| | | | |  | | By Anthony Adragna | Presented by Brennan Center for Justice | With assists from POLITICO’s Hill team
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Sen. Mitch McConnell's office told POLITICO the Kentucky Republican "plans to serve his full term" as minority leader. But others in the GOP are quietly contemplating an eventual change in party leadership. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo |
FROM MCCONNELL’S DESK: Burgess has a definitive look at how the Senate GOP is reacting to the minority leader’s health scare — by cautiously planning an eventual leadership transition. In a statement to POLITICO, Mitch McConnell’s office said he “appreciates the continued support of his colleagues, and plans to serve his full term in the job they overwhelmingly elected him to do.” More on that below.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS LEAVE WITH A LOSS Congress is officially going to have a nasty September. House lawmakers left town for six weeks on Thursday, a day earlier than scheduled, and it’s no mystery why. They passed only one of their 12 government funding measures amid an ugly floor fight, then leadership had to pull another (supposedly one of the less controversial spending bills) due to party infighting over abortion riders and cuts. As we predicted back in June, lawmakers are openly talking about a short-term fix — known as a continuing resolution or a CR — to keep the government’s lights on. Then, of course, they’ll just have some more time to deal with the same exact problems. “I think it's gonna be a challenge to get the two bills married,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). “And we may have to go through some CRs. I'd rather see us do short-term CRs than shut the government down.” Why it matters: Passing bills in the respective chambers was supposed to be the easier part. It only gets more difficult when the House and Senate have to merge their bills. Now, they have a ton of work to do in September, very little time to do it, and a government shutdown hanging over it all. They can pass a short-term patch, but they’ll have to make sure House conservatives are on board — hardly a given. Spending leaders are already predicting chaos. “I have been talking to our members about what's going to be a brutal September,” top Democrat on Appropriations Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.) told us. “I don't know where these folks are going to come out.” “I don't have much hope here,” echoed Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). House Republicans, he said, “couldn't run a one-car funeral, honestly.” Meanwhile, it has been easier over in the Senate, where the Appropriations Committee cleared all 12 spending bills as of Thursday for the first time in five years, with relatively smooth floor votes expected when senators return. Not exactly Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s favorite comparison, given Republicans want voters to give them both chambers plus the White House in 2024. In the Republican-controlled chamber, there’s absolutely no indication the intraparty fighting will let up in the coming weeks. Conservatives repeatedly vowed they won’t back down. House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) told our colleague Thursday: “We’re gonna win in September. We’re gonna get things done, and we’re gonna win.” “Our job is to get spending under control,” HFC member Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told Huddle. “We're gonna get that or we'll sit here.” Here’s some of the thorniest spending issues that lie ahead:
- Abortion policy: House Republicans have tucked anti-abortion language into several spending bills. The fight over the agriculture title illustrates the stark Republican divisions over delving into abortion in must-pass bills. It will only get worse once Senate Democrats, who have vowed to oppose the riders, enter the picture.
- FBI funding and HQ location: House Republicans have proposed slashing $1 billion from the bureau’s budget, a symptom of their rock-bottom relationship with the law enforcement agency. McCarthy has suggested he’d oppose funding for a new headquarters that has been pushed by other congressional leaders.
- Environmental and climate riders: Expect Republicans to push hard against a host of Biden administration climate change initiatives and environmental regulations, some of which Democrats just passed last year in their landmark climate, health care and tax law. They won’t let those go down easy.
| | | | A message from Brennan Center for Justice: The freedom to vote is on the line. Election deniers threaten the fairness and safety of our elections, and gerrymandering and big money dilute the power of voters. But that’s not the whole story — a growing pro-democracy movement is fighting for our freedoms. The Freedom to Vote Act would set baseline national standards to protect voting and prevent election deniers from interfering with our elections. Congress should pass the bill now. Our democracy can’t wait. Learn more. | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, July 28, where we’d argue there’s never been a stronger smell of jet fumes in the air. DAY TWO OF DRAMA OVER MCCONNELL’S HEALTH Some Republican senators are very informally and privately gaming out how and when they would transition to a new leader, Burgess reports, after McConnell’s infamous press conference freeze. We recommend reading his full story. We spent some time talking to Democrats about McConnell’s future. Unlike their colleagues, they’re not touching the issue. The chamber has struggled with more than its fair share of health issues lately, and senators are always hesitant to take aim over those problems. That extends to the leader of the opposing party. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who said he saw McConnell at an event later Wednesday, was quick to point out that the minority leader was speaking well at that point, hours after he had frozen at the press conference. “My prayers are with him,” said the West Virginia centrist, who McConnell is working fervently to oust. “Hopefully everything's in good shape.” Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), who missed a month following a stroke in 2022, said such courtesy on health issues should be common practice. “For all of our colleagues, I pray for them to be healthy and safe and strong,” he said in a brief interview. SENATE CLEARS NDAA Lawmakers cleared the annual defense policy bill on Thursday evening by an overwhelming 86-11. “The bipartisan process we went through to get here should be a glimmer of hope for the American people,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor to applause. Lawmakers ultimately considered 98 amendments to the legislation — 44 Democratic, 44 Republican and the rest bipartisan. Jockeying will now kick off to get onto the conference committee between the Senate and House to resolve significant differences in their bills.