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01/04/2018 08:02 AM EDT


By Heather Caygle (hcaygle@politico.com or @heatherscope) and Nolan D. McCaskill (nmccaskill@politico.com or @NolanDMcCaskill)

With an assist from Daniel Lippman

TRUMP HUDDLES WITH SENATE REPUBLICANS - The Capitol is relatively quiet for the rest of the week - the House is out and the Senate cleared its schedule so members could travel home before the big winter storm hits the East Coast today - but President Donald Trump has two key meetings with Senate Republicans on his schedule. First, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will huddle with Senate Republicans on Dreamers at 11:30 a.m. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters Wednesday he and other Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee will attend the confab.

Later in the day, Trump will meet with another group of Senate Republicans about the 2018 legislative agenda. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), chairman of the Senate Republican campaign arm, are expected to attend the 2:15 p.m. meeting. Trump is also scheduled to host Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on the 2018 agenda this weekend at Camp David.

Republicans still don't have a cohesive strategy on immigration. GOP leaders left a meeting with Democrats on spending negotiations Wednesday saying the legislative fight over Dreamers shouldn't be coupled with a budget deal. But Democratic leaders insist Dreamers and a raft of other outstanding legislative items should be dealt with as part of ongoing spending talks. Trump continues to publicly demand a border wall and other immigration restrictions that Democrats and some Republicans steadfastly oppose.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators continues to meet privately to hammer out a deal. "The deal is there, we just need to go write it down and do it and get people to sign off on it," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said as he left Sen. Dick Durbin's (D-Ill.) office yesterday. Graham said their plan would include a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers but strikes a middle ground between a bipartisan bill all Democrats support and a more conservative GOP proposal. The latest on Dreamers and spending talks from Sarah, Heather and Seung Min: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e2d05336f5cf78e975942112c3071e40d358c4f5c3255850f5412165015635090ecdd3aae761dcb0291a00deb196f1a7

ROSENSTEIN, WRAY MEET WITH RYAN - Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Chris Wray met with Speaker Ryan in an unannounced conclave yesterday afternoon. Rosenstein and Wray requested the meeting, which was related to an ongoing push for documents by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. The California Republican has aggressively sought more information about how the FBI handled a controversial dossier alleging illicit ties between Trump and Moscow, Kyle reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e2d05336f5cf78e98742c9de8ff2bba549593c2a839340a22384530a9f3986d5d3b0d68a68a3ac213a9293f83d62d628

Later Wednesday, Nunes announced he reached an agreement with the DOJ regarding his outstanding document and witness requests. Nunes said he spoke to Rosenstein and "looks forward to receiving access to the documents over the coming days." CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Aileen Graef with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e2d05336f5cf78e9f141f503ee4fc1ac9b2085a0c9e687c70e574be7a1af82037363219367ce3c90d3a705d2edec098e

Related Russia read: Paul Manafort sues DOJ and special counsel Robert Mueller. Darren Samuelsohn and Josh Gerstein: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb69f1520ae94739da97a72b5bbe09bd7809a376d537da47f136b4d9da706d9ef997422b293ab692901

KINGMAKER NO MORE? Trump in a single, albeit blistering, statement reduced his former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon from campaign kingmaker to a political liability. "Republican Senate candidates of all stripes sought the backing of the Breitbart chairman and his affiliated political group, the Great America Alliance," Kevin Robillard reports, until Trump turned on him yesterday after Bannon's attack on the Trump family in a forthcoming book. Bannon's support for candidates is no longer seen as an implicit approval from the president, and it's freed Republican candidates who didn't want Bannon's backing to cast those who did as disloyal to Trump. More from Kevin:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6a09460839f97fa489d7152dffe6ad37b51bbf08f0398b30a4e3085e174332a3fc78d8e547d4bdd7a

Related: "'Bannon was shot on the South Lawn and run over by a tank'" - Eliana Johnson on how the Trump-Bannon alliance collapsed. Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb63edac8baf745dcfeef89877351c73887e94a58d327a80ce7c6e12ded63d16e5449b9c9c8d4cc2e94 And a Trump lawyer has sent Bannon a "cease and desist" letter accusing him of violating a campaign agreement barring him from disclosing confidential or disparaging information about the president and his family. Andrew Restuccia with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb61995c95ec09237945d2f657945699cf9466f63d38b169a0b222a6a5fefcdde52df8b1c032c75ba16

IF YOU'RE ON THE EAST COAST, BUNDLE UP AND STAY SAFE. Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, Jan. 4.


WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Sahil Kapur's screenshot of Mitt Romney changing his location to Utah in his Twitter bio was the midweek winner.

