Subject: POLITICO Huddle: Presented by the Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food -- TRUMP EVADES DRAFT DEFERMENT SPECIFICS – Menendez vocal as ever on Iran – CUBA EMBASSY OPENS – Obama golfs with House Dems – BATTLE LINES DRAWN ON EX-IM
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 06:38:54 -0600

By Seung Min Kim (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked]  or @seungminkim)

TRUMP EVADES SPECIFICS ON DRAFT DEFERMENT - This must-read from our David Rogers, a combat infantry medic during the Vietnam War: "The New York billionaire, who was a genuine student-athlete in his youth, came away with a medical deferment in 1968 owing to bone spurs in both heels, according to his latest explanation. But in seeking to downplay that exemption as 'minor' and 'short-term,' Trump's campaign raises more questions than it answers as to how he sidestepped military service during the war."

--"This is not a new controversy for the wealthy New Yorker. But this weekend, Trump made himself more of a target with his attacks on Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a Navy veteran who spent years as a POW in Hanoi. And much as Trump insists that the decisive factor was his high number in the December 1969 draft lottery, the real question is how he stayed out of the draft for the nearly 18 months before." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7dccbca358cab1990f8cd96dc80e9ab75c676fdcd0f8ddda3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7dccbca358cab1990f8cd96dc80e9ab75c676fdcd0f8ddda3 

** Huddle programming note: The above story is the one and only time we will include anything about Donald Trump in your morning congressional newsletter. **

TRIAL DOESN'T QUIET MENENDEZ ON IRAN - Manu Raju and Burgess Everett for POLITICO: "In the days since the Obama administration unveiled its historic nuclear deal with Iran, the New Jersey senator has made clear he intends to be the same outspoken critic of the accord with Tehran as he was before he lost his top position on the powerful Foreign Relations Committee after a 14-count federal indictment. His more aggressive stance is a pronounced shift from the low profile Menendez has kept in recent months as the Iran negotiations unfolded and he prepared for a fall trial, and it has drawn the attention of fellow senators."

--"Asked during an interview if his legal case would detract from his opposition to the Iran agreement, Menendez said indignantly: 'You're the first member of the press to ask me that. The answer is no. Has it stopped me now? Has it stopped me at any time throughout process? Absolutely not.' And when Tony Blinken, a senior State Department official, asked Menendez in a Tuesday telephone call how he could help the senator better understand the deal, Menendez responded: 'Asking me that question doesn't help me understand the deal.'" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc768f5f0c3d363e1e500c745cac0d30cf09318d98b985c196a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc768f5f0c3d363e1e500c745cac0d30cf09318d98b985c196a 

--The State Department has now submitted the Iran agreement to Congress for review, which means the 60-day period kicks off Monday. But the lobbying campaign has already heated up, per Deb Riechmann of the AP: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc776a73ceca619f5ba401ad85676cff81e32b925324bfebacd 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc776a73ceca619f5ba401ad85676cff81e32b925324bfebacd 

--Is it the start of golf diplomacy? President Obama hit the links with three House Democrats on Sunday - Reps. Joe Courtney of Connecticut, John Yarmuth of Kentucky and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado. USA Today: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7352020cce9c1e020febbd12daba04a4187ece2fd6f662f0c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7352020cce9c1e020febbd12daba04a4187ece2fd6f662f0c 

@ChadPergram: Rep Yarmuth says Obama didn&#39;t 'talk shop' nor lobby them on Iran deal during golf game today.

U.S., CUBA TO OPEN EMBASSIES TODAY - Alex Leary for the Tampa Bay Times: "Fifty-four years of Cold War hostility between the United States and Cuba ends Monday with the re-establishment of diplomatic ties and the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana. A ceremony today in Washington will see the Cuban flag rise before what has been known as the 'Cuban Interests Section' on 16th Street NW. The U.S. embassy will be crowned in Havana as well, though a flag ceremony will be held later this summer with Secretary of State John Kerry."

--"The Cuban flag will go up at the State Department, alongside flags of other countries the U.S. has diplomatic relations with, and Kerry will meet at 1 p.m. with his counterpart, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. The historic occasion comes amid swift action between the two countries, separated by 90 miles, which cut off ties in 1961 after Fidel Castro's Communist government took over." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7c46b65ba7e6011d97fca0222132c06e69ddce9db82ab03a6 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7c46b65ba7e6011d97fca0222132c06e69ddce9db82ab03a6 

--Felicia Schwartz writes for the Wall Street Journal on how expanding the normalized relations with Cuba through Congress is (still) a significant uphill battle: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc79e18d42523cdb3bd966605c678ae2ec7b3b4611c907a653c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc79e18d42523cdb3bd966605c678ae2ec7b3b4611c907a653c . For example, Florida GOP Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen will a presser in Miami later today to denounce the embassy openings.

--Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), one of the fiercest critics of Obama's Cuba policy (and a 2016 hopeful), out with a statement this a.m.: "Cuba is not just some small island with old cars; it is a country controlled by a despotic regime that provides a safe haven and base of forward operations to Russia and China in our own hemisphere." Along with Monday's U.N. vote on Iran, Rubio calls this "Obama's Capitulation Monday."

--Despite the GOP furor, public opinion appears to be tilting in favor of Obama's policy. A CBS News poll out today says 58 percent of Americans favor normalizing relations with Cuba, while 24 percent oppose: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7629fcc3c57b0617aa5e7e45f89181b493181ac40b2f6130f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7629fcc3c57b0617aa5e7e45f89181b493181ac40b2f6130f 

SUNDAY SHOW WRAP-UP -

--Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz pull a joint Full Ginsburg to sell the Iran deal. On CNN, Kerry says the administration got the best possible agreement, while Moniz on ABC defends a provision that allows Iran to delay inspections for 24 days. POLITICO: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc76b0f6b302574b1fd51efa8bd39ed9493f966469e122a24a0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc76b0f6b302574b1fd51efa8bd39ed9493f966469e122a24a0 

--Following the fatal military shootings in Chattanooga, Tenn., last week, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) warns that a domestic terror attack can happen "anywhere, anytime, any place." From ABC News: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc79c1528b622f9e4c68930403f651ed47ad6f7d0ed29611def 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc79c1528b622f9e4c68930403f651ed47ad6f7d0ed29611def 

--And on CBS, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) says she believes the Chattanooga attack was a "classic, lone wolf terrorist attack" and she adds: "Here&#39;s somebody who had guns, who knew how to use them, who may have been aggrieved by one thing or another." CBS News: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc75ddac15fb83cfeecbd5588bb32ecdb0490a495cbbd437543 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc75ddac15fb83cfeecbd5588bb32ecdb0490a495cbbd437543 

TRANSITIONS - Sarah Lovenheim is starting Wednesday as the new communications director for House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra of California. Lovenheim heads back to the Hill from Young Invincibles. She writes in her farewell email: "It has been my great privilege to talk with you about the biggest economic challenges facing Millennials while here, and I hope to keep in touch!" CQ Roll Call writes up her move: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc754f520235c068042da69d96a6c211c59197372b0f20d74cb 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc754f520235c068042da69d96a6c211c59197372b0f20d74cb 

Brian Reisinger, press secretary for Sen. Lamar Alexander, wrapped up his final day for the Tennessee Republican on Friday. The former journalist emails friends and colleagues: "It's been an honor and a thrill to work for the senator, both on the campaign trail and in the U.S. Senate, and to be part of such an exceptional team." He's staying secretive about his next steps for now, but adds: "Details to come, but meantime know that I hope to cross paths with all of you again soon."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced several staffing changes in his Senate office: Rachael Slobodien becomes communications director, Phil Novack - who has been with Cruz since October -- is promoted to press secretary and Heidi Watson has been hired as media booker and press assistant. Slobodien worked at the Heritage Foundation as manager of media affairs and Watson joins Cruz's staff from the House Committee on Small Business.

Matthew Kravitz, press secretary for Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and frequent Huddle trivia player, is headed off to Durham, N.C. with his girlfriend. His successor in Garamendi's Washington office is Dante Atkins.

** A message from the Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food: The bipartisan Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act puts in place a uniform, science-based food labeling framework that ensures consumer choice and is regulated at the federal level, just as it has been for decades. Tell Congress to pass the Safe & Accurate Food Labeling Act this week! Learn more: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7af6ac0dd0fdd7fe2635049fea1fe8eb5a063b41b1c1fc051 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7af6ac0dd0fdd7fe2635049fea1fe8eb5a063b41b1c1fc051  **

WELCOME TO MONDAY, JULY 20, 2015 and welcome to the Huddle. Enjoy the quiet Monday before the final July mad dash. I'm at 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked]  and on Twitter at @seungminkim.

My new followers include @Socarides and @DanAlfaro.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - An extended weekend.

AROUND THE HILL - Are people even here today?

EX-IM BATTLE LINES DRAWN - Your Huddle host with Lauren French: "Just three weeks ago, lawmakers quietly let the little-known Export-Import Bank expire, handing Republican conservatives one of their biggest victories since they took control of Congress. But now an effort to resurrect the bank, led by Democrats and business-backed Republicans, could trigger open warfare within the GOP. And the battle over Ex-Im could upend a must-pass highway bill that lawmakers are scrambling to pass before the end of the month."

