Subject: POLITICO Huddle, presented by ACAP, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans: OBAMA’S YOLO BUDGET – Republicans balk, already – DEMS SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE MESSAGE – Changes coming to criminal justice bill? – PETER KING VS. BEYONCE
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 09 Feb 2016 07:28:48 -0600

02/09/2016 08:27 AM EDT

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

OBAMA'S YOLO BUDGET - President Barack Obama is bringing out every liberal policy in his playbook as he unveils his fiscal 2017 budget. Tim Noah has more for POLITICO: "Even as Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders quarrel over who's a "progressive' and who's not, the president will propose a sweepingly progressive policy agenda that includes a $10-a-barrel oil tax, an expensive Medicaid expansion, a $4 billion initiative to promote computer science in public schools and the first down payment on a 'moon shot' research initiative to cure cancer led by Vice President Joe Biden." 

--"Given Congress' sight-unseen dismissal, the president's go-for-broke strategy makes sense, said Peter Orszag, who was White House budget director during Obama's first term and director of the Congressional Budget Office before that. 'If the document is legislatively irrelevant," Orszag said, "you might as well use it to expand the policy dialogue and lay out sensible proposals even if they will not become law this year or next.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7f4525feb54d32a04de58e0e02a17265cfb052ddcad8294ffbb1781cdf0f804d

--Other details that trickled out in advance of the formal release later this morning: Obama will push for more money for the SEC (11 percent more) and CFTC (32 percent more). Steven Mufson for WaPo: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7f4525feb54d32a0f0d426cb9cff260dd815387a3f7c7107528dd1433db955b1

--ICYMI: The administration asked Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to combat the threat of the Zika virus here and abroad. More from ABC News: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7f4525feb54d32a05b26842bc27fca2b606cfda5822049bd6621b702f219ca95

--AP budget guru Andy Taylor notes that while White House budgets are usually released on Mondays, this one is being unveiled on a Tuesday - same day as the New Hampshire primary. Taylor writes that doing so ensures "it gets minimal attention with all the focus on the White House contenders," although White House press secretary Josh Earnest said it was to allow administration staffers and reporters a chance to relax and watch the Super Bowl on Sunday: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7f4525feb54d32a00770cd1b889943109991e9257ca5ecd5861ebedb4f4fbd3e

--Obama will meet with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) at 3:35 p.m. at the White House today, where we can assume safely that the budget - and how to message it -- will be discussed. 

-- Republicans balk before they've even seen the fine print, per Jackie Calmes of the New York Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb6a6f0b166c293bbfb93bafdc0645e90a0a1ab11899e074d96 And POLITICO's Lauren French writes how the House Freedom Caucus is preparing for another budget fight: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7f4525feb54d32a0cb90d41badde8d079aeb4ca573a86b2bef211b9296bb37ce 

DEMS SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE MESSAGE - POLITICO's Burgess Everett: "In their bid to retake the Senate, Democrats long planned to paint Republicans as irresponsible stewards of government who threatened shutdowns at every turn. Those plans have largely been dashed - by a relatively productive Senate. And that's left the minority grasping for a compelling case to make to voters for ousting the GOP majority."

--"Republicans have made high-stakes budget deals and scored wins on transportation and taxes, and the gridlock Democrats predicted under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's watch has not materialized. So now Democrats can't decide whether Republicans are obstructive, their legislative partners or a party aiming to do nothing at all ... Nine months before Election Day, the minority party is still rolling out essay-like arguments that are far more difficult for voters to process than a punchy GOP hashtag: '#BackToWork.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7f4525feb54d32a00118bb5ef1c2c9bb8198e7ee6915563221e8bb0c419db770

CHANGES COMING TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL? After an outcry from the likes of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and other Senate conservatives, some authors of the Senate's criminal justice reform measure are preparing some key changes meant to ensure that inmates with a violent record aren't released early from prison. More details, courtesy of your Huddle author, here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb6f8f9ef02fd71651a61730aba1d549fbacedb0f5d62190f3d

--But Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) hit the brakes on the changes: "We're working to find a path forward that addresses some of those concerns while maintaining both the core principles and significance of the bill and the broad bipartisan support that the bill has already garnered. How those changes will look is still being determined, but we're moving ahead to get a bill ready to be considered on the Senate floor."

