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08/24/2018 08:00 AM EDT


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

SENATE REPUBLICANS SPLIT ON SESSIONS -- Senate Republicans are sending conflicting signals to President Donald Trump on whether to finally axe Attorney General Jeff Sessions. A year ago, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned there would be "holy hell to pay" if the president fired Sessions, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) made clear he wouldn't make time for his panel to hold confirmation hearings on another attorney general nominee. But that was then. Now, Graham predicts a new face atop DOJ "sooner rather than later," and Grassley insists he has time for confirmation hearings.

"It's apparent that after the midterms he will make a change and choose someone to do what he wants done," Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told POLITICO in a phone interview. His view was echoed by a Republican close to the White House. But GOP leaders say Senate Republicans still have Sessions' back. Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) warned that forcing out Sessions would be bad for DOJ, the president and the country. "Do we really want to go through that kind of confirmation fight?" asked Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). "Is there anybody we can confirm?"

"If the president fired Sessions and the Senate failed to confirm a replacement, it would box in Trump by leaving Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein -- who oversees [special counsel Robert] Mueller and is another administration official Trump perceives as an enemy -- in charge of the department," Eliana Johnson and Burgess explain. "And it would raise major questions about the Justice Department's independence." More than a half-dozen Republican senators backed Sessions despite Graham and Grassley's comments. But some of his closest allies conceded his job still hangs in the balance.

Though more than a half-dozen GOP senators backed Sessions publicly after Graham's and Grassley's comments, some of the attorney general's closest allies admitted that his job was still in the balance. "Some staunch Sessions allies remained tight-lipped, and even his defenders were sending a softer message," they add. "Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas referred a reporter to his press office, and Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, a close Trump ally, said he had no opinion either way." "Is that up again?" Perdue asked. "I don't have any opinion." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773a5acdb3cc89796f0b3c7b7d990050de4fd3fd026262975b615568b8790ecd381e83b372c289cb297

PELOSI STAYING PUT -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) isn't going anywhere, especially with Trump in the White House. Pelosi is the bogeyman in GOP ads and the target of Democrats and Democratic candidates who want new leadership, but she dismisses it all as politics. "Pushing back on those who say her leadership position is in jeopardy, Pelosi all but dared her doubters to envision any other House Democrat sitting across the table to negotiate with Trump," The Associated Press' Lisa Mascaro reports. "With Democrats bullish about winning back the House majority, Pelosi is already beginning to lay out a detailed early-days agenda that could be set in motion come January."

That agenda includes cleaning up corruption, reducing health care costs, boosting people's paychecks and pushing legislation on background checks for gun purchases and legal status for Dreamers. But even if Democrats win the majority, returning the speaker's gavel to Pelosi isn't a guarantee. Then again, "Democrats are loath to start the new Congress in January with a floor fight over the speakership if they are newly in power," Mascaro writes. And "Pelosi acknowledges she will not lead House Democrats forever and that if she retakes the gavel it will be as part of a transition to a next generation of leadership." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b7731be83c2739f451748a85c01148aed0501883d484ce91370521a0a8aca4d6a51724cbd301fda16adb

'I DIDN'T DO IT' -- Indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) claimed the charges filed against him and his wife for alleged misuse of $250,000 of campaign funds are "pure politics." Hunter acknowledged that his campaign made mistakes, noting "there was money spent on things, not by me but by the campaign." He told Fox News host Martha MacCallum late Thursday that he paid that money back before his last election and seemingly pointed the finger at his wife for any potential wrongdoing. "She handled my finances," he said. "She was also the campaign manager so whatever she did, that'll be looked at too, I'm sure, but I didn't do it." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b7738a4c09e7698d665e49e3f0d3f95d7f2d57755dbc4bc107d82e96345388fff5e56c214d25651718bd

Earlier Thursday, Hunter told House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) he will "temporarily" step down from his committee assignments. "A defiant Hunter, who on Thursday pleaded not guilty to all charges and is also accusing the Justice Department of conducting a 'witch hunt' against President Donald Trump supporters like himself, initially refused," Rachael reports. So Ryan's office was preparing to strip him from his posts by calling up a panel that decides committee assignments and holding a vote to forcefully remove him. House GOP sources tell Rachael the vote would have easily passed. Hunter, however, told Ryan he "fully" intends to resume his posts "upon a successful resolution of the pending
legal matters." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773baea0019761595331c8e8d181bf10dc72679dedbe7ae05bb2d8dff0fd93a083c7defd9229a0f6724

Related: "Indicted California Congressman Proposed Raising Retirement Age To 72," by HuffPost's Daniel Marans: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773bd27fd2801e3ebd13da803c82b4c8c8154bbb99c4affbc59a19a8f827471f39ac00d864260939936

HAPPY FRIDAY! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Aug. 24.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: News10's interview with Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) addressing his federal indictment was the winner.

What is it really like for women hitting the campaign trail in 2018? Women Rule's three-part podcast series, entitled "Women Rule: Tracking the candidates," focuses on the gritty realities of running for office. Tune in each Wednesday in August to hear from three women running for office, the challenges and opportunities they face and the lessons other women can take from their campaigns.

SENATE PASSES MINIBUS -- The Senate overwhelmingly passed an $857 billion spending package GOP leaders hope will persuade President Donald Trump to back off his threats of a government shutdown before the midterm elections. "The package, an uncommon bipartisan truce to fund two-thirds of government operations, was strategically crafted to ward off a presidential veto," Sarah Ferris reports. "But the odds remain long that the legislation will even make it to the White House, with just 11 working days left for House and Senate lawmakers to merge opposing versions of the bills -- and get Trump's approval -- before funding runs out on Sept. 30."

