| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett. TRANSIT TURBULENCE — Let's talk about how the bipartisan infrastructure package will shake out this week. Negotiators and other key leaders aired some issues on the Sunday shows, so it could be a stretch to think the bill text will be revealed Monday. Lead GOP negotiator Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made separate appearances on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," and gave incompatible takes about when the bipartisan package should head to the president's desk. Marianne looked at their differing views. Pelosi said that while House Democrats are "rooting for the infrastructure bill to pass," she reiterated her pledge that the House will not take it up unless the Senate also passes a separate $3.5 trillion social spending package. "I won't put it on the floor until we have the rest of the initiative," she said. But Portman warned that Pelosi's path could result in nothing at all moving forward. He said Pelosi's stance was "entirely counter to what President Biden has committed to" and "inconsistent with the agreement we have on a bipartisan basis." Portman said the bipartisan group was "90 percent of the way there" as of Sunday morning but pointed to transit as a remaining sticking point. But a Democratic source tells POLITICO that transit isn't the only thing that is still holding things up, saying the group still needs to hammer out an agreement on water funding, broadband, highways, bridges and using unspent coronavirus relief money to pay for the bill. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is part of the bipartisan group, said on "Fox News Sunday" that the group is "down to the last couple of items" and predicted legislative text by Monday afternoon. But with the Democratic and Republican to-do lists not even matching... we'll see. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WOMEN RULE : The Women Rule newsletter explores how women, in Washington and beyond, shape the world, and how the news — from the pandemic to the latest laws coming out of statehouses — impacts women. With expert policy analysis, incisive interviews and revelatory recommendations on what to read and whom to watch, this is a must-read for executives, professionals and rising leaders to understand how what happens today affects the future for women and girls. Subscribe to the Women Rule newsletter today. | | | | | KINZINGER JOINS CHENEY — Ahead of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack's first hearing on Tuesday, Pelosi has appointed another Republican member and Trump critic to the panel: Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Kinzinger has long been a vocal Republican critic of former President Donald Trump and was one of 10 House Republicans to vote for his second impeachment. He will join Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as the only Republicans on the new select committee, since Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) pulled his GOP picks after Pelosi vetoed two of them. "Let me be clear, I'm a Republican dedicated to conservative values, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution — and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer," Kinzinger said in a statement. "I will work diligently to ensure we get to the truth and hold those responsible for the attack fully accountable," Kinzinger continued. "This moment requires a serious, clear-eyed, non-partisan approach. We are duty-bound to conduct a full investigation on the worst attack on the Capitol since 1814 and to make sure it can never happen again." Some key questions: What backlash will both Kinzinger and Cheney face from their GOP colleagues for participating in the probe? And what staffing choices will they make as they start to build a team to assist with the investigation? Jesse Narranjo and Olivia dig into what's ahead after this latest development on the 1/6 committee. ALL ABOARD THE MINIBUS — The annual summer spending rush has arrived, as Congress attempts to pass government funding bills before federal coffers run dry on Oct. 1. This week the House takes up it's first fiscal 2022 spending bills, starting with a package of seven bills: Labor-HHS-Education, Agriculture, Energy-Water, Financial Services, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. Two other spending bills, the Commerce-Justice-Science, State-Foreign Operations and Legislative Branch bills, are also on the House schedule. While a continuing resolution stopgap bill is still very possible, given the slow pace of spending action in the Senate, House Democrats aren't thrilled with the prospect. (Of course, CRs are never popular, yet still extremely common.) The last time all 12 spending bills were passed and signed into law before the start of the next fiscal year, your Huddler was enjoying kindergarten. So, color me skeptical. A CR would be especially hard for Democrats to swallow because it would prolong funding levels locked in last year, when Republicans controlled the Senate and Donald Trump was still in the White House. Your Huddler is a LegBranch obsessive, and will be keeping an eye on what issues could flare up on the legislation that Congress passes to pay their own bills. It's gone from one of the least controversial and quickest bills to pass just a few years ago to a flashpoint more recently. But all the spending bills are worth watching, don't let my strange passion for LegBranch distract you from all the appropriations action. Related: Senate Democrats defied Biden in their vote to boost Pentagon spending. And it wasn't even close, from Connor O'Brien. | | A message from AARP: Americans are sick of paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs — more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. The President, members of Congress in both parties, and the people agree: we must cut drug prices. By giving Medicare the power to negotiate, we can save hundreds of billions of dollars. Tell Congress: Cut prescription drug prices now. