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09/28/2017 07:58 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Daniel Lippman and Sarah Ferris

ROY WHO? NEVER MET THE GUY - Of course GOP senators are supporting one of their own, Republican Roy Moore, in the Alabama general election in December, they say. But ask them about any of his controversial comments on everything from gay marriage to "God's role" in 9/11 to Rep. Keith Ellison's religious beliefs, and they go blank. "If I've read anything he's said, I wouldn't have any recollection of it," said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.). "I don't know him. I think I'll leave it there," said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. And what about Richard Shelby, Alabama's longtime senator who is obviously very familiar with Moore's incendiary style? "Roy Moore is unique," Shelby said cautiously. Don't
miss the classic from Bres: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a0b1591987400037ce0b1ebcb2e011f6f5612b0419d0721cb6091263135f2b8e59da50e5b6081152c81fca33c7640a596

Behind the scenes, Senate Republicans are beginning to reckon with the outsized role Moore, who spent months bashing them on the campaign trail, could play within the GOP's barely functioning majority. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "is working with a narrow majority these days, since the GOP holds just 52 seats in the chamber. It took only three Senate Republicans to repeatedly tank the party's efforts to dismantle Obamacare," Seung Min and Burgess point out. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a125a0638cb34e291aeb753e6469cd6b413df8c155ea5cd6e4695ed2502af4c3ace02647374436a7b2787e409e4c05ef6

The view from Bannon-land: "Steve Bannon was amped early Wednesday, sounding as though he'd guzzled 20 Red Bulls at a victory party for Alabama's Roy Moore as he plotted his next slash-and-burn campaign with trademark pugilism," Josh Dawsey reports. "He left Alabama after orchestrating a call between Trump and Moore for a flight to Colorado to meet with potential 2018 Senate candidates gathered there - and is planning extensive travel in coming months to recruit candidates to challenge incumbents across the country."

The nightmare scenario for both Republicans and Democrats: "The GOP picks up a handful of seats next year, padding its Senate majority, but with candidates like Moore, who buck party leadership as often as they fall in line," Eliana Johnson reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644ab17e1296cfeb53e174cd7e3db6243065094c6b4743f524bf022b9e0a9cd03886d362fcc5d29579bb0cae4ba989385842

Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Doug Jones has raised $1 million so far, he announced Wednesday. Daniel Strauss with more for Pros: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644aab9143cdeb5207444b1cf58d8fc466e9b9508c321325518fd1a3a131153abeecd6c32cd576861084be582a57d8df1205 WaPo's Dave Weigel: Who is Doug Jones?

NO, PLEASE, GO ON. I INSIST - To the Republicans vowing to keep their Obamacare repeal drive alive for as long as it takes, Democrats say: Please, and thank you. As much as they want to keep Obamacare intact, Democrats believe Republicans continuing to try (and failing) to repeal the law only boosts their chances of taking back the House and putting the GOP on defense in Senate races by keeping the issue front of mind for voters. "I think they are falling into an enormous trap of their own making. And have at it," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). "I think they're going to pay a very heavy price for this." Elana and yours truly: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a6fc81c8da4f093c61d832a2341bb6037e9ac178111552c0a88330bd09fcdf66f31f57afd16e085c7334b88bf93906623

Other health care news: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will meet with Trump today to plot a way forward on the GOP's repeal effort, Graham told McClatchy's Emma Dumain. On the other end of the spectrum, Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) are trying to resume their bipartisan health care talks, Burgess reports.

SCALISE SPEAKS: 'REBUILDING HUMPTY DUMPTY' - This morning CBS released a preview of its upcoming 60 Minutes interview with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), still recovering from a gunshot wound he received during the congressional baseball practice shooting in June. "I found out later just how much damage was done internally," Scalise says in the clip. "My femur was shattered. The hip and pelvis had serious damage where the bullet went through and, you know, did some damage to areas that had to be shored up with steel plates and then they did a phenomenal job of rebuilding ... Humpty Dumpty" More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644ad6ed996dafb8b22bfbaf2f28418a17021ab88ec814032202024e399c3bfe4c596ebc6741271c2a125406a2f94cd50993

