Subject: POLITICO Huddle – Presented by Grant Thornton: Senate poised to pass Ukraine package – U.S., ALLIES BOOT RUSSIA FROM G-8 – GOP Reps. won’t face special ethics panel -- MAN THREATENS MANCHIN’S LIFE -- McCaskill: Hillary and I aren’t ‘besties’
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 06:39:00 -0600

By Scott Wong (
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SENATE POISED TO PASS UKRAINE PACKAGE, BIG HURDLES REMAIN - Seung Min Kim and Burgess Everett report for the hometown paper: "The Senate easily advanced a package of aid and sanctions in response to the Russian incursion into Ukraine on Monday, but a final deal is being bogged down by a controversial push to reform the International Monetary Fund. With the help of 26 Republicans, the Ukraine bill cleared a key procedural vote on Monday on a 78-17 vote. That strong showing could collapse if Republicans don't have an opportunity to offer and vote on amendments. Still, there are at least several GOP lawmakers who will likely support any Ukraine package, virtually ensuring final passage later
 this week.

-- "But the bill won't get to President Barack Obama's desk anytime soon because the House and Senate are at an impasse over including the IMF changes. The Senate bill includes the provision, which the Obama administration says is critical, but the House has already passed legislation that doesn't include IMF-related language. A key House panel is slated to take up another package on Tuesday that again ignores the administration's IMF push." 
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-- THE IMF'S CHRISTINE LAGARD, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: "Congress Can Help the U.S. By Reforming The IMF: The past few years are a stark reminder why we need an international &#39;first responder&#39; backed by ample resources." 
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U.S., ALLIES BOOT RUSSIA FROM G-8 - POLITICO's Carrie Budoff Brown and Tal Kopan report from The Hague - "President Barack Obama and leaders of the biggest Western economies on Monday suspended Russia from the Group of Eight, in a yet another bid to punish President Vladimir Putin for annexing part of Ukraine. The G-7 countries will now meet in Brussels rather than attend the planned G-8 summit in Sochi. The announcement, which came after an emergency meeting on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit, had been expected since Russia sent troops into Crimea three weeks ago. The leaders are trying to isolate Russia politically and economically, but the suspension also aimed to bruise
 Putin's ago. He cares about Russia's prestige and standing on the world stage, administration officials said, so his exclusion from the group should sting." 
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OBAMA MOVES TO END NSA'S BULK DATA SWEEPS - Charlie Savage writes on A1 of the New York Times: "The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a legislative proposal for a far-reaching overhaul of the National Security Agency's once-secret bulk phone records program in a way that - if approved by Congress - would end the aspect that has most alarmed privacy advocates since its existence was leaked last year, according to senior administration officials. Under the proposal, they said, the N.S.A. would end its systematic collection of data about Americans' calling habits. The bulk records would stay in the hands of phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any
 longer than they normally would. And the N.S.A. could obtain specific records only with permission from a judge, using a new kind of court order." 
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CANTOR'S REBRANDING - Robert Costa writes on A1 of the Washington Post: "Every week, Eric Cantor huddles in a Capitol Hill basement meeting room with House conservatives, seeking their input on legislation. As House majority leader, he has been a trusted liaison between those activists and the Republican leadership. Yet in recent days, Cantor (Va.) has begun laying out a far more centrist agenda than the one espoused by the core conservatives who have long formed his power base. Putting aside his past emphasis on broad cuts to federal programs, he has become an advocate for research on pediatric cancer, passing legislation that would increase funding for the National Institutes of Health.

-- "Cantor has begun talking about urban poverty, visiting charter schools to explore education reform, and has sought alliances with African American lawmakers, traveling to Mississippi to appear at a civil rights event and honor Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). And he has maneuvered behind the scenes to push House Republicans toward an eventual floor vote on a plan to legalize certain illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. The shift, which has rankled some House conservatives, underscores the political challenge confronting Cantor in the lead-up to this year's midterm elections. Even as he strives to repair the GOP's battered image with voters and hold together a
 fractious conference, Cantor, 50, is trying to remain the heir apparent to Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)." 
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BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH SNOW THIS YEAR - NBC4 reports: "A winter weather advisory is in effect for most of the D.C. area Tuesday through 8 p.m., with an advisory for Anne Arundel and Charles counties and the city of Baltimore lasting through midnight. As winter weather moves through the D.C. area Tuesday, it could bring 1-3 inches of snow. While this should be a relatively low-impact event, what snow we&#39;ll get will coincide with the morning rush hour, becoming a nuisance for commuters. The inclement weather should begin as flurries. It may initially accumulate on untreated surfaces until 11 a.m., and then only on grassy areas during the afternoon as temperatures will rise above
 freezing. What snow does accumulate will range from one to two inches in the D.C. metro area, and two to four inches west of Interstate 95." 
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GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 25, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, where some light snow flurries have just started descending on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to 
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TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 10 a.m. and will continue debate on the Ukraine aid and sanctions package. The House also is in at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 2 and 3 p.m. on the Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America and a bill to rename a post office.

