News: Pardons, primary threats and shutdowns

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Pardons, primary threats and shutdowns— oh my!

Dec 23, 2020

Presented by Responsibility.org

with help from Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS -- Just days before Christmas, President Donald Trump pardoned his most loyal followers; threatened Republicans who won't support his doomed effort to overturn the election; and is on the verge of tanking a just-passed rescue and spending package that was negotiated by White House officials and congressional leaders. So, in other words, a pretty fitting end for his chaotic presidency — and for one hell of a 2020.

On Tuesday evening, Trump issued a slew of 11th-hour pardons to his allies, including former GOP Reps. Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter — the very first two Republicans on the Hill to endorse Trump for president in 2016. Collins began serving his prison sentence this fall for insider trading, while Hunter pleaded guilty to flagrant campaign finance abuses.

Then, shortly after that, Trump threatened to take down Sen. John Thune, the No. 2. Senate Republican, after he dismissed a House GOP-led push to challenge the election results. "Republicans in the Senate so quickly forget. Right now they would be down 8 seats without my backing them in the last Election," Trump tweeted. "RINO John Thune, 'Mitch's boy', should just let it play out. South Dakota doesn't like weakness. He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!"

And if that wasn't enough, now Trump is hinting that he might not sign a massive coronavirus relief package that was paired with a sprawling government funding bill, undercutting his own aides who said he'd support the measure. "I am also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items of this legislation and to send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid relief package, and maybe that administration will be me. And we'll get it done," Trump said in a late-night video.

His issues: Trump complained that foreign aid is in the package (which, your Huddle host would note, is contained in the omnibus spending bill — not the stimulus measure). Trump, who was mostly absent from the talks, also wants lawmakers to include $2,000 stimulus checks instead of the $600 payments that Congress approved. The legislation passed with overwhelming support in both chambers.

HERE'S A NUGGET from Heather that was left on the cutting room floor of her tick tock on the relief deal, but which seems timely now: during a meeting with the big four congressional leaders, Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly pressed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — who was patched in via speakerphone — for Trump's position on the stimulus checks. After four times without an answer, Pelosi said: "Come on Steven!"

SO, how do they get out of this mess? Democrats — who had been pushing for higher payments anyway — have one idea: make a unanimous consent request to pass $2,000 relief checks on the House floor on Christmas Eve, the next pro forma session. That's not going to fly with the GOP, but Dems will make it as painful as possible for Republicans, who will be forced to reject Trump's wishes.

Trump's Christmastime meltdown had Hill aides scrambling late last night to figure out the potential implications, including the possibility that Trump could issue a pocket veto — a timeframe that would make it impossible for lawmakers to override before the new Congress starts. (The mammoth package hasn't been presented to Trump yet and is expected to take days to enroll.)

But the real deadline that Hill sources are looking at is Dec. 28, when the latest seven-day funding patch expires. The big question at that point will be: does Trump cave and sign the relief and spending bill into law? Or does he allow the government to shut down and prevent emergency aid from being doled out to millions of suffering Americans? (Another deadline to watch: Dec. 26, when key coronavirus aid programs are expiring.)

OH, and speaking of unsigned bills: Trump has until today to veto an annual bipartisan defense bill that he has threatened not to sign. Congress is preparing to overturn that veto next week, starting on Dec. 28, in what will likely be the last act of the 116th Congress — that is, unless Trump blows everything up again.

Related reads: "Trump orchestrates final loyalty test in dying bid to subvert election," via POLITICO's Kyle Cheney, Gabby Orr and Marianne: http://politi.co/3hazSQi …"Biden laid out 4 priorities for another stimulus package. But Republicans don't want more relief spending," via Business Insider's Joseph Zeballos-Roig: http://bit.ly/2Kz40Zz.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Dec. 23, where your host is officially signing off for the year — and forever! (Okay maybe not forever, will still occasionally be helping out...)

Quick programming note: Huddle will take a break from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1. But we'll be back in time for the new Congress on Jan. 4, when Olivia Beavers will be running the show.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Burgess, Heather and Marianne's back story on how the relief deal came together was the big winner.

A message from Responsibility.org:

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. High-risk impaired drivers are at a higher crash risk, are disproportionately involved in fatal crashes, often escape accountability and typically become repeat DUI offenders. Learn more about these offenders and what research shows will be effective in deterring them. StopHRID.org

TUNE IN TO NEW EPISODE OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: 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 to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now.

CABINET CORNER -- The timing of the Senate Georgia runoff races will make it difficult to set up the new Senate — and confirm Joe Biden's Cabinet. Marianne and Burgess explain: "With the Senate majority unknown until the Jan. 5 Georgia runoffs, much of the chamber's business remains up in the air — potentially for days or weeks after if the elections are tight and certification is postponed. And that could mean more delay for staffing Biden's cabinet and implementing his agenda.

"Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who could chair t he Senate HELP Committee in the next Congress, said that the current state of limbo renders the confirmation process 'moot' until control of the Senate is clear. … Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), the top Republican on the Banking panel, predicted Biden's nominees wouldn't start getting processed until 'some time late January,' adding that 'it wouldn't be practical to do anything before [Georgia] anyway.'

"While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that Biden's nominees will get votes on the Senate floor if he remains in power, control of the Senate will largely determine how quickly that will happen. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this month encouraged Senate committees to prepare to hold hearings in January 'immediately after the Georgia elections.'" More: http://politi.co/3nOSuYw.

Related read: "Biden faces uncertain outlook for quick confirmation of Cabinet nominees as some Republicans urge caution," by CNN's Manu Raju and Ted Barrett: http://cnn.it/3heBNTU.

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME -- Months of political jockeying came to a close in California on Tuesday, as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared he would appoint Alex Padilla to succeed Sen. Kamala Harris when she becomes VP in January. Padilla — the long-presumed frontrunner — will be California's first Latino senator, and will finish out the final two years of Harris's term. Padilla, who has climbed the ranks of local government over 20 years, was first elected at 26 to the Los Angeles City Council, before serving in the State Senate and then becoming secretary of state.

The pick satisfies the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which had been pushing hard for a Latino like Padilla. But Newsom's decision will leave the Senate without a single Black woman next year, frustrating those in the Congressional Black Caucus and other groups who wanted him to replace Harris with a prominent African American woman like Reps. Karen Bass or Barbara Lee. LA Times' Phil Wilson and Patrick McGreevy: http://lat.ms/3aDZ1Bp.

Eyeball emoji: Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) responded Tuesday saying the Senate position should have been filled through a special election and hinted that he could challenge Padilla in 2022. "I am glad voters will have their say in two years," he said, per POLITICO's Jeremy W. White and Carla Marinucci.

In other California news... "Former Rep. Katie Hill sues ex-husband, Daily Mail, Redstate.com over 'nonconsensual porn,'" via NBC News's Andrew Blankstein: http://nbcnews.to/3pvFdET; and "GOP puts pressure on Pelosi over Swalwell," by The Hill's Juliegrace Brufke: http://bit.ly/2JhPUeE.

A message from Responsibility.org:

MALONEY ON NOTICE -- Incoming DCCC chief Sean Patrick Maloney (N.Y.) has made his first major hire of the 2022 cycle, tapping long-time strategist Tim Persico as executive director, as POLITICO's Ally Mutnick and Laura Barrón-López scooped Tuesday.

But the move is drawing some early warnings from some colleagues who wonder if the House Dem campaign arm should be bringing in another white man in a senior position — particularly for a group that's faced such fierce blowback over diversity in recent years. (Early in the 2020 cycle, the DCCC was forced into a dramatic senior staff shake-up after member complaints about a lack of diversity in its top ranks.)

"Given the fact that we damn near lost the House last time, I think Black and brown, and females also, should be included in the senior operations for the DCCC," senior Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said. The full story from Ally and LBL: http://politi.co/2LX2zEB.

Related: "Iowa Democrat challenges defeat with the House," via Ally Mutnick and Sarah: http://politi.co/37J8RjF.

A message from Responsibility.org:

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. Each year, nearly a million people are arrested for impaired driving. Though laws and processes vary by state, each of them goes through a similar experience after an officer observes suspicious driving: Detection/arrest, awaiting and preparing for trial, screening and assessment, the court process/sentencing, supervision, and treatment. StopHRID.org identifies common challenges as well as system improvements and how to implement them in order to eliminate impaired driving, especially among high-risk impaired drivers. Responsibility.org has collaborated with key partners in the fields of traffic safety, criminal justice, and supervision and treatment to eliminate impaired driving. The DUI system is complex and contains many gaps and addressing those issues requires practitioners, policymakers, and the public to better understand those gaps and how the system operates and reforms that are needed to effectively reduce recidivism and fatalities. StopHRID.org

TRANSITIONS

Christopher Jerrolds will be legislative director for Rep.-elect Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). He most recently worked on the Biden campaign doing voter protection.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House and Senate are out.

TRIVIA

TUESDAY'S WINNER: Clem Balanoff was the first person to guess that James Shields, who holds the record for having served as Senator from three different states, once challenged Abe Lincoln to a duel.

TODAY'S QUESTION : What is the longest government shutdown in history — and how many days did it last? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to mzanona@politico.com.

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