| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With an assist from Andrew Desiderio RECOGNIZING THE GENTLEMAN FROM UKRAINE — The United States would like to associate itself with the remarks from the gentleman from Ukraine. But it doesn't mean it'll give him what he wants. House and Senate lawmakers will pack into the CVC auditorium this morning for an address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an engagement that the besieged leader personally requested, Andrew reports. The comedian-turned-wartime-president has wooed American politicians (and much of the public) with his bravery, charisma and straight talk. He has used his considerable powers of persuasion to influence U.S. lawmakers to approve both armaments and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. His speech this morning is expected to be emotional. "He shoots from the hip, and that's part of his charm," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who, along with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), has had more direct face time with Zelenskyy than any American official. "I think it has sometimes gotten him into some political hot water, but the upside of his style is ten-fold more advantageous than the occasional downsides." Zelenskyy will both update lawmakers on the Russian invasion of his country and is likely to ask -- once again -- for more assistance from the U.S. Last week Congress approved nearly $14 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but as Russian attacks escalate, Zelenskyy says he needs more. But Zelenskyy's pleas for Western allies to "please close the sky" above Ukraine have gone unanswered as the U.S. and others fear an escalation with Russia. On Tuesday he reiterated calls for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine in a speech to Canada's parliament. "You all need to do more to stop Russia, to protect Ukraine, and by doing that, to protect Europe from Russian threats," Zelenskyy said in that address. "They are destroying everything." Stay tuned for more on Zelenskyy's address. Andrew will be in the room with members as they hear the latest from Ukraine and weigh what more they are willing to provide. RELATED: Zelenskyy's pitch to Congress puts more pressure on Biden to expand U.S. role, from Jonathan Lemire, Biden to Announce $1 Billion in New Military Aid to Ukraine, from The Wall Street Journal
| | | | WIN A VIP TICKET TO THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH! POLITICO and SHOWTIME are teaming up for an evening of cocktails and conversation featuring the POLITICO Playbook team and Mark McKinnon and Jennifer Palmieri from "The Circus" on Showtime in Washington, D.C. Enter for a chance to win a ticket to join fellow Playbookers and newsmakers at this exclusive, VIP event by Friday, March 18th. Winners will be notified on that date (travel and accommodations not provided, this is a widely attended event pursuant to House & Senate ethics rules). ENTER HERE. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, March 16, where all eyes are on Zelenskyy. ICE PICK PROVES SLIPPERY — There is a scramble underway to save President Joe Biden's pick to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement from another high-profile defeat for the administration. At least three Senate Democrats are undecided on Ed Gonzalez, who was accused of domestic abuse against his wife in a 2021 police affidavit, though both deny the allegations. A floor vote slated for last week was delayed at the request of Senate Democrats who asked their party leaders for more time to examine the allegations. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said Tuesday they are undecided on Gonzalez and planned to spend more time reviewing the allegations against him. A spokesperson for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) said she supports the Homeland Security Committee taking more time. The White House would prefer to not add Gonzalez to the growing pile of troubled nominations, after Federal Reserve board pick Sarah Bloom Raskin withdrew this week in the face of bipartisan opposition and amid Sen. Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) ongoing hold on Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to India. Of course opposition already toppled Neera Tanden as Biden's budget director and ATF director hopeful David Chipman. Marianne and Burgess have more on the confirmation calculation. WARNING: LOW CLEARANCE— Because there's some confusion floating around… reminder that members of Congress don't have security clearances. They have access to classified and sensitive information simply because they are elected to the House and Senate. There's a whole CRS report on this, read up before getting in front of a mic. SUNNY SIDE UP— It was a Senate surprise. The chamber passed, by unanimous consent, a bill to lock American's clocks on daylight saving time and ditch standard time entirely. But don't get ahead of yourself: the House hasn't acted yet and the Senate's bill wouldn't implement the shift until Nov. 2023. Anthony, Burgess and Sarah have the House prospects and more . Walking on sunshine (woah, oh): Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) posted a celebratory video.
| | A message from Freight Rail Works: In times of recovery, America needs a transportation network that can keep goods moving, help businesses prosper and remain responsive to changing customer needs. Not only does freight rail invest $25 billion annually to provide U.S. businesses with safe, reliable service. Today's rail shipping rates are 44% lower than in 1981, which keeps U.S. businesses competitive. See how railroads are helping America get back on track. | | |
| | | Sixteen days after lifting the mask mandate in the Capitol, nine Democratic lawmakers have tested positive for Covid: Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Madeleine Dean (Pa.), Kimberly Schrier (Wash.), Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Gerry Connolly (Va.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Joe Neguse (Colo.) and Peter Welch (Vt.). Before placing the blame on the caucus retreat in Philadelphia last week, Sarah and Nancy point out that not all of them were even there. The Capitol testing site is still open. Better safe than sorry.
| | | Gimme those greens… The salad bar is back at the House side's Capitol Carryout after a two year hiatus that began at the start of the pandemic. The breakfast bar has also returned. Scoops on scoops… at Inside Scoop. Frozen Yogurt is set to return to Inside Scoop in Dirksen on March 21 with five classic flavors: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, tart and coconut. For "a limited time" the price will be $0.57 per ounce. But like everything else, expect price hikes. H/T Suzanne Youngblood Lane, who gave everyone the scoop on Twitter. Photo of the day… From unofficial Senate photographer Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), with a unique angle at the White House on Tuesday. | | | | 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. | | | | |
QUICK LINKS
Arizona group tightens squeeze on Sinema donors, from Holly Otterbein Jury selection to begin in Fortenberry trial, from Chris Marquette at CQ Roll Call Jan. 6 panel obtains riot footage from film crew that trailed Proud Boys, from Kyle Herschel Walker Skeptical Of Evolution: 'Why Are There Still Apes? Think About It', from HuffPost Inside Chernobyl, 200 Exhausted Staff Toil Round the Clock at Russian Gunpoint, from The Wall Street Journal House Democrats Ask Pentagon for Details on Plan to Reduce Civilian Casualties , from The New York Times TRANSITIONS Susan Allen is returning to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office after being detailed to work in the office of Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. Peter-Anthony Pappas will be the USPTO's new detailee in Tillis' office. Vish Burra is joining Logan Circle Group as executive producer as it expands its podcasting portfolio. He most recently was special operations coordinator for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), for whom he created and directed the video podcast "Firebrand." Burra also previously produced Steve Bannon's "War Room." | | | | A message from Freight Rail Works:   | | |
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House convenes at 10 a.m. The Senate convenes at 10:30 a.m. AROUND THE HILL 9 a.m. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will speak to members of Congress. (CVC Auditorium). 10:15 a.m. House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) will hold their weekly news conference (Studio A). 11 a.m. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus will hold an event to mark the one-year anniversary since the Atlanta spa shooting. (House East Front Steps). Noon Portman and other Senate Republicans will hold a news conference on Ukraine (Senate TV Studio). | | |
TUESDAY'S WINNER:Mike Dunn correctly answered that during the State of the Union, President Biden mentioned a goal to cap the price for insulin at $35.
TODAY'S QUESTION: On May 28, 1954, this foreign leader addressed a joint Meeting of Congress. 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 Freight Rail Works: Alleviating an extraordinary supply chain crisis requires an extraordinary transportation network—like America's freight railroads. The dedicated employees of America's freight railroads are working 24/7 to find powerful solutions to maximize efficiency and reliability. Learn more about how railroads are creating an unbreakable link between manufacturers, retailers and other critical rail customers. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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