Subject: POLITICO Huddle, presented by the Coalition to Protect America's Health Care: GORSUCH CONFIRMATION EXPECTED TODAY – Capitol Hill divided over Syria strikes – OBAMACARE REPEAL EFFORTS STALLED AS RECESS STARTS – Romney Senate rumors heat up
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2017 06:06:16 -0600
List-Id: <1376319_6506051.xt.local>

04/07/2017 08:01 AM EDT

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

With assists from Elana Schor and Daniel Lippman

CAPITOL DIVIDED OVER SYRIA STRIKES - Capitol Hill is divided over President Donald Trump's decision to launch missile strikes against Syria, but not along partisan lines. Trump's action, taken after the Syrian government killed dozens of its own innocent people using chemical weapons earlier this week, was mostly supported by congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle. But top Democrats added a key caveat to their support: Trump better consult with Congress if he plans to escalate attacks against the war-torn country. 

Putting the president on blast: Libertarian-minded Republicans like Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul and liberal Democrats including Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Ted Lieu blasted Trump for launching the strikes without approval from Congress. Rep. Barbara Lee called the strikes an "act of war" and Sen. Tim Kaine said the move was "unlawful." 

In the other corner: Defense hawks Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, two of Trump's biggest critics otherwise, offered full-throated praise for the move. "Unlike the previous administration, President Trump confronted a pivotal moment in Syria and took action," McCain and Graham said in a joint statement.

Life comes at you fast: Several Republicans who had sharply criticized the Obama administration for considering similar action in 2013, calling it unconstitutional, offered praise for Trump. And even Trump is on record saying in 2013 it would be "a big mistake" for Obama to strike Syria without getting congressional approval. Austin and Kyle with the story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184e6ed86be19ef62776227ab4bc156e26ba6bb2358d6b0fdd1cf2551126188bd7f9fb411c66d73d20d 

Related reading: "Trump's Syria whiplash," via Blake Hounshell: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184db3204b58cc80e07615fee7e0cdac15cb92dd4b7bd0dbda572f5b72b8754e1f43e1c9498f2ae9f37 

The latest: "BREAKING Russian military says it will help Syria strengthen its air defenses after US strike," the AP tweeted this morning. 

GORSUCH CONFIRMATION TODAY - Neil Gorsuch is expected to be confirmed to the Supreme Court later this morning, filling the vacancy left by the sudden death of Antonin Scalia last year. Today's action comes after the Senate went nuclear Thursday, voting along party lines to kill the filibuster for SCOTUS nominees and paving the way for Gorsuch's confirmation. "After the vote, McConnell was seen high-fiving Secretary for the Majority Laura Dove, according to a source who viewed the event," Seung Min, Burgess and Elana report. "'Bad day for democracy,' fumed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) as he entered the Senate chamber." The full rundown of Thursday's events: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184326309fbb94d60bebb89921d08f69fd90a01a8cb56214b2627063191da426d91b58363c4e716b016 

Hot tip: Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the Senate during today's vote. 

As the Senate was going nuclear, moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins was working on a plan of her own to save one of the last major traditions of the chamber: the legislative filibuster. Collins was seen on the floor circulating a draft letter among senators during the vote series, Elana, SMK and Burgess report. 

Spin, two ways: "This may have brought the Senate to an even greater commitment that on legislative matters there has always been more than a majority required for 228 years," Sen. Roy Blunt told reporters,defending the decision to gut the SCOTUS filibuster. McCain, on the other hand, had a less rosy view of Collins' effort: "It's a nice gesture, but meaningless," he said. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f61849b7122cefdeac8e3b2f46ed3d7bac2c86dfe7334c2f72107210bc29ba8e2f723fd9ae7320cb4fbdf 

NO CLOSER THAN WE WHEN STARTED - GOP lawmakers are headed home for a two-week recess with nothing to show for their efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. White House aides, fearing their jobs are in jeopardy, were pushing Republican leaders to keep lawmakers in town to pass something that moved the ball forward. But House Speaker Paul Ryan resisted, saying the votes just aren't there right now and it'll be good to give the rank-and-file a little time away from the Capitol to cool down. 

"The back-and-forth has strained relations between the White House and Hill Republicans," Rachael and Jen Haberkorn report. "Even Trump's chief of staff, Reince Priebus - a longtime Ryan ally who also hails from Wisconsin - suggested Ryan's speakership could be in jeopardy if Republicans fail to deliver on repealing and replacing Obamacare" during a tense meeting at the White House Wednesday night. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184e34da4d77e12755c2f6bf95cf8f76f610a4772f94b74e5d2ad5f9ab2dc7bbc026003848ac3d0432e 

WE MADE IT TO RECESS. Welcome to April 7 and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. 

