| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With an assist from Daniela Diaz GOP ENERGY BANK — House Republicans are moving their signature energy bill to the floor today, although it already faces a veto threat from President Joe Biden. Democrats oppose the measure in part because it would scrap much of the Biden administration's major accomplishments of the last Congress: the $369 billion in climate and clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act. But Republicans are hoping that this package will set the stage for bipartisan talks on overhauling the federal government's process for permitting energy projects (which some in the GOP hope to tie into debt limit negotiations). The package includes measures to promote domestic mining of critical minerals, open public lands to more energy development and to streamline environmental reviews. Power plays: The House will consider thirty seven amendments to the package this week, on the strategic petroleum reserve, gas stoves, the Communist Party of China, tree trimming, uranium and so, so much more. Related read: A closer look at the big House GOP energy package, from Jeremy Dillon, Kelsey Brugger, Nico Portuondo, Hannah Northey at E&E News NOM LIFE ISN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE — Democrats breathed a sigh of relief that this Congress, without the 50-50 divide in the Senate, that President Joe Biden’s nominees would be on a glidepath. But instead they’re hitting turbulence. Sure, Sen. Tommy Tubberville (R-Ala.) is holding up confirmation of Pentagon nominees in response to the Defense Department moving forward to allow access to abortion and other reproductive care for troops. But that is far from the only bump in the road. At Senate Judiciary, Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is in a bind with Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) absence due to illness. (The Senate isn’t 50-50 but margins still matter.) “I can’t consider nominees ... A tie vote is a losing vote on the committee.” But the real angst has been over the two high profile Biden administration nominees that have withdrawn from consideration in the last two months and a new one who is facing a tough road ahead. Phil Washington, tapped to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, backed out over the weekend after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) voiced opposition and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) stayed undecided. FCC nominee Gigi Sohn withdrew earlier this month after being twice nominated by Biden for a position on the commission. Julie Su got no GOP support in her 2021 bid for deputy Labor Secretary. Burgess, Daniella and Daniel Lippman dig into this bumpy ride for Biden noms and what Julie Su faces on her path to lead the Labor Department. Related read: Ted Cruz helped kill Biden’s FAA nominee. Now he has thoughts about a replacement, from Alex Daugherty
| | A message from the Association of American Railroads: America’s freight railroads are driving toward a future with zero incidents and injuries. We’re working as hard as possible to prevent future derailments by instituting new comprehensive practices and technologies. Our safety standards have long exceeded what is federally required and now we’re taking that even further. Learn how we’re going to keep getting safer. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, March 28, where the Senate gauntlet can still shred nominees. SENATE STAFFER ATTACKED — A suspect was arrested Monday afternoon for a stabbing attack on a Senate aide on Friday afternoon on H Street N.E. D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department arrested 42-year-old Glynn Neal, of Southeast, D.C., and charged him with “assault with intent to kill” with a knife. Neal allegedly stabbed Senate Homeland Security Committee staffer Phillip Todd multiple times, causing life-threatening injuries. Todd was walking east when Neal allegedly came from around a corner and stabbed Todd multiple times. Todd was transported to the hospital after attempting to defend himself against his attacker. Your Huddle host reached out to Todd, both for comment and to wish him well in his recovery. Chairman Rand Paul: “This past weekend a member of my staff was brutally attacked in broad daylight in Washington, D.C. I ask you to join Kelley and me in praying for a speedy and complete recovery, and thanking the first responders, hospital staff, and police for their diligent actions. We are relieved to hear the suspect has been arrested. At this time we would ask for privacy so everyone can focus on healing and recovery.” Bureau of Federal Prisons records show that Neal was released from prison the day before the attack. He was sentenced in March 2011 to 12 years in prison stemming from first-degree sex abuse charges for forcing two women into prostitution with threats to beat or kill them. NO PISTOL BRACE MARKUP — The House Judiciary Committee was slated to mark up a resolution that would overturn a rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that tightens regulations on pistol stabilizing braces. They’ve postponed, following the mass shooting at a Nashville, Tennessee, school on Monday.
