Williamson, as well as some members of the U.S. Congress? Send your best guess to mzanona@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. | | A message from Mastercard: Our economy has been hit hard by COVID-19. But, by delivering innovative payment solutions and a resilient and reliable network, Mastercard is helping small businesses stay open, protect jobs, reach customers, and generate revenue with digital services. Mastercard is also applying its technology, philanthropy, data science and cybersecurity expertise to rebuild communities, ensuring that economic growth is inclusive and helping address new challenges of the touchless economy.
Mastercard is committed to identifying and addressing the needs of small businesses, governments and communities as they fight to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to help them adapt to new ways of working and new payment preferences, such as contactless payments, so that they can thrive in the years ahead. Learn more here. | | |
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