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: POLITICO’s California Playbook newsletter provides a front row seat to the Golden State’s political power centers, from inside the state Capitol and governor's mansion in Sacramento, to the mayor’s office and City Council and Los Angeles, to the influence of Silicon Valley. Authors Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner bring you exclusive news, buzzy scoops and behind-the-scenes details that you simply will not get anywhere else. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the game! | | | | | MELONI MEETS LAWMAKERS Remember far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who Democrats openly worried would support Russia in its war against Ukraine? Some face time assuaged their concerns. Senate Democrats left a bipartisan meeting with Meloni on Thursday with nary a negative word to say. They talked explicitly about Italian backing for Ukraine, with Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) saying after that the prime minister “has championed” Rome’s support for the embattled country. “She was very impressive. I mean, I don't say that for all of our leaders, but very impressive,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) told Huddle. The background: Meloni’s nationalist views and warm words for Russia — she’s praised President Vladimir Putin and opposed sanctioning Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine — sparked particular worry in Washington and Europe. But Meloni has since morphed into more of a mainstream conservative, setting up friendlier territory for Capitol Hill meetings that also included Schumer, McConnell and McCarthy. NO LABELS CUNNINGHAM DRAMA No Labels national director Joe Cunningham tried Thursday to defend his centrist group’s third-party presidential aspirations. He got a chilly response from at least one Senate office. Top Hill aides were briefed Thursday by speakers from the center-left group Third Way and the progressive organization MoveOn about what they see as the electoral perils of a third-party White House candidate. Cunningham, a former one-term Democrat from South Carolina, decided to email those aides with his retort. In that message to House and Senate chiefs of staff, Cunningham said that attempts to block No Labels from getting onto presidential ballots were “undemocratic attacks on voting rights and our Constitution” and that the group would “remain resolute in our mission.” How it played: Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) chief of staff Adam Jentleson replied back: “If you go through with this profoundly misguided vanity project you will go down as one of history’s most venal rubes, but hey man you do you." — Nicholas Wu and Burgess Everett
| | | | A message from Brennan Center for Justice:   | | | | | DeLauro has some new ink she was kind enough to show off to us. The Connecticut Democrat and senior appropriator said her granddaughter asked if DeLauro would get a tattoo with her when she turned 18. “I don't say no to my grandkids,” DeLauro told Huddle. “She has one on her back, and I have this” on her arm. Take a peek at the ink. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) overshared a bit in her remarks at Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) prayer breakfast earlier this week (we’re not going to repeat what she said here, so you’ll have to click the link). Mace later said she would “have extra to talk about on Sunday” with her pastor, who was at the breakfast. Rep. John James (R-Mich.), a West Point grad, did pushups with a group of 12 cadets visiting Washington. Kennedy exclaimed “I think you might have to put some of them in jail, Mr. President” to other senators after presiding officer Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) had to repeatedly gavel them down. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) tried to dodge what he at first thought was a mouse as he walked through a tunnel toward the Rayburn House Office Building. It was actually, he quickly realized, a large hairball floating down the basement path. “There’s nothing worse than seeing a rat running across the sidewalk right in front of you,” he told Jordain. (We agree.) House and Senate leaders have reappointed CBO Director Phillip Swagel, so-called Swaggy P, to a second four-year term for the nonpartisan role, expiring in January 2027. TRANSITIONS Gabi Westphal is now the D.C. office scheduler for Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.). She was previously a constituent services representative in his Janesville, Wis., district office. QUICK LINKS White House closely watching McConnell amid health scare, by Jennifer Haberkorn and Jonathan Lemire Vance sends a ‘wokeness’ questionnaire to State nominees, by Joe Gould and Nahal Toosi Jim Jordan pauses Mark Zuckerberg's contempt of Congress vote, by Rebecca Kern ‘You Are a P*ssy’: McCarthy and Swalwell Get in House Floor Feud, by Matt Fuller in The Daily Beast ‘No silver lining in slavery': Scott slams DeSantis on Florida curriculum comments, by Lucy Hodgman TODAY IN CONGRESS The Senate convenes at 11:45 a.m. for a pro forma session. The House convenes at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL Just the pro formas.
| | | | A message from Brennan Center for Justice: The freedom to vote is on the line. States have passed almost 100 laws rolling back voting rights in the 10 years since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Gerrymandering and big money undermine the voices of voters across the country. The American people rejected election deniers at the ballot box, but attempts to undermine safe and secure elections continue to spread. Every American should be able to cast a vote and make their voices heard – the Freedom to Vote Act is the pro-democracy bill that we need. It would establish baseline national standards that protect the freedom to vote and make it harder to manipulate elections. It would ban partisan gerrymandering and counter big money in politics, and it would protect voters of color. Americans support it, and they expect action: Congress should swiftly pass the Freedom to Vote Act. Learn more. | | | | | THURSDAY’S WINNER: Patrick Pizzella was first to correctly answer that President George W. Bush nominated three people to fill the Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (John Roberts, who was subsequently nominated to chief justice; Harriet Miers and Samuel Alito). TODAY’S QUESTION: Who is the most recent speaker to lose a reelection bid to their House seat? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to aadragna@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Daniella and Anthony on Twitter at @DaniellaMicaela and @AnthonyAdragna.
| | | | HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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