Subject: POLITICO Huddle: PELOSI'S LATEST FUNDRAISING HAUL -- Scalise's prediction for keeping the House -- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SPARS OVER NOMINEES -- Ex-Senate aide pleads guilty
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2018 06:02:57 -0600
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10/16/2018 08:01 AM EDT

By Nolan D. McCaskill ([email-masked] or @NolanDMcCaskill)
 
PELOSI RAISES $34M IN Q3 -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will report raising more than $34 million for Democrats in the third quarter, including $30.5 million for the DCCC. "Pelosi's return to the top of a Democratic-majority leadership was anything but assured several months ago, with potential challengers lurking and unrest in Democratic ranks over what some said was a need for new and younger leadership," Anna Palmer reports. "But as Democrats appear positioned to take back the House, Pelosi has solidified her support among her caucus and has begun mapping out their priorities with her colleagues."
 
House Democrats intend to introduce a campaign finance reform package as their first bill in the next Congress, then move to lowering drug prices and working with Republicans on a background check bill and protecting Dreamers. "And while oversight is a key for Democrats, Pelosi said she isn't in favor of a 'pound of flesh' club," Palmer writes. "In particular, she said, she would like Democrats to make sure there is integrity in the U.S. voting system and allow for standards to be put in place that states could implement."
 
As for whether Pelosi, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and James Clyburn (D-S.C.) will continue to lead the caucus next year, Pelosi insists she doesn't know. "I have no idea and it's the least important thing," she said. "I haven't asked one person for me in the House or outside of the House [for a vote]. ... I don't ask but they do tell." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f596c1f32a430a09dcdd95c1223feaf3b324c562119f2374cc00e41d4779f27c53085209da01555602 
 
Related: "Why Pelosi Is Likely to Be Speaker Again if Democrats Win Back House," by Roll Call's Lindsey McPherson: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b81c27277d2269e1a3a0036f9d196f6eef87bdb186b33595f6100c37fc48f10554ef82049293023cc542ccdfaa365a1 and "In new move, Democrats launch multimillion-dollar campaign to turn out minority and young voters," from Mic's Emily C. Singer: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f59a1e5ad68e86fa68c081a4d72ddd6b837473f63c449e77e255c74cb8ac9222d8155230aeb29b43c5 
 
NOWHERE TO GO -- House Democrats' rising stars have limited options for moving up: "try to work their way up outside of the traditional leadership structure or head for the exits," BuzzFeed News' Lissandra Villa writes. "In conversations with BuzzFeed News over the last few months, Democrats have pointed to varying ways that newer members have sought relevance within a party that has traditionally prioritized experience and required members put in time before they get to run the show. Their solutions and complaints show a bubbling frustration with the current system, from who fills the top leadership posts to the party's choice to prioritize seniority to fill high-ranking committee spots."
 
After four years in the House, Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) felt he'd have to serve another 20 years before becoming a committee chairman. So he ran for Senate. "The House of Representatives has always been seen as a training ground for higher office, and it's hardly surprising that members would leave for positions where they could punch higher at a time when Republicans control Congress and the White House," Villa adds. "And while the number of Democrats exiting the House this year isn't much different than in previous congresses, the departure of some of the caucus's rising stars is particularly striking at a time when Democrats may be poised to win back the House in 2018." Much more: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f54d2658e7a0c3bab8364abfb0d3f2f7567f65fd5843d04ba895f378f5904b818a865bb7202fe5f2e6 
 
50-50 -- House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) gives Republicans at least a 50-50 shot at keeping their majority this year. "This could be a long night, because there are a lot of elections that are going to be 50-50 races," Scalise said. "And if you look today versus two weeks ago, Republicans are in a much better position" with Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court now despite Democrats' best efforts to stop him from sitting on the bench. Scalise also predicted that if Republicans do hold on in November, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) would get the votes to become speaker. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f556e9c47df61d193ad1b5ce40a809adf5f9209abe6990d825e2de31fb4755c90f50b80254e64876c3 
 
GOOD MORNING! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Oct. 16.
 
MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Boston Globe's report on Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) releasing a DNA test suggesting she is between 1/64th and 1/1,024th Native American was the winner.
 
President Trump says a red wave is coming on Election Day. Is he right, or will the tide turn blue? Compete against the nation's top political minds in the POLITICO Playbook Election Challenge by correctly picking the winning candidates in some of the most competitive House, Senate and gubernatorial races in the country. Win awesome prizes and eternal bragging rights. Sign up today!
 
POLITICO is partnering with the Milken Institute to bring a special edition of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter to the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. Written by Dan Diamond, the newsletter will take readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators as they tackle today's most pressing health challenges. The newsletter will run from Oct. 23-24. Sign up today to begin receiving exclusive coverage on Day One of the summit.
 
SENATE DEMS JOSTLE OVER JUDICIAL NOMS -- Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats are objecting to several federal judicial nominees, even while the chamber is in recess through the midterms. "At issue is a pair of hearings on judicial nominees slated for this week and next week," Elana writes. "Senate Democrats raised specific alarms about moving ahead on 'controversial' nominees to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals." In a letter to Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), committee Democrats said the panel "has never before held nominations hearings while the Senate is in recess before an election."
 
