| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With help from Jordain Carney, Marianne LeVine, Anthony Adragna and Nicholas Wu
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Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) leaving Senate votes on Tuesday. Manchin is engaged in long-distance negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) over a party-line spending bill. | Francis Chung/E&E News | NO SLEEP (IN) BROOKLYN — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) already had a reputation for being communicative with his caucus, but now he's on the horn and at the helm of the chamber while stuck in isolation in Brooklyn after testing positive for Covid. "He's on the phone, he's on Zoom, then he's back on the phone. Chuck is still in the middle of everything," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told Burgess. "Chuck, I think, has had a phone surgically attached to his ear for years now." (His signature flip phone, of course.) A recipe for reconciliation? His long-distance leadership predicament hasn't derailed talks with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on a party-line spending package. The pair talked Monday about the climate, prescription drug and tax bill that they hope to move along party lines. On Tuesday, at a virtual caucus meeting, Schumer signaled that he wants a Manchin-blessed bill to move on the Senate floor before the August recess. (The Democrats' authority to use reconciliation to skirt filibuster rules expires Sept. 30.) "We understand each other well enough," Manchin told Burgess of his relationship with Schumer. He said they need to talk again this week or next to keep negotiations cooking. "We can agree to disagree, we can agree to try and find a moderate middle. He knows that I'm not in the base camp far to the left; that will never happen." Prospects: "He knows exactly where I'm at. Now whether they can get there or whatever, we'll see," said Manchin. The West Virginia Democrat, who last year foiled an effort on a more sweeping bill packed with Democratic priorities, isn't yet committed to this version that he's personally building with Schumer: "If I'm just doing something on one party line or the other party line, I'm not better than the rest," Manchin said. Not the last word: Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) signaled Tuesday that he won't be staying mum on the much narrower Schumer-Manchin plan that's in the works. "We have very strong thoughts about reconciliation that we're working on right now. Schumer knows my views very well. We'll get them out soon enough." But Schumer told Democrats he's optimistic. And his fellow Dems believe him, in part because, as Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said: "He's not a good poker player on stuff like that." Read more: Sidelined by Covid, Schumer goes hard from Brooklyn
RELATED: Manchin, Playing to the Home Crowd, Is Fighting Electric Cars to the End, from Coral Davenport, Lisa Friedman and Hiroko Tabuchi at The New York Times, House centrists mull Manchin counteroffer: No new taxes, from Hans Nichols at Axios
| | | | HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule "ask me anything" conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court's decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, July 13, where Statuary Hall gets a new statue today. KAINE UPDATE ON BIPARTISAN ABORTION BILL — Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told POLITICO Tuesday that he and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) are getting close to an agreement on a bipartisan bill that seeks to codify Roe v. Wade. "We're getting near the end of our negotiation but we're not done," the Virginia Democrat said. Kaine said his staff met with Collins' staff Tuesday and that he plans to meet with the Maine Republican later this week. "We had a version that was not a final version…when we left here, but we said 'we've got to see what Dobbs says and recaliber," he said, referring to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe. "For the last two weeks we've been trading ideas about what Dobbs may require to make the bill as good as it can be. And so we're still trading ideas on that." A bipartisan bill could signal that the majority of senators support codifying abortion rights. But not enough to clear the 60-votes needed to break a filibuster. ECA MEETING — A bipartisan group of senators, led by Sens. Collins and Manchin, will meet later this afternoon to discuss changes to the Electoral Count Act. The group has discussed updating the 1887 law to clarify that the vice president's role in overseeing Congress' certification of election results is ministerial as well as raising the threshold for challenging election results. MAGIC NUMBER: 650 — That's how many amendments to the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act were made in order for floor action by House Rules last night. The bill will hit the floor this afternoon. Nancy reported last night that none of the federal abortion protection amendments that were proposed made the cut, despite Democrats' looking at any and all avenues to protect abortion access after the Supreme Courts' Dobbs decision "We're looking at every which way to go to move the issue," McGovern said. But abortion amendments would amount to poison pills for Republicans and the NDAA is a must-pass bill. FIRST IN HUDDLE: MUSICAL CHAIRS — Jordain (who just can't stay out of the Senate) dived into the musical chairs awaiting Senate Republicans if they flip the chamber: Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) told POLITICO she expects to chair the Rules Committee if Republicans win the majority. At first glance, she might not be the most obvious successor—she's currently the 7th ranked Republican on the panel. But the current ranking member, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), is retiring, opening up the top spot. The No. 2 and 3 spots on the panel belong to Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who would be majority leader, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who is also retiring. After that, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)—who each are more senior than Fischer on the committee—are expected to grab other gavels. Cruz, a conservative firebrand, would take the top spot on Commerce, Capito is up next on Environment and Public Works and Wicker is expected to succeed Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) as the next top Republican on Armed Services.
