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12/20/2017 07:57 AM EDT


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

SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM? Republicans' $1.5 trillion tax bill is almost ready to go to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature. The Senate passed the measure after midnight, following in the footsteps of House Republicans who easily passed the bill earlier Tuesday. But the bill has to go back to the House today for one more vote after a technical glitch was discovered. "That vote is considered a formality, and Trump is expected to sign the bill before the week is out," Brian Faler reports. Successfully rewriting the tax code - before year's end no less - will give Republicans the major legislative victory that has eluded them all year.

Tune in: There is expected to be some kind of celebration at the White House later today. Timing TBD.

Both sides make their case: "With an eye toward next year's midterm elections, Republicans are emphasizing the millions - 80 percent of taxpayers, according to the independent Tax Policy Center - who would see a tax cut next year," Brian reports. "Democrats are emphasizing how much of the cuts would accrue to the highest earners, along with the minority of taxpayers - about 5 percent, according to the Tax Policy Center - who would pay more next year under the plan."

Quote du jour: "If we can't sell this to the American people we ought to go into another line of work," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said after the vote. Brian with the wrap up: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de86091f0037c0645b347693939a866d5c6a04f24cb76e84733e95c5b05a100072655f55a7002568494e

While the corporate cuts are permanent, most of the individual tax breaks expire by 2026. That means after 2025, the bill "will leave all but the wealthiest families paying more than they do under current law," the Wall Street Journal reports. Will your taxes go up or down? WSJ breaks it down: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de86d8351e146e649e2037c192da4730493d1acf2d15fda18560f8a5de75004089d979b82ea970d2c328

Confusion and chaos ahead as new tax rules take effect: "America's new tax system will go into effect in just 12 days, and payroll companies are bracing for confusion as they figure out new withholding rules that will affect millions of American paychecks," Bernie Becker reports. And "How Republicans rallied together to deliver a tax plan," the play-by-play of the last few months, via Jim Tankersley and Alan Rappeport of the New York Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de86fe4d4bfb06659ad96a2843041382b12d4ca4d3e44d88ef84ddcc75474bb3e3f17662a53d8b73d097

Remember, the bill also repeals Obamacare's individual mandate in 2019 and is just one of several moves Republicans have taken to try to steadily dismantle the health care law this year. Joanne Kenen with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de861d23e6f1bf32d39a6d8b62d872b2bd831bc618b39529ef186911731d13dff11e85f4b132b82157c8

OH YEAH, GOVERNMENT FUNDING - House GOP leaders are changing their spending bill strategy again - just days before funding dries up - after opposition within their ranks. Initially, the House was set to vote today on a bill that would fund defense for the full fiscal year while funding domestic programs through Jan. 19. Senate Democrats had already promised to tank the plan once it got to the upper chamber, and some of the House GOP rank-and-file rebelled after Republican leaders wanted to attach an $81 billion hurricane aid bill.

The new plan: House GOP leaders hope to vote on several bills Thursday and then adjourn, leaving the Senate to finish up the work. On the menu: A stopgap bill that would fund both defense and domestic programs until Jan. 19; a separate vote on the disaster aid legislation; and a proposal to reauthorize certain federal spying powers will go as a standalone bill as well. Bres and Rachael with the latest: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de86b069035d01ec7db72d2e58ad1fbeb025e364856000b9e59da73702e60f45b5fac57f6ebfd754b881

Questions unanswered: Will the stopgap spending bill reauthorize the children's health program? And how will McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) resolve an impending clash over Obamacare? McConnell promised to attach language propping up Obamacare to a year-end spending bill in exchange for Sen. Susan Collins' vote on the tax bill. "But Ryan's more conservative conference is flatly rejecting that idea," Rachael and Jen Haberkorn report. It's a political game of chicken that could come to a head just hours before government funding runs out. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de867d6ba57c66bd481110873c2e309773b6df9a11b97d839f77d9186fd1554952bcec95c40e9556bcc8


HANG IN THERE GUYS, WE ARE SO CLOSE. Thanks for reading Huddle on this Wednesday, Dec. 20, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Huddle will be taking some time off for the holidays from Dec. 25-Jan. 1. We'll be back in your inbox ready to go Tuesday, Jan. 2.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Emily Cadei's story about reports of a toxic working environment in Rep. Brad Sherman's (D-Calif.) office was the winner.

