| | | | | |  | | By Olivia Beavers | Presented by Facebook | House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is meeting with Donald Trump in Florida today to smooth things over, but that's just one of the issues he's trying to fix. He's also attempting to keep House Republicans from attacking each other publicly after a contentious impeachment vote and mend relationships with donors after businesses hit pause on their corporate PACs over the GOP's anti-certification vote. And on top of all that, he has a new freshman member creating a major headache over her past social media posts. Here are the fires the GOP leader is trying to put out: WHAT MCCARTY NEEDS FROM TRUMP: McCarthy is meeting face-to-face with Trump today in the minority leader's latest attempt to get back in the ex-president's good graces. (H/t to Punchbowl News, which first reported these plans.) As many of you know, McCarthy incensed the former president with his impeachment floor speech, as well as floating censuring the president over the deadly Jan. 6 attacks. Our friends at Playbook report that Trumpworld is elated: "It's the first solid bit of evidence that Donald Trump is still in charge of the party," one Trump adviser told them. McCarthy has a lot to gain too: The House GOP is still Trump's party. If McCarthy wants the confidence of his members – and the eventual speakership if Republicans take back the House – he needs the backing of the Trump wing. Side note: In a sign of just how deep loyalty to Trump runs, one House staffer who works for an anti-certification GOP member tells me their office has received multiple calls from constituents who say the rioters didn't inflict enough damage and that there should've been more people storming the Capitol. THE TWO GOPs: Trump defenders and Trump rejectors are in open war over the impeachment vote, with "RINO" being dropped like it's hot. McCarthy issued a stern warning to members in a Wednesday call, imploring them to not publicly attack one another: "I'm not putting up with that anymore," he told them. Will it work? Look no further than Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a Trump ally, who is heading to Rep. Liz Cheney's home state of Wyoming this afternoon to actively campaign against her outside the State Capitol, calling on "Patriots" to "STOP RINOs like Liz Cheney." And this is not the only spat unfolding in public. Perhaps, this is the biggest issue before McCarthy: Uniting a party that doesn't want to be united. It's a party battling over those who want the GOP to remain the Trump Party, and those who want to expel him. In conversations with various beltway Republicans in recent days, your Huddle host can say many don't seem to know where to go from here. Some are hoping the Biden administration slips up bad enough and soon enough that they can rally behind it together. Related Read: John Harris examines whether Cheney's gamble makes her unpopular in her party today, but sets her up long-term with an enhanced national stature: http://politi.co/2YoFeyA DEFUNDED?: McCarthy is a prolific fundraiser. On Wednesday, he was even fundraising in Florida while the House was out. It comes as large corporations have suspended giving money, which is a big problem for the California Republican. He is now walking that tightrope of both appealing to donors, while also not alienating Trump's base. Related Read: Trump-inspired big donors plan their own campaigns by our Alex Isenstadt: http://politi.co/3oqMa98, who also wrote how a Trump poll shows impeachment backlash hitting Cheney: http://politi.co/3t5ZFOS | | | | A message from Facebook: We support updated internet regulations
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Learn More | | | THE BIG GREENE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't doing McCarthy any favors. The freshman is facing widespread condemnation for her incendiary remarks before she ran for Congress, and she isn't backing down. The backlash over her social media activity, where she endorsed violent, QAnon-tied conspiracy theories, is escalating. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) is introducing a resolution that pushes for Greene to be expelled from Congress over what he argued was her "advocacy for extremism and sedition," a call that other Democrats have echoed if she doesn't resign. Meanwhile, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) jabbed the GOP for failing to hold members who spew dangerous rhetoric responsible, telling MSNBC last night: "'What is [McCarthy] going to tell them? 