AROUND THE HILL - Sen. Ben Cardin speaks at The Atlantic's Tax Policy Summit at 8:50 a.m. at The Newseum. Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaks at an "All Things Connected Forum" at 9 a.m. at the Washington Post. Speaker John Boehner and other GOP leaders hold a post-conference availability at 10 a.m. in HC-8. Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and Vice Chairman Joe Crowley hold a post-meeting availability on immigration at 10 a.m. in the HVC-210 alcove. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and ranking member Dutch Ruppersberger speak on FISA Improvement legislation at 11 a.m. in HVC Studio A. John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid host the Norman Borlaug statue
 dedication at 11 a.m. in Statuary Hall.

Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad briefing at 11 a.m. in H-144. Rep. Diane Black, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn and others speak on SCOTUS arguments on the HHS Mandate at 12:15 p.m. at the House Triangle. Reps. Louise Slaughter, Diana DeGette and the Pro-Choice Caucus speak on Hobby Lobby oral arguments at 2 p.m. in HVC Studio A. Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn speaks at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Annual Legislative Summit at 7 p.m. at the Rotunda Room at 101 Constitution Ave. NW.

W.VA. MAN ARRESTED FOR THREATENING MANCHIN - Travis Crum reports for the Charleston Gazette: "Steven Anthony Major, 49, was arrested Friday and charged with influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Charleston. According to the complaint unsealed Monday, Major made at least three phone calls to Manchin&#39;s offices in Charleston and Washington, D.C., between March 17 and 20. Major identified himself and told the senator to 'stay out of the State of West Virginia,' according to the complaint. He allegedly said, 'You a dead man, you don&#39;t [expletive] with
 me.' Major also threatened Manchin&#39;s family, according to the complaint, and said, 'Your kids and your wife are done' and '[Senator Manchin] and his family [are] going to have bullets in their brain.'" 
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DEATH TOLL RISES TO 14 IN WASH. STATE MUDSLIDE - The Seattle Times reports: "Rescuers Monday found six more bodies in a milewide swath of mud and debris that plunged from a Snohomish County hillside, as reports of those still missing jumped to 176. So far, 14 people have been confirmed dead after the massive mudslide came down from above the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, crossed over it, plowed through homes and onto Highway 530 about 11 a.m. Saturday.Search conditions are dismal. .. The National Guard is expected to arrive early Tuesday to aid the search." 
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-- The Washington State delegation led a moment of silence for the mudslide victims on the House floor Monday night.
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MALAYSIA PM: FLIGHT 370 'ENDED' IN INDIAN OCEAN - M. Jegathesan reports for AFP: "Malaysia said Monday its missing airliner had crashed in the Indian Ocean, extinguishing the hopes of relatives of those on board but shedding no light on why it veered so far off course. A sombre Prime Minister Najib Razak said a new analysis of satellite data on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370&#39;s path placed its last position in remote waters off Australia&#39;s west coast, 'far from any possible landing sites.' 'It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean,' Najib said. The plane went missing on March
 8 with 239 people aboard -- two thirds of them Chinese -- en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. A text message sent to relatives ahead of Najib&#39;s announcement said that 'we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived.'" 
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RUBIO'S UBER LESSON IN FREE MARKETS -- Alex Leary and Kathleen McGrory report for the Tampa Bay Times: "When Sen. Marco Rubio wanted to take his family to dinner in the nation&#39;s capital on Sunday, he got out his iPhone and ordered a car from Uber. But when he recently talked up the service while home in Florida, he was blocked. 'Up comes a message saying, &#39;Sorry we can&#39;t pick you up in Miami because your county commission won&#39;t allow it,&#39;' Rubio said Monday while visiting Uber&#39;s Washington office. In Uber, which has felt resistance from the taxicab industry in cities across the country, Rubio sees a lesson in free-market enterprise and the stifling effect of
 regulation. 'We do need regulations to protect the consumer from unfair practices and to protect the safety of the public,' Rubio said. 'But what regulation should never be is a weapon that is used by connected and established industry to crowd out innovation and competitors.'" 
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REPS. CAROLYN MALONEY (D-N.Y.) AND MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TENN.) testify before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental on a bill to study the creation of a National Women's History Museum. 2 p.m. in 1334 Longworth.