** Sponsored by ACAP, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans: The Association for Community Affiliated Plans believes that families with low incomes deserve coverage they can count on. Ask your member of Congress to fight "churn" in Medicaid and CHIP by cosponsoring H.R. 700 / S.428, the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act. For more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb6d6364ce6808c0c1d8b88200ca1a0af146c9ef8a5e64d499c **

HAPPY TUESDAY, Feb. 9, 2016 and welcome to the Huddle. I'm always up for a chat at [email-masked], and you can follow me on Twitter at @seungminkim. Rachael Bade is taking over for the rest of the week; she is at [email-masked] and @rachaelmbade.

My new followers include @LPratapas and @chakra_a1.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House is in at noon with votes on several suspensions at 6:30 p.m. Senate is in at 11 a.m. with a vote at 2:15 p.m. on confirming Scot Alan Marciel as ambassador to Burma.

AROUND THE HILL - House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will hold his weekly pen-and-pad at 11 a.m. in H-144. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) will participate in a criminal justice reform forum with law enforcement officials starting at 4 p.m. in Dirksen 224.

OFF MESSAGE ON THE TRAIL: JEB IN NEW HAMPSHIRE -- The candidate pauses from the political fight of his life to sit down with Glenn Thrush for the latest episode of the Off Message podcast. Bush reflects on what it's like running for president and his plans after New Hampshire, calls out his brother's White House aides, and levels his sharpest criticisms yet at his one-time friend Marco Rubio. Listen to the full interview here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb6831d4a5a70df90ce6dc4cd589fc26c48588f4a8781b5cbc4 and get every episode by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb661bbf29dfb9731282200181a271c7fd52b546d0694919858 or SoundCloud http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb612f915079f0aa3cf0a5ef62311ace1a73b407a97f7fa402c

BENGHAZI PANEL: KILL LAWSUIT - POLITICO's Rachael Bade: "The House Benghazi Committee is asking a federal judge to toss out an employment lawsuit filed by a former GOP panel investigator ... House lawyers representing the panel on Friday filed a motion to dismiss Bradley Podliska's case because the speech and debate clause widely protects members of Congress and their staff from being sued for actions they undertake for official duties, including their interactions with Podliska." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb6b5f98ea10f53d78fb8af83992be414e8bc818fe6820d3f23

--Attorney General Loretta Lynch stresses in an AP interview Monday that the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server is free of outside influence: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb66e036e5ac14b526bae72442e4b95a06e0f4e0a78949d84f2

RYAN, CBC TO TEAM UP ON POVERTY? The Hill's Mike Lillis: "Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.) and other top Republicans are taking a serious look at adopting a sweeping anti-poverty plan long championed by black Democrats on Capitol Hill. Ryan has told the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) he's pressing GOP appropriators to consider the CBC's strategy of shifting more federal money to parts of the country with persistent poverty. Rep. Hal Rogers, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, is on board." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb62bde8f32cd5591ac9c7cf9cbba6e17800eac70795aa0cc08

PETER KING TAKES ON BEYONCE - The AP: "Beyonce's new video 'Formation' is 'pro-Black Panther' and 'anti-cop,; says a Republican congressman, who argued Monday that it perpetuates a lie about the August 2014 shooting in Missouri of an unarmed black man by a white police officer. 'Beyonce may be a gifted entertainer but no one should really care what she thinks about any serious issue confronting our nation,' New York Rep. Pete King said in a statement he posted on his Facebook page ... Beyonce's publicist had no immediate response to an email request for comment." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb61bfac75e2d054b3f49fbe8cf05f048115d31ed81df80662a

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Rob Placek was the first person to correct answer that Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a big Panthers fan, refused to shave his beard until the Super Bowl. Also a shout-out to Rachel Cisto, who noted that Tillis wasn't washing his lucky shirt, either. 

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Rob has today's question: What two current U.S. senators have won on game shows? Name the lawmakers and the shows. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. E-mail [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=490d8cf86f293cb6ee87069886603f862b92c13925fd51e9382bdc8a19ed6720

** Sponsored by ACAP, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans: Let's fight "churn" in Medicaid and CHIP. Every year, beneficiaries are disenrolled and reenrolled in these programs owing to red tape, or small and often temporary changes in income, sometimes from getting a few hours' overtime in a workweek. This "churn" leads to interruptions in care, worse health outcomes, and higher health care costs. Ask your member of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 700 / S. 428, the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act, which addresses churn. For more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=490d8cf86f293cb6d6364ce6808c0c1d8b88200ca1a0af146c9ef8a5e64d499c **

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