LAWMAKERS BRIEFED ON TRUMP'S MENTAL HEALTH - More than a dozen lawmakers worried about the president's mental state summoned Yale University psychiatry professor Bandy X. Lee to Capitol Hill last month for a two-day briefing on his recent behavior, Annie Karni reports. "He's going to unravel, and we are seeing the signs," Lee told the group, which included one unnamed Republican senator. Some lawmakers have a growing obsession of removing the president via the 25th Amendment, though there is no evidence that Vice President Mike Pence or the majority of Trump's Cabinet would deem him physically or mentally "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." Much more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb61f44b9b112d1a00b5eaae4cdcfd564da19030444527d4a3c26f950f6c581cc468016cb22a6cf72de

TRUMP DISSOLVES VOTER FRAUD COMMISSION - Democrats were rejoicing Wednesday night after Trump announced an executive order disbanding his controversial voter fraud commission due to states refusing to participate. Democrats have long decried the panel as a sham meant to give cover to Trump's unsubstantiated claims that widespread voter fraud cost him the popular vote. But Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the panel's leader, said Democrats' exuberance was misplaced because political appointees at DHS will now take over the issue. White House officials, meanwhile, laid blame for the failed commission at Steve Bannon's feet. "This was his idea, and it was not a good one," the official
said. Josh Gerstein and Matt Nussbaum: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6e811cdc175cc78418b094c66381e25b5c95f19a7f6a638fbc9cb2b65e5e430dedee404c2d255b3d6

DEMOCRATS JONES, SMITH SWORN IN - Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) were sworn in yesterday with three vice presidents and more than 20 happy Democrats in attendance. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) offered warm words for both senators, and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) greeted Jones with an image of former MLB relief pitcher Doug Jones. More color from Roll Call's Niels Lesniewski: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6ebc2b957e62d2c45631031a7192a5d04e0d3079ef48dc82f23aea3bfe776c558122f967db4c90a9e

Jones' arrival shrinks the already narrow GOP majority to 51-49, making it easier for Democrats to block Trump nominees and filibuster legislative proposals. Logistical issues will also have to be worked out with the narrower Republican majority. "For instance," Seung Min and Bres report, "McConnell and Schumer are still discussing whether the number of seats allotted to each party on committees will be adjusted to reflect the smaller GOP majority, aides said." It's also not clear just yet who will assume former Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Luther Strange's (R-Ala.) committee assignments. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6c9f5a4ffeb07ae57292f93310b4aa69ed12a1b13b97a2742a1c58d1ec879beff13fc0d7eea6fb930

TIM SCOTT'S SNOW DAY - Sen. Tim Scott learned something new Wednesday: "#BoogieBoardsAreForTheBeach." With flights from Charleston to Washington canceled due to inclement weather, the Republican lawmaker playfully sought another mode of transportation. Scott posted an 11-second clip of himself attempting to glide through a few inches of snow while on a boogie board before tumbling over, prompting both laughter and concern. "Senator, please don't hurt yourself," one man says as the video concludes. See for yourself: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6ed0097e205086f43184fe56918b335432926c5e882f41239c3a45f1e1a794d260a14f13ae89315ee

ON SECOND THOUGHT - Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) has yet to repay $84,000 in taxpayer money he used to settle a sexual harassment claim with a former aide, despite promising to do so. "Nearly one month after the initial statement, Farenthold's communications director, Stacey Daniels, tells CNN that he has not yet written a check, and on the advice of counsel is waiting to see what changes the House will make to the Congressional Accountability Act before repaying those funds," Sunlen Serfaty, Juana Summers and Deirdre Walsh report. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6fa0518063ac3622c89f5d663043ac82306854daa8e84b3781a71b26327e477fc67e3792e4e12e560

ROYCE'S WIFE NOMINATED TO SENIOR STATE DEPT POST - The White House announced Wednesday that Trump has nominated business executive Marie Royce to serve as an assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. Royce's husband, Ed Royce (R-Calif.), is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "[I]f confirmed, Royce would hold a senior position at the department over which her husband ... has jurisdiction," Karoun Demirjian reports for The Washington Post. A committee aide said Chairman Royce played no role in his wife's selection. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2602f54435abbcb6e3f5a8db22dc680304f647e08a1a3b2af77b77bbe649f7327bc11d53384e044bfba2180f828a5c11

MOVING UP AND MOVING ON - Kevin Fox has been promoted to legislative assistant and legislative correspondent in Rep. Ro Khanna's (D-Calif.) office. He will handle issues such as labor and telecommunications policy. Ashley Berrang is leaving Sen. Shelley Moore Capito's (R-W.Va.) office, where she served as communications director for three years.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 11 a.m. to resume consideration of judicial nominee Walter David Counts III. The chamber will recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for weekly caucus lunches, and no more votes are scheduled this week due to the winter storm hitting the East Coast. The House is out until next week.

AROUND THE HILL - Senate Republican and Democratic leaders are expected to hold their weekly press conferences today after caucus lunches around 2 p.m. in the Ohio Clock Corridor, but it's still not certain given travel schedules due to the winter storm.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Marshall Yates was first to name two people who have held elective office statewide in two different states: Sam Houston, a former Texas and Tennessee governor who also represented Texas in the Senate; and James Shields, who represented Missouri, Minnesota and Illinois in the Senate.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Name the eight sitting senators who have also run for president. 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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