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11/07/2017 07:52 AM EDT


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

IT'S ELECTION DAY Y'ALL - The marquee contests are gubernatorial races in Virginia, which could have nationwide implications for Democrats, and New Jersey, which could have significant ramifications in the Senate if Sen. Bob Menendez ultimately has to resign. Kevin Robillard and Ryan Hutchins with five things to watch today in Virginia and New Jersey: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a22bdebeeb976619bbc7bfef7a14752532b7fec5053e4df0af7bb17376bedbe138054b0f74c7339aac And Steve Shepard with 15 other races to keep an eye on today: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a2f93dd7b1504638387c9d8e489ac022c156dce62982ca628fffc9ad35d67d76a2195a3dc827a4df99

LAWRENCE AIDE INVOLVED IN HARASSMENT SCANDAL - Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.), one of the key lawmakers pushing for changes to Capitol Hill's sexual harassment policies, continues to employ her chief of staff despite receiving multiple complaints by female staffers about his behavior toward them, Rachael reports. Three former staffers told Rachael "they personally relayed concerns to the congresswoman about how the chief of staff, Dwayne Duron Marshall, treated women" including inappropriate comments and physical contact. Lawrence, a former harassment complaints investigator, has denied any staffer complained about sexual harassment and Marshall still remains her chief of staff.

'She knows': "I want to be very clear, very firm, that I had no knowledge of any allegations of sexual harassment in my office, and when I say none, I mean none," Lawrence said. The aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said "they did not use the term 'sexual harassment' but said their comments and concerns should have raised alarms with Lawrence, especially given her background," Rachael reports. "She knows he makes comments. She knows he rubs the back and rubs the shoulders," said one of the former aides. "She'd say, 'I know there are some problems, but he has his good points too.'" Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a2ab5d1625b971150c46627e52d41929911b9f602193d046be9ffb6b44ac3d60b2804ee98db10b98cf

GOP SHRUGS OFF GUN CONTROL AGAIN - Even after the latest mass shooting in Texas, sweeping gun control action appears no likelier on Capitol Hill. Still, lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol haven't forgotten about bump stocks, the deadly accessory used in the Las Vegas massacre last month. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said his committee will hold a hearing on bump stocks. And House Judiciary members are being briefed on the device by ATF later this week. In a staff-level briefing last month, ATF told Congress it doesn't currently have the legal authority to regulate bump stocks, meaning lawmakers would have to take action for that to change.

Republicans said it is unclear what Congress could've done to prevent a shooting like the one in Texas, given an error by the Air Force allowed the gunman to purchase his high-powered weapon. The Air Force said Monday it failed to report the gunman's domestic violence conviction to a national database used for background checks, which, if documented, would've prevented him from buying the firearm. "Do you pass more laws when the laws that are on the books were likely violated?" Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. SMK and your Huddle host: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a28cd807f64454576975fcbad8a8fe34a85322bdb575017ab33e2f3c0dbd7161f200c5a75e66d8cd1b

TAX REFORM TUESDAY? PSH, IT'S TAX REFORM WEEK. Welcome to Nov. 7, and thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED: You guys were really into the livestream of the Ways and Means tax reform markup. #TaxNerdsUnite

LET'S TALK A LITTLE TAX - House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) introduced a package of modest changes to the GOP's tax bill during day one of the panel's markup Monday. But GOP tax-writers are still considering some bigger tweaks to the bill, including raising a cap on the mortgage interest deduction, as lobbyists from every corner of the universe scramble to secure changes to the bill, Theodoric Meyer reports. The Wall Street Journal has a break down of outstanding issues: individual deductions, child tax credit, pass-through income and taxes on foreign payments. Rich Rubin and Siobhan Hughes: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a2714d22b7b9fd74100e616a46dc2f80b447c656de459570a86ae91db60783df02d6aaf205635c29d8

'A total disgrace': Democrats, meanwhile, didn't hold back on the first day, with Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) calling the GOP's efforts "a total disgrace." "You are desperately looking for something to pass, and it's the blind leading the blind," he added. Bernie Becker and Aaron Lorenzo sum up day one: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a26fd3700b59fefb5029f0119fe00576ef063aa199390e8c9fe653d5c9a83796c814fe11c51d069a20 The markup resumes today at 10 a.m. Tune in: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a26025535ab11d18c25e8a1ae8b3f2d5537942f87f8cb6a83f898dc2f58d0c7a72ff853b24b22b273a

Across the Capitol: A half-dozen Democratic senators from red states will huddle with Marc Short today, the White House's director of legislative affairs. On the invite list are Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elana reports. Vice President Mike Pence will also be on the Hill today, meeting with House GOP leaders and attending Senate Republicans' weekly lunch, as he does most Tuesdays.

