Subject: POLITICO Huddle, presented by Business Roundtable: WH DEMAND DISRUPT FUNDING TALKS – Schiff’s spotlight offers potential Senate springboard – CLF INVESTING IN MONTANA RACE – Unity tour hits a speed bump
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2017 06:13:54 -0600
List-Id: <1376319_6541985.xt.local>

04/21/2017 08:10 AM EDT

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

With an assist from Burgess Everett 

TROUBLE IN PARADISE - Congressional negotiators have been making serious progress on a bipartisan compromise to fund the government beyond the current April 28 deadline. That is, until the White House started making 11th hour demands that are threatening to throw a wrench into the talks. The administration, and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney in particular, is pushing to give President Donald Trump a big win in his first 100 days -maybe funding for a border wall or blocking federal grants to sanctuary cities. 

Not so fast: But Democrats, whose votes are needed in the Senate and likely in the House too, have said both of those issues are dealbreakers. And Democrats have a demand of their own, insisting that Republican leaders make a commitment to funding the Obamacare cost-sharing subsidies Trump has previously threatened to yank. "There is a deal to be had - a good one with wins for both parties, but I think with a new minority leader and a new president, anything can happen," said a Republican aide. "If we don't get much progress by this weekend, bad news."

What to expect next: Most folks agree they will need a one-week extension to wrap up final details on the spending bill. Top lawmakers have been hinting at this for weeks. But now House Democrats are saying they're unlikely to support an extension unless they reach a handshake agreement on the overall parameters of the bigger bill first. 

Another thing to watch: Dems are also pretty peeved some Republicans are pushing for an Obamacare repeal vote in the same week they'll be working together on a bipartisan funding effort. As one Democratic aide put it to Huddle, "You can't have a feel-good bipartisan moment one day and repeal Obamacare the next." 

But again: We're predicting there will not be a shutdown. Congressional leaders just don't want to go there right now. And although things seem a little bleak, Congress is normally pretty good at eking out a field goal in the final seconds of the game when the championship is on the line - or in this case, keeping the government running. The latest, brought to you by Burgess, Rachael and yours truly: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e07a6ac028ccae318e13f26c637200c2b27e296939e88a3b2fd72aa8857512ab53529c8ba1b9ff7ac3 

GUESS WHAT'S BACK, BACK AGAIN - With Trump's 100th day in office quickly approaching and no real legislative wins on the board, the White House is renewing pressure on House Republicans to pass an Obamacare repeal now- as in next week. While it's true that Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows and Tuesday Group leader Tom MacArthur have been working on a compromise, there's no indication it could get 216 votes in the House right now. And leaders will also be busy next week working to stave off a government shutdown. 

Cold water reality: "The White House does not schedule House floor votes. And while some senior administration officials suggested Thursday that a vote will occur next week, multiple House GOP sources told POLITICO that is unlikely." Rachael, Josh Dawsey and Adam Cancryn bring you up to speed: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e01c83b0cefbf6f0044c31d610404624e50a3893eec74de70086a267210a68d974da5898b0f96ae983 

SCHIFF'S SENATE SPRINGBOARD - All of the newfound attention Rep. Adam Schiff is getting as the top House Democrat investigating Trump ties to Russia could translate into something else: a Golden State Senate run. Of course, that would require longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein to retire, which she has not indicated she's going to do. Schiff has made it no secret that he has ambitions beyond his Burbank House seat. And his near constant presence on TV recently has helped raise his profile, even in the over-saturated California media market. 

Related: Feinstein said Thursday she's waiting for "some family health issues to be resolved" before announcing whether she'll run again, Sarah Wire reports for the L.A. Times. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e0f90a150208ea263be323ed6fec87237a50124bfbeb18db1637905220071ab62a5a131c8ae291c771 

** A message from Business Roundtable: Create, Grow, Sustain: Delivering Shared Success - Explore how companies are promoting sustainable practices in their U.S. and global operations in "Create, Grow, Sustain: Delivering Shared Success." Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the report highlights how America's largest companies make sustainable business investment a priority in supporting economic growth and job creation. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e0b764338dc69126e5c510c0ca4fdd45ff8ba7b682db9211f4239dec4ad2db9ac73ad39e0b6a1f852f **

THE LAST GASP OF RECESS, enjoy it while you can folks. Welcome to Friday, April 21, and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Huddle's song of the day: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e0a98eacf1e4d741780e2dd34afc4d93ec94393640b34098ae4c15b94426d711c831e5c0a0c63b0ba4 See y'all next week (and I know you're doing the dance, just like me, right now). 

TODAY'S TRIVIA - I'll take today's question: How many presidents have run unopposed for reelection, who were they and when? 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] 

POLITICO Event - Rebuilding America: A New Infrastructure Agenda - Join POLITICO for a discussion on the prospects for a major national infrastructure push from the new administration and Congress. Speakers include: Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Building America's Future President Marcia Hale, Club for Growth President David McIntosh, and Chamber of Commerce ED Transportation Infrastructure Ed Mortimer. Monday, April 24 - 5:30pm - The Newseum. RSVP: here.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Josh and Jake write-up on the White House's spending bill position was the winner. 

CHAFFETZ: WAIT A SEC, I'M NOT GONE YET - Rep. Jason Chaffetz says contrary to rumors floating around D.C., he's not resigning immediately and it could be months until he officially kisses Congress goodbye. But that hasn't stopped the House Oversight chairman from scouting out potential possibilities - including TV opportunities - right now. "I'll take a little bit of time to sort out. I'd be thrilled to have a television relationship," he told Jake in a Thursday phone interview. "But there's a number of things I'd like to do."

