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12/20/2016 08:09 AM EDT


By Heather Caygle (hcaygle@politico.com or @heatherscope)

With assists from Daniel Lippman and Burgess Everett

THE HEAT IS ON- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could face more pressure to create a special committee to investigate Russian tampering with the election now that GOP Sen. Cory Gardner plans to introduce a bill to do that and more early next year. The news from Gardner, incoming chairman of the Senate GOP's campaign arm, comes after Sens. Chuck Schumer, John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Jack Reed, have stepped up calls for a select committee to probe the issue in recent days, something McConnell continues to resist.

"Gardner, who is close with McConnell, took pains to cast his proposal as far broader than the Russian hacking of U.S. election officials. His hope is to introduce the bill with bipartisan cosponsors early next year," Burgess reports. Gardner has long called for a special cybersecurity committee, more than a year before Russia's interference started garnering headlines.

But not everybody is ready to jump on board. Burgess reached out to more than a dozen GOP Senate offices Monday and none backed the idea of a select committee on Russia. Sens. Marco Rubio, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake think the current line up of Senate committees investigating the issue is the best way to go.

And McConnell, in a sit-down with long-time KET host Bill Goodman, who's retiring, again rejected the idea of a special committee on Monday. "It's a serious issue, but it doesn't require a select committee," McConnell told Goodman. "We already have a committee set up to do this." Burgess with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d882d622b5b4e7453d0e8e87d152d00f0958d88c3280e5d86

REAL TALK- "I honestly thought we wouldn't hold the U.S. Senate, I thought we'd come up short. And I didn't think President Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell told KET. Watch his interview: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7dd0df7b63dac97bca2a84babe792dbaee7a23f9163c47a376

CORKER BULLISH ON TILLERSON- As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will oversee Rex Tillerson's nomination to be secretary of state, don't expect Sen. Bob Corker to come right out and say he's backing the ExxonMobil CEO. But Corker, who was also considered for the state position, seems to be leaning that way. "I talked with him at length on Thursday, and I think the concerns that people have about Russia, his relationships, will subside in the hearings. And again, it's up to him to make sure to allay those fears. But I think he's going to do very well, based on the conversation I had with him," Corker told Hugh Hewitt Monday.

Corker also weighed in on John Bolton, the controversial former U.N. ambassador who Trump is reportedly considering for the No. 2 spot at the State Department. GOP Sen. Rand Paul has vowed to block Bolton's nomination if it happens. "So much of it is how they comport themselves, how they relate to issues," Corker told Hewitt. "And again, these myths can be created just like in the beginning with Tillerson, much of that, I think, is subsiding at present. But in the very beginning, myths are created about people, their service, their views. And typically, when they get in front of people one on one, that can change."

Support builds for ExxonMobil CEO: Daniel Poneman, deputy secretary of energy for five years under President Obama, is backing Tillerson. Poneman, a veteran nuclear adviser to former President Bill Clinton, is now the CEO of uranium enrichment company Centrus, Elana reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7dffa08ceac44af16db19314ddab43e3dee9e586a981442c4d

TO-TO-TOTALLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20. Thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Programming note: Huddle will be taking a holiday break from Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 2. We'll be back to chronicle all things new Congress Jan. 3.

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED- Seung Min and Rebecca Morin's story about key senators calling for a select Senate committee to look into Russian election tampering.

TODAY IN CONGRESS- Next vote: Jan. 3.

IT'S OFFICIAL- The Electoral College made it official Monday, selecting Donald Trump as the next president. "Just two of the 306 Republican electors, both from Texas, ultimately cast a ballot against Trump," Kyle reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d813ab10976021a140ba9483b843b10b10af0642718c15d28

DON'T MISS: Glenn Thrush sat down with Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison to talk about his DNC bid, his decade-old controversial writings about Louis Farrakhan and how the lawmaker feels about President-elect Trump. "Ellison is an open and engaging guy to talk with ...but he bristled when I suggested that everything an elected official utters or scribbles during their adult life should be fair game. 'But every single word, though?' asked Ellison, a convert from Catholicism to Islam who was the first of his faith to be elected to Congress." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7dd56952dc05dc72daedb060e588ddb8abfa53324f90dabf4e

WALKING DOWN MEMORY LANE- Roll Call's Bill Clark and Tom Williams round up their top 30 photographs from Capitol Hill to the campaign trail this year. Take a look: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d0ac4f51bd156ebc9d27edf5343888790de60f0f1e11839f6

ASHLee FOR CONGRESS? There's a buzz among some top Republican aides that AshLee Strong, Speaker Paul Ryan's press secretary and a former aide to Sen. John Thune, might run for Congress in Montana with Rep. Ryan Zinke leaving for the Trump administration. Seasoned flack that she is, this Montanan has an on-the-record answer ready for the question. "It's an honor to be thought of to serve my home state of Montana, but I'm focused on helping President-elect Trump and Speaker Ryan get results for Americans starting in January," she said in an email asking about her prospects for the seat.

In other candidate news: If he decides to run, former gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte would likely consolidate support for the seat.

