Subject: POLITICO Huddle: MCCONNELL CLOSE TO MAKING HISTORY -- Dems still lack unity on Russia, impeachment -- CRAMER ATTACKS WHITE HOUSE AIDE -- Donovan gets Trump endorsement
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2018 05:53:09 -0600
List-Id: <1376319.xt.local>

05/31/2018 07:51 AM EDT

By Nolan D. McCaskill ([email-masked] or @NolanDMcCaskill)
 
MCCONNELL, MARK YOUR CALENDAR -- Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will become the longest-serving GOP Senate leader ever on June 12 when he surpasses Bob Dole (R-Kan.), who led the Senate Republican Conference from January 1985 to June 1996. For context: House Republicans will soon be on their third leader in a little more than three years after Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) retires in January. "[T]he 76-year-old Kentuckian is showing no signs of fading away as he steers a 51-seat majority (minus, for now, John McCain) past Dole's mark," Burgess reports. "McConnell is serious about running for reelection in 2020, and his colleagues and allies say he's intent on running for GOP leader again next
 Congress, regardless of whether Republicans hold the Senate or not."
 
McConnell, who is expected to face no opposition for his post, says he's proud he's "enjoyed the confidence of my members" and has "been reelected without opposition." Surpassing Mike Mansfield's (D-Mont.) 16-year run is within reach for McConnell, though Mansfield served all 16 years as majority leader. Nevertheless, accomplishing such a feat would "require McConnell to stay in good health and in good standing in a party that very well may be relegated to the minority this year or in 2020," Burgess adds. His longevity has drawn praise from his counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
 
"There's a reason Mitch is the longest-serving Republican leader," Schumer said. "He understands and well-represents his caucus. He knows how to fight, and he knows how to cooperate." In McConnell's telling, he's a "good listener" with a "thick hide." "McConnell relies on grinding out results to keep his party moving forward: confirmations of nominees, spending deals and political meddling in individual Senate races aimed at keeping Republicans in power," Burgess writes. "He'll work out nomination deals with Schumer that get little attention but achieve far more than keeping the Senate in session continuously just to steamroll Democrats." Much more: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f430173423d5717230d5174f017276e49d9c85420325bb608ecaabc3dc291dd9c7be54b4af2862ddba 
 
Related: "GOP hopes of holding Senate rise after Arizona deadline," by Burgess: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f425ee8bc00dd73a84eb4d311e93d35829acbbc8101b77baf46f05f754a1ce63ecef1f08b7aaad2b35 
 
DEMS' MESSAGE MIXED ON RUSSIA, IMPEACHMENT -- Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) suggested he wouldn't ramp up an investigation into the president's ties to Russia if Democrats took control of the Senate and he became chairman of the Intelligence Committee. "I think the American public will be tired of it if this is not wound down in this calendar year," Warner said during a technology and politics conference in Southern California. "Warner's comment, which clashes with calls for impeachment and fresh investigations by several Democratic candidates, illustrates the party's internal conflict over how to talk about Russia," Darren Samuelsohn, Burgess and Kyle report. Democratic leaders would prefer
 candidates talk about issues like jobs and health care as multiple investigations run their course. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4d6d348c3ff60f34af4ce842d28f3a0ae641818b8c839a551e920273cdee5b15e8f6b6d8e6224bee5 
 
Related Russia read: "Key Senate panel still divided on Trump-Russia collusion along partisan lines," from CNN's Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f448ca2dc5fc29b7da3991bf56308c1dfcb018667230c857c1dc20458515f8a55340c252c7e2187f52 
 
LUJAN GRISHAM PROFITED FROM HIGH-RISK INSURANCE PLANS -- Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), who is running for governor, profited from New Mexico's use of a high-priced health-insurance program for seriously ill patients -- even after Obamacare had rendered such programs obsolete. "As most states were shuttering their subsidized health-insurance programs for people with pre-existing conditions because they could get coverage through Obamacare, a firm co-founded by Lujan Grisham and a close political ally received millions of dollars to run New Mexico's program, even as she served in Congress," Rachana Pradhan reports. Lujan Grisham is the leading Democratic contender in a three-person
 primary. The state will hold its primary on Tuesday.
 
Lujan Grisham's Delta Consulting Group was paid more than $2 million to run the high-risk pool under a competitive bidding process between 2014 and 2017. "The 58-year-old Lujan Grisham ... sold her 50 percent stake in the company last June, six months after she announced she would run to succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Susana Martinez," Pradhan writes. "Her congressional financial disclosure forms show she earned a total of between $165,000 and $350,000 in dividends from Delta from 2013 to 2016." She says she never pressured state officials to keep the program open for her own financial interests, though good government experts say such influence would be tough to detect. More: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4f3f112cd1634df1f220d2a61fb69ac6f9be5824a3c7e265e3bf26a493c04d04a63a5f1660b55a167 
 
GOOD MORNING! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, May 31.
 
WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Heather's report on Rep. Linda S&aacute;nchez (D-Calif.) bracing for backlash after publicly calling for new Democratic leadership last fall was the winner.
 
