EMAIL DETAILS

07/17/2018 07:59 AM EDT


By Nolan D. McCaskill (nmccaskill@politico.com or @NolanDMcCaskill)

With an assist from Elana Schor

REPUBLICANS SLAM TRUMP ON RUSSIA -- Republicans are overwhelmingly criticizing President Donald Trump's performance at a joint news conference Monday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Helsinki, Finland, where Trump labeled Russia a "good competitor" and declined to condemn the Kremlin for meddling in U.S. elections. It "was one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory," said 81-year-old Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who called the Helsinki summit a "tragic mistake." Some of the most biting criticism came from a familiar but small crowd of Republicans: frequent Trump critics and retiring GOP lawmakers.

Still, "noticeable angst ... flowed through much of the Republican Party on Monday afternoon," Elana and Burgess report, though "few GOP lawmakers signaled concrete plans to act on their alarm about Trump's remarkably cozy appearance with the Russian president." House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Russia without question "interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world." And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters, "The Russians are not our friends, and I entirely agree with the assessment of our intelligence community." More Republican responses: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=817155d05c8b735ee457981bb6e0e4dbaa3861760c813e4d7a7e49b4b1ac5876993b490f12584f306c4d0f39b34c7ddf

Not all Republicans were critical, though. "Republicans that are making the criticism are either the pro-war Republicans like McCain and [Lindsey] Graham or the anti-Trump ones like [Ben] Sasse," said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who plans to visit Russia next month. "They are motivated by their persistent and consistent dislike of the president." Paul's supportive position on the president's engagement with Russia is shared by a small group of GOP lawmakers who traveled to Russia over the Fourth of July holiday break. "[T]hough they certainly don't cite Russia as a friend, they believe Trump's engagement with Putin is the right call," Burgess and Elana write.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=817155d05c8b735e25ad61cf27aa51f36706a3aa3d70b4e60a7e427e9ea406a869ffd38fa20b481ffb15c6d6f57151aa

DEMS WONDER: IS THERE MORE? -- Democratic leaders questioned whether Trump sided with Putin over his own intelligence community because the Russian leader has dirt on him, a query that was asked at the news conference and in a subsequent Fox News interview. Putin dismissed the idea as "rumors." Nevertheless, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Trump's performance "proves that the Russians have something on the president, personally, financially or politically." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added, "Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous behavior is the possibility that President Putin holds damaging information
over President Trump."

"Schumer later listed four ways that Republicans could back up their rhetorical criticism of Trump: strengthening Russian sanctions that Congress approved last year; seeking testimony from Trump advisers who traveled with Trump to the meeting; stopping any attempts to undercut special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation; and prodding Trump to ask for the extradition of 12 Russian nationals Mueller indicted on Friday for election interference," Burgess and Elana write. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the Senate has already done much of what Schumer asked but called extradition of the indicted Russians "wishful thinking" because "Putin's not going to" agree. More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=817155d05c8b735e9c21d92b9e17a16b955e35fe9144186186c39926de382dfcde1d8961a2d5fb6470b035caf389b551

FOR YOUR RADAR -- The president will host a half-dozen GOP members of the House Ways and Means Committee for a discussion about a second round of tax reform at 2 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room. Expected attendees, per Playbook, include Chairman Kevin Brady (Texas) and Reps. Peter Roskam (Ill.), Diane Black (Tenn.), Jim Renacci (Ohio), George Holding (N.C.) and Mike Bishop (Mich.).

GOOD MORNING! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, July 17.

** A message from the American Academy of Dermatology: Board-certified dermatologists treat more than 3,000 diseases, many of which are chronic, disabling, and more than skin deep. American Academy of Dermatology Association members are on Capitol Hill this week, strongly supporting H.R.1316 and S.637 to protect patients and promote pharmaceutical access and affordability. Learn more at www.aad.org. **

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The West Virginia Metro News' report on Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) office setting up a website and email address for constituents to share comments on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was the winner.

ON SECOND THOUGHT... -- Remember House Republicans' plan to hold a floor vote to force Democrats to take a position on legislation to abolish ICE? Forget it. Republicans initially considered the move a win-win for the GOP, Rachael and Kyle report: "Democrats would either back the bill and watch Republicans use it against them in the midterms. Or a portion of Democrats would oppose it, depressing the liberal base." Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), however, was concerned about another outcome: the possibility that Democrats would either abstain from voting or uniformly oppose it, embarrassing Republicans on the floor.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) sponsored the bill but announced last week that he wouldn't vote for it on the floor. Republicans still intend to hold a vote on an ICE proposal, but instead of abolishing ICE, the chamber will vote on a bill Wednesday sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) expressing support for the immigration enforcement agency and condemning its abolishment. "After being called on their bluff, Democrats ran scared from their own bill," said AshLee Strong, Ryan's spokeswoman.