Analysis: "Nearly half of all middle-class families would pay more in taxes in 2026 than they would under current rules if the proposed House tax bill became law, and about one-third would pay more in 2018, according to a New York Times analysis, a striking finding for a bill promoted as a middle-class tax cut." Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a27bbd739ee41d95255400436efb1574d3f94fbeafd82e76fa9bf92f15ef5110aa3a131d04be5876ed

PAUL ASSAULT OVER LANDSCAPING - The violent incident between Sen. Rand Paul and his next-door neighbor that left Paul with five broken ribs started over a landscaping dispute, the New York Times reports. Paul and his neighbor, Rene Boucher, have lived next to each other in a gated community in Bowling Green, Ky., for 17 years. Paul had just stepped off his riding lawnmower and was wearing sound-muting earmuffs when Boucher "charged and tackled him," Nicholas Fandos, Noah Weiland and Jonathan Martin report. The senator, who has often stood out in the community, "grows pumpkins on his property, composts and has shown little interest for neighborhood regulations." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a2df89ae4ae29cab433f2ccead6e1ca9f2d18c3e9ce89dcf6e194295cdf7f04868807e20feb8489207

MENENDEZ TRIAL HEADS TO JURY - The jury began deliberating in Sen. Bob Menendez's federal corruption and bribery trial on Monday afternoon, Bres reports from Newark. Menendez's attorney defended the New Jersey Democrat's relationship with co-defendant Dr. Salomon Melgen in his closing arguments, saying the pair have a longstanding friendship - not a corrupt connection, as claimed by DOJ. But the top prosecutor countered in his rebuttal, telling jurors "your common sense tells you this is corruption." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a2f90e7b39c1574a38016c7cd20829e52734a7e3be2c5f92c2483d2d24188010784866fd437c543db7

McCAIN IN BOOT AFTER TENDON TEAR - Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is walking around the Capitol with a boot on one foot this week after suffering a minor tear in his right Achilles tendon. McCain was treated at Walter Reed Medical Center over the weekend for the tendon tear and "non-life-threatening side effects of cancer therapy," according to his office. Elana with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a271a6f625a470c69a0efb979c1152058c93ad9b64cc713645d6123346e9a2e922070cb150c8081895 And see McCain in the boot: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a26e13ca6173732f241b45cb73e1f6506291381124b61a5d3dd3fa1116395a816ad407e4e104d24d59

EXTRA CREDIT READING: The House Intelligence Committee released a transcript of its interview with former Trump campaign aide Carter Page on Monday night. Kyle and Randy Lemmerman with highlights from his nearly seven hours of testimony: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c7b0c9714bd7e8a26798962efc7a7eaf4679ce9ce8bb58a416f47cb12a894b86eced660ec1677210a21e7fc814587970 Page told the panel he is "the biggest embarrassment" to Trump's campaign, Bloomberg's Billy House reports.


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TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with two roll call votes on nominations at 12 p.m. (one was held over from yesterday). The House gavels in at 10 a.m. with first votes around 1:30 p.m. and last votes around 5:15 p.m.

AROUND THE HILL - Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) holds a press conference with other GOP leaders to talk about the Republican tax plan at 10 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Vice Chair Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Ways and Means ranking member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) take questions from reporters after Democrats' caucus meeting at 10:15 a.m. in the Longworth lobby. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will hold his weekly pen and pad at 11 a.m. in H-144.

Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Steve Daines, (R-Mont.) hold a press conference on tax reform in the upper Senate park (Delaware & Constitution Ave.) at 11 a.m.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will be announced as the honorary co-chairs of No Labels during a press conference at 11:30 a.m. in the Kennedy Caucus Room (325 Russell). Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) and Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) participate in a briefing on the child and dependent care tax credit starting at 12 p.m. in SVC 212.

Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) hold a press conference on the sugar program in the farm bill at 12 p.m. in the House triangle. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) will join voting rights activists to call for legislation that would move Election Day to the weekend starting at 12:15 p.m. in 2456 Rayburn.

Reps. David Price (D-N.C.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) participate in a press conference opposing the potential Sinclair Broadcast Group-Tribune Media merger at 12:30 p.m. in the Senate swamp. Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) hold a pen and pad with reporters on recovery efforts in Puerto Rico at 1 p.m. in 2408 Rayburn.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) hold a press conference on GOP plans to nix the student loan interest deduction in their tax bill at 1 p.m. in HVC-215. Senate Republican and Democratic leaders take questions from reporters after their weekly caucus meetings, with separate press conferences starting around 2 p.m. in the Ohio Clock Corridor.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) will receive the 2017 Jacob K. Javits prize for bipartisan leadership at an event starting at 5 p.m. in the CVC (S-210). Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a 2016 prize winner, will also attend. More info here.

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - No one correctly guessed that the National Presbyterian Church, now situated in northwest D.C., was once located on the current spot of the Rayburn building.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Huddle was able to find at least four highly significant elections that occurred on this day (Nov. 7) in the past 100 years. Name three of them and you'll get a mention in tomorrow's edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com.

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