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06/08/2018 08:14 AM EDT


By RACHAEL BADE (rbade@politico.com and @RachaelMBade)

HOUSE CHAOS OVER DREAMERS. Talk about whiplash. House Republicans shocked reporters yesterday morning when they emerged from what was expected to be a contentious two-hour immigration meeting practically singing "kumbaya" and vowing to work together on the issue that's divided them most for years. That lasted all of about five seconds. It quickly became clear that moderates and conservatives - as well as GOP leaders promising to "put pen to paper" and start crafting a new Republican immigration bill to protect Dreamers - were not on the same page. At all.

Discharge petition leader Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) triggered the latest spat when he told reporters Thursday afternoon that conservatives floated the idea of a new visa program for Dreamers that included a pathway to citizenship. That would be yuge, to say the least, since conservatives have traditionally viewed any new path to the legal system as flat-out "amnesty." But conservatives said Denham's account was total bull - and right on cue, the finger-pointing started anew.

Watch for mods in the coming days to accuse conservatives of moving the goal posts or going back on their word. Conservatives are already grumbling that moderates' decision to go public with very sensitive talks - talks that did not include an official "offer," they argue, but mere idea-sharing - have hindered negotiations and will now make it harder to strike a deal. More here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69ba4404e412fd78ff97b5047f60df8614767140dde1614b41f02f38bbb353bdfc9b6fb3ac66c0007ea

ALL EYES ON TUESDAY. Discharge petition leaders say they want an agreement on a path to citizenship, a must-have for the group of moderates if they're to halt their discharge petition effort, by Tuesday - in writing. Or, they'll add the final 218 signatories to force roll call votes on Dreamer bills Democrats love but most Republicans hate.

In the meantime, keep an eye on Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) and Dennis Ross (R-Fla.), two would-be petition singers that decided after conference yesterday to give leaders a few more days to negotiate. If leadership can find a way to just keep the last few Republicans at bay, and