McCASKILL: HILLARY AND I AREN'T 'BESTIES' - "U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill on Monday dismissed reports of an icy relationship with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton," Nicholas J.C. Pistor writes for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 'She and I are fine,' McCaskill said. At a meeting with the Post-Dispatch editorial board, McCaskill said that she strongly supports Clinton for president in 2016, if the speculated candidacy turns into a reality. She described their current relationship in positive terms.She said the two have spoken and that Clinton has invited her to her home. 'Are we besties for the rest of our lives?' McCaskill asked. 'No.' But, McCaskill, who has already endorsed Clinton,
 said she is excited for her possible candidacy. Reports of turmoil surfaced this year with a new book, HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton.The book reported that Clinton was upset with McCaskill over comments made during a Meet the Press debate in 2006 when asked about Bill Clinton&#39;s presidency. 'He's been a great leader, but I don't want my daughter near him,' McCaskill said." 
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GOP'S CMR, MULLIN WON'T FACE SPECIAL ETHICS PANELS - POLITICO's John Bresnahan has the story: "The House Ethics Committee will not appoint a special investigative panel to look into allegations that Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) improperly used official funds in a Republican leadership race and to cover campaign-related activities. But the secretive committee will not formally drop the case against McMorris Rodgers. Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) will continue to review the matter under their own authority, although there is little likelihood that McMorris Rodgers will face any charges or sanctions. The Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent
 watchdog, recommended that the Ethics Committee conduct a full probe into the case after a former aide came forward with the claims against his ex-boss." 
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-- OKLAHOMA REP. MARKWAYNE MULLIN's ties to his plumbing companies also will not be probed by a special investigative panel, but the House Ethics Committee will continue to review the arrangement. 
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JIM REBHORN, 'HOMELAND' ACTOR, PENS HIS OWN OBIT - "James Robert Rebhorn was born on Sept. 1, 1948, in Philadelphia, PA. His mother, Ardell Frances Rebhorn, nee Hoch, loved him very much and supported all his dreams. She taught him the value of good manners and courtesy, and that hospitality is no small thing. His father, James Harry Rebhorn, was no less devoted to him. From him, Jim learned that there is no excuse for poor craftsmanship. A job well done rarely takes more or less time than a job poorly done. They gave him his faith and wisely encouraged him to stay in touch with God. ...

-- "He is also survived by his wife, Rebecca Fulton Linn, and his two daughters, Emma Rebecca Rebhorn and Hannah Linn Rebhorn. They anchored his life and gave him the freedom to live it. Without them, always at the center of his being, his life would have been little more than a vapor. Rebecca loved him with all his flaws, and in her the concept of ceaseless love could find no better example. ... Jim was fortunate enough to earn his living doing what he loved. He was a professional actor. His unions were always there for him, and he will remain forever grateful for the benefits he gained as a result of the union struggle. Without his exceptional teachers and the representation of the best
 agents in the business, he wouldn't have had much of a career. He was a lucky man in every way." 
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MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Shelby Boxenbaum was first to correctly name the states that currently have a woman serving as governor: Nikki Haley (South Carolina), Jan Brewer (Arizona), Susana Martinez (New Mexico), Mary Fallin (Oklahoma), and Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire).

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Jeff Pudlo offers a tough question today: What row in the Senate chamber was Charles Sumner&#39;s desk located during his infamous caning incident in 1856. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at 
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** The cash method of accounting has long been recognized as the appropriate method of accounting for pass-through businesses. It's simple, fair and requires taxpayers to pay tax only when they actually receive income. Forcing businesses to change to the accrual method would be disruptive, complex and unfair. It would add unnecessary compliance burdens and hurt the nation's efforts to grow. The U.S. can't afford damaging its economic jobs engine by forcing a conversion to the accrual method of accounting.

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