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, July 26. Are you flipping your office TVs to the Olympics or … why not? FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Okay, you're into the Huddle mailbox! The most clicked items Friday were the letters on housing from Rep. Richie Torres and the letter on international vaccine support in the reconciliation budget bill. MANCHIN WATCH — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) used to say "Washington sucks," but with three years left in his term, he's raking in campaign cash as the most visible swing vote in the evenly split senate. His colleagues say the West Virginia Democrat isn't acting like a senator in his last term and with $4 million in his campaign coffers, it's not clear that his previous assertions that this term would be his last will hold. Burgess talked to Manchin and key colleagues for an update on what's on the horizon. As the 50th Democratic vote, Manchin has been able to truly shape the contours of massive senate deals and build a cohort of moderates to negotiate with. Instead of sucking, Manchin now says Washington has "accomplished more than we have for the 10 years I've been here," Burgess writes. Related: Manchin in the middle: West Virginia senator puts his stamp on infrastructure, spending bills, from the Boston Globe. NEW BOSS AT USCP — Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger is now at the helm of the beleaguered Capitol Police department. He's promising better communication with the public and bootested retention efforts as the force faces an exodus. "Retention strategies will be a big part of my efforts here to make sure that we can keep the good cops that are here, as well as add additional staffing if we're able to get more positions," Manger said in an interview with Nick and Katherine on Friday. He assumed the top position at a time when rank-and-file officers don't have much confidence in the leadership team and just days before two USCP officers are set to testify next week before a House select committee about their experiences during the insurrection, which will likely mention leadership failures. More on the new chief from Nick and your huddle host here: https://politi.co/2WcZTb4 | | | | Be a Policy Pro. POLITICO Pro has a free policy resource center filled with our best practices on building relationships with state and federal representatives, demonstrating ROI, and influencing policy through digital storytelling. Read our free guides today . | | | | | COVID BOOMERANG FOR HIGGINS — Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) confirmed on social media Sunday that he, his wife and son are sick with COVID-19, for a second time. "I have COVID, Becca has COVID, my son has COVID. Becca and I had COVID before, early on, in January 2020, before the world really knew what it was," he wrote on his Facebook page Sunday. "This episode is far more challenging. It has required all of my devoted energy. We are all under excellent care, and our prognosis is positive. We are healthy generally speaking," he continued. Higgins referred to the virus that causes COVID-19 as "the CCP biological attack weaponized virus," repeating an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that Covid was purposefully manufactured by the Chinese government. (There is no evidence supporting that theory, but the Biden administration has asked the intelligence community to look for more evidence into how the pandemic began.) When CNN did a comprehensive survey in recent weeks of which lawmakers on Capitol are vaccinated and which are not, Higgins did not tell the network his vaccination status. Related: In Louisiana, Vaccine Misinformation Has Public Health Workers Feeling 'Stuck', via the New York Times NANCY MACE GETS IN LINE — South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace came to Congress pledging to be a "new voice" and to challenge both then-President Donald Trump and buck GOP leadership. But she's changed her tune and is now touting the party line, including voting to bounce Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) from leadership and voting against an independent bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol riot. Catie Edmondson of the New York Times digs into Mace's quick pivot. GET WELL SOON — Former Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wy.) was hospitalized after a Friday bicycle wreck. Enzi, 77, was taken to the hospital and stabilized before being flown to Colorado via medical helicopter. Enzi served in the Senate for 24 years, retiring at the beginning of 2021. More from his local paper: https://bit.ly/2USbJah | | | |   | | | TRANSITIONS Let Huddle know who's moving and shaking into (or out of) your office. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at noon with first votes expected at 6:30 p.m. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. with a vote at 5:30 p.m. AROUND THE HILL Plenty of action expected this week, but a slow start. TRIVIA FRIDAY'S WINNER: Joe Bookman correctly answered that Dolly Madison Baking Company used The Peanuts – Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and the rest in marketing its products. TODAY'S QUESTION from Joe: Name the four people who were the youngest member of the Senate when they served in the body and then went on to be president. The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus. | | A message from AARP: It's outrageous that Americans pay more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. And these unfair prices keep going up. Even during the pandemic and financial crisis, the prices of more than 1,000 drugs were increased. It's time for the President and Congress to cut prescription drug prices.
Currently, Medicare is prohibited by law from using its buying power to negotiate with drug companies to get lower prices for people. This must change. Giving Medicare the power to negotiate will save hundreds of billions of dollars.
And the American people agree. In a recent AARP survey of Americans 50+, a vast majority supported allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, including 88% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans.
Tell Congress: Act now to lower prescription drug prices. Let Medicare negotiate. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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