| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | PENTAGON POLICY MARATHON — Get your energy drinks and snacks ready this weekend, because next week there's a Congressional all-nighter that makes the Senate's vote-a-rama process look like amateur hour. That's right, House Armed Services is scheduled to mark up the massive annual defense policy bill Wednesday (but don't expect the gavel to drop before the wee hours of Thursday.) The bill would authorize just under $716 billion for Pentagon accounts, a $1.2 billion increase to the administration's fiscal 2022 request. But that is just the starting point. Hundreds and hundreds of amendments are either being drafted or have already been sent to the committee for consideration. Consideration will begin just hours after the deadline for all U.S. military presence to leave Afghanistan. The bill slashes funding for Afghan security forces, less than two weeks after they were quickly toppled by the Taliban. The bill still includes a $350 million authorization for closing out contracts and operations related to training and equipping Afghan forces. Another closely watched issue will be the bill's provision that would set up special victim prosecutors in each military department with the power to convene courts martial to prosecute allegations of sexual crimes, but not other major crimes. Under the current system, senior officers make such determinations. It would also overhaul the chain of command for the D.C. National Guard, which was hampered on Jan. 6. In addition to setting policy for the entire U.S. military for the coming year, the House makes consideration of the annual defense measure a feat of endurance. The all-day and all-night markup, is fodder for both literal and metaphorical war stories on Capitol Hill, among lawmakers, staff and press. Even your loyal Huddle host has some stories to tell from NDAAs past (and an affection for this exhausting tradition.) There's a camaraderie around being stuck in Rayburn at three or four in the morning with many more amendments to go, lawmakers swapping snacks and debating coffee vs RipIt and staffers visibly trying to stay awake. But that will be muted this year as the panel is doing a hybrid in person and virtual format due to coronavirus.
| | | | A message from Walmart: Walmart will now pay 100% of college tuition and books for eligible part-time and full-time associates. This means approximately 1.5M U.S. associates can earn college degrees or learn trade skills without the burden of education debt. | | | SPEAKER'S LOBBY SHOT, REVISITED — Despite racist vitriol and threats on his life, Lt. Michael Byrd, the U.S. Capitol Police Officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 insurrection, defended his actions and revealed his identity in an interview with NBC's Lester Holt that aired Thursday evening. "I know that day I saved countless lives," Byrd told the network. "I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger. And that's my job." Byrd's single shot struck Babbitt as she climbed through a broken window into the Speaker's Lobby, as scores of House members, staff and press crouched hiding inside. More on Byrd's interview from Nicholas and KTM here: https://politi.co/3knjr56 Babbitt's death has become a rallying cry for the far right, which described Babbitt as a martyr. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) has called Babbitt's death an "execution," "vigilantism and police abuse," and along with former President Donald Trump, rallied behind Babbitt and against Byrd. The Capitol Police announced earlier this week that an internal investigation had found the officer's actions lawful and would not result in discipline. Federal prosecutors declined to file charges against him in April. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) wrote a letter to Byrd , expressing his gratitude and apologizing for the death threats and racist attacks that Byrd has endured. "You faced a difficult choice, but I know that your actions saved the lives of countless others. You should be commended for your heroism," wrote Kildee. The Jan. 6 shot, the first time Byrd had discharged his weapon on duty in his 28 year career with Capitol Police, was not the first time his firearm was under scrutiny. Holt asked Byrd about a 2019 incident, reported exclusively by your Huddle host in my pre-Huddle days, when he left his gun in a bathroom on Capitol Hill. More on that here: https://bit.ly/3BeXHiE RELATED: 7 Capitol Police officers sue Trump, others over Capitol riot, from Josh Gerstein, D.C. judges express frustration about possible leniency in Capitol riot cases, from the Washington Post | | | | 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. | | | | | TGIF! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, August 27. I won't grace your inbox again until after Labor Day, I wish you the strength to survive until then. THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: $3.5T or bust? Sanders goes all-out to protect Dems' social spending plans, from Burgess' Bernie interview. MCCARTHY PROMISES RECKONING — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy briefed a fired up GOP conference last night, in which he promised a "reckoning" of what has transpired in Afghanistan. He called for the House to come back into session before the Aug. 31 exit deadline to vote on legislation that would bar the withdrawal of troops until every American is evacuated. Pelosi's office said the proposal would "tie the Commander in Chief's hands" in the operation. While McCarthy also said on the conference call that they will hold leaders fully accountable with every means the Constitution allows, he pushed back on members who are calling for impeachment of President Joe Biden, sources on the call tell Olivia. But there is another "i word" that they are talking about: investigations. GOP Reps. Devin Nunes (Calif.) and Michael McCaul (Texas) said they have put document preservation requests in so House Republicans can conduct oversight and investigations — that is, if they win back the majority next November. FLAGS OF HONOR — Flags at the Capitol are flying at half staff today in honor of the 13 U.S. servicemembers and others killed in the bombings outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan Thursday. COURT KILLS EVICTION MORATORIUM — In an eight-page, unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration's extended eviction ban. The ruling leaves millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes during the pandemic. The decision said the CDC's power to take steps to rein in the coronavirus pandemic did not appear to extend to issuing a moratorium on evictions. The latest eviction ban was imposed by the Biden administration came after immense pressure from Democrats and housing advocates in the wake of letting the previous moratorium expire July 31. It was set to end Aug. 3. That moratorium was first issued last September in a bid to protect tenants who had lost income during the pandemic crisis. More details from Katy O'Donnell and Josh Gerstein: https://politi.co/2Y3quZe | | | |   | | | DURBIN DABBLES — Sen. Dick Durbin's (D-Ill.) is pushing the White House to appoint a political ally and longtime supporter to run Midwest operations for the Environmental Protection Agency, rather than the agency chief's preferred candidate, according to two EPA officials. EPA Administrator Michael Regan recommended to the White House Micah Ragland, an Obama-era EPA official favored by environmental justice advocates. But Durbin in recent weeks lobbied the White House instead to pick Debra Shore, a Chicago water official with whom he has long been allied, they said, reports Alex Guillén and Shia Kapos. The job in question would oversee about 1,000 workers at EPA's Chicago branch and does not even require Senate confirmation Dive into Durbin's connections to his preferred pick and why the Senate's number-two Democrat is weighing in on this obscure position with this story from Alex Guillén and Shia Kapos: https://bit.ly/3mCDwad (It is paywalled over at Politico Pro.) TRANSITIONS Alex Ricci is now the Director of Government Affairs at the Education Finance Council. He was previously a speechwriter for the House Committee on Education and Labor. Nick Givas is now communications director for Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.). He most recently hosted a podcast called "What Would Givas Do?" and is a Fox News and Daily Caller alum. Ally Riding is now on Google's global communications and public affairs team. She most recently was communications director for Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), and is an Orrin Hatch alum. | | | | 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 . | | | | | TODAY IN CONGRESS: The House convenes at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL 10:30 a.m. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy holds a press conference. TRIVIA THURSDAY'S WINNER: Jones Hussey correctly answered that the cause of the explosion in the Capitol on November 6, 1898 was a gas leak in the basement near an open flame. As a result, the Capitol expedited a full transition to electric means of illumination. TODAY'S QUESTION from Jones: Who was the first Senator to suggest an August Recess and who was the Vice-President who believed it would work because he believed no legislation could ever come out of Washington after June? 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 Walmart: "We are creating a path of opportunity for associates to grow their careers at Walmart, so they can continue to build better lives for themselves and their families. This investment is another way we can support our associates to pursue their passion and purpose while removing the barriers that too often keep adult working learners from obtaining degrees" – Lorraine Stomski, Senior Vice President of Learning and Leadership at Walmart
Walmart will now pay 100% of college tuition and books for nearly 1.5M eligible associates. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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