No drama here: The Utah Republican also insisted he's not being forced out because of some yet-to-be-revealed scandal. "Not in any way shape or form," he said. "I've been given more enemas by more people over the last eight years than you can possibly imagine. ...If they had something really scandalous, it would've come out a long, long time ago." Jake with the story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e0a6eb28c31ba5ab09c0102847da370894a9942e2b3d92f950c0e7d7b57052931f835762ed67a0fc47 

SHOW ME THE MONEY - Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC closely aligned with House GOP leadership, is sending $800,000 to help GOP candidate Greg Gianforte in the Montana at-large race. The money will go towards a hefty TV ad buy attacking Democrat Rob Quist. The Washington Examiner's David Drucker: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e08aaf69d6c6dc990e19623fda30a0ee0e5eade218d6a31664833634b5e8a1429d38fb3280663107c4 

FUN WITH NUMBER$ - Pals again: When Mitch McConnell begged the Senate GOP for a little monetary help last year to keep the Senate, Ted Cruz opened up his pocketbook to fork over $100,000 to the NRSC. Now that it's Cruz who's up for reelection with an established Democratic opponent in Beto O'Rourke, his sometime foe McConnell is helping the Texas Republican out. McConnell's affiliated Bluegrass PAC sent $10,000 to Cruz's Senate campaign in the first quarter, per FEC records.

Safe and swimming in dollars: Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso raised just north of $1.1 million in the first quarter, according to numbers provided to POLITICO, the best fundraising quarter for a Wyoming senator or candidate. Barrasso has $3.7 million on-hand, and though he's unlikely to face more than a token challenger, that money could come in handy for the party during crunch time next year.

DON'T MISS: THE MENENDEZ LATEST - The trial of Sen. Bob Menendez's alleged co-conspirator Salomon Melgen is likely to wrap up soon. And that could have big implications for Menendez's looming bribery trial, Josh Gerstein reports. "If Melgen is convicted on some or all of the 76 fraud-related felony counts he faces, he could feel extreme pressure to testify against Menendez (D-N.J.) in the corruption case in Newark where both men are named as defendants." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e0841360535c3a42a532e31c04a3b3cae15c2dc16b0457b545ac1ba4025a251bef2b1cf902655ec065 

UNITY TOUR HITS A SPEED BUMP - The addition of anti-abortion Nebraska mayoral candidate Heath Mello to the DNC's "unity tour" sparked blowback from the left on Thursday. Mello appeared at a sold-out rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders and DNC Vice Chair Keith Ellison. "But Mello's sponsorship of a 2009 state Senate bill to require women be informed of their right to request a fetal ultrasound before obtaining an abortion prompted a leading abortion-rights group to slam the DNC for elevating him," Elana reports. 

Hurt feelings: "The budding backlash over Mello comes as Sanders has infuriated other Democrats for not endorsing Georgia House Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff while touring with DNC leaders." Elana with the deets: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e051bd7fc3c4c89123f4cf87c1bfea4ea5607f0fa3ee1e8a128d9b8325e20e2ee6767c375a41384984 

Sanders was undeterred by the criticism, defending his decision to back Mello: "If we are going to protect a woman's right to choose, at the end of the day we're going to need Democratic control over the House and the Senate, and state governments all over this nation," Sanders told NPR. "And we have got to appreciate where people come from, and do our best to fight for the pro-choice agenda. But I think you just can't exclude people who disagree with us on one issue." More from Scott Detrow: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e08bee25c485ae7fb99f25db1545c2d1a61efc98a6e1882f75193a68d88b23b2a89e05d9b89eea6714 

SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON - "Five civil rights and civic engagement groups have filed suit against Georgia and its secretary of state for attempting to block registered voters from participating in a closely watched runoff election in Georgia's 6th Congressional District," reports Sam Levine for the Huffington Post. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e0df826a65832cac7fb20e04474bf0f0d16ed880f998957618a53b258893b4c98af5e2785c1be50cca 

ICMYI: GRASSLEY PREDICTS SUMMER SCOTUS RETIREMENT - Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley is predicting Republicans will have the opportunity to fill another vacancy on the Supreme Court pretty soon, as in sometime later this year. "I would expect a resignation this summer," Grassley said during a visit to Muscatine, Iowa, earlier this week. "An upcoming resignation has been 'rumored,' he said, but he did not name a justice." More from Emily Wenger with the Muscatine Journal: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e07732ac90ea648102953a92fc7664b6c1b0e8c6695db2e4d038010ac095062a423a34b31f65075651 

Side note: Can someone check and make sure Seung Min is still breathing? http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57c7cf8556fa07e02261ddfe6ecb684d81c91d773412cee48cba90062a55d7a7a1c4380c789113ceb88e69c6ed4c1f8e

DEPARTURE LOUNGE - Jessica Brady, press secretary for Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is leaving her gig after today. Aaron Fobes, aide to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, is leaving the Hill for a new gig outside the government starting Monday. "It has all happened quite quickly," Fobes said in a goodbye email Thursday night. 

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House and Senate are out. But don't worry y'all, they'll be back soon. Real soon. 

AROUND THE HILL - Capitol Hill staffers trying to fit in that last Tortilla Coast happy hour before reality comes roaring back next week. 

HOW A SEWER WILL SAVE ST. LOUIS: St. Louis is one of hundreds of U.S. cities, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest, that have problems with overflowing sewers. The latest installment of POLITICO Magazine's "What Works" series takes a look at how St. Louis, under an agreement with the federal government, is spending nearly $5 billion to prevent tainted storm water from fouling its waterways. Read more. Photo gallery: A Sewer Runs Through It- St. Louis' River des Peres used to be called the "River des Pew," but engineers are trying to restore it to health by preventing sewage contamination.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Lucas White was the first to guess that Harry S. Truman is the most recent president without a college degree and William Henry Harrison is the only president who attended medical school. 

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