The bills would fund the departments of Defense, Labor, Education and HHS. "Capitol Hill leaders say they haven't received concrete assurances that Trump will sign any of the fiscal 2019 bills without a promise for $5 billion in border wall funding," she notes. "But Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has argued that the Senate's progress will convince Trump to sign at least the two biggest measures -- Defense and Labor-HHS-Education -- by the Sept. 30 deadline." The Senate is expected to enter conference negotiations with the House to reconcile their versions of the bills. More on the legislation: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773f2e69bdf0ec00b343c900ef3d1cd8a8a9cee7fca5fe7900ee15172de4c2fb37b930a2921ceaa752f

GRASSLEY SAYS TRUMP BACKS PRISON BILL VOTE -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said the president is supportive of a vote on federal sentencing reforms after the midterms. Grassley met earlier Thursday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. Grassley described the meeting as "very positive," and McConnell signaled an openness to allow a vote on the measure during the chamber's lame-duck session if it draws enough support from Republicans. "The legislation itself has yet to be finalized but would be more modest than a wide-ranging sentencing and prison overhaul that was introduced with great fanfare in
2015," The New York Times' Nicholas Fandos and Katie Rogers report.

"The compromise language would preserve a suite of key sentencing changes, including reducing some mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, retroactively extending a reduction in the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine and a provision that allows judges greater discretion in sentencing," they continue. "The other half of the bill includes measures meant to reduce prison recidivism, like job training, education and mental health and drug treatment, and incentivizes prisoners to take part. It already passed the House overwhelmingly this year as a stand-alone bill." Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773150d247d17a5837b697ea411d2e3d8c04cd6096a0dd6226a1ddd02fbcc67b11355dcbf45968c738a

Related reads: "GOP senator: Trump backs tenets of compromise on criminal-justice reform," from The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b77330acdd5fa6ce495089a8a920ba34d4c8cdfa7d182b0c05feefc39a59ad210918e1ab4be49777d3d1 and "DOJ praises Trump's choice not to endorse prison reform bill," via Rebecca Morin: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773427d15eac34af591968470181cabf939b4fbeed1777d53ee20f3e1ec704f664e1dc5847a28abaa25

MCSALLY SHOWS ESTABLISHMENT HOW TO WIN IN TRUMP ERA -- If Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) prevails in Tuesday's primary, she'll have shown so-called establishment Republicans the playbook for thriving in the Trump era: "play up popular base issues like border security, keep the president close and hope for a little luck," HuffPost's Kevin Robillard explains. McSally is favored -- and preferred by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) -- to win the GOP Arizona Senate primary against former state Sen. Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. National Republicans fear anyone but McSally would lose to Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), imperiling the Senate majority.

"But Republicans also worry that McSally's moves to win the primary may poison her chances in November against a Democratic opponent who has been free to spend millions introducing herself to voters," Robillard adds. "After Tuesday's primary, McSally will have little time to pivot or restock her campaign resources." The one-time swing-district moderate is now running for Senate by embracing the president, including in ads emphasizing her friendship with Trump -- in addition to her military background and support for border security. More on the race: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773a2b62f9bd1633ef8b5c481e4d2d94670a311358a14a5b1ddeba86bc0d18909241efc164709aaee5d

Related: "McSally 'pink tutu' ad hammers Sinema," by Alex Isenstadt: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773bca371598d3e61bdaed48927724f94fc8e7bd81940814efe9c8101610bace144d843644104f30fa2

TRUMP ENDORSES HYDE-SMITH -- Trump endorsed Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) over Chris McDaniel, a blow to Democrats who viewed McDaniel as a vulnerable general election opponent. Hyde-Smith was appointed to succeed Sen. Thad Cochran, who retired this year amid health problems. She is running in a Nov. 6 special election. McDaniel is "an insurgent conservative who has been hostile to Senate GOP leaders and nearly defeated Cochran in 2014," The Washington Post's Sean Sullivan notes. "Candidates of all parties will compete on the same special election ballot in Mississippi. If none of them receive a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will head to a runoff." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b77380fcb6fd3506c14b9749ea2f94f6c9b849d11ab660937c43d0a69da7e2db96a2613154cd43c22d6f

ONLY IN FLORIDA -- Of course there's a congressional candidate in Florida who is, in the words of The Associated Press' Curt Anderson, "perhaps best known for claiming that she was abducted by space aliens as a child." Yeah. "[Bettina] Rodriguez Aguilera is a longshot in the race for the Miami-area seat being vacated by retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen," Anderson reports. "Yet last weekend, the Miami Herald endorsed her for the GOP nomination in the Tuesday primary out of a field of nine candidates." The alleged abduction, which she said occurred when she was 7, "has nothing to do with what I have done," she said.

Rodriguez Aguilera runs a business training women in other countries on running for political office. She is a former city council member in the suburb of Doral, social worker and ombudsman at the Miami-Dade County manager's office. She also "says she was taken aboard a spaceship as a young girl by blond extraterrestrials who resembled the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro," Anderson adds. "She has said she witnessed paranormal activity since then and saw a UFO at age 17. She also said she has been in touch with the aliens telepathically long after the abduction." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d169cb09d529b773b1593f51d0765799888064ef5503fa3c2cf9f701e220e566823673ad4561f4ed359d90702a53710f

TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House and Senate are out.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- Zoe O'Herin was first to correctly guess that César Chávez is the man who was posthumously awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. Chávez led the beginning of the largest farmworker strike in U.S. history on Aug. 23, 1970, the Salad Bowl Strike.

TODAY'S TRIVIA -- From Zoe: What congressman, after losing reelection, died fighting for Texas' independence at the Alamo? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: nmccaskill@politico.com.

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