| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With Sarah Ferris and Andrew Desiderio. DEMOCRATS APPROACHING...ARRAY? For the moment. But it's unclear how long Democrats will remain united behind the $3.5 trillion budget deal released earlier this week, especially as they hammer out details. Sure, President Joe Biden received a warm welcome from Senate Democrats Wednesday -- from moderates and progressives alike. But applause and pleasantries don't necessarily translate into votes. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) haven't committed to supporting the deal, which needs every Democratic vote. Manchin has said that inflation and fossil fuel provisions are giving him pause. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, touted key wins Wednesday, including paid leave, universal child care and Medicare expansion provisions. But she stopped short of promising CPC support until they have more clarity on the details, which are still coming together. Behind the scenes, moderate Democrats are concerned about the price tag and potential tax hikes to pay for the package, which could provide fodder for classic GOP attacks. There's an additional fight brewing about whether the path forward will mean sunsetting newer programs launched during the pandemic or keeping all the programs, but shrinking funding and benefits. Jayapal didn't rule out potentially supporting a bill below $3.5 trillion, if compromises involve shorter extensions for programs, but not if moderates are looking to cut programs outright. "We'd really have to see, how would they cut the number?" she said. The challenge for Democrats going forward is ensuring that there are no defections in the Senate and that House moderates or progressives aren't alienated by the final text, a job both for the drafters and the whips. Related: Climate, immigration, Medicare lead progressive highlights in Democrats' $3.5T budget plan from Sarah, Caitlin Emma and Anthony Adragna. 'I see this as a down payment': Progressives see room to get more out of budget package that is short of their goal, from Annie Grayer at CNN. | | | | 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. | | | | | OFF GUARD: Caught up in the back and forth of the post-insurrection security funding talks is the National Guard's $521 million funding gap, wracked up when thousands of troops deployed to the Capitol complex earlier this year. Without a patch in place by August, the Guard warns that readiness will suffer and training and maintenance will be significantly downsized just as wildfire and hurricane seasons ramp up and coronavirus response deployments continue, reports Connor O'Brien. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is expected to make a new offer to Republicans on Capitol security funding, different from the $3.7 billion proposal he introduced earlier in the week. But the timing of that offer isn't yet clear. "I'm giving them an offer which I hope they would take so we can get the thing passed in the next day or two," he told Nick. Sen. Richard Shelby (Ala.), the top Republican on Senate Appropriations, says he's "ready to move" on a more narrow spending measure that would meet just the funding needs for the Capitol Police and National Guard. But Democrats have broader priorities that they'll keep pushing. Related: Democrats announce first Jan. 6 select committee hearing with law enforcement officers | | A message from AARP: Millions of family caregivers are struggling to provide care for their older parents and spouses. Many are sacrificing their income, tapping into life savings, and taking on debt to keep their loved ones safe—at home and out of nursing homes that could put their lives at risk. Family caregivers are reaching their breaking point. Congress must pass the Credit for Caring Act now to give caregivers some of the relief they desperately need. Learn more. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, July 15. WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The data from the Senate Democrats Diversity Initiative staff survey was of interest to many of you. DRUG PRICE DEALMAKING — Fifteen of the House's most vulnerable Democrats penned a letter to leadership urging them to include a major set of drug pricing reforms in their party's upcoming multitrillion-dollar spending plan, a move that could help pay for the proposal. They want the huge Democratic wish list package to include provisions to empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices and ultimately help slash costs across the health system. The move could quell some anxieties from moderates by offsetting hundreds of billions of dollars of the package's $3.5 trillion total price tag. More from Sarah on the push. AT THE WATER'S EDGE — While the president confronts a growing number of crises in all corners of the world, Republicans have found their footing on foreign-policy messaging after four years of Donald Trump's peripatetic flirtation with isolationism fractured their party. From Afghanistan and Iran to, just in the last week, Haiti and Cuba, Biden is being forced to make quick decisions about the level of U.S. involvement in some parts of the world while in other sectors he's paring it back. Now, after scrambling to keep up with Biden's volatile predecessor, Republicans are taking every opportunity to skewer his approach — even on Afghanistan, when few of them criticized Trump's push to withdraw troops on an even earlier timeline than the one Biden implemented. "For my Republican friends , if 10 angels came swearing from above that the president's decision on Afghanistan was the right one, they would say the angels lied," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) quipped. Some Republicans have been consistent on Afghanistan policy, most notably Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who this week slammed the ongoing withdrawal as "a global embarrassment" for Biden. Some of the president's other moves are giving potential 2024 candidates on the GOP side a chance to carve out a lane of their own on foreign policy — folks like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Biden's allies are coming to his defense, though. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said Biden is delivering on his campaign promises, adding: "President Biden has been doing a good job with the hand he's been dealt." Andrew has more on the GOP awakening here. | | | | 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. | | | | | TROUBLE WITH TEHRAN — The indictment unsealed earlier this week by federal prosecutors alleging an Iranian plot to kidnap an American critical of the regime has put the spotlight back on the Biden administration's efforts to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal. And lawmakers who were briefed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken about general Iran issues on Wednesday said they were even more skeptical about the prospects of nuclear diplomacy with Tehran. Here's how Menendez put it to Andrew after the briefing: "It's obviously a work in progress. But it sounds like — and things can always change — it's not happening any time soon." Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) acknowledged that there are "not a lot of great options at this point," and that Trump's decision to pull out of the deal in 2018 "has not made the situation better for us, for our allies, for the region, and our European friends." Still, the Biden team says it will continue to pursue a revival of the nuke deal. More from Nahal Toosi and Andrew here. #FREEBRITNEY — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) spoke to a crowd outside a Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday where a judge was expected to rule on whether Britney Spears could choose her own attorney in the conservatorship case. "There's a lot that still divides us, but one thing we can all agree on is that Jamie Spears is a dick," Gaetz said to cheers. Gaetz, who is currently under investigation by the FBI over allegations of sex trafficking and having sex with a minor, invited Spears to testify before Congress earlier this month. | | | |   | | | TRANSITIONS King J. Green has been promoted to be comms director for Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.). He most recently was legislative assistant for DeFazio. Alexis Torres is starting as press secretary for Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). She previously was district press secretary in Laredo, Texas, for Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House is out, but committees are working. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. AROUND THE HILL 9:30 a.m. Fed Chair Jerome Powell testifies at a Senate Banking hearing on the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress. 10:30 a.m. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee holds a hearing on supply chain resiliency. TRIVIA WEDNESDAY'S WINNER: James Casto was the first person to correctly answer that the 21 glass panels that made up the Senate chamber skylight were removed during a reconstruction of the chamber in 1949-1950. TODAY'S QUESTION From James, about his home-state Senator: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was sworn into the Senate in 2010 to fill the seat left vacant by the late Senator Robert C. Byrd. What elected offices did Manchin hold before joining the Senate? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktullymcmanus@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus. | | A message from AARP: Family Caregivers Need Help Now
Caring for loved ones shouldn't lead to bankruptcy and financial ruin. But that is exactly what is happening for too many family caregivers. The financial strain of caregiving is immense, and it is unacceptable that more isn't being done to provide support for them. That's why AARP is fighting for America's 48 million family caregivers and their loved ones who depend on their care to survive. Family caregivers nationwide spend over one-quarter of their income, on average, providing this essential care. Congress must pass the Credit for Caring Act to help alleviate some of the financial strain of caregiving.
Tell Congress to act now to help protect family caregivers from financial devastation. Tell Congress to pass the Credit for Caring Act. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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