"The handful of nominations hearings that have been held during a recess have been with the minority's consent, which is not the case here -- in fact, we were not even consulted," the Democrats added. The White House announced three 9th Circuit judicial picks without any buy-in from home-state Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Neither of those nominees is expected to get considered next week. But Eric Miller is, and he faces opposition from his home-state senator, Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). In a letter to Feinstein, however, Grassley said she "specifically agreed not to object to these hearing dates when I rescheduled them at your request." More: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f5fad2f3e2709bc8e3788c73d318172692795805d2e248d9e3ea99a7324c74d2f9ecfc41740e72e3c5 
 
BUDGET DEFICIT SWELLS -- The federal budget ballooned to $779 billion in fiscal 2018, largely thanks to a decline in corporate tax revenues once the GOP tax cuts took effect. "The deficit rose nearly 17 percent year over year, from $666 billion in 2017," The New York Times' Jim Tankersley reports. "It is now on pace to top $1 trillion a year before the next presidential election... The deficit for the 2018 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, was the largest since 2012, when the economy and federal revenues were still recovering from the depths of the recession."
 
Administration officials cited increased federal spending, not the massive $1.5 trillion tax cut Republicans passed last year, as reason for the greater deficit. "Going forward, the president's economic policies that have stimulated strong economic growth, combined with proposals to cut wasteful spending, will lead America toward a sustainable financial path," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. "But the numbers released by Mr. Mnuchin's department suggest falling revenues were a far larger contributor to the rising deficit than higher spending," Tankersley notes. "Many Republicans, including Mr. Mnuchin, said during last year's debate over tax policy that the proposed cuts would pay
 for themselves... Outside analysts disagreed." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f536a3198d09024ee1364db18b2c59d1bad50bc77d49d0a02616b70eed9bda2e9745c61883d1f28184 
 
TRUMP WILL RALLY FOR CRUZ IN 8K-SEAT STADIUM -- President Donald Trump will rally for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) next week in Houston's "8,000-seat NRG Arena, which isn't close to the biggest event site even in Houston," the Dallas Morning News' Todd J. Gillman reports. Trump last month said he would hold a rally for Cruz at "the biggest stadium in Texas we can find." A campaign aide said larger venues, such as NRG Stadium, which fits about 80,000 people, or the 18,000-seat Toyota Center weren't available on Monday, when early voting begins in Texas. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f5fb36373b6fb373e9f541e624a01b7c5a17ff493af266f12f92da8d5ff70cd0630d106b9db2ead453 
 
THREATENING LETTER SENT TO COLLINS' HOME -- Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and her husband, Tom Daffron, were able to sleep at home last night after receiving "a threatening letter that the writer claimed was contaminated with ricin, a highly hazardous substance which was used in a previous attack against the United States Senate," said Annie Clark, Collins' spokeswoman. Collins was not home at the time, but she has been targeted for weeks as she considered voting for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It's unclear, however, whether Monday's incident was related to her vote. "Police would not comment Monday on whether they had identified a suspect, who could face federal charges," the
 Bangor Daily News' Callie Ferguson reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f52ac05260b8e34ce49db9e88de4fe72e90aa6a1ab29a5b07fa6fc96757eb76ddce44d2cccdc81afad 
 
TREASON -- Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) accused Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) of "treason," seizing on reports that Sinema told a radio host who made a hypothetical comment about joining the Taliban in 2003, "I don't care if you want to do that, go ahead." "Sinema didn't respond to the attack or explain her past comments, instead accusing McSally of running a negative campaign by using 'ridiculous attacks, and trying to smear my campaign,'" James Arkin points out. The accusation came during Monday night's debate. More on that: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=acb1569916f153f5c1bd4a6369830eeeca8b6feffb73eb6226f163fd917f2528d6fc73513d8a2bae235cc30b8c2a46d8 
 
MATTIS' JOB SAFE -- The president assured Defense Secretary Jim Mattis over the phone earlier today that he supports the Pentagon chief "100 percent." "Mattis approached reporters traveling with him to say he'd just spoken to Trump" about hurricane damage to military bases, The Associated Press' Robert Burns reports. "During that conversation, Trump asked Mattis whether he had seen the '60 Minutes' interview broadcast on Sunday. Mattis said he had not. Trump then expressed his full support for Mattis and suggested Mattis let the press know this." Trump had told Lesley Stahl on "60 Minutes" that Mattis is "sort of a Democrat" and "may leave" the administration because at some point everyone
 does. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b81c27277d2269e9142b71f13a76a233fd06b60ccb584263b8968975b33afaa405c783f2085798a7399e91a46b296cc 
 
"[A] number of names are already being floated as his replacement," Foreign Policy's Lara Seligman writes. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Bridgewater Associates CEO David McCormick are possible successors, as are retired four-star Army Gen. Jack Keane, former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. Cotton was on Trump's shortlist in 2016, but appointing him would cost Senate Republicans a critical seat. "Mattis may not make it easy for the president to get rid of him," Seligman notes. "Several officials familiar with Mattis's thinking indicated that he wouldn't leave voluntarily." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b81c27277d2269e2db289d6767931d10fd54b7e4f344fe54be4af340fc3f1621ec13a197980297abfa897c64ba33536 
 
GUILTY -- Former Senate aide James Wolfe pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with reports. "The false-statement charge Wolfe pleaded guilty to appears to specifically involve his denial of involvement in leaks about former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and Senate plans to summon Page for an interview. Page was one of the first individuals who came under scrutiny during the FBI's probe into potential Russian influence on Trump's campaign," Josh Gerstein reports. "Under federal sentencing guidelines, Wolfe is likely to receive between zero and six months in prison. The maximum possible sentence is five years and a $250,000 fine." More: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b81c27277d2269ec2734cfcc6d84efdcb5a10d6f32d1a5e86019b246747f3f7b2aeb5aa5e58d5ed213971fd4527012b 
 
TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House and Senate are out.
 
MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- David Bromberg was first to correctly guess that the 54th session of Congress saw the largest freshman class, with 176 traditional first-term members.
 
TODAY'S TRIVIA -- From David: Which two future presidents had their offices across the hall from each other while they served as senators? 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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