| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | Presented by SEIU Care is Essential | With help from Nicholas Wu HERE COME THE HEARINGS— The Senate Judiciary Committee begins confirmation hearings for Judge Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson today, closing out weeks of courtesy calls with individual senators and starting a new phase of the Supreme Court nominee's slog. Don't expect fireworks…right away. This morning's hearing will feature opening statements from members of the Judiciary Committee, introductions from Thomas Griffith, a former Bush-appointed judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and University of Pennsylvania Law School professor, and KBJ's classmate (and roommate) Lisa Fairfax, plus Jackson's own opening statement. But the hearings will heat up later this week. KBJ is expected to face questions on contentious issues including her representation of Guantanamo Bay detainees, her ties to a Harvard-related pending affirmative action case and her sentencing record in child pornography cases. Read: What to watch for as Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court hearings kick off, from Josh Gerstein and Marianne.
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Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson walks to a meeting on Capitol Hill ahead of her confirmation hearings. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images | LONG TIME COMING FOR DURBIN— While KBJ will be the center of attention, there will also be a special spotlight this week on Judiciary Chair Dick Dubin (D-Ill.). This week could test his reputation for geniality, pragmatic liberalism and a commitment to relationships across the aisle. He's charged with steering the hearings that will feature "a crop of Republicans who are mulling a White House run in 2024 and looking to use Jackson's confirmation to boost their own visibility," writes Marianne and Burgess . He spent close to 40 years in Congress before becoming a full committee chair, this is his moment. More recommended KBJ reading: An FAQ from Seung Min Kim at The Washington Post. At Harvard, Ketanji Brown Jackson Fought Injustices but Kept a Steely Academic Focus, from Erica L. Green at The New York Times. 55 Things You Need to Know About Ketanji Brown Jackson, from Ella Cramer at POLITICO Magazine.
| | | | JOIN THURSDAY FOR A CONVERSATION ON CRYPTOCURRENCY AND REGULATION: Cryptocurrency has gone mainstream. With the market now valued at $1.8 trillion, Washington's oversight of the fast-growing industry remains in its infancy. How should Congress and federal agencies shape future regulation of digital asset markets? Join POLITICO in person or virtually for a deep-dive discussion on what's next for crypto, regulation and the future of finance. Programming will run from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. EDT with a reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EDT. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, March 21, where spring has officially sprung. Cherry blossom peak bloom is supposed to hit during the workweek, but don't worry… there's cherry trees across the Capitol Campus. MEANWHILE AT SCOTUS — Justice Clarence Thomas, 73, was admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital on Friday with an infection, according to a statement from the Supreme Court. His flu-like symptoms are abating with intravenous antibiotic treatment. "He is resting comfortably, and he expects to be released from the hospital in a day or two," said the court's statement. Thomas will not participate remotely in this week's oral arguments. "Justice Thomas will participate in the consideration and discussion of any cases for which he is not present on the basis of the briefs, transcripts, and audio of the oral arguments," the release said. BETTING ON THE HOUSE — Dozens of House Democrats are eyeing the exits of a caucus that's lost its fair share of young leaders in the past. But Pete Aguilar is the exception, Nicholas writes. He's touched nearly all areas of the House. He has quietly moved up the ranks of the Democratic caucus, and he now sits on key panels that manage the House's inner workings, appropriate funds, and investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. He's won plaudits from colleagues for his prowess as a leader, even on a failed attempt at immigration reform in 2018. He brought soup to Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) when he had Covid, showed Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) the ropes on appropriations and plays in the Congressional Baseball Game and Golf Tournament. "He's got a relationship with everybody and is taking the time to understand their districts, their politics, their personalities, and what we care about, and he's a natural leader for that," said Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) TRADE BILL TEED UP — Before leaving town for the weekend, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) filed cloture on the China competitiveness bill this week. The chamber votes tonight on cloture on the motion to proceed (don't let me see you tweeting that it's cloture on the bill itself!) The goal is to eventually clear the bill and send it to conference with the House-passed COMPETES Act. One area both chambers agree on: $52 billion for grants and incentives to semiconductor manufacturers to locate manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Bring on the chips!
| | | | A message from SEIU Care is Essential: Home care workers are an essential part of our workforce, but their pay and benefits don't reflect the growing demands of the industry. Chronically low pay is forcing care workers to quit when we need them more than ever.