TWITTER IN THE HOT SEAT - Representatives from Twitter will meet behind closed doors with the Senate Intelligence Committee today. Senate investigators are looking for information on how Russia used the social media site to influence the presidential election last year. Nancy Scola and Josh Meyer with much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a1b0ff66b61fbeb5af5b574d569ee931b36f65663ad3298f280188ebf0af70bdc8ecdef2094fbdbdd140e0368de48fdac

WELCOME THURSDAY, NICE TO SEE YOU. It's Sept. 28. Thanks for tuning in to POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: CBS' announcement about its interview with House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (with a pic) won the day.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS - The GOP's tax overhaul was rolled out to much fanfare Wednesday - even the unpredictable Freedom Caucus endorsed the plan. But what was noticeably missing was details about who will pay for at least part of the multi-trillion dollar tax cuts being eyed by the GOP. That omission is by design, Brian Faler and Rachael report. "It's not that Republicans don't necessarily know who they want to foot the bill for their plans. They just don't want to identify all the losers quite yet," they write. "Their game plan is to delay spelling out who would have to pay more under their plan in order to give opponents as little opportunity as possible to mount a counteroffensive."
More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644afe3e990bcfcbb1b98116313203453b9618d5fcf53bf1dad9db246bc8bc6ab3b38d942fe89427fbd1307d183b9e3dc4a0

Next steps: The House is expected to vote on its budget blueprint next week after House Budget Chairman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) got the backing of the Freedom Caucus, Sarah Ferris tells us. The Senate is expected to release its budget resolution by the end of this week. The chambers' proposals are expected to look a lot different from each other in terms of overall revenues and instructions -- but will both tee up a broad (and vague) tax plan. The Senate Budget committee is expected to have a mark up next week, making a floor vote in the Senate possible in mid-October.

WH LIMITS TRAVEL TO PUERTO RICO - "The Trump administration is restricting lawmakers in both parties from visiting storm-ravaged Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard military aircraft this weekend in order to keep focused on recovery missions there, according to multiple congressional aides," Ed O'Keefe reports for the Washington Post. Jenniffer González, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, is expected to travel with Trump when he visits the country on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are pressuring DHS to waive the Jones Act, a decades-old maritime law they say is slowing down the shipment of crucial supplies needed on the island. Trump on Wednesday indicated opposition from the shipping industry is one reason the law hasn't been waived. CBS' Rebecca Shabad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a12248fcd9401dacc7a18e9b1493197f2ce5d902cfbf8a3555306740c32bc63385858ef490d84811f16155a67e132a2a6

The latest from San Juan: "The aftermath of the powerful storm has resulted in a near-total shutdown of the U.S. territory's economy that could last for weeks and has many people running seriously low on cash and worrying that it will become even harder to survive on this storm-ravaged island," the AP reports.

JET SETTING NO MORE - Leaders of the House Oversight Committee have launched a probe into administration officials' use of private jets as more details trickle out about HHS Secretary Tom Price's frequent reliance on them, Dan Diamond reports. Price has spent more than $400,000 on private jet travel since May, including a $17,760 round trip on a charter jet to Nashville, where Price stayed less than six hours and had lunch with his son.

Several House Democrats are calling on Price to resign after the latest news. Trump, asked by reporters on Wednesday if he was going to fire Price, had a simple answer: "We'll see." But several sources say the president is privately fuming about the news and is being encouraged to oust Price, Josh Dawsey, Andrew Restuccia and Louis Nelson report.

BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE OVER REFUGEE CAP - Senate Judiciary leaders Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) blasted the White House on Wednesday for failing to consult with Congress before deciding the number of refugees that will be admitted into the U.S. next year, Seung Min reports. The bipartisan rebuke "came as the administration slashed the number of refugees the country will take in during fiscal 2018 to 45,000 people" and added a new hurdle for those seeking admission to the U.S.

Uh-oh: The White House is required by law to consult Congress in person on this issue. But aides to both senators said a meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wasn't even scheduled until after details of the administration's plans leaked earlier this week. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644ab492bddd8596f4c8227c01e715c017d025a8eef087c5c1177848f85c29860ab5a04e45e4a0ecfc18514744dedbeea22b

NO GAVEL GRAB HERE - Sen. Marco Rubio has no plans to challenge Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) for the Foreign Relations gavel next Congress, the Florida Republican said Wednesday. Sen. Bob Corker's (R-Tenn.) retirement opens up the top spot on the panel and some Republicans privately speculated Rubio might challenge Risch - who has seniority - for the post. But that's not the case: "Jim Risch wants to be chairman," Rubio said Wednesday. "I'll support him."

