| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | ON THE MOVE, AT LAST — It's not "close" or "almost there." The bipartisan Senate infrastructure package is finally making moves. With 17 yes votes from Republicans, the Senate voted Wednesday night to begin consideration of the proposal. "My goal remains to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution this work period. Both. It might take some long nights, it might eat into our weekends, but we are going to get the job done. And we are on track," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said following the vote. The breakthrough came more than a month after negotiators left the White House triumphant, announcing that they had a bipartisan deal on infrastructure. But, as it goes on Capitol Hill, hammering out the details took weeks to finalize and much more back and forth with the White House. According to a nearly 60 page summary of the bill obtained by Burgess and Marianne, the bill uses $205 billion in unused coronavirus aid money as its main financing mechanism. Other major revenue sources include $53 billion in unused unemployment benefits, $49 billion for delaying a drug rebate rule and even $56 billion in expected economic growth. A key question is whether Republicans will agree to back those as legitimate funding sources after demanding the bill be fully paid for. But final passage isn't certain. Once the effort moves ahead, there are divisive amendments that bill's supporters will need to swat down to satisfy enough senators to cut off debate and pass the bill. Then, it will face the gauntlet in the House. Burgess and Marianne look at how it came together and what is next for the infrastructure push: https://politi.co/3zMZR8l | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | MASK MELTDOWN, CODE DELTA — The return of a mask mandate in the House has inflamed partisan tensions, prompting shouting and altercations in hallways, elevators and the House floor and bouts of name-calling among top leaders. House Republicans are flouting the new public health guidance from the Office of the Attending Physician that requires masks throughout the House. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met with the Capitol's top doctor and came out fuming, unsatisfied with the answers he received. "We were vaccinated. We're not a hotspot, but they're forcing you to wear a mask, not in the Senate, but in the House. This is just about more control," said McCarthy. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called McCarthy a "moron" for his fight against the mandate. "I may not be from a hot spot ... Speaker Pelosi may not be from a hot spot. Somebody in this chamber is coming from a hot spot. Somebody represents the hot spots," Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said on the House floor. "And they get on a plane and they fly here and then interact with all of us. And then we leave here and we go home to our families. Some take care of sick parents. Some take care of kids who have an autoimmune disorder." The partisan clashes haven't just been about masks. It's hot, humid and lawmakers are dying to get out of town for the August recess. And grievances stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection are weighing on lawmakers. "It's pretty bad," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in, arguably, a significant understatement of the chamber's mood. (Before taking his own swipe at Republicans.) On the floor, McCarthy said "The vaccination rate for the members of Congress is over 85 percent." That means that about 15 percent of the House is not vaccinated. All Democrats have publicly acknowledged being vaccinated, which leaves approximately 65 Republicans who aren't immunized. If the 85 percent figure cited by McCarthy includes Senators, who are nearly all vaccinated save two or three, close to 80 House Republicans could be unvaccinated. Sarah, Olivia and Heather capture the big "yikes" energy that's engulfing the House this week: https://politi.co/2V4lemR Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have dramatically ramped up their outreach to get constituents vaccinated in states that are lagging behind. Read Burgess' story on the full court press of PSAs, social media and more from GOP senators urging vaccination: https://politi.co/3l4SANf Related: Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde evading House mask fines, GOP colleague says from CNN's Melanie Zanona. INVESTIGATION OPTIMISM — House Democrats charged with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol are voicing optimism about getting former Trump administration officials to testify, report Andrew and Nicholas. But don't hold your breath. Just before the first hearing on Tuesday, a legal opinion from the Biden Justice Department ruled that the committee will be able to freely seek witness statements from former Trump administration officials to examine the dramatic final days of his presidency. The shape and scope of the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on Congress' investigation is still undefined, at this point. Committee members say that they have yet to formalize the confines of the probe that is already under scrutiny and moving fast. Rep. Stephanie Murph y (D-Fla.), told Andrew and Nick she wanted to hear from witnesses who could shed light on the "local, state and federal interaction in the run up to and on the day of Jan. 6" as well as those who could speak to the "influence of political people with political objectives" at the Pentagon or intelligence agencies. Andrew and Nick have a great look at what's next for the Jan. 6 investigation: https://politi.co/3rIepU3 | | 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 Thursday, July 29. TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: You took the must-read recommendation seriously and clicked on Can Rob Portman seal the big bipartisan deal? "I WILL PRAY FOR YOU" — If you're looking for a breath of fresh air when the partisan rancor and personal acrimony grows stifling on Capitol Hill, it might be time to check out the Select Committee (no, not that select committee) on the Modernization of Congress. The panel is set to vote this morning on its latest slate of 20 recommendations for how to make this place work…better. (Can we agree that Congress has some areas for improvement?) Huddle talked to chairman and self-proclaimed "nerd" Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) Wednesday night, when he said one key element of his panel rising above the fray is returning to core principles and questions. "Why did you come to Congress? And how did it meet or fail to meet your expectations?" are questions posed at the bipartisan retreat, where the committee also came together to set joint goals. The ModCom , as they've nicknamed themselves, is a beacon on bipartisanship drawing stark contrast to the name calling and bitterness permeating the House this week. Their previous 97 recommendations were all cleared out of committee unanimously, they go on bipartisan retreats, committee dinners and sit mixed together and not divided by party at hearings. Kilmer expects the panel to advance 15 of the 20 recommendations en-bloc by unanimous consent this morning, but he knows that some members have concerns about the remaining five proposals which may get the first "nay" votes in the panel's existence. But if there's still a supermajority in support, they'll advance. One of the recommendations that could draw scrutiny is expanding the Student Loan Repayment Program to include tuition assistance for staff going to night school while still working in the House. "You want people