| | A message from Air Line Pilots Association Intl.: Hearing a lot about a pilot shortage? Don't believe it. Airlines are cutting service to improve profits and are blaming the cuts on a "pilot shortage." They've even suggested more savings by reducing safety training for pilots. In reality, there are 1.5 certified pilots for every pilot job. Don't let airlines put profits over passengers' safety. Get the facts about pilot supply. | | | OUCH — Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) is back on Capitol Hill this week with a bandaged finger following a serious hand injury that threatened to need amputation. He gave reporters a play-by-play of the incident while he headed towards the chamber to vote, in minorly gory detail. "I was moving some rocks on my beach, I have a little beach on a bay and the Missouri River… rocks are like weeds to me, you know. So I picked one up, threw it, picked another one up, threw it, picked another one up and dropped it on my hand," Cramer said. "It rolled off and peeled off the tip of one finger and crushed another one." Cramer was in good spirits Tuesday taking questions about his injury. When a reporter asked if amputation was needed, he said no, but "I lost a little in the water," referring to part of his finger. "It's all put back together," he said. FIRST IN HUDDLE: PROGS PROBE SOCIAL SECURITY — The leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus – Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) — are trying to round up votes for legislation to shore up and expand Social Security benefits. Citing polling from the progressive organization Data for Progress, the three lawmakers said Social Security could be a crucial issue for voters and a winning issue for Democrats when compared to Republicans' plans. It's among the top issues for the Progressive Caucus, which has already endorsed the legislation in this Congress and in the last one. "Bringing Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust to the floor for a vote provides us with an opportunity to deliver a long-awaited promise to the American people and demonstrate to the American people that electing House Democrats will ensure that Social Security is strengthened and expanded," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to colleagues. Even if the legislation makes it to the House floor, it faces an uncertain future in the 50-50 Senate. JAN. 6 HEARING TAKEAWAYS — "The Jan. 6 select committee's Tuesday hearing, ostensibly focused on extremism, drove clearly toward a subtle goal: Stripping away doubt that Donald Trump was anything but a full participant in a plot to subvert the 2020 election. The former president wasn't duped into disbelieving his own loss by fringe lawyers and advisers, select committee members argued. Rather, he assembled that squad of enablers, overrode his more sober-minded staff and forged the path that led to the chaos engulfing the Capitol, they contended during their nearly three-hour seventh hearing," write Kyle and Nicholas. 'His own choices': Select panel says Trump — not his advisers — set Jan. 6 in motion
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | | NOT ON ZILLOW — But the Wall Street Journal's Mansions section has you covered. Longtime vacation home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her late husband Richard Blum near Aspen, Colo. is coming up for sale for $29.9 million. It is a stunner . "Mr. Blum and Sen. Feinstein shared several other homes across the country, most of which will remain Sen. Feinstein's," Michael Klein, the executor of Mr. Blum's estate and a longtime friend of the family told WSJ. PAY ALARM — Seven staff associations came together to air their concerns about a recent LegiStorm salary analysis that showed non-white staff in the Senate are paid thousands of dollars less per year than their white peers. "We seek commitment from Senators and senior staff to address this problem. It is unacceptable that an equally qualified Senate staffer of color will receive up to $12,000 less a year than their white counterparts," the staffer groups said in a joint statement. NOT SO FAST… Stephen Ayres, who pleaded guilty to entering the Capitol illegally on Jan. 6 and testified at yesterday's hearing, hugged and apologized to Capitol Police officers and D.C. Metropolitan Police at the hearing who defended that Capitol against the insurrection. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn made clear on Twitter that the apology didn't mean much… responding to a user who posted a photo of Ayres hugging him with the caption "An apology given and accepted" with this reply: "*Apology given… " MPD Officer Mike Fanone had similar feelings right after his interaction with Ayres: "Doesn't really do shit for me. I hope it does something for him," he told reporters. DR. MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE, ARRIVES — A statue of a Florida champion of civil rights and Black womens' rights today replaces Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith in the U.S. Capitol. An 11-foot tall marble statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune is set to be unveiled at the Capitol this morning as Florida's addition to the National Statuary Hall State Collection. Congressional leaders and Florida delegation members will attend the ceremony, along with the president of the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Statuary Fund, Inc. and the current president of Bethune-Cookman University, founded by the statue's honoree. The 6,000 lb statue was created by Nilda Coma, the first Hispanic master sculptor to create a statue for the National Statuary Hall State Collection. More on the statue (including a sneak peek) from NPR last year: This statue of Mary McLeod Bethune will soon make history at the U.S. Capitol TRANSITIONS Marissa Martinez started as communications director to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) this week. She replaced Dominique McKay, who recently returned to her role as Senior Director at Narrative Strategies. | | | | A message from Air Line Pilots Association Intl.:   | | | TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 10:30 a.m. with votes at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. AROUND THE HILL 10 a.m. Senate HELP Committee hearing on "barriers, challenges and threats to women's health" and reproductive care in a "post-Roe [v. Wade] America" (Hart 216). 10 a.m. House Oversight Committee hearing on the impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision on U.S. abortion access (Rayburn 2154). 10 a.m. House Veterans' Affairs Committee markup of 18 bills, including one that would establish within the VA a Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Veterans (HVC 210). 10:15 a.m. Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) hold a press conference following the Democratic Caucus meeting (Studio A). 10:45 a.m. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Reps. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) and Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) hold a press conference after the GOP Conference meeting (Studio A). Noon Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and other Senate Foreign Relations Committee Republicans hold a press conference on a migration report (Senate TV Studio). 2 p.m. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and other GOP Senators hold a press conference on inflation (Senate TV Studio). | | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) correctly answered that two former University of Michigan football players have been elected to Congress: Gerald R. Ford and Jon Runyan. TODAY'S QUESTION from Dent: The founder and patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America had a son who distinguished himself in Congress. Who was the son, what position did he hold in Congress, and why was that significant? 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. 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| | A message from Air Line Pilots Association Intl.: Airlines have invented a "pilot shortage" to justify cost cutting service reductions to smaller communities across the country. Airline profits are being prioritized over passenger service. The fact is America has 1.5 certified pilots for every pilot job. That's more than enough. But now airlines are recommending cuts to essential pilot safety training – just to put more pilots in service. This is the same training that has reduced airline fatalities by 99.8% since they were increased in 2010. There is no pilot shortage—don't be fooled. Proper training and diligence will maintain air travel's record as the safest mode of transportation. Get the facts about pilot supply. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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