| | | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | HERE WE GO — The Senate returns from recess today and dives headlong into a pile of high-stakes, must-pass legislation and deadlines. Wednesday is the deadline for Democrats to assemble their reconciliation package and House committees will grind through the next few days to try and hit that deadline. AHOY! TAX HIKE AHEAD — One of the key remaining questions about the Democrats' go-it-alone reconciliation plan was what tax changes would pay for the massive spending package. Some answers dropped Sunday night. House Democrats want to raise the corporate rate to 26.5 percent from 21 percent and impose a 3 percentage-point surtax on people making above $5 million, according to sources familiar with the proposal. The top rate for individuals would go to 39.6 percent. The Ways and Means Committee, led by Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), plans to take up these and other tax increases this week. Taken together, the proposals would amount to the biggest tax increase in decades, and enough to cover most of what even progressive Democrats hope to spend on their coming "reconciliation" package — though lawmakers remain at odds over the size of the plan. POLITICO's senior tax reporter Brian Faler has more: https://politi.co/394Bg3M | | | | 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. | | | | | WARNING HAZARDOUS CLIFF EDGE — Congress needs to strike a deal on federal spending by Sept. 30, and the debt ceiling must be raised soon after that in order to avoid tandem calamities: a government shutdown and a default on U.S. debt, triggering economic collapse. Bleak for a Monday morning, but that's political brinkmanship for ya. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is holding firm to his commitment that his caucus won't contribute yea votes to raise the debt limit and he's challenged Democrats' to do it alone. Top Democrats insist they have a plan — they just don't want to talk about it yet. Don Byer (D-Va.), who chairs the Joint Economic Committee: "Nobody blinks in the short run. But at the end of the day, we have to raise the debt limit. But it could be after dinner on Sept. 30." A continuing resolution through Dec. 10 is under discussion to avert a government shutdown. House Democrats are planning a vote next week to extend government funding. It could include disaster aid for the wildfires and floods, assistance for the Afghanistan withdrawal and the debt ceiling, according to aides. The strategy is dependent on Republicans from areas hit hard by recent natural disasters voting yes on the aid to their communities, along with the debt ceiling and other provisions they'd oppose as standalone proposals. Heather and Burgess have more where that came from: https://politi.co/3hrGjji | | | | 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. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, September 13. Have your September Scaries fully kicked in yet? TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Congress wakes up to its staff retention problems after Covid, bomb threats and riots from your appreciative Huddle host. Thanks for reading! SENATE AGENDA — It's been a while. Here's what the Senate has cooking (don't forget that the week is truncated with Yom Kippur starting Wednesday evening.) There's a vote tee'd up on the nomination of James Kvaal to be under secretary of Education and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) filed cloture on three judges and the motion to proceed to their revised voting rights bill. Afghanistan accountability: Congress' drive for accountability on Afghanistan continues with Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifying Monday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on Tuesday before Senate Foreign Relations. The Senate Armed Services Committee has a closed briefing Wednesday with Army Gen. Austin Scott Miller, the former Commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. Republicans have a long list of floor speeches on tap for Wednesday in honor of the service members who died at Kabul Airport in the Aug. 26 bombing. Also: The Senate Parliamentarian is expected to make a ruling sometime this week on whether immigration reform survives its Byrd bath. RECONCILIATION CONSTERNATION — Two key players in the reconciliation fight, Manchin and Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) each hit the airwaves Sunday and foreshadowed a stalemate over the size of the Democrats' package that could overhaul federal tax laws, health care, education and immigration. Manchin reiterated his opposition to the $3.5 trillion topline cost of the sweeping bill that Democrats' aim to pass without Republican support, saying he anticipated the final measure would be around half at $1.5 trillion. "No, it's absolutely not acceptable to me" to cut the $3.5 trillion plan, Sanders said in response. Democrats are heading into a week with tough political realities to face. They control Congress with the narrowest of majorities and need every Democrat to unite behind the bill if they hope to pass what could potentially be the largest economic package in U.S. history. | | | | 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. | | | | | CONSEQUENCES FOR COPS — Six Capitol Police officers are facing disciplinary measures for misconduct based on their behavior during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Some were flagged for "conduct unbecoming," "failure to comply with directives," "improper remarks" and "improper dissemination of information." The department announced the move Saturday, also revealing that there were 37 investigations into allegations that some officers acted improperly as the pro-Trump mob stormed Congress. Defendants in the 600-plus cases stemming from the Capitol attack argue that they believed the police had given them permission to enter the building and had encouraged them in some cases. It's unclear whether the reports will substantiate any of those claims. Kyle Cheney has more on this: https://politi.co/3nq43In WASHINGTON IS A ZOO — The dazzle of zebras that Huddle reported was running loose last week in Prince George's County, just outside of D.C., is still in the wind. (Yes, a group of zebras is a dazzle. Love that.) D.C Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton raised eyebrows when her office put out a statement Friday, "Norton Denies Responsibility for Setting Zebras Free, Supports Freedom Generally." The idea for the buzzy, chuckle-inducing and head-scratching release started Thursday night when a friend sent Norton's communication's director Sharon E. Nichols a 2013 POLITICO article about Newt Gingrich denying involvement in the red panda escape from the National Zoo. "The zebra story is fun for DC and MD residents, and I realized we could relate it to her position on the Capitol fence and D.C. statehood," said Nichols, who sent Norton a draft early Friday. "She called, cracking up, saying she had no edits and that we should get it out before [the zebras are] caught and the story is over," Nichols told HUDDLE. THROWBACK — Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) reminisced Sunday about winning his first race for state assembly in 2006. Trip down memory lane aside, posting this photo shows he's clearing fishing for input on if he should bring back the goatee. CASE OF THE MONDAYS — Back-to-school vibes over here at Huddle: Help us make your favorite Congress newsletter more relevant to you. Are you usually glued to the news all weekend or is a little refresher on what went down over the weekend helpful on Mondays? Click to vote: If you don't need any weekend recap click here. If Huddle can help get you up to speed, click here. | | | |   | | | QUICK LINKS — Man With Assault Rifle Pleads Guilty to Threatening Pelosi, from the New York Times — White House Works to Keep Moderate Democrats' Backing for Agenda as GOP Focuses on Inflation, from the Wall Street Journal TRANSITIONS Reilly Knecht is now Digital Content Manager at the NRSC. She previously was digital for Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), GOP Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), and former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas). Gus Youmans is now a policy adviser for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. He most recently was legislative assistant for former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.). Alexandra Byrne is now scheduler for Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). She most recently was correspondence manager for Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Natasha Dabrowski is now press secretary for AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and national service. She was previously Communications Director and Senior Advisor for the New Democrat Coalition on Capitol Hill. McLaurine Pinover is the new press secretary for Foreign Affairs Committee's ranking member, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). She was previously communications director for Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House is not in session, but committees are working. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. AROUND THE HILL Noon McConnell, Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and others gather on the East Front steps of the Capitol for a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. 2 p.m. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Afghanistan. TRIVIA FRIDAY'S WINNER: Cesar Prieto correctly answered that the House met in 1100 Longworth, that beautiful freezer of a room, while the House chamber was under renovation in 1949 and 1950. TODAY'S QUESTION from Cesar: In the First Congress, James Madison introduced 12 amendments to the Constitution, 10 of which were ratified and later became known as the Bill of Rights. In 1992, the eleventh of Madison's original amendments was ratified by the states, requiring that no congressional pay raise go into effect until after the next election. What did the failed 12th amendment propose? 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 | | | | |
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