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07/15/2016 07:51 AM EDT


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

With assistance from Daniel Lippman

NEXT STOP: CONVENTIONS-Congress is officially out of here until after Labor Day. And after scrambling to wrap up the last votes of the summer Thursday afternoon, many are now turning their attention to the conventions as Republicans get ready to kick off in Cleveland next week and Democrats follow in Philadelphia the week after. Several Republicans have already said they're skipping-Sen. Jeff Flake reiterated to reporters earlier this week that he's going to mow his lawn instead of "seeing a Trump coronation."

Red state Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin initially said he was skipping his party's convention Thursday to deal with flooding back home before reversing course, saying he'd attend part of the festivities. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc796865bcb484d95262ca63c172729c27cc2d0b3b8f42344735b5cb

The dog ate my homework: Congress managed to send a bipartisan bill to fight opioid addition to the president this week. But, other than that and a big win on Puerto Rico's debt crisis, lawmakers have little to brag about back home, leaving a long list of unfinished business including Zika funding, appropriations bills and any response to the gun violence gripping the country.

Bragging rights: Several lawmakers were hard pressed to name many big ticket accomplishments from recent months aside from the Puerto Rico bill. "I'd have to think," said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) when asked to list some of the bills he thought were big successes for Congress so far this year (and he certainly wasn't alone). "There's quite a list that the Majority Leader's office would give you, I'm sure."

Looking toward the lame duck: When lawmakers come back in September, they'll have less than 20 working days to get things done and the main focus will be on a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open past Sept. 30. So most other big ticket items are likely to get pushed until after the election. "We're going to have our work cut out for us when we get back in September, but I think there's a lot of stuff that gets pushed until after all the festivities in the fall elections," the Senate's No. 3 Republican John Thune told your Huddle host. Rachael and I wrap it all up for you: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968658564e97629aeaa1d1702e07894025b495542c009de76e0ce

NEW THIS A.M.: DEMS WANT MORE TRANSPARENCY ON IRAN-More than a dozen Senate Democrats are pushing President Obama to secure more transparency from Iran nuclear inspectors, according to a letter Burgess got his hands on. "Led by Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the Democrats are asking Obama to use the federal government to push the International Atomic Energy Agency to publish details about Iran's nuclear program to ensure independent verification that they are following the terms of last year's deal, which relaxed sanctions on Iran in return for a drawdown of its nuclear arms program."

This doesn't sound good: "The IAEA has found that Iran is in compliance with the deal, but is not fully disclosing the amount of centrifuges Iran is using to enrich Uranium nor the amount of enriched Uranium that Iran currently has, the Democrats said." Burgess with the story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968652032ac56663c46ff78e4e73730974910a114fb4969b2e239

Related read: Inside the plan to undo the Iran nuclear deal, from POLITICO Magazine: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc79686582b04457437b79f7342669b5c356f02c4c07fd0a18b79153

LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH-- Everybody knows the old adage about loving people for who they are and not who you want them to be. But some Republicans are still holding out hope that Donald Trump can morph into the conservative standard-bearer they want before November. "I believe he's going to endeavor to try," House Speaker Paul Ryan told NPR about Trump changing in an interview posted this morning.

"I'm the speaker of the House. I have certain duties and responsibilities that come with this office and one of the primary political duties with this job is not to dis-unify our party and cut it in half and therefore guarantee that the left wins by default," Ryan said. The interview: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968652c987ed6b0d70e1503fe49a6381e73f5b49bd18d61171171

GUYS, WE MADE IT to Friday, July 15. You're reading POLITICO's Huddle, your play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. This is how I'm feeling today: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc796865ad5e34008d92b938e718040764bf73d7062f5512824dcbf5 And I saved the best news for the end of the week-it's officially 50 days until Alabama football. Can I get a Roll Tide from the crowd?

TODAY IN CONGRESS - Nada. See ya after Labor Day.

AROUND THE HILL-- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi holds a press conference at 10 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

RYAN BRINGS IN THE DOUGH-The Wall Street Journal: "House Speaker Paul Ryan raised $15.6 million for his campaign, affiliated leadership PAC and the Republican Party in the second quarter of 2016, a substantial fundraising haul as Republicans work to maintain their hefty majority in the House in a tumultuous presidential election year.

