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04/26/2017 07:46 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Seung Min Kim

REPUBLICANS FINALIZE REPEAL CHANGES - The White House, top House conservatives and Tuesday Group leader Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) have finalized a new plan to repeal Obamacare that they hope will get the GOP past its month-long logjam. Rachael got the scoop on the amendment Tuesday night: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac6081550a664cd0dfe443ba0f261dde083b97ebd118cd82a72eb803bc4212f15d9253d0bf8dcffc289981fb7e71d975

The deets: The new amendment would allow states to opt out of key Obamacare provisions, including requirements that insurance companies offer essential health benefits - like maternity care and mental health services. States would also be able to charge people with pre-existing conditions and older enrollees more if certain conditions are met.

Do they have the votes? House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, who helped author the deal, is said to support the new plan. And a handful of other Freedom Caucus members have already indicated they're on board too, Rachael, Jen Haberkorn and Josh Dawsey report.

But GOP leaders will also need centrist votes to pass the bill. And some key moderates are chafed by the proposal, already refusing to support it and saying MacArthur was flying solo in his negotiations with conservatives. So far no moderates have publicly switched their position to "yes" and a few, including fellow Tuesday Group Chairman Charlie Dent, have said they are still a no vote. Kyle, Rachael and Katie Jennings with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac6081550a664cd00fd3fa08c1686278185cd4c1d468e91f76531387141222f7f49e7813f7e53fc84a9cd1a3646ca0ef

Will there be a vote this week? "I think we can turn things around quickly if we were to reach an agreement," AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, told the Washington Post. "We will see something as soon as we can, but we're not there right now."

One interesting thing: Republicans included a provision exempting themselves and their staff from the changes in the new repeal plan. Vox's Sarah Kliff: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac6081550a664cd0865991aa4ced41280681b3bfd4c0e2ce77d131d680bd2be73bd5d6761eccd6fe043ef35780de7e04

WILL RYAN GET ROLLED ON TAXES? President Donald Trump is unveiling the outlines of a tax plan today expected to directly contradict the blueprint House Speaker Paul Ryan has been working on for more than a year. The White House plan is likely to reject Ryan's push for a tax on imports and his insistence that tax changes be paid for and not add to the deficit. "We made a mistake last time" in having Ryan take the lead on health care, one senior administration official said, Rachael and Josh Dawsey report. "We learned our lesson."

Reality check: Given that Congress, not the White House, writes bills, Trump will need Ryan's help to see his tax dreams realized. And it's not the just the speaker Trump needs to worry about. "The hastily written plan could wind up alienating critical Hill Republicans while offering little or nothing to entice Democrats," Ben White and Nancy Cook report. More on the problems already facing Trump's tax plan: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e2c789673c1f19043053c13a799584fa19ac85aa7eedd3f07d7708c3ac28b4ae0cdcad73adb0f3d94b

-And the New York Times with details about what's in the plan: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e2d666b2378d825d7096b6930d0a101643766e26d3c70d4f6b402731dcdd2eddacaeaf60d409738385

PELOSI, HOYER DISPUTE IN FUNDING TALKS - A Democratic dispute over protecting Obamacare subsidies in the funding bill spilled into the open Tuesday after Steny Hoyer blasted the strategy being pushed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Hoyer, the House minority whip, said making permanent the insurance subsidies, which help cover costs for low-income enrollees, would be nice to have but should not be a requirement for reaching agreement on a deal to keep the government open beyond Friday.

"We're not dealing on this. This is the law," the normally genial Hoyer told reporters, his voice rising, adding he thinks the administration can continue making the payments without congressional intervention. But Pelosi and other Democratic negotiators have said language making the subsidies permanent -- which would defuse Trump's threat to yank them at any time -- is a "must" for any final funding deal. Your Huddle host with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e2549169627ea1fee5e02fc32e111b4e21417e1096d3f2d9f12d78bbb697bd53a380885600ac2730d9

-Related: The latest funding bill offer from Republicans does not include border wall funding, Kelsey Snell and Ed O'Keefe report for the Washington Post. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e233bf16155352490004ac0bca4916a9c6f07a3fae20af8906521e7206b90d97268686d4f27fec0ff8

** A message from ZERO TO THREE: It's time to Think Babies. Hey Congress: We're coming to your crib! Babies and parents from every state are coming to Capitol Hill to see you - and to bring national attention to what babies and families need to thrive. Meet the babies May 2 at 12:00pm, Upper Senate Park. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e2038ba49b1392d15b560822d91d49d2ce0c8c092d114711c4865a0e8dccbaaa2c8ec247eb86751589 **

WHOA, SLOW DOWN THERE WEDNESDAY. Welcome to April 26 and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Burgess' report on the latest on shutdown negotiations was the winner.

HAPPENING TODAY - President Trump is expected to stop by an all-senators briefing on North Korea at the White House this afternoon. You'll remember from Huddle yesterday, senators are perplexed about why the briefing is being held on White House grounds instead of the usual secure Senate spot, with Democrats speculating the move is just to improve optics for Trump.

WARNER DEFENDS RUSSIA PROBE - Senate Intel ranking member Mark Warner defended his committee's Russia investigation Tuesday, saying the panel is making progress despite complaints from other Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, about the pace. "Real progress is taking place, [Warner] said, including scrutiny of ties between Moscow and President Donald Trump's aides. 'People who think we're not looking at that now have not received an update,' Warner told Politico." Austin and Martin Matishak with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e28de7de2ca664c2edb8525915c5483a9ab1d0574947cef73a40a9512396140c644e14dcc004c21ba6

A 'GANG OF EIGHT' IMMIGRATION COMEBACK? It might just happen, if Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has his way. During a tele-town hall Tuesday night hosted by the New American Economy, the pro-immigration group led by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, McCain said he will do what he can to try and re-introduce the Gang of Eight immigration reform bill sometime in the future.