LISTEN UP- More than 100 House Democrats led by California Rep. Barbara Lee sent a letter to President-elect Trump calling for the elimination of the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds for abortions in most cases. The letter was co-led by Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Gwen Moore, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rosa DeLauro, according to Lee's office. Trump once described himself as "very pro-choice" but in recent years has said he's against abortion. Earlier this year the president-elect said women who have abortions should be punished before walking that back. Read the letter, signed by 106 Democrats: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7dba43e655678a9499e678cde58e78353f610cc28315fe7852

WRAPPING UP THE LEADERSHIP SWEEPSTAKES - On the left: Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley has been named the chief deputy whip of the Senate Democrats, adding a prominent liberal and former statehouse speaker to Chuck Schumer's sprawling squad.

On the right: Utah Sen. Mike Lee has secured another term leading the conservative Steering Committee, aides said. Lee will continue hosting the weekly Wednesday lunch that serves as a forum for the Senate GOP.

SHIFTING GEARS- Sen. John Barrasso, the soon-to-be chairman of the Senate EPW Committee, has named Richard Russell the panel's Republican staff director and picked Brian Clifford to be deputy staff director. Russell, a partner at the Stanton Park Group, was once the Republican staff director of the Senate Commerce Committee and previously served as an official in the George W. Bush administration. Clifford is the Senate Western Caucus' executive director and has been in charge of infrastructure issues for the Wyoming Republican.

DOING BIG THINGS- Sen.-elect Kamala Harris is following in retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer's footsteps, landing a seat on Boxer's beloved Environment and Public Works Committee. The incoming freshman senator (and current California attorney general) will also serve on the Homeland Security Committee, the Budget Committee and the Intelligence Committee. The L.A. Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d977c137be5b86abe21ce50517dd3a40d2b4d3d4eeaee7653

LET'S JUST CHANGE THE LAWS- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has his own ideas about how Trump can keep from violating federal ethics laws: have Congress change them. "'We've never seen this kind of wealth in the White House, and so traditional rules don't work,' Gingrich said Monday during an appearance on NPR's 'The Diane Rehm Show' about the president-elect's business interests. 'We're going to have to think up a whole new approach.'" Darren Samuelsohn, who was also a guest on one of Rehm's last shows, reports: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d8fa9f78f418914bf76df8f8cf65a18ab9991121ba318ee6a

NOT SO FAST- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he fully intends to roll back an Obama-era coal regulation finalized by the Interior Department Monday. McConnell said "he will introduce a resolution of disapproval in January under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to block executive agency rules within 60 days of their publication in the Federal Register." Morning Consult: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d365254fb49fb517207379d6cf5979f95e202d74c0aa65909

JOINING THE TEAM- Corry Bliss, the GOP operative who led Sen. Rob Portman's wildly successful reelection campaign, has a new gig. Bliss will be the executive director of American Action Network, a nonprofit, and Congressional Leadership Fund, its sister super PAC, Kevin reports. "The sister organizations have the blessing of House GOP leadership and spent heavily to help Republicans retain control of the House in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 elections." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7d2d156ef402ecb6bcc88ea01c7abc0947efa0f80a8645b3a6

WELCOME TO THE HILL- The New York Times is beefing up its congressional coverage, adding Thomas Kaplan and Matt Flegenheimer to its D.C. roster, the paper will announce today. They join Emmarie Huetteman and Jennifer Steinhauer on the Times' congressional team. Tom started as a sports intern at the Times in 2010 and most recently covered the 2016 campaign. Matt has worked for the Times since 2011, covering transit, City Hall and the campaign.

REMEMBERING R. BRIAN LEWIS- Per a friend: "Lewis, 47, of Washington D.C., passed away December 15, 2016. He was a graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School, Texas Christian University, and South Texas Law School, JD 1994. A long time time presence in the U.S. Senate, he was most recently Counsel to the office of the Senate Majority Leader. He previously was a counsel on the Senate Rules Committee and worked at both both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the RNC. A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. today at
Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes, 1217 Massachusetts Ave. NW."

WELCOME TO THE WORLD- Steve Castor, long time staffer for the House Oversight Committee, and his wife Jen, a real estate lawyer for the DC's deputy mayor for planning and economic development welcomed their second child, Willow Rose Castor to the world yesterday. Willow made her entrance just before 1 p.m. and weighed in at nearly 8 lbs. Steve, Jen and big brother Chase (3 years old) are elated. Pic: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=be8d845e84cd4f7de1ee96f1e032c9d5b1468c6f79025efadf639793bc0bcf94

ARRIVAL LOUNGE- Christopher Huntley joined Rep. Barbara Lee's office last week as communications director; he previously was with the Clinton campaign where he was millennial media director, worked for the Convention as deputy press secretary and in Senator Reid's office as deputy press secretary and speechwriter.

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER- Logan Ferree and Samuel King were the first to guess that retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who checks in at 4' 11", requested a newspaper correction for getting her height wrong.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- Samuel with today's question: What prominent anti-fascist Congressman was revealed in the 1990s to be a paid agent of a Soviet spy agency? The first person to correctly guess the answer to today's question gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle. Send suggestions for trivia questions my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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