--"A clear majority of both the House and Senate support the Export-Import Bank ... Sixty House Republicans have publicly supported the bank, and 180 House Democrats are on record backing the agency. Meanwhile, 65 senators, including 22 Republicans, voted in favor of the bank in a key test vote in June. But a majority of Senate Republicans, including its top four leaders, voted against the bank in that key vote, and conservative forces both on and off Capitol Hill believe a majority of the House GOP oppose it as well. At least 95 House Republicans have indicated publicly that they won't support the bank." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc76e488611b4d62421d3c6d175cd22830c72979b46b6617d45 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc76e488611b4d62421d3c6d175cd22830c72979b46b6617d45 

--Just in case the highway bill (and accompanying Ex-Im debate) wasn't difficult enough, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is threatening to add Planned Parenthood into the mix. Niels Lesniewski for CQ Roll Call: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7e29e02b1e4b685498e1dd0689f291aab1b797b00d357e91d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7e29e02b1e4b685498e1dd0689f291aab1b797b00d357e91d 

--Meanwhile, AP's Andy Taylor raises the prospect of Christmas at the U.S. Capitol: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc737c38a0cbfbfa79af32365da4a4c9f21c59eb5a9fc62d8a4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc737c38a0cbfbfa79af32365da4a4c9f21c59eb5a9fc62d8a4 

GOP MODERATES PREP GAY-RIGHTS FIGHT - Colby Itkowitz for the Washington Post: "Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) doesn't really understand why congressional Republicans are again focusing their limited time on lightning-rod social issues, but if they're going to force the debate, he's hoping to soften any blowback ... [L]egislation being pushed by some congressional Republicans - dubbed the First Amendment Defense Act - ... [resembles] the statute that sparked controversy in Indiana. If the bill comes to the floor, Dent has prepared an amendment to limit the language and tack on enhanced nondiscrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7f971fa3673330c552a63347db2b9e37c34b9be0d4366bcb1 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7f971fa3673330c552a63347db2b9e37c34b9be0d4366bcb1 

REID REFUNDS $864K TO DONORS - Steve Tetreault for the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Some 350 individuals, Indian tribes and political action committees received the windfalls ranging from $100 to $5,000, according to records at the Federal Election Commission. They varied from regular citizens to recognizable names such as Steve Jobs's widow, Laurene Powell Jobs ($2,600), Las Vegas philanthropist Elaine Wynn ($2,400) and Walt Disney Co. Chairman Bob Iger ($2,600)."

--"Also getting checks back: More than 100 PACs that had put money behind the Senate Democratic leader giving it one more go, including MGM Resorts International ($5,000), NV Energy ($5,000), Sierra Nevada Corp. ($5,000), ATT ($5,000) and Boeing ($5,000). The money had been given to the Nevada Democrat and earmarked for his participation in the 2016 general election campaign, which will not happen since he announced on March 27 he will not be running again." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c2281f715031624a13fe2b42ae2a486be097281274b4f39ac9b2 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c2281f715031624a13fe2b42ae2a486be097281274b4f39ac9b2 

GRIMM GETS EIGHT MONTHS - The New York Times has the details from the former New York Republican lawmaker's sentencing: "He spoke of his service to his country, his remorse for breaking the law, and the humiliation he has suffered because of it. Then the former congressman, Michael G. Grimm, asked for mercy from the court. Leniency, it turned out, did not come easily. 'Your moral compass, Mr. Grimm, needs some reorientation,' Judge Pamela K. Chen said on Friday, before sentencing him to eight months in prison for tax fraud." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c228c87dd66aaac90dbcf380432ba4133882ec13010d75d4e488 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c228c87dd66aaac90dbcf380432ba4133882ec13010d75d4e488 

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Sam Sweeney was the first person to correctly answer that Calvin Coolidge was the first and only president to visit Cuba while in office.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Sam has today's question: In 1991, President George H.W. Bush dedicated a garden in northwest Washington, D.C. to the Lebanese poet Gibran Khalil Gibran. Which Arab-American congresswoman (from which state) attended the dedication? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. E-mail 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] .

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says 'Sign Up.' 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c228dc540a2447a998a82719b6cf8ceaace29ba84b1d9aa5094a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c228dc540a2447a998a82719b6cf8ceaace29ba84b1d9aa5094a .

** A message from the Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food: The bipartisan Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act puts in place a uniform, science-based food labeling framework that ensures consumer choice and is regulated at the federal level, just as it has been for decades. Tell Congress to pass the Safe & Accurate Food Labeling Act this week! Learn more: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7af6ac0dd0fdd7fe2635049fea1fe8eb5a063b41b1c1fc051 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b86a197ad0716fc7af6ac0dd0fdd7fe2635049fea1fe8eb5a063b41b1c1fc051  **

Go to POLITICO Huddle Now >> http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c22826f45aa2ea7bcd85214628b49025890818b25200a5d2e9bf

Go to this edition >> http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c2281d70a7dd38f5b930c0d30c5686fa3e48a4850ce972f4b22e

=================================

2015 POLITICO, LLC

POLITICO Huddle.

To unsubscribe, http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5b23e536eb57c22848df594238d71d4e9c6e6ea832ad5637ab78279ad895aabb

=================================