| | | | JOIN POLITICO ON 4/5 FOR THE 2023 RECAST POWER LIST: America’s demographics and power dynamics are changing — and POLITICO is recasting how it covers the intersection of race, identity, politics and policy. Join us for a conversation on the themes of the 2023 Recast Power List that will examine America’s decision-making tables, who gets to sit at them, and the challenges that still need to be addressed. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) says "no one is going to out border" him. (Photo by Alex Wong) | Getty Images | BORDER BILL BATTLE — Texas Republican Tony Gonzales says "No one is going to out border me, ever." But that’s tough when a package of border bills he really can’t stand are expected to move later this month. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told Sarah on Monday that the House Judiciary Committee plans to take up the package of eight border bills (including one of his own) after the two week Easter and Passover recess. The Judiciary panel scrapped a planned markup of the eight border measures this week. "There's a lot of unanimity in the conference, and one or two people have kind of put themselves on islands. We'll see what happens," Roy said, taking a thinly veiled shot at Gonzales for his opposition. Gonzales separately told reporters he has "some serious issues with some of the Judiciary bills," but mostly Roy's. He said it would be “best” to get the bills “fixed ahead of time, [rather] than see them go down in burning flames on the House floor." House Republicans met on the border package on Monday, with discussions both in the GOP committee chairs meeting and a separate huddle including Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Florida Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Antonio Gimenez. The border package and the House GOP approach to moving forward were topics in multiple meetings on Monday. Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Jordan (R-Ohio) are planning for their panels to mark up their pieces of the package by the end of April, with sights set on early May for floor action, per Jordain. Bills from the Homeland, Judiciary and Foreign Affairs panels could be merged together, possibly in the House Rules Committee, to make a larger border package. ISRAEL UNREST — Senators landed back in Washington on Monday just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to pause a divisive plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system, a plan that sparked mass protests and unprecedented strikes. Netanyahu said he was postponing voting on the judicial overhaul to allow time to reach a consensus. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who visited Israel just four weeks ago, said in a floor speech that he welcomed the news of the delay but warned that “the last thing Israel needs is divisiveness at home” given the threats the nation faces from Iran. “I echo the call of president Herzog to find a compromise. It is a good step that the legislation is put on hold,” Schumer said. “I urge Prime Minister Netanyahu: come to a compromise before pushing forward again. Isaac Herzog has the trust of all parties and is the right person to trust to come up with a compromise. I urge both sides to work with him.” Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Israel is “going through what democracies go through when the electorate is unhappy with what the government's doing.” He avoided taking a stance on the Netanyahu legislation, stressing that the courts “are not a constitutional authority in Israel. So the effect of a repeal or redoing or whatever they're doing with them, I can't speak to. Because I don't know.” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) stressed that U.S.-Israel relations are “critically important” and that he supports the security arrangements the countries share before criticizing Netanyahu and his policies. “I certainly don't support the policies of the Netanyahu government as relates to what he's trying to do with the judiciary. I think it's wrong. I think it's wrong fundamentally to the democratic principles of Israel. And you're seeing the protests within Israel, it’s dividing the country. I hope he finds an off ramp on that.”
| | | | A message from the Association of American Railroads:   | | | POWELL’S LUNCH DATE — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to join the Republican Study Committee's weekly lunch on Wednesday. He'll visit the largest group of House Republicans to talk about banking issues, budget and debt limit. FIRST IN HUDDLE — Democratic Reps. Judy Chu (Calif.) and Bobby Scott (Va.), the ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, are re-introducing the Protecting Our Workers from Exploitation and Retaliation (POWER) Act, which would offer undocumented immigrants certain labor-related instances. One of the main things the legislation would do is allow immigrants to qualify for a U-visa, which is a specific type of visa for victims of crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse, while a complaint is being investigated. Read bill text and press release.
| | | Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) got to hang with members of the E Street Band, who have supported his cancer battle. Cupcakes a billion?… Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee are giving away 100 cupcakes (first come, first served) to remind Republicans they can have “have your cupcake and eat it too,” and to plug the $1 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate energy permitting. QUICK LINKS No ‘Social Policy’ in Chips Act Rules, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Says, from Sabrina Siddiqui and Yuka Hayashi at The Wall Street Journal No Longer at Starbucks Helm, Howard Schultz Is the Focus at Labor Hearing, from Noam Scheiber and Julie Creswell at The New York Times Nashville shooter was ex-student with detailed plan to kill, from Jonathan Mattise, Travis Loller and Holly Meyer at The Associated Press TRANSITIONS Matt Shapanka is now special counsel at Covington & Burling’s Public Policy and Election and Political Law practices. He previously was chief counsel for the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Maya Valentine is now comms director for Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.). She previously was press secretary for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Sarah Young will be the communications director for Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio). She was previously the communications director for Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas). Alvin Cubb Jr. is now scheduler for Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.). He most recently was staff assistant for Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). Athina Lawson is now deputy comms director for the House Appropriations Committee. She was previously director of public affairs at PLUS Communications. Deidre Alexander is now assistant legislative director for Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). She previously was a policy analyst and community engagement consultant at the ACLU of Mississippi. Madison Hall is now policy adviser and director of operations for Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.). She most recently was director of policy and research for South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. Matt Fisher is now press secretary for Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.). He most recently was Ohio press secretary for the Republican National Committee. Clara Cargile is now legislative director for Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas). She was previously Pfluger’s senior policy advisor and is a Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) alum.
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of the repeal of authorizations for use of military force against Iraq, with votes at 11:30 a.m. on amendments from Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Pete Rickets (R-Neb.) The Senate will vote at 2:30 p.m. on amendments from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and at 5:15 p.m. on amendments from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). AROUND THE HILL 10 a.m. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and House Republican leaders hold a press conference. (HC-8) 10 a.m. Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Bob Good (R-Va.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) hold a press conference to propose more solutions on the debt ceiling. (HVC Studio B) 10 a.m. House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Health and Human Services Department’s fiscal 2024 budget request, with testimony from HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. (2358-C Rayburn) 10 a.m. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “Recent Bank Failures and the Federal Regulatory Response,” with testimony from FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg. (106 Dirksen) 10:45 a.m. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) holds a news conference. (Studio A) 11:30 a.m. House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee hearing on the House of Representatives’ fiscal 2024 budget request. (HT-2 Capitol) 1 p.m. Hearing on the Architect of the Capitol’s fiscal 2024 budget request. (HT-2 Capitol) 2 p.m. Scalise holds a press conference on the Lower Energy Costs Act. (Studio A) 2 p.m. Senate Democratic and GOP leaders hold separate press conferences following closed door caucus lunches. (Ohio Clock Corridor) 2:30 p.m. Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department’s fiscal 2024 funding request, with Attorney General Merrick Garland. (192 Dirksen)
| | | MONDAY’S WINNER: Matthew Messina correctly answered that Angella Reid was the first female Chief Usher at the White House, appointed by President Barack Obama. TODAY’S QUESTION from Matthew: Who was the first U.S. President to be born in a hospital? 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 the Association of American Railroads: America’s freight railroads have a history of being safe—mainline accidents reached an all-time low in 2022. But we know there is still work to be done to reach a future with zero incidents. Immediate steps we are taking toward that goal include:
1. Installing thousands of additional accident-preventing detectors,
2. Establishing safety-first standards for stopping trains and inspecting bearings,
3. Training 20,000 first responders nationwide on accident mitigation,
4. Leading an industry-wide re-evaluation to improve tank car fire protection,
5. Proactively removing wheel sets that posed an increased risk of derailment from service,
And more. Rail is essential to keeping the U.S. economy strong, but we also recognize we must regain the trust of the communities we serve. That’s why we’re never going to stop improving, so that every part of America can continue to rely on rail to safely and efficiently deliver. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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