In June, Mr. Ryan transferred $5.4 million to the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans' campaign arm. Since assuming the speakership last fall, Mr. Ryan has raised nearly $38 million and has transferred $25 million to the NRCC." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968657f879e8599ca3cb3276e2725032d6826850526ce036f0d4f

DON'T MAKE ME PULL THIS CAR OVER-Recess may just be starting but some lawmakers couldn't help drawing September battle lines before they left the Capitol Thursday. Seung Min Kim and Ben Weyl: "Top Senate Republicans and Democrats are already at odds over a stopgap government spending measure that will almost certainly be necessary in September to stave off a shutdown, as Congress prepares to leave for an extended summer recess having sent no appropriations bills to the White House so far this year." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc79686528ae848e8d06c4a375f2ad0b153365e0ba4787f93ebe6931

DEMOCRATS 'FREAKED OUT' OVER POLLS-Some Democrats aren't feeling so good about polls showing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump virtually tied, leading senators to broach the issue when the presumptive Democratic nominee was on the Hill Thursday. The Hill's Alexander Bolton: "'Some people were freaked out, they were looking down at the polls on Real Clear Politics and asking why it was so close,' said a Democratic senator who attended the meeting."

The money quote: "A senior Senate Democratic aide, who was not in the meeting, acknowledged that senators have raised concerns about the closeness of the polls at other times. 'We wouldn't be Democrats if there weren't a few bed-wetters,' the aide said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968653ab77dd297438c7245528ddab689668e22508c59f77f7080

WHO YA GONNA CALL? Texas Tribune reporter Abby Livingston had an interesting question for Congress this week: If ghostbusters were a real thing, what role would the government play in managing the service? Lawmakers were happy to play ball on the question but, no surprise here, the issue divided Republicans and Democrats. "'Government should get out of the way and let these female Ghostbusters extraordinaire destroy the living heck out of these ghosts,' said Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, in a nod to the all-female lineup of the new film."

And from retiring Democratic Rep. Steve Israel: "'I'm sensing a new Department of Ghostland Security,' he wrote in an email. 'Since I'm leaving congress I might put my name in for Secretary.'" Read it: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968655ab0975fb2756f6c899218255981b649f649ff34e61490f2

THE END OF AN ERA? The V.P. shortlists for both Clinton and Trump signal one thing, writes Paul Kane, the possible "end of a 16-year run for a particular political species in the vice president's office -the Washington elder statesman with vast experience on Capitol Hill."

More: "As different as they are ideologically and personally, Joseph R. Biden and Richard B. Cheney got plucked for the No. 2 job not because they provided any key electoral map leverage... but because with their longtime contacts in Congress and their deep knowledge of global leaders, they could help govern." The Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc796865c45b2e4f83cf1d7ca3b05b64c0641fefd2d77b89f6805523

SENATE DEM LADIES STEP INTO SPOTLIGHT-- Roll Call: "The Senate Democratic women anticipate having a major prime time role as they present a former member of their ranks to become the first woman to become a major party's nominee for president. ... 'All of the Democratic women of the Senate will be presenting a program together, but we're not sure of the day,' Sen. Barbara Mikulski said of the plan for Philadelphia. 'But it will be a significant time.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc796865fa5d00f5fd430ce573885487eb0664bbfc6904521624f828

DEPARTURE LOUNGE-- Helen Kalla is leaving Rep. Lois Frankel's office this week to start as the regional press secretary for the Hillary Clinton campaign in West Palm Beach on Monday.

SPOTTED-Capitol Hill was out-and-about for Rep. Darrell Issa's book launch party Thursday. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Blake Farenthold with Chief of Staff Bob Haueter, Rep. Michael Turner and his wife, and Rep. Cynthia Lummis all made appearances according to a tipster.

Out and about: Reporters and Capitol Hill flacks gathered Thursday night at Kelly's Irish Times to toast Luke Russert as he leaves NBC. Spotted: Andrea Mitchell nursing a Miller Light as Guns n' Roses played, Alex Moe, Brooke Brower, Kristen Welker, Shawna Thomas, Deirdre Walsh, Mike Long, Carl Hulse, AshLee Strong, Brad Dayspring, David Herszenhorn, Dan Newhauser, Walt Cronkite, Alyssa Farah, Ali Rogin, Lauren French, Mike Steel, Brendan Buck, Rebecca Berg, Ken Strickland and Tony Capra. Pic: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=73d59194bc7968656ec9c05ec48b026c09a2c92a60a6c549c9a630de28a001a8

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Sam Miller was first to guess that Saddam Hussein tried to ban Pokemon in Iraq.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Sam with today's question: Before successfully running for governor of Indiana Mike Pence served in the House. How many times did he run for Congress and in what years? The first person to correctly answer will get a mention in the Monday's Huddle. E-mail: hcaygle@politico.com.

HELP ME HELP YOU -- Know any hot gossip, scoops, tips or transitions happening on the Hill? Send 'em my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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