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Seung Min and Burgess' story about the potential fallout from the Senate rules change 

** A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Health Care: The Coalition to Protect America's Health Care fights back against congressional and executive actions that threaten America's hospitals. When our caregivers, our patients, or our communities are at risk, our supporters speak out and advocate. Stand up for your hospital by joining our community today. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f618412798b445713bd3e549171209ce21164e146feadfce036a6f13784e9941c6af93cebf1fae21d3d70 **

ALL 100 SENATORS FINALLY GET A REPLY - Almost one month to the day after all 100 senators wrote to the Trump administration seeking more information on its plan to help Jewish community institutions with the "accelerating" pace of anti-Semitic threats this year, the Department of Homeland Security replied in detail in a letter received Thursday. 

The missive got sent after Sen. Gary Peters, one of the organizers of the unanimous Senate letter, pressed Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly at a Wednesday hearing about when the Trump administration planned to get back. "It should have been a long time ago, and I apologize, and I'm on it," Kelly told Peters. Despite the unanimous Senate signatories, a source tells Huddle that answers from the Department of Justice and FBI have yet to be received.

A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN - House Democrats were cheering reports Thursday that Rep. Devin Nunes would be stepping aside from the Russia probe due to an ethics investigation into whether he mishandled classified information. Democrats are hopeful the man tapped to replaced Nunes, former Ethics Committee chairman Mike Conaway, can put the House investigation back on track. "The role Conaway will take in shepherding the investigation is still unclear. In the announcement of the change, Nunes emphasized that two other intelligence committee members, Reps. Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney, would be taking on responsibility," Kyle reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f618478fe8d8191ddef43cdd23d0caf313ce021e1e1fa7c28f4549ff1593792b1479cee323448c409f8a3 

Additional reading: "Nunes steps aside from Russia probe," via Bres and Josh Dawsey. And "How Trump's perceived Russia allies keep dropping," from Austin. 

Related: Former CIA Director John Brennan was so concerned about Russian election tampering that he held individual classified briefings for the Gang of Eight last summer, telling the senior lawmakers that the agency had information Russia was working to get Trump elected. 

The briefings "reveal a critical split last summer between the C.I.A. and counterparts at the F.B.I., where a number of senior officials continued to believe through last fall that Russia's cyberattacks were aimed primarily at disrupting America's political system, and not at getting Mr. Trump elected," Eric Lichtblau reports for the New York Times. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184ec2429f89fd2ab91cf189c9c8ee3994130a2c948476c627e0d78207ba66dcf8f8442d9207cfcb239 

TROUBLE IN THE SUNFLOWER STATE - All eyes are on the upcoming special election in Georgia to fill HHS Secretary Tom Price's seat. But there's another district to watch: CIA Director Mike Pompeo's old seat in Kansas. The House GOP campaign arm is "pouring money into a last-minute TV ad buy in Kansas ahead of a Tuesday special election" to boost GOP turnout, Elena Schneider reports. 

"Kansas Republicans are fretting that [GOP candidate Ron] Estes' margin is closer than expected in his race against Democrat James Thompson, an attorney. 'Kansas should not be in play, but Kansas is in play,' said one Kansas Republican consultant." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184f1669e4f660d72c51130e02d5c62fe34c4959d73870ae758893cb5d4ee0d653a09c1a973261200b3 

ROMNEY RUN GETS REAL? Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, 83, made news last week when he said there's one person he'd consider stepping aside for in the Senate: former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. And as it turns out, Romney has been "actively discussing a potential 2018 Senate bid with a range of high-level Republicans in both Utah and Washington" including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, McKay Coppins reports for the Atlantic. McConnell "sought to assure the former GOP presidential nominee that he would have more influence in the chamber than a typical junior senator." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=855061be952f6184d88cb082c6458603e8cca716f39dba798f060513f6a598b2f4c25919a98cb7b65a51a2fb99a998ee 

MOVING ON UP: Matt Sparks is being promoted to communications director for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy following Mike Long's big move to California. 

SPOTTED: Kathy Griffin yesterday in the Capitol outside the House chamber talking to Dana Bash ... Rep. Joe Courtney first off the American Airlines flight to Hartford after his flight was delayed 2 hours at DCA and flight had to circle Hartford before landing ... Texas Reps. Joe Barton and Marc. Veasey cooling their heels Thursday in the DCA Admirals Club, waiting out weather delays during the afternoon thunderstorms

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. with the vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court at 11:30 a.m.

AROUND THE HILL - Staffers are packing their bags for recess. 

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Michael Herson was the first to correctly guess Leon Panetta, former House Budget Committee chairman, was the lawmaker in question who also served as OMB Director, secretary of Defense, White House chief of staff and CIA Director.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - I'll take today's question: When did the Senate first adopt rules to limit the filibuster and what was the original requirement to limit debate and for how long? The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in Monday's Huddle. And don't forget, send suggestions for trivia questions my way: [email-masked] 

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