'Keep it up?' Because there are no consequences in the Republican caucus." Keep in mind: While leadership stripped former Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) of his committee assignments in early 2019 after he made racist remarks, it's yet to be seen if Greene will face the same fate. The key difference is Greene posted these highly controversial social media activity (which she appears to have deleted) before she came to Congress, while King's comments were during. Either way, this problem is not something that is going to just go away. Related: Channel 3 crew threatened with arrest after asking Greene a question during town hall meeting: http://bit.ly/2KXVGTy | The GOP's Marjorie Taylor Greene problem is spinning out of control by WaPo's Aaron Blake: http://wapo.st/3iUuy4d | | | | THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO OFFICIAL WASHINGTON: The new Playbook team got off to fast start last week with a series of big scoops. The reporting foursome of Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri will roam every corner of Washington, bringing you the big stories you need to know–and the insider nuggets that you want to know–about the new power centers and power players in Washington. "This town" has changed. And no one covers this town like Playbook. Subscribe today. | | | | | HAPPY THURSDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill on this Jan. 28, where babies are now getting on the hand sanitizing train. WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Boston Globe's story on Joe Kennedy's new path in politics after his Senate defeat was the big winner. On the House side... STAFF SPEAK: A group of House Democratic staffers are circulating a letter that they plan to send to the upper chamber, urging senators to vote to convict Trump and bar him from ever holding office, according to a copy obtained by your Huddle host. (H/t to CNN's Kristin Wilson, who first reported the text of the letter.) "As employees of the U.S. House of Representatives, we don't have a vote on whether to convict Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the violent attack at the Capitol, but our Senators do," they write. "And for our sake, and the sake of the country, we ask that they vote to convict the former president and bar him from ever holding office again." The staffers are just beginning to circulate it. They sent it Wednesday around the Hill and more than 100 staffers are putting their names on it, according to one of the staffers who helped draft the letter, who told me: "Staffers deserve to be heard." Today, these staffers say they will be reaching out to Republican offices to see if any want to sign it as well. And they want it to be bipartisan because both sides were impacted by the attack. The bottom line: This is not typical of staffers to publicly insert themselves in a charged political debate, but their decision to do so further reflects just how completely unprecedented these times are. Related Read: Insurrection aftermath: Staffers struggle with trauma, guilt and fear by Roll Call's Katherine Tully-McManus:http://bit.ly/39pHiN4 More Fallout: CFO of House GOP campaign committee resigns after lawmakers object to Electoral College results by CNN's Jeff Zeleny and Alex Rogers: http://cnn.it/3iVaDST A HOT TAKE: National Review editor Rich Lowry argues in a new POLITICO Mag Op-Ed that "Republicans have no standing to complain about Biden's spate of unilateral measures, given they were fine with Trump implementing as much of his agenda as possible by exactly the same means." His take: http://politi.co/2M2TlaB Related Reads: Redistricting delays freeze 2022 House races by our Ally Mutnick: http://politi.co/3aeZ4BQ | House members say they're "targets" and ask for more security in new letter by CBS's Rebecca Kaplan: http://cbsn.ws/3adwxg6 | Cawthorn peddles a different kind of Trumpism in a post-Trump world by Time's Abby Vesoulis: http://bit.ly/2YjEfzX PROGRESSIVE PUSH: Progressives are pushing Biden for recurring stimulus checks, which they argue will help families who are struggling to pay monthly expenses like rent or mortgage payments with a single $1,400 payment. Sarah has the story: http://politi.co/39nENuU DEMS DUMP ON NEW BIDEN EO: Four Texas House Dems are pushing the Biden administration to rescind a recent EO that pauses oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters, arguing it "would ban responsible energy leasing" in such areas and further devastate local economies that are already hurting because of Covid. Texas Tribune's Bryan Mena as more: http://bit.ly/3iVxRsc NOT PUTIN UP WITH IT: Biden confronts Russia — and Republicans are listening by Andrew: http://politi.co/36jCoiY | | | |   | | | Meanwhile, on the Senate side: IS THERE A FAST FORWARD BUTTON? Some Democrats are signaling they'd like to shift their focus away from the impeachment trial as it looks increasingly likely there won't be enough Senate Republicans who will convict Trump after Sen. Rand Paul's push to dismiss the trial yesterday. "To do a trial knowing you'll get 55 votes at the max seems to me to be not the right prioritization of our time," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told reporters Wednesday. "Obviously we do a trial, maybe we can do it fast, but my top priority is Covid relief and getting the Biden Cabinet approved." Marianne with more: http://politi.co/2MAeVCT MITCH WATCH: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, when asked by CNN's Ted Barrett if his vote with Paul to dismiss the impeachment trial on the grounds it was unconstitutional signals he won't vote to convict Trump, replied: "Well, the trial hasn't started yet. And I intend to participate in that and listen to the evidence." Related Reads: 'What Democrat beats that guy?': Top Dems flinch from Rubio challenge: http://politi.co/39mea9E | Senate weighs jumping Biden judicial picks ahead of the