| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | FLAILING? BAILING? HILL TALKS RETENTION ISSUES — Lawmakers want to reverse the brain drain caused by top aides leaving, but it's not clear whether the promise of future pay bumps and proposals for expanded benefits can counteract the strain of working long hours in an environment where they've experienced an insurrection, a bomb threat and a vehicle attack in less than a year. (And for entry- and mid-level aides, those pay bumps and benefits aren't just around the corner.) A former House aide who ascended to a top role on a major House committee before jumping to the private sector, cited stress, workload and emotional drain of partisan politics as his primary reasons for leaving Capitol Hill, with more money being secondary. "At some level, the money is a factor, but so too is the tremendous workload and stress and the psychic toll of living in a zero-sum world," they said. Some degree of turnover on Capitol Hill is natural, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) isn't harboring illusions about keeping staff who can double or triple their salaries by leaving public service. But he sees the salary cap increase announced by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) last month as an opportunity to retain employees with an eye on executive agencies or the White House. (In an interview with Huddle, Hoyer ticked off a roster of star House employees who left for the executive branch, lamenting the wave of departures, but wishing them well… the ones that got away!) | | | | 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. | | | | | Meanwhile, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has put forth a bevy of proposals for professional development, tuition remission, management training and human resources that could help support entry- and mid-level staff to becoming expert senior staff instead of leaving. But shifting entrenched systems in a decentralized workplace takes time and buy-in (unlike the pay cap, which Pelosi could raise unilaterally.) "Democrats and Republicans on our committee embrace that modern organizations understand that investing in compensation and benefits and programs that employees want, and frankly, increasingly expect, is a real key to maintaining a high performing and stable workforce," ModCom Chairman Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) told Huddle in an interview. So much more on Hill staff woes and who's working to tackle them, from your Huddle host: https://politi.co/3nk3akp | | | | A message from AT&T: Accessible, affordable broadband helps communities reach their American Dream. That's why we're making a $2 billion, 3-year commitment toward helping close the digital divide, so more low-income families have the ability to succeed. Learn more. | | | TGIF! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, September 10. There's tons of 9/11 anniversary coverage out there, send Huddle the stories that stand out to you. TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Intern-a-Palooza topped the charts, (tune in today for Comms and Press 101, featuring your Huddle host.) Second most clicked? The Capitol fence update from Nicholas and Heather. SECURITY SCRUTINY — Capitol security officials on Thursday briefed lawmakers with key oversight responsibilities on preparations for the anticipated demonstrations on Sept. 18 by supporters of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) said the briefing "showed there's increased coordination between USCP and the Capitol Police Board, which hasn't happened in the past but is absolutely needed for success." Davis said he's requested further briefings ahead of the Sept. 18 event and said he expects to hear regularly from Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, House Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker and Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton about implementation of recommendations made after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Rank and file Capitol Police officers are expecting to be briefed Friday about security preparations for next week's rally defending those arrested following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. This is a departure from the leadup to Jan. 6, which officers have spoken out and internal reviews highlighted lack of preparedness and intelligence failures. Congressional leaders and more members are scheduled for briefings Monday from Manger, Walker and Blanton. | | | | HAPPENING WEDNESDAY - POLITICO TECH SUMMIT: Washington and Silicon Valley have been colliding for some time. Has the intersection of tech, innovation, regulation and politics finally reached a tipping point? Join POLITICO for our first-ever Tech Summit to explore the evolving relationship between the power corridors of Washington and the Valley. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | JAN. 6 DOCUMENT DUMP — The House Select Committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is raking in documents and records in response to requests to eight federal agencies and telecom firms issued in August. The committee announced late Thursday that they've received "thousands of pages of documents" and that the National Archives has undertaken a review of presidential records from the Trump administration. What does this mean? There's forward motion. The investigators and committee will go through the new information, along with the materials from all the other House committee inquiries that are collapsing under the select committee's jurisdiction. The information gathering and processing stage of the investigation isn't likely to wrap up imminently. APPEAL BY PROXY — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is trying to run proxy voting up the proverbial chain, all the way to the Supreme Court. The California Republican and six GOP colleagues have petitioned SCOTUS to strike down the chamber's use of proxy voting, implemented as an emergency measure during the pandemic, arguing that it violates the constitution. Back in July the D.C. Circuit said the proxy voting rule change is a legislative act that can't be reviewed in court, citing the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution. In his appeal, McCarthy said: "More than 300 absent Members have sent letters appointing another Member to vote on their behalf to the House Clerk. And yet, this patently unconstitutional practice has and will continue to go unchecked." Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have used proxy votes, including GOP conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and more than a third of the Republican conference. Remote voting has emerged as a tool of personal and political convenience for lawmakers more than a public health consideration. Neither party is looking to punish members for using proxy votes when it suits them. | | | |   | | | QUICK LINKS — They Created Our Post-9/11 World. Here's What They Think They Got Wrong, from Bryan Bender and Daniel Lippman — For thousands of refugees displaced by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this is home now, from the Washington Post — Hundreds of law enforcement officials were prepped early for potential Jan. 6 violence from Betsy Woodruff Swann — D.C. officer Michael Fanone returns to work eight months after fighting pro-Trump mob at Capitol, from the Washington Post TRANSITIONS Sophie Pollock has been promoted to be director of operations/press secretary for Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). She most recently was press assistant/staff assistant for him. Adam Telle has been promoted to be chief of staff for Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.). He most recently was Hagerty's legislative director. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 11:30 a.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate is not in session. AROUND THE HILL A quiet day. TRIVIA TUESDAY'S WINNER: Ellen Murray correctly answered that the only senator in history who was preceded by both his parents was Louisiana's Russell B. Long. His father, Huey P. Long, was assassinated during his Senate term in 1935 and his mother, Rose McConnell Long, served out the remainder of her husband's term. TODAY'S QUESTION: The House chamber was remodeled in 1949 and 1950. In what room of the Capitol complex did the House meet while the chamber was unavailable? 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 AT&T: Kamal Bell is the proud owner of Sankofa Farms, a thriving family farm that employs his community. He knows food insecurity impacts minority groups in his area. But with help from accessible and affordable broadband, he can provide a food source to local food deserts, and teach Black youth about agriculture and STEM. He also uses new tech to collect data, run beekeeping operations, and monitor his farm with drones. Thanks to Access from AT&T, we can connect low-income households like the ones Kamal works with, and more communities in areas we serve with their American Dream. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment