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12/17/2015 07:44 AM EDT


By Lauren French (@laurennfrench & lfrench@politico.com).

'CAUSE BABY NOW WE GOT BAD BLOOD. Burgess Everett on the new lows in Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell's relationship. The two "sat down for a rare face-to-face meeting on the last day of November. The agenda was straightforward - plotting out the legislative agenda for the end of the year - but what transpired has pushed the relationship between the veteran Senate leaders, never warm and fuzzy, to a new low of bitterness and distrust.... McConnell and Reid can hardly stand the sight of each other. They've met just once in December, even as their parties have been furiously negotiating the year-end spending and tax bills. Though Reid and McConnell have communicated through aides and
occasionally with each other on the floor, they've done so with gritted teeth...It's clear through interviews with associates, senators and the leaders themselves they may never be able to let go of their argument, which has lasted for years, over which of them broke the Senate." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10f86f74b5425d19d5e268f45cf65a027bd0c9d631551760f5d

A FUNDED GOVERNMENT IS IN SIGHT. From Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and your Huddle author, "Congressional leaders took solace Wednesday: the rank and file isn't freaking out over the $1.8 trillion tax cut and spending package that will hit the House floor Thursday. House Republicans are rallying around the $680 billion tax-break package, and several senior GOP aides say close to 200 of their lawmakers could vote to approve the tax bill, with enough Democrats joining them to comfortably pass the measure. And while House Democrats aren't pleased that a decades-long ban on oil exports will be lifted as part of the spending deal, more than 100 of them are likely to vote for it. On the other side,
GOP aides said upwards of 100 of their members could also vote yes on the spending part of the deal." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10f3eb1ae9393030c53b14dea55071b44fe666826d4deadd2ef

FREEDOM CAUCUS OFFERS PRAISE FOR RYAN EVEN THOUGH THEY HATE THE DEAL. From Anna Palmer and your Huddle author, "The House Freedom Caucus hates the massive government-funding bill: Spending levels are billions of dollars higher than what conservatives wanted, and at least two top policy priorities - language addressing Syrian refugees and so-called sanctity of life - were cut. But unlike past fiscal battles, when lawmakers took shots at GOP leaders and tried to tank bills, this time conservatives are largely holding their fire. Even as they vow to oppose the package, many are still praising Speaker Paul Ryan's handling of the $1.1 trillion spending bill and $680 billion in tax breaks...
Praise from members of the conservative flank is a sign that they believe Ryan (R-Wis.) is trying to chart a new course in his nascent speakership. The conservatives feel more included in the process and said Ryan's staff has been vocal about wanting their feedback. But the lawmakers are also planning to watch the speaker closely in 2016, when they say he'll have more control over the appropriations process and Boehner can't be blamed." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10f52244f7a37a94a43f0ad988996b53023e79909695641e1e2

WELCOME, it is December 17, 2015. Let's all agree to make it an early day, okay? It's supposed to rain all afternoon so stay dry and send compliments and complaints to lfrench@politico.com and @laurennfrench on Twitter.

TODAY IN CONGRESS: The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. with no votes scheduled. In the House, first votes expected between 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. and last votes expected between 12 and 1 p.m.

ON THE HILL: At 9:30 a.m., French Ambassador Gerard Araud and Chairman Ed Royce will hold a photo-op in 2200 RHOB. At 10:45 a.m., Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will hold her weekly press conference in HVC Studio A. At 11:30 a.m., Speaker Paul Ryan will hold his media avail. That will also occur in Studio A.

CONGRESS' CHRISTMAS BOONDOGGLE. Rachael Bade has the story, "Rand Paul thinks the national debt is the "greatest threat" to America's future. Donald Trump warns that the nation is at risk of becoming "a large-scale version of Greece." And Marco Rubio says the debt will "shackle future generations." But on Capitol Hill this week, just hours before they jet away for the holidays, the GOP-led Congress is going on a $680 billion spending spree - none of which will be paid for by budget cuts or other tax offsets. And all of which will be added to the national debt, according to budget watchdogs." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10fec31eb54ce8353d047231f96382c0292dc97a50e8aed11c0

SENATE PANEL NOT INVESTIGATING CRUZ AFTER ALL. Ted Barrett and Tom LoBianco for CNN, "Senate Intelligence Committee leaders said Wednesday they aren't investigating whether Texas Sen. Ted Cruz publicized classified information about government phone tracking during the CNN Republican presidential debate.... Earlier Wednesday, Burr told reporters his staff was reviewing comments made by Cruz about the USA Freedom Act...As he was battling with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday night over who was better at helping law enforcement track down terrorists, Cruz defended himself by saying the USA Freedom Act, which he supported, increased the number of phones that can be tracked by the
government." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10f5c5839b181e37f8d07c5e330f0895ad7b0a9c47839026691

XAVIER BECERRA'S PROBLEM. From your Huddle author and Anna Palmer, "The chairman of the House Democratic Caucus is just one year away from a forced departure from the ranks of leadership with no clear path for advancement. Facing a looming term limit, the No. 4 Democrat in the House is working behind the scenes to build a coalition of K Street lobbyists to boost his fundraising bona fides. And he's bolstering relationships with fellow Democrats by hosting a series of intimate dinners. [Rep. Xavier] Becerra's moves have sparked widespread speculation within the Democratic Caucus about why the California lawmaker is trying to bank so many political chits. His colleagues are openly wondering
whether Becerra is making a play for the top Democratic spot on the influential House Budget Committee or trying to secure an unelected position in leadership. There's even talk Becerra could challenge Minority Whip Steny Hoyer for the No. 2 spot - a contest that would cause seismic rifts within the caucus." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10ff3003d7d0ec1f8c7f71c3b0cab72b15eab1ba044edd2109a

THE GYROCOPTER....CONGRESSMAN? Via the Associated Press, "A Florida man who pleaded guilty to landing a gyrocopter on a lawn outside the U.S. Capitol as a political protest says he now wants to land a spot inside the building, as a member of Congress. Douglas Hughes, a Democrat from Ruskin, Florida, declined to say Wednesday in a telephone interview which of Florida's 27 House representatives he plans to challenge. But he said that he would run against a Democrat who is the "poster child for establishment politics" and that he intends to move to the representative's district, which is in South Florida." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10f4f630ddda5debc17365935a97efca29f556af11e943eb13d

LET IT SNOW! Bridget Bowman with the Tribune News Service reports, "The children of Capitol Hill were able to do something uniquely American: call attention to a lack of rights, go forth in protest and win those rights in the end. Last winter, a group of neighborhood kids defied a sledding ban at the Capitol and slid down the snow on the West Front, arguing it is the closest and safest hill to play on. And, when this week's massive, year-end, $1.1 trillion appropriations bill was unveiled, members of Congress agreed." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10f837028ceb487cd48c67dde6e67c4f517bd3fe1db4bf871eb

CARTER USED PERSONAL EMAIL AT DEFENSE DEPARTMENT. Michael S. Schmidt with the New York Times, "Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter relied on a personal email account to conduct a portion of his government business during his first months at the Pentagon, according to White House and Defense Department officials and copies of Mr. Carter's emails obtained by The New York Times. Mr. Carter continued the practice, which violated Defense Department rules, for at least two months after it was publicly revealed in March that Hillary Clinton had exclusively used a personal email account as secretary of state, the officials said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=80d64e4dbb2eb10ffbd3048134d54b275756db7803c9a8df2db441bb2d837c86

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER: Rick Valentine was the first to answer that Edwin Stanton served as President Buchanan's attorney general and President Lincoln's Secretary of War. Buchanan was a Democrat and Lincoln was a Republican.

TODAY'S TRIVIA: Politics has always been a rough game but never as so much as when a member of the Senate was literally beaten unconscious by a member of the House. Sen. Charles Sumner had recently given a passionate speech on slavery and Kansas' admittance into the Union in which he verbally attacked Sens. Stephen Douglas of Illinois and Andrew Butler of South Carolina. Three days later a House members stormed onto the Senate floor and canned Sumner. Who was the attacker and why did he feel it was his duty to react to Sumner? The first one to email the correct answers to lfrench@politico.com gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle.

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