Flashback to 2013: If that legislation is revived, McCain says he believes it'll be "basically the same" as the version that passed the Senate with 68 votes in 2013 but was subsequently ignored by the House. "I'll continue to do what I can to see if we can resurrect it," McCain said. "Immigration reform is not over, and it will not be over until we resolve the outstanding issues."

FLYNN LIKELY BROKE THE LAW - Leaders of the House Oversight Committee said former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn likely broke the law by failing to disclose payments for a 2015 speech in Moscow on his application to renew his security clearance last year. "As a former military officer, you simply cannot take money from Russia, Turkey or anybody else," Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said. "And it appears as if he did take that money. It was inappropriate. And there are repercussions for the violation of law." Austin: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e260028afe9078cf4654d21dd5133a2c4c3e4c365c8ceb8319d23bd6c46a062a217d36cec81fb757aa

'A POOR CHOICE OF WORDS' - Wyoming GOP Sen. Mike Enzi is apologizing after saying certain people "ask" to be discriminated against during a conversation about equality with a group of middle school students. "I know a guy who wears a tutu and goes to bars on Friday night and is always surprised that he gets in fights. Well, he kind of asks for it," Enzi told the students. He later apologized for using a "poor choice of words." The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim and Amanda Terkel: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e21643822c0e4b6d5a4f1c3a6ae04a390afc816ba6c28f83dd07ab56d615dfb1953989e94b416de4b9

GOP GOING ALL-IN IN GEORGIA - In a sign of how important Georgia's runoff to replace Tom Price is to Republicans, President Trump will head down to the Peach State Friday to fundraise for GOP candidate Karen Handel. Tickets start at $2,700. The AJC's Greg Bluestein: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e25a3c8b9473779257dd6155ce00b11317c26cc6255b062d3c9662ffc632f9275e6ee466aa3b2db1e1

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - A Senate Judiciary panel will hear testimony from two former top Obama administration officials on Russian meddling in the election. Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was fired by Trump for refusing to enforce his travel ban, and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper will testify during the May 8 hearing. Elana with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e2fecbec4db9e32502ba1ea757d17011027cef5805dc238ee49694db2aeaba76d274f084197e7864be

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. with a procedural vote related to Labor secretary nominee Alexander Acosta at 11:30 a.m. The House meets at 10 a.m. with first votes around 1:30 p.m. and last votes around 3:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e22b26a6734f11e963931d5482b1eecbfcee0dd14856b69c7856a4d096ee61e59f6575e93d4d13b94e

WOMEN RULE PODCAST: Tinseltown is still reeling from Hillary Clinton's loss, we learn in the latest episode of Women Rule, where POLITICO sits down with some of Hollywood's finest. In this week's must-listen episode, we hear directly from the woman that organized surrogates for Clinton's campaign, and two of the stars that stumped for her on the trail.

One thing is clear, Hollywood is searching for a Democratic star to back in 2020. And Tinseltown has some advice for any leading female candidates considering a bid in the next election cycle: Be more "unapologetically yourself" than Clinton was. Listen and subscribe iTunes | Soundcloud | RadioPublic

AROUND THE HILL - Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.) lead a forum on ending famine starting at 8:30 a.m. in HVC 201. Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) hold a 9:30 a.m. conference call on net neutrality.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) hold a 9:30 a.m. event on raising the minimum wage on the East Front.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and GOP leaders speak to press at 10 a.m. in HC-8, after their weekly conference meeting. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-S.D.) hold a 10 a.m. press conference on regulatory reform in the Senate studio.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), Vice Chair Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) and Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) hold a press conference following Democrats' caucus meeting at 10:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Rep. David McKinley (R-W.V.) holds a press conference on miners' protections at 10:45 a.m. in the House triangle. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) hold a 12:30 p.m. press conference on Trump and health care in HVC Studio A.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) hosts a reception for the Amputee Coalition at 4:30 p.m. in 2456 Rayburn. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) participate in a reception with the Close Up Foundation at 6 p.m. in 325 Russell.

Speaker Ryan, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) participate in the "Man of Prayer" event honoring the 228th inaugural anniversary of President George Washington at 6:30 p.m. in Statuary Hall.

OFF THE HILL - Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn will deliver a keynote address on military readiness and long-term defense priorities at the Woodrow Wilson Center at 2:30 p.m.

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Michael Kaplan was the first to guess that John Henry Eaton was the youngest senator to ever serve and Armistead Thomson Mason is the only person who served the entirety of his senatorial career under the age of 30.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Michael with today's question: Between 1966 and 1976, one candidate ran for Congress in six elections in four separate congressional districts, winning only once. Who was the candidate and from which district did this person find electoral success?

The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in tomorrow's Huddle. And don't forget, send suggestions for trivia questions my way: hcaygle@politico.com

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.


** A message from ZERO TO THREE: It's time to Think Babies. The science is clear: Our brains grow faster from birth to age three than at any other point in our lives. Every second, more than 1 million new neural connections form. These connections have a lifelong impact on how babies learn and grow, and are stimulated and strengthened by nurturing relationships, early learning experiences and good nutrition. Giving all babies a strong start in life benefits everyone by increasing graduation rates, enhancing the quality of the workforce, improving health and reducing crime. Meet the babies May 2 at 12:00pm, Upper Senate Park. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e5941430b96157e2038ba49b1392d15b560822d91d49d2ce0c8c092d114711c4865a0e8dccbaaa2c8ec247eb86751589 **

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