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01/05/2018 07:53 AM EDT


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

TRUMP HOSTS REPUBLICANS AT CAMP DAVID - President Donald Trump and GOP leaders will huddle at Camp David this weekend to talk about their 2018 agenda and the perilous midterm landscape. "Amid rising concern that Republicans could lose their majorities in November, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California will lead separate presentations on 2018," Alex Isenstadt reports. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) will also attend this weekend's confab. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e991787912d06811ac10e4a989e2dc867149ad55dbea65c0d476d5d37b633c42e49f7f54c8c3e03a01836

TRUMP TRIED TO STOP SESSIONS' RECUSAL - Trump ordered his White House lawyer to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the Russia investigation last year, Michael Schmidt reports for the New York Times. White House counsel Donald McGahn "was unsuccessful, and the president erupted in anger in front of numerous White House officials, saying he needed his attorney general to protect him." The episode will factor into special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to impede the Russia probe.

The New York Times also reports that a White House deputy lawyer tried to mislead Trump about whether he could fire FBI Director James Comey, fearing it would force DOJ to open an investigation into the president. And four days before Comey was fired, an aide to Sessions reached out to Capitol Hill trying to dig up derogatory information on Comey. "The attorney general wanted one negative article a day in the news media about Mr. Comey, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting."

Of the two issues Mueller is likely investigating - whether Trump obstructed justice or whether his campaign colluded with Russia - legal experts say "there is currently a larger body of public evidence tying the president to a possible crime of obstruction." Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917ac4f1338a1835db043a8b2cf0dcc32760f4c77befa3224392e8656ce520f970af590985e36fd71a3

Following the Times report, House Judiciary ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) called for McGahn to be fired.

Should he stay or should he go? Even before the bombshell Times story, Sessions' future was up for debate on the Hill Thursday. House Freedom Caucus leaders Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) called on Sessions to resign in an op-ed earlier Thursday, citing his recusal from the Russia probe as one reason. But Democrats shifted their tune, saying no action that could hamper the Russia investigation, including firing Sessions, should be taken right now. "My view now is very simple: nothing, nothing should ever interfere with the Mueller investigation," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters. CNN's Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917f8f1b5b2d405fae84ad50f2f5a049a600ba49838f1acc6fa372b76ad02808b9ad9f0bc27c0a7d11f

JUDGE SIDES WITH REPUBLICANS IN FUSION CASE - A federal judge has denied a bid by Fusion GPS - the firm behind the Trump dossier - to prevent the House Intelligence Committee from viewing its bank records, Josh Gerstein reports. Separately, House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes released details Thursday of his deal with DOJ for the department to provide witnesses and documents related to the dossier. Intel investigators can view requested documents at the Justice Department today and several FBI officials will be made available for interviews later this month, Bloomberg reports.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray met with Speaker Ryan Wednesday, urging him to narrow Nunes' request. Ryan sided with Nunes and the other House Republicans who have been pursuing these documents for months. But, as Kyle and Rachael report this morning, this likely isn't the end of hostilities between the House's most vocal Trump supporters and the DOJ, and Ryan could find himself caught in the middle again. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e99170cc83d6d798d7d28d4a01cd7dac52a2509f96b064a223565f89095b06ba5247c48e2c5584455a60a

WOOHOO, FRIDAY, JAN. 5! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Rest up loyal Huddle readers, next week will be back to business on the Hill.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: You guys loved watching Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) attempt to boogie board down a snow bank when the winter weather sidelined him in Charleston.

DREAMER TALKS STALLED - Trump plans to call a bipartisan meeting next week with negotiators working on a Dreamer deal, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced after he and several other Republicans met with the president on immigration Thursday. But behind the scenes, negotiators seem to be struggling more than ever. The White House has yet to provide details about what border security and immigration restrictions they want in exchange for helping Dreamers, a major obstacle according to lawmakers trying to reach a deal.

Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), who were part of the bipartisan working group, haven't attended meetings in recent weeks and issued a downcast statement Thursday. And in the House, Republicans are far apart on what they would support, much less trying to reach agreement with Democrats. Seung Min, Rachael and Ted Hesson with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e991735729b64560c6b97799e69e68cd5fb62c7a849ff7dec4ad861723a91fd95fb28b8116b09966d08a8

YOU CAN CALL ME ON MY CELL PHONE - Trump spoke with Mitt Romney Thursday evening as speculation builds that the former presidential nominee - and once a fierce critic of the president - is preparing to announce his Senate bid. The call lasted about 10 minutes, Alex Isenstadt reports. Trump wished Romney the best of luck and the two men also talked about retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who the president pressured to run for another term to block Romney from taking the seat. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917258608784d7372f72ddd70c8994a3f3948b5819b636d7ef595b6bc0b1f7deb4e2eab6a75391920df

LAWMAKERS SLAM SESSIONS OVER POT POLICY - Several lawmakers also ripped into Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thursday for his decision to rescind an Obama-era policy that didn't punish states who authorized legal marijuana use. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said the plan contradicts what Sessions told him during his confirmation process. Gardner vowed to hold up all future DOJ nominees unless Sessions reverses his decision. "It was not immediately clear how the Justice Department's new approach would be affected by a budget rider that prohibits the use of federal money to interfere with state-authorized medical marijuana use," Josh Gerstein and Cristiano Lima report. More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e99171e4640cd200df662c54b1bd1f9e7486fb8ffcd592b0d2d727998b5d44ef70e4e6ecd09d5423b3213

Related read: Marijuana crackdown leaves GOP fearing 2018 backlash, via Bloomberg's Sahil Kapur: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917e36e703da8780cbff221c5d24b0027e64599d91ba79d44072ed6f61cdd22e71ff5f7236ac71aee14


HE'S RUNNING - Rep. Ron DeSantis will announce his bid for Florida governor today, Matt Dixon reports from Tallahassee. "In recent weeks, the three-term congressman began laying the groundwork for the long-anticipated announcement. The crown jewel in his GOP primary preparation was the Trump endorsement, which the president blasted out to his more than 46 million Twitter followers Dec. 22. It gave DeSantis an immediate injection of political momentum." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917bedbadd6a6ecbf4076be580df2c5e1843827afcaed3e65b3dcc8df9127dcaa3fcad79d0a99f8851d

HARPER LATEST REPUBLICAN TO RETIRE - Mississippi Rep. Gregg Harper, chairman of the House Administration Committee, will retire after this year, he announced Thursday. Harper, 61, is the seventh Republican committee chairman to retire this Congress. His committee has been in the spotlight recently for its role as the primary panel overseeing Capitol Hill sexual harassment policies. The committee is expected to move legislation later this month that would overhaul the current harassment reporting process. Harper, a five-term lawmaker, said in a statement he's been thinking about retiring for a while but made the final decision over the holidays. More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917d3536d79b5b38d6a7ffc533ec60162e243c63dd663bb1da984dcaed86b7e8b811a7bc304778f6e31

Headed for the exits: Edward-Isaac Dovere talked to some of the more than three dozen members who have already announced their retirement about why they can't wait to get the heck out of Washington. "When pressed, the departees will confess to deep concerns that flow from Trump, the reaction to Trump, and the politics that created and elected Trump," he reports. And don't miss the great photos of members by Ben Baker (including Michigan Democratic Rep. Sandy Levin eating a doughnut!): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e991715f75319d6d8be592d3dabc727b57a70fd485769b39450de640a2680fec32c4ba92e45c60fa0f4ae

FOR YOUR RADAR - The House GOP steering committee will meet Tuesday night to fill several committee vacancies, including Rep. Pat Tiberi's Ways and Means spot - we hear it will likely go to Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) - and pick the next chairman for the House Budget Committee. Tiberi (R-Ohio), who announced his retirement last fall, will officially depart Congress Jan. 15, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Tiberi is leaving to run the Ohio Business Roundtable.

Helpful bookmark: Wondering how many members have resigned, announced their retirement or plan to run for higher office? The House press gallery keeps a handy casualty list: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57570333990e9917e1b01322776d0a43d4404a6e0d347295a8c497fde60cdabcd6cebdd8b7be294f800e8cda5e7b3cf7

ARRIVAL LOUNGE - Tyler Hernandez has been promoted to communications director for Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). He previously worked as Capito's deputy communications director, as well as deputy communications director for the House Education Committee.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate and the House are out until next week.

AROUND THE HILL - Snow ball fights on the Capitol lawn. Otherwise it's pretty quiet on the Hill today.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Paul Curran and Logan Ferree were both first to correctly name all eight sitting senators who have run for president: Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

TODAY'S TRIVIA - With the college football championship game just around the corner (Monday!), Arik Wolk has today's question: Georgia and Alabama will meet in next week's championship game. Who are the two members of the House whose districts hold each of these universities? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com.

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