DREAMER FIX ISN'T HAPPENING THIS YEAR - A bipartisan group of senators huddled with the White House on Tuesday to talk Dreamers as both sides lay the groundwork for a major immigration deal in January. White House chief of staff John Kelly met with a half-dozen senators involved in the issue and promised to soon present a list of the administration's border security priorities. "We couldn't finish this product, this bill, until we knew where the administration was," Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has been negotiating a DACA compromise for weeks, said in an interview after the meeting with Kelly. "And that's why this meeting was so important."

And now even the Capitol's most die-hard immigration advocates are starting to concede a deal to save Dreamers isn't likely to happen until early next year. "Our belief is that if this matter is not resolved this week - and it's not likely to be resolved - that ...we have another chance to finally come up with a bipartisan package of things to include" by mid-January, said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who attend the meeting. Seung Min, yours truly and Elana with the latest: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de8690e876d6b08d1a8220f1b8d31aaba7a6fcf546df6f17415d029c0c1d7abafd42a3ee20a9ea1d24b8

JUDICIARY DEMS PICK THEIR LEADER TODAY - House Democrats huddle this morning to decide between Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), two longtime members who are vying for the ranking member spot on the House Judiciary Committee. Nadler and Lofgren have been quietly jockeying for the position for months, waiting for Rep. John Conyers' (D-Mich.), the longtime top Democrat on the panel, expected retirement next year. The election was moved up after Conyers resigned earlier this month over sexual harassment allegations. The committee oversees a host of controversial issues including impeachment, guns, abortion, immigration and criminal justice. House Democrats' steering
committee voted 41-18 on Tuesday afternoon to back Nadler.

GOP CHAIRMEN REQUEST INTERVIEWS WITH FBI OFFICIALS - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) have asked the Justice Department to make FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, FBI chief of staff Jim Rybicki and FBI lawyer Lisa Page available to testify before Congress as early as Thursday, Kyle reports. "Among other things, the committees are investigating the circumstances surrounding the FBI's decision to publicly announce the investigation into former Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton's handling of classified information, but not to publicly announce the investigation into campaign associates of then-candidate Donald
Trump," the chairmen write. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de8642f5a7dc5c01b5c18abb0da2a8e5a952bc59c38ec82ccd915462afcf0b3871f26d0781b5f71044d1

McCabe endured a seven-hour grilling in a private hearing Tuesday with the House Intelligence Committee. The hearing came as some Republicans have called for his ouster, though Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) - who is leading the panel's Russia probe - maintained he still has confidence in the deputy director. CNN: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de865fd9fea915a45f5e91d4cd926e461b9eafa354b343635e3ac99a4553a4af9bc1e9ccccd7d4eed81a

COMING ATTRACTIONS? Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) met Tuesday to talk about reviving their Obamacare repeal efforts in 2018, Jen Haberkorn reports.

COLLINS CRITICIZES MEDIA FOR 'SEXIST' COVERAGE - Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key swing vote on the tax package, took issue Tuesday with how reporters have covered her throughout the tax saga. She called media reports about her "unbelievably sexist" and suggested no other senator with her level of experience would get treated that way. "They've ignored everything that I've gotten and written story after story about how I'm duped," she said. "How am I duped when all your amendments get accepted?"

Collins did secure a series of changes in the tax bill, but her support also hinged on passage of a pair of bills aimed at stabilizing Obamacare markets. McConnell has assured her the bills will pass, but "it's still not certain that the House will accept the insurance measures in a year-end spending bill," Adam Cancryn reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1767a4a38673de86db18ba6b396c6a74274cbbe81e990ebd489537976a84983ed299023f2c47b2d024a0b3bb23f1a8f3

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House meets at 9 a.m. with first votes around 11 a.m. and last votes around 6 p.m. The Senate meets at 11 a.m. with no votes currently scheduled.

AROUND THE HILL - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) and Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) hold a press conference on reauthorizing the children's health insurance program at 10 a.m. in HVC-215.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), CHC Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), CAPAC Chair Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Reps. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) hold a press conference on Dreamers at 10:30 a.m. at 100 Maryland Ave NE.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) hold a conference call at 12:15 p.m. to discuss the impact a government shutdown would have on government employees. Dial-in info: annaliese.davis@mail.house.gov

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Cory Bisbee was first to guess that speakers of the House have hailed from 23 different states since 1789 with Massachusetts claiming the most - eight speakers total.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - This member was sworn into office on Christmas Eve during a rare session when the House stayed in to debate a controversial bill. Name the member and the subject of the bill members were debating. 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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