"GOP leaders now argue that allowing lawmakers to support ICE rather than rebuke it will put Democrats on record in the same manner," they add. "But that might not be enough for some conservatives who want to press Democrats on the issue. Multiple conservative members were balking on the floor late Monday at the sudden change of plans." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=817155d05c8b735e2c8cdc7c3ac589fa95c0650ade2344329971f8a9e32b9c01c892e7e08e51e2dd603e9532785494d6

A SPENDING DISPUTE -- Trump administration officials sent a letter warning lawmakers against raising spending caps to accommodate shifts in funding for a popular veterans health program. Democrats and even some powerful Senate Republicans want to spend billions of additional dollars beyond the limit agreed to in this year's budget deal. "The White House's public stand draws battle lines in the first major showdown ahead of this fall's funding deadline, endangering congressional efforts to clear updated spending levels before fiscal 2018 cash runs out Sept. 30," Sarah Ferris and Jennifer Scholtes report. "The likely result: Another continuing resolution that extends funding at current levels
as lawmakers and the administration struggle to find consensus."

"Although funding for veterans programs is riding within a package that houses just three of the 12 annual funding bills," they add, "the breakdown does not bode well for broader spending negotiations leading up to the fiscal 2019 deadline." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=817155d05c8b735ea2b942281c3ac6023dc9182ffde2087dbb8838fa758dc703b541f9e7bc96cc8232342fe510882f0d

MORE MONEY -- The conservative group Judicial Crisis Network is spending another $1.4 million on ads to help Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh get confirmed, bringing its total spending on the effort to $3.8 million. "The latest batch of ads will target four Democratic senators from conservative states on national cable and broadcast networks in their home markets: Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Doug Jones of Alabama," Burgess reports. Burgess' breakdown: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5228cffb47b976dfbb403ea59ca8bc96c37dded9936d91f4b35606a12ec664266fa0731dfe3ead4fe781db418395fabb and the 30-second ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=817155d05c8b735e26200d9eb69592cf516503e0b548d63ff48fee7af3f7d9d27d3b04683bf210e43d8f01b424056f92

The Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity is launching a six-figure direct mail and digital ad campaign. The mailers are going out in West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana and Florida this week, and the digital ads will target senators in those same states, plus Missouri, Pennsylvania, Montana, Ohio, Michigan and Alabama. The ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5228cffb47b976df066a81ff836530025961d2f374cfbf287da78668dcfa2dd18b4a8f6653604642e48b5299ec1cf2cf and the mailer: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d7c438e8926341f83c1074ac51a9f2f5003cf29b46ae0f4ef9f404bef0852d952ef00899ede27926453ba360dc26c9e1

Kavanaugh will continue meeting with senators on the Hill today. He is expected to meet with Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) this morning and afternoon.

FEINSTEIN'S MOMENT OF TRUTH -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, will take on a lead role in the Supreme Court fight against Brett Kavanaugh, the biggest partisan battle of this election year. "She'll do so with a more progressive foe nipping at her heels back home -- her general election opponent, state Sen. Kevin de León, overwhelmingly won the state party's endorsement over the weekend -- and a pair of rising-star Democrats on the committee, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, setting a pugnacious tone for the confirmation clash," Elana reports. Despite pressure from within her party to step aside, Feinstein insists her seniority and
achievements make her more qualified to represent the state. Now's her chance to prove it. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d7c438e8926341f8dc4b58f6fee5d641a253672095da1e04e76f6da4a28379df3c1ad0689afe3758d5058f3a74ed84d6

ROBY RUNOFF -- Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) faces former Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright in a runoff today. Roby withdrew her support for Trump in the wake of the "Access Hollywood" tape in 2016. But her conservative district overwhelmingly voted for Trump weeks later, putting her at odds with the incoming president who nevertheless endorsed her campaign last month. "So, will she survive? It's not clear, but the odds appear to be on her side," The New York Times' Alexander Burns reports. "One big reason for that is the nature of her primary opponent... Mr. Bright has his own baggage, including his past support for Representative Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House." The winner will face Democrat
Tabitha Isner in November. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d7c438e8926341f856d122768bcc9a89a7f14d027b4251490cabcc1dab022f1aa44c26dac90a05bcb5f9c8263b5b5d83

KELLI WARD'S CASH INFUSION -- Conservative megadonor Robert Mercer has cut a half-million-dollar check to a super PAC backing Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward ahead of the state's Aug. 28 primary. Mercer, who also funded Ward's 2016 challenge to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), has given KelliPAC $800,000 this cycle. "Polls have shown Ward, a conservative former state senator, trailing GOP Rep. Martha McSally. Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an immigration hard-liner, is also running in the primary for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Jeff Flake," Alex Isenstadt reports. "A KelliPAC official said the organization would be using the contribution to bankroll a new TV ad
casting McSally, the establishment favorite, as insufficiently conservative and attacking her for refusing to endorse then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d7c438e8926341f873e7094eeb85a138962d5a22a2ffd8de1f4376cf27eea4f427053a32ed296bcb9a458bed77eab20c

BIPARTISAN DUO SCREEN CRIMINAL JUSTICE DOC -- Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) rarely agree on much, but they're both longtime supporters of criminal justice reform, and they're co-hosting a screening of the Sundance award-winning documentary "The Sentence" at 6 p.m. in the Kennedy Caucus Room. The film's director, Rudy Sanchez, and its subject, his sister Cindy Shank, are slated to attend the screening of the film, which deals with the effect of Shank's mandatory minimum sentence for a nonviolent offense and has been picked up by HBO.

TRANSITIONS -- Nasim Fussell has joined the majority staff of the Senate Finance Committee as deputy chief international trade counsel. She previously served as director of government and regulatory affairs at Pitney Bowes and trade counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee.

TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House gavels in at 10 a.m. with first votes expected between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. and last votes expected between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d7c438e8926341f888c480dee1ca29711891415bca3b8802869ba27048a0730e874383125dc1d693cb31f938dc9241cb The Senate meets at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of James Blew's nomination to be the Department of Education's assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development. At 11:45 a.m., the chamber will vote on Blew's confirmation and hold a procedural vote on Randal Quarles' nomination to be a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

AROUND THE HILL -- Reps. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) and Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) will hold a roundtable discussion with small business owners on experiences of small- and medium-sized businesses leveraging e-commerce services to grow their businesses at 10 a.m. in 2360 Rayburn.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will hold a media availability immediately after the Republican Conference meeting at 10 a.m. in HVC-Studio A.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) will hold a news conference with leaders from national women's groups to urge opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 10 a.m. in H-207.

Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) will hold a discussion on voting rights, access and barriers in Indian country at 10 a.m. in 628 Dirksen.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell will testify before the Senate Banking Committee on the semiannual monetary policy report to Congress at 10 a.m. in 216 Hart.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will hold his weekly pen and pad briefing at 11 a.m. in H-144.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and others will hold a discussion on what cyber attacks mean for hospitals, doctors and patients at 11 a.m. in 2103 Rayburn.

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) will hold a discussion on issues of the day and field questions from the media at 11 a.m. in 2167 Rayburn.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and others will hold a conference call briefing to call for a national OSHA standard to protect workers from heat beginning at 12 p.m. The call-in number is 800-875-3456, and the password is ARKU-32881.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) and others will hold a briefing on ensuring patient safety through evidence-based medicine at 12 p.m. in 2226 Rayburn.

Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) will hold a news conference on the anti-environment record of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh at 12:30 p.m. in S-115.

Senate Republican and Democratic leaders will hold separate press conferences after their weekly policy lunches starting around 2 p.m. in the Ohio Clock Corridor.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) will hold a meeting with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 2:30 p.m. in 320 Hart.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) will hold a meeting with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 3:45 p.m. in 131 Russell.

Reps. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) will hold a news conference to discuss the possible designation of the Transportation Research Center Inc. as an automated vehicles testing ground at 4 p.m. in the House Triangle.

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) will hold a meeting with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 4:30 p.m. in 400 Russell.

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- Bruce Mehlman was first to correctly guess that Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American woman elected to Congress after upsetting James Farmer Jr. in 1968.

TODAY'S TRIVIA -- In what two cities did Congress first meet, and when did it first convene in Washington, D.C.? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: nmccaskill@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.

** A message from the American Academy of Dermatology: Board-certified dermatologists detect, diagnose, and treat more than 3,000 different diseases, many of which are more than skin deep. We can also provide a first alert for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. In fact, Nancy's breast cancer was diagnosed by her dermatologist - twice; Ralph lived when a dermatologist, surgeon, and oncologist together tackled his rare and aggressive form of cancer; Makeba got her life back when a dermatologist, gastroenterologist, and plastic surgeon teamed up to treat her rare skin disease. They aren't alone - millions of other Americans seek treatment for skin conditions each year. The American Academy
of Dermatology Association asks Congress to support H.R.1316 and S.637 so patients can know the true cost of prescription drugs. At www.skinserious.org, learn about how serious skin diseases affect patients' lives and families, and how dermatologists work to improve outcomes and help patients receive the care they need. **

To view online:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5228cffb47b976df38d9d12bc089a980e60063ca8c2e06732832daefb3b3af9277beaa3b245ee9c66a6d6dc915eeafc2
To change your alert settings, please go to http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5228cffb47b976dfc48881449fe10940d6c9a0f8bc37d8bbbc88ea5cf9ee32b034c267356a39a7c98c033303d3167127 or http://click.politicoemail.com/profile_center.aspx?qs=c1c81b2ef644fde1dd3c1f6178ef6a8ea3ee660992025bd42d4d571ea0296bc0de89b6562e21dd35a1ac3c8691037f1b2836287ad756e3ab0627f33e1d2da78c
This email was sent to Hbiden@rosemontseneca.com by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA


To unsubscribe,https://www.politico.com/_unsubscribe?e=00000164-a81c-d844-adf5-ed5c5f9a0000&u=0000014e-f0fe-dd93-ad7f-f8fffbc40000&s=583871d33248ae3ba2ae9191da3c8e374648deaf8d97d0b38106231e1b0c7197ff94bcb03fd2fef15c20e1ff2175468a655367aa05fd48f1a1a38f6c81216010