who are developing more capacity, becoming policy experts, engaging with constituents in solving hard problems... You want them to be able to develop their expertise, not go work for a lobbyist," said Kilmer. Would your office work better if your chief of staff or staff director had management training or if there was more standardized onboarding for new employees? Those are two things ModCom is recommending be implemented, along with an examination of staff benefits and how to make them more competitive to keep good staff on the Hill. The committee knows what they're working on might not be the biggest news of any given week and that fixing Congress is an uphill battle, but the issues they are tackling get to the heart of how congress works, or doesnt. "It's funny, oftentimes when I'm meeting with constituents and I'm like, 'I'm chairing this committee focused on fixing Congress,' the most common response is: 'I will pray for you,'" Kilmer told Huddle. | | | | 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 . | | | | | HOLD UP, HOLD UP — Efforts to move the $2.1 billion supplemental spending bill for Capitol security and National Guard reimbursement has hit a snag in the Senate, where Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and top appropriators from both parties were looking for speedy action. Seven Republican senators have placed holds on the emergency spending measure, objecting to the $1.1 billion the legislation would provide to help relocate Afghan allies to ensure their safety as U.S. troops withdraw. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, one prolific user of the hold process, is not one of the seven lawmakers objecting this time. "I would hope they would take those holds off," Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee. "I believe we have an obligation to the Afghans, the people who are our allies who helped us," said Shelby. "We know what's gonna happen to a lot of those people who our soldiers relied on. They've already started killing some of them." He was confident that if put to a vote the bill, which aims to avert a budget cliff for Capitol Police and the National Guard, would have the votes needed on both sides of the aisle to pass. McConnell threw his support behind the bill Wednesday saying, "I'm sure neither side finds the compromise perfect, but I believe that both sides should and will agree it is absolutely necessary." Schumer said he expects the Senate to "swiftly" approve the $2.1 billion emergency spending bill for Capitol security and special Afghan visas, though he declined to give a specific timeline. HOUSE CLEARS LEG BRANCH — They say to invest in yourself. Well, the House is doing it. The House on Wednesday passed a $4.8 billion Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for fiscal 2022, the biggest investment in the legislative branch proposed in recent history with a 14 percent boost over current spending levels. The bill keeps in place a pay freeze for members of congress, who with the exception of top leaders, make $174,000 annually. They have not voted to increase their pay and blocked cost-of-living increases for themselves since 2009. Heads up, House staff : If this bill becomes law, the Members' Representational Allowance would see a $134 million boost. Appropriators intended for that increase to be used to boost staff salaries to improve retention. But don't count on a raise, since each member will decide how to dole out the additional money and some pride themselves on not spending their full MRAs rather than raising staff pay. Just days after the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the House adopted an amendment that would provide $3.5 million in additional funding to remove accessibility barriers throughout the Capitol complex. The amendment was sponsored by Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), the first quariplegic elected to Congress and co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus. The House rejected a proposal by Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) that would have struck language allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients to work in Congress. Lawmakers also killed another Grothman amendment that would have nixed $1.5 million for the House office tasked with promoting diversity and inclusion. The bill also directs the Architect of the Capitol to come up with a plaque that honors law enforcement officers who defended the building during the Jan. 6 insurrection. For scooter heads: The House adopted Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-D.C.) amendment to bar the Capitol Police from using funds to enforce the prohibition on electric scooters on Capitol grounds. Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes have more on House appropriations action: https://politi.co/3ybFTDZ THE BRAIN IS A BODY PART — You don't have to be a Simone Biles-level superstar on the world stage to take care of yourself. Following Tuesday's hearing at the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, House employees received a Dear Colleague letter from Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor reiterating the importance of "mental and emotional well-being" for both lawmakers and staff. "We recognize this may be difficult to experience as our community continues to heal from the aftershocks of this troubling event," she wrote, referencing the harrowing video and testimony. Szpindor highlighted services provided by the Office of Employee Assistance and encouraged House employees, Capitol Police and others to utilize their offerings. | | | |   | | | TRANSITIONS Landy Wade is joining Sen. Bob Casey's (D-Pa.) office as deputy scheduler, moving from his current role as scheduler to Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) He is an alum of Rep. Rosa DeLauro's (D-Conn.) office. Michael Davis is now operations assistant for the GOP side of the House Committee on Education and Labor. He most recently was an intern for Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House meets at noon for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 10:30 a.m. AROUND THE HILL 8:45 a.m. McCarthy, GOP Whip Steve Scalise (La.), GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and other House Republicans hold a press conference 10:30 a.m. Reps. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and August Pfluger (R-TX) hold a press conference with families of Americans detained in Russian prisons. 11:30 a.m. The House Freedom Caucus holds a press conference on expelling members from the House GOP Conference. 1 p.m. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) holds a press conference about Jan. 6. 5:30 p.m. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, along with Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Bob Menendez (N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Ben Ray Luján (N.M.) meet with President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss permanent protections for Dreamers. They are expected to gaggle with press afterwards, around 6:15 p.m. TRIVIA TUESDAY'S WINNER: Ashley MacLeay correctly answered that the leotards for the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team in Tokyo are from the brand GK Elite and are made in Reading, Pa., which is Rep. Chrissy Houlahn's (D) district. TODAY'S QUESTION: This congressional district claims three athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics: Frances Tiafoe in tennis, Jerami Grant and Kevin Durant in basketball. Name the district and representative! 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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