Inaction is not an option – we need to protect care workers with better pay, benefits, and union rights! Tell the Senate: Invest in care work NOW. | | | REVOLVING DOOR — Not the usual kind you think of in Washington. Another bipartisan CODEL spent the weekend in Poland, visiting reception centers for refugees from Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion. Your Huddle host has lost count of how many different groups of lawmakers have visited the Poland-Ukraine border since the war began. This seven-member delegation was led by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and included Reps. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). Also in-country: Former Staten Island Republican Rep. Michael Grimm seems to be on the ground in Ukraine as a contributor for conservative news and opinion site Newsmax. Grimm came to congress as a Marine Corps veteran and former FBI agent and capped off his time on the Hill by serving seven months in prison for tax fraud. "Classic Congress to prison to Lviv Territorial Defense pipeline," commented Jacob Rubashkin on Twitter. THE DEAN, DEPARTED— The House was stunned by Friday's news of the death of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), dean of the House, at the age of 88. Your Huddle host recommends this home-state obituary that features great photos: Gruff, warm, combustible, shrewd: For 49 years, Don Young's ideology was 'Alaska', from The Anchorage Daily News. Young was flown back to Washington, escorted by Capitol Police and greeted on the tarmac by current and former staff, per Young's communications director Zack Brown. If you never had the pleasure of being in Rep. Don Young's iconic office (primo real estate in Rayburn, due to his seniority), don't miss this tour led by the man himself. Who will represent Alaska now? When a House member dies in office, the House clerk takes control of operations, including constituent casework. The people of Alaska won't have voting representation in the House until a new member is elected. The dates of a special election have not yet been announced, but the race to succeed Young will be the first test of Alaska's new ranked choice voting system. QUICK LINKS Steny Hoyer, a member's member, leads the effort to get more benefits to lawmakers, from Paul Kane at The Washington Post Securing the TikTok Vote, from The New York Times The new midterm math: How redistricting, Biden and Trump shaped the battle for the House, from Ally Mutnick How the Latino vote could decide control of the Senate, from Sabrina Rodgriguez | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today. | | | | |
TRANSITIONS
Elizabeth Lopez-Sandoval is now communications adviser for USAID. She most recently was comms and special projects director for Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas). Ryan Dierker will be a legislative assistant for Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). He previously was senior policy adviser for Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.). | | | | A message from SEIU Care is Essential:   | | |
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House convenes at 1 p.m. for a pro forma session. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. with a 5:30 cloture vote on the China trade competition bill. AROUND THE HILL Looking quiet to start the week.
| | | FRIDAY'S WINNER: Christopher Colford correctly answered that then-Sen. Joe Biden dropped out of the 1988 presidential race amid revelations that he had plagiarized the work of United Kingdom Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock. TODAY'S QUESTION: Before they were members of the House, these two, a Republican and a Democrat, charted Billboard Top 40 pop hits. Who were they? 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 SEIU Care is Essential: 10,000 people in America turn 65 every single day, and the number of adults 65 and older will double in a few decades. Home care workers have never been more essential, but they continue to be overlooked and denied the compensation and respect they deserve.
Care workers help seniors and people with disabilities live with dignity. But these jobs are severely underpaid, providing a median annual income of just $18,100. Home care workers across the country are demanding racial justice and good union jobs for a workforce primarily made up of Black and Brown women.
It's time for Congress to invest in home care jobs and services for our families. Inaction is not an option. Tell the Senate: Invest in care work NOW. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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