Quote du jour: "Corker quipped that Risch is probably the happiest person aside from the Tennessee senator's family on his decision to retire and said he jokes to Risch about 'having to check my food for poison' when they sit next to each other." SMK and Elana: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644aaff2e2b2c3639bb623acd146ab9812c8a803f1992f25943b2cfe94d8ebe1e81c91e987f3c27710ab3ad0fa5aa929b413

The fun is over before it started: Peyton Manning has ruled out a bid for Corker's seat, just hours after the Tennessee Republican said he hoped the former NFL superstar would one day consider a career in public service. "I certainly have an interest in politics and in our country," Manning told WGFX-FM Wednesday. "I just have zero interest in being a politician." The AP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a35bd65b9e06d44ad59d4821e756c70520892e1b6002e1e2fab0fe4466c61cd080f6b8ea5b78f53e0a551ec574c238353


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ROUGH SKIES AHEAD - The House will vote on a six-month FAA extension later this morning, likely passing the stopgap and then leaving town for the week before current law expires Sept. 30. But the Senate is saying not so fast: "I think it's probably going back to the House in some form because I don't think it's going to pass over here," Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) told our Pro Transportation team Wednesday night. Thune's comments came after several senators, including Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), came out against an unrelated flood insurance provision tucked in the bill.

Behind the scenes: Shortly before Kennedy released a public statement about the flood insurance language, Sarah Ferris was in an elevator with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as he lobbied Kennedy on the bill. "You can't let us down on this! You have to talk to your leadership! It'll kill us," Schumer said to the junior senator from Louisiana.

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES - Matt Hoffmann, longtime aide to Speaker Ryan, is moving across the Capitol to work as policy director for the Senate Finance Committee. Hoffmann has worked for Ryan since 2006. Bale Dalton, military LA to Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), is being recalled to active duty in the Navy. Jonathan Murray, who formerly did veterans outreach for the Clinton campaign, will be filling in.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Steve Dwyer, senior adviser to Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, and Kate Riley, VP of government and public affairs at America's Public Television Stations, recently welcomed their third daughter, Lucy Jane. "She weighed in at 9lbs 2oz and measured 20.75 inches long. Big sisters Eleanor and Clara are in love with little Lucy and happy to have a third musketeer!" Pic: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644afc17d269ed3d14bcbe47f56f66047cfbf4cad34e3b50b175bee37e86ec427741c584f045fa83f030242e7de2d8d31792

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House meets at 9 a.m. with first and last votes between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec1e33b5d5f7644a5f12e28d2c4d557ac62d9cfe205a8789fcc78b19bc01ff521222b4b89e03b92c1fc8acf86ad1767da00cec1d3615797e The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. with a 10:30 a.m. procedural vote related to judicial nominee Ralph Erickson.

AROUND THE HILL - Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) holds a press conference on introducing articles of impeachment against the president at 9 a.m. in the House triangle. House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) talks about the GOP's tax reform plan at the Heritage Foundation starting at 9:30 a.m.

House Minority Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Congressional Hispanic Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) hold a press conference on disaster aid for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands at 10 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Brady and Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) hold a press conference on tax reform at 10 a.m. in the House triangle. Pelosi holds her weekly press conference at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Brady and Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) hold a press conference on tax credits for hurricane victims at 11 a.m. in the House triangle. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) holds his weekly press conference at 11:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Ed Markey, (D-Mass.) and Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), and Ann Kuster (D-N.H.) hold a press conference on high-speed internet access in rural areas at 12:35 p.m. in HVC 215.

Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ranking member on the Indian Affairs Committee, holds a discussion on federal permitting in Indian territory at 2:30 p.m. in 628 Dirksen.

Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rep. Jason Smith (D-Mo.), Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon hold a press conference on strengthening privacy protections for victims of domestic violence at 4:30 p.m. in Russell 485.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Amanda Ramirez-Kelmer guessed correctly that Hugo Black was the first Supreme Court justice to serve only in the court's current location (as opposed to its previous home inside the Capitol).

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Amanda with today's question: In light of recent legislative events, what was arguably the first ever congressional health care act and which president signed it into law? Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle.

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