Subject: POLITICO Huddle, presented by the Coalition to Protect America's Health Care: REPUBLICANS SCRAMBLE AHEAD OF REPEAL VOTE – Conservative sweeteners repel moderates – GORSUCH CONFIRMATION HEARINGS WRAP TODAY – Freedom Caucus at the White House
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2017 06:00:13 -0600
List-Id: <1376319_6465351.xt.local>

03/23/2017 07:56 AM EDT

By Heather Caygle ([email-masked] or @heatherscope) 

THE BIG DAY - After riding a seven year wave of anti-Obamacare sentiment to control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, today is a big day - possibly the biggest day - for House Republicans in their years-long quest to dismantle the health care law. But last minute negotiations Wednesday to bring conservative hardliners on board seems to have repelled another key voting bloc-Republican centrists. Now GOP leaders, who strategically scheduled the repeal vote to take place on the seventh anniversary of Obamacare becoming law, are scrambling to whip up support. 

Losing the repeal vote would be a huge blow to President Donald Trump's fledgling administration and could significantly undercut House Speaker Paul Ryan's power and his relationship with the White House. "I believe this is it. It's do or die," said Rep. Chris Collins, a Trump ally. "If this goes down, we don't get tax reform, we don't get infrastructure ... We may lose the Senate. We may lose the House." 

Moderate Republicans huddled with GOP leaders on Wednesday night but emerged from the two-hour meeting without reaching a deal. A sign of how perilous things appear: Rep. Charlie Dent, leader of the centrist Tuesday Group, is opposing the bill. "After careful deliberation, I cannot support the bill and will oppose it," Dent said in a statement after leaving Ryan's office. 

Mo' changes, mo' problems: After a push from the White House, GOP leaders tried to placate conservatives by offering to gut minimum coverage requirements (like maternity care and mental health services) insurers must provide under Obamacare. But the move backfired big time: Not only did moderates push back, but many Freedom Caucus members still refused to commit to the bill, instead pushing for more changes like nixing protections for folks with preexisting conditions. 

Inside the minds of moderates: Moderates are still not sure how a possible last-minute rewrite of the bill could impact their constituents; and without an updated CBO score, just what kind of attack ads Democrats will throw at them in 2018. The other big issue for them: Centrists wonder why they should have to "walk the plank" on a risky vote for a bill that could either be stripped down by the Senate or die altogether in the upper chamber. Kyle, Rachael and Bres bring you the latest: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d00885456abfaba4090bb01e7bf50bccc7d362979a407d851f745605c4a703a5f5e0bce3f6ea0eaf885af 

Across the Capitol: "This is merely a plot to get the bill out of the House. Provision won't ultimately survive in the Senate," tweeted Matt House, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's communications director. 

The magic number: With Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush expected to be absent today, there will likely be 429 voting House members. Since no Democrats will back the bill, Republicans need to secure the support of 215 lawmakers out of their 237-member caucus. That means they can only lose 22 votes and still pass the bill. 

If things weren't already complicated enough, the all-powerful Koch network is promising to spend millions to protect Republicans who vote against the bill. Kevin Robillard reports: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d008877a2542decf9aece9022e57a36fe90176ae64a1f5aea6859939b8fe666e53de8e3206fda9870cab0 

LATER THIS MORNING: The House Freedom Caucus will huddle with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House at 11:30 a.m. And GOP leaders insist the House will vote on the repeal at some point today. Rachael, Bres and Kyle have all the details on how Trump is wooing hesitant Republicans, including charming them with the Oval Office: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d0088eac042b766d1783f3869a14635f1614685ae32ee918c2a44a4ae54bc5ac95431503feedfd25b7ad2 

NUNES RILES UP INTEL DEMOCRATS - House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes surprised many Wednesday by announcing that members of Trump's transition team, possibly including the president himself, were under inadvertent surveillance after the presidential election. Trump and his allies immediately seized on the news as vindication for the president's widely rebuked claim that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his phones. 

Nunes made clear that he doesn't have evidence to support Trump's wiretapping allegations. But his unusual decision to go straight to the White House -- and the press-- before briefing Intel Democrats had the panel's minority members fuming. 

Intel ranking member Adam Schiff said Nunes, a member of the Trump transition team, needs to decide whether he's a surrogate for the White House or the leader of an independent, fair probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. election. "Because he cannot do both," Schiff told reporters. Austin with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d0088616c510ea78fe5e1806a57aeeb1c8a7ed35e4b898cc5ae75d655e1fd179f2723fc94caa3f09b5473 

Related: Information from U.S. officials suggests Trump associates may have coordinated with the Russians, CNN reports. Separately, Schiff said Wednesday there is "more than circumstantial evidence now" to prove Trump's campaign may have colluded with Russia, Madeline Conway reports.

WHAT THE HILL IS READING - President Trump's interview with Time, posted at 6:20 a.m. Trump defends his wiretapping allegations: "I have articles saying it happened." And says he will "be proved right" about baseless claims that millions of people illegally voted against him in the election. Trump also highlights House Intel leader Devin Nunes' surprise Wednesday press conference multiple times throughout the interview, even reading Austin's story aloud. 

Quote du jour: "I can't be doing so badly, because I'm president, and you're not. You know. Say hello to everybody OK?" Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d00882b9b39e18c29dd3729addf2aedf7a65a2eb81745b5307c2a9b95ae9e80f43bbce316a143f661a701 

TAKE ON THURSDAY. Welcome to March 23 and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. 