queue: http://politi.co/3a4424k | Senate sets confirmation vote for Mayorkas after Schumer fights filibuster by Sabrina Rodriguez: http://politi.co/2NKoiRd Also around the Hill: WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT: The union representing Capitol Police officers issued a scathing statement on Wednesday stating that it had no confidence in acting Chief Yogananda Pittman and her leadership team, after she acknowledged that top Capitol security officials knew there was potential for violence on Jan. 6 but failed to adequately secure the Capitol, The Hill's Scott Wong reports: http://bit.ly/3prgyl8 Related Reads: 'Blame Trump' defense from alleged Capitol rioters dovetails with Democrats' impeachment case by CNN's Marshall Cohen: http://cnn.it/39lzrAd | Second police officer died by suicide following Capitol attack by our Caitlin Emma and Sarah: http://politi.co/3qUBuBl | | | | 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. | | | | | |  | TRANSITIONS | | Kendall Mitchell is now one of the Biden-Harris Administration's newest communications aides in the Office of Public Affairs at the DOJ. She previously served as the Digital Press Manager & Junior Spokesperson for Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.). Beth Bell will serve as the staff director of the House Ways and Means Committee's Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, the panel's Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) announced Wednesday. Gillum Ferguson is now deputy comms director for Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). Jordan Howard is now LD for Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.), after previously serving as an LA and scheduler for Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.). Jordan Howard is now LD for Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.), after previously serving as an LA and scheduler for Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.). Steffanie Bezruki was named chief of staff for USDA's rural business services. Bezruki was previously legislative director for former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa). | | TODAY IN CONGRESS | | The House meets at 9:00 a.m. in a Pro Forma session. The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and begin a period of morning business. | | AROUND THE HILL | | 10 a.m.: Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will have a full committee hearing on the nominations of Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to be HUD secretary; and Cecilia Rouse to be chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. 10:45 a.m.: Pelosi holds her weekly news conference. 11 a.m.: Politico is hosting a webinar on "how progressives are looking to shape power in Washington and work with the Biden administration," featuring Reps. Pramila Jayapal, (D-Wash.) and freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). 11 a.m.: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) will hold a video news conference to announce the introduction of the "Rebuild Rural America Act," which would deliver "federal resources directly to rural communities as they respond to, and recover from, the economic crisis caused by COVID-19." 11:30 a.m.: A group of top House Democrats will hold a press conference on the introduction of The Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act, which grants all federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave relating to personal illness, illness of a family member, or military deployment. Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Adam Smith, Rosa DeLauro, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jackie Speier, and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) president Everett Kelley are leading the conference. 12:30 p.m. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) will hold a virtual webcast to announce new environmental justice legislation, along representatives from Greenroots as well as New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. 1 p.m. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will have a full committee meeting to organize for the 117th Congress. 1:45 p.m.: The Senate will vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas to be DHS secretary. | | TRIVIA | |
WEDNESDAY'S WINNER: Patrick Boland was the first person to guess correctly that of the first two professional baseball players to serve in Congress who were sworn in on the same day, the only one went on to organize the first Congressional Baseball Game, serve as a Governor, and be president of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs was Jon Tener.
TODAY'S QUESTION: From Patrick: In an effort to secure funding, NASA invited two sitting Members of Congress – a Senator and Representative – on two Space Shuttle missions in 1985 and 1986. What committee did they both serve as subcommittee chairs on, what were their names, and what position on the two different crews did they both hold? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to obeavers@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. | | | | A message from Facebook: We support updated internet regulations
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