TRUMP HEADLINING TEXAS FUNDRAISERS -- President Donald Trump will make two fundraising stops when he travels to Texas today to offer condolences and meet with families of the victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting earlier this month. "The lunch in Houston will benefit the National Republican Senatorial Committee, with tickets priced from $5,000 to $100,000," Dallas Morning News' Todd J. Gillman reports. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is on the ballot this year as Republicans look to preserve their majority. Cruz is facing a challenge from Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas). The president will then head to Dallas for a fundraising dinner and reception. Attending the reception costs $2,700 per
 person, and a VIP dinner seat -- which includes a photo op with the president -- is set for $50,000 per person. Proceeds from the Dallas event will go to his reelection campaign and the RNC. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4e82ccddd5e7400fc4d94246214360858854d26dd2ea8ea59b1e7b0cdf4410a22278aed5eea65acd6 
 
CRAMER UNLEASHES ... ON WHITE HOUSE AIDE -- Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) is probably still feeling good about her reelection prospects, especially with her opponent taking aim at the White House in the wake of a POLITICO report detailing her warm relationship with the president. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) attacked White House legislative affairs director Marc Short for the GOP's failure in repealing Obamacare and rolling back an Obama-era regulation that would limit flaring and venting from oil and gas wells. "If Marc Short was very good at his job, you know, we'd have a repeal and replacement of Obamacare, we'd have a replacement of the venting and flaring rule," Cramer told a North Dakota
 radio host. Short invited Heitkamp to a bank deregulation bill signing last week. Heitkamp was the only Democrat in attendance. 
 
Cramer told POLITICO last week that he's fine with the president's relationship with Heitkamp. Trump, after all, insisted that Cramer challenge Heitkamp for the Senate. "I just don't think it hurts me," Cramer said. Heitkamp, meanwhile, said, "The president has got bigger fish to fry and bigger problems to solve than whether Kevin likes him more than I do." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4f653006b5577c11b5f56c4021ee37e74591d17199bbef402c9f04a0c60c8c470b651339e735f7e22 
 
Related: "Trump publicly praises Indiana Democrat he recently attacked as 'Sleepin' Joe,'" by The Washington Post's John Wagner and Sean Sullivan: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4b9b4e9dddb3e5b054ce195322c802779f6a25b38df2dd4269679465848aaeea3dc8b33b52a63b4ab 
 
TRUMP ENDORSES DONOVAN IN NEW YORK PRIMARY -- President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Dan Donovan (R-N.Y.) over former Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), support that comes nearly a month ahead of the state's June 26 primary. "There is no one better to represent the people of N.Y. and Staten Island (a place I know very well) than @RepDanDonovan, who is strong on Borders & Crime, loves our Military & our Vets, voted for Tax Cuts and is helping me to Make America Great Again," Trump tweeted. "Dan has my full endorsement!" 
 
"The race between Donovan and Grimm has developed into one of the nation's nastiest Republican primaries this year," Laura Nahmias reports. "Both men have sought to position themselves as Trump's best friend on Staten Island, which takes up the bulk of New York's 11th Congressional District." Grimm won reelection in 2014 but pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud charges soon after and resigned in January 2015. His spokesman said: "All the endorsements in the world can't change the facts: Donovan has failed to pass even one substantive bill into law, and has voted against President Trump every time it's mattered." Contrary to Trump's tweet, Donovan voted against the president's tax cuts --
 three times. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4f251b6294edaa100cecb5ecb21f229fbe5ca71dd93ea9d7cabcd4276c1cc00d13548857ab0788e52 
 
ROMNEY 2016? -- Utah Senate candidate Mitt Romney wrote in his wife, Ann, for president in 2016. He told the Deseret News and KSL editorial boards she "would be an excellent president." The former Never Trumper was considered for a Cabinet post after the election and won the president's endorsement in February despite his withering public criticism of Trump in 2016. The two now speak every few months. "Despite his harsh criticism of Trump in the past, Romney has said the president's policy agenda has turned out better than he expected," the Deseret News' Dennis Romboy reports. "But Romney still has questions about Trump's character." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f40e0bf022bd60f2e8a879b68ad84b98a9031c98dd998ba773424893e7a5c771885ad4073d293a4e16 
 
DENT JOINING LAW FIRM -- Former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), already a CNN contributor, will start his second job next month as a senior policy adviser at DLA Piper. Dent left Congress earlier this month. "While it's not unusual for members of Congress to lobby or take on consulting work, it's less common for them to resign of their own volition midway through their term and join a firm," Marianne Levine and Rachael report. "It was not immediately clear whether Dent plans to lobby. Under House ethics rules, former members of the House may not lobby either chamber for one year." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0cb9e57ba21bd2f4b0d33772ea001dd359921bd6f35b084fe37608dd02ed242217ec5a2acac4d60e18f303db27d5fb39 
 
TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House and Senate are out.
 
WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- Tracee Larson was first to correctly guess that Bertram Tracy Clayton is the former New York congressman who was killed in action in World War I. Clayton was also the highest ranking West Point graduate killed in the war.
 
TODAY'S TRIVIA -- From Tracee: With the NBA Finals kicking off tonight, who was the first U.S. president to host the NBA champions at the White House, who was the team and when did that team visit the White House? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: [email-masked].
 
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