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Rachael, Bres and Kyle story about the current whip count for the House GOP repeal plan 

GORSUCH: FOCUS SHIFTS TO OUTSIDE WITNESSES - Across the Capitol, senators are heading into the final day of Neil Gorsuch's marathon, four-day confirmation saga. Gorsuch survived nearly 20 hours of questioning over two days, doing little to damage his confirmation prospects, Josh Gerstein and Seung Min report. Now the focus shifts to outside witnesses, 26 of whom will testify for and against Trump's SCOTUS nominee today. 

Get smart fast: Perhaps recognizing they won't be able to keep Gorsuch off the highest court, Democrats spent much of Wednesday making impassioned pleas about issues dear to them, including abortion rights. But Democrats did dig in on Gorsuch's evasiveness, dinging the nominee for refusing to provide detailed answers on hot-button issues. Josh and SMK with Wednesday's top takeaways: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d0088251a2b2c7b583a01424046bc49998e2741d83612161153ab4c58921491af4bbefdd0567062852b01 

Just a little food for thought... A half-dozen Senate Democrats are going around their leadership and mulling a deal to allow Gorsuch's confirmation in exchange for other concessions from Republicans, Burgess reports. "The deal Democrats would be most likely to pursue, the sources said, would be to allow confirmation of Gorsuch in exchange for a commitment from Republicans not to kill the filibuster for a subsequent vacancy during President Donald Trump's term." Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d00881e09093df60f7899f9f79b822442371cec15ab05dc95b21a616d86ec2e757f51b31e620b4129a969 

-Conservative groups including the Judicial Crisis Network immediately panned the idea saying Republicans "would be fools" to agree to such a plan. 

** A message from the Coalition to Protect America's Health Care: The current bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act could slash the number of Americans that are able to afford or maintain health coverage. Speak up today and tell Congress: Don't support the ACA replacement bill. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d0088abfe27df34f44e88862923f82f8659ea3155fd574d2012f94346deee67bc3df3e5c1f8a0fdcba922 **

CAUGHT IN A BAD ROMANCE - Former Vice President Joe Biden had his own thoughts on the ongoing Russia saga when he was at the Capitol Wednesday. Biden said the public should absolutely be concerned about the "the notion that there's still this romance with Putin." And he specifically called out Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who plans to skip a NATO meeting in April and head to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin later in the month. "What in the hell are we doing?" Biden asked. 

CAPITOL CUTENESS ALERT - Your Huddle host was knee deep in a Biden scrum Wednesday when I felt something furry - yes, furry - rub up against my leg. The interloper turned out to be a ball of golden retriever fluff named, you guessed it, Biden. As it turns out, the pup belongs to a GOP staffer on the Hill and even has his own Instagram. And while we try to stay neutral at Huddle, let's just say Biden might be giving Tilly, Sen. Thom Tillis' office mascot, a run for the money. 

GIMME THE DEETS MAN - House Oversight leaders Jason Chaffetz and Elijah Cummings are jointly requesting the White House hand over any security clearance applications filed by former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. The duo "sent letters Wednesday requesting information on Flynn from the White House, FBI, Defense Department and the director of national intelligence," Austin reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d0088b131868d3af9980721ef24304033d9b63087b55355c5fb8569d67721ce4f76b07eea81d79e0c0c07 

ARRIVAL LOUNGE - Paul Tencher is joining Sen. Ed Markey's office as chief of staff, the Boston Globe reports. Tencher was the architect behind Sen. Joe Donnelly's upset win in 2012 and the campaign manager for Evan Bayh's crash-and-burn Indiana Senate bid last year. 

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. with a roll call vote to nix an Obama-era internet privacy rule possible before lunch. The House meets at 9 a.m. with votes on the Obamacare repeal expected at some point today.

AROUND THE HILL - The AARP will have a human sized squirrel outside the Capitol South Metro starting at 8:30 a.m. to protest the "nutty" treatment of older people in the House GOP repeal bill. Sen. Bob Casey holds a conference call at 9:15 a.m. to announce how he will vote on Neil Gorsuch's nomination. 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi holds her weekly press conference at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A. House Speaker Paul Ryan holds his press conference at 11:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A. 

House Democrats hold a press avail at 1:30 p.m. on the GOP repeal bill in HVC 215. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairmen Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison hold a press conference on the Obamacare repeal at 4 p.m. in the House triangle. 

OFF THE HILL - President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with the House Freedom Caucus at 11:30 a.m. at the White House. 

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Claude Marx guessed that Rep. Mo Udall was a basketball star at the University of Arizona and later played for the Denver Nuggets. All the folks who also named Rep. Tom McMillen, a player at the University of Maryland and for several NBA teams, were also correct. 

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Claude with today's question: Name the only person to have served as both a senator and a Federal Trade commissioner. The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in tomorrow's Huddle. And don't forget, send suggestions for trivia questions my way: [email-masked] 

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. 

** A message from the Coalition to Protect America's Health Care: The American Health Care Act could create tremendous uncertainty for families and individuals looking for affordable coverage. The health care bill could also limit benefits for current Medicaid enrollees and harm programs for our most vulnerable Americans - including children, the elderly, and the disabled.

And these health care changes could affect us all by reducing our community hospitals' ability to provide essential quality care. A decrease in health coverage and continued cuts to hospital funding will impact patient access to care and hospital services.

Tell your senators and representative: Protect patients and access to care. Don't support the American Health Care Act. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ee51fb7d024d00884f687b1729969d83abebd0b2a81df1608d8b10061fabdb503384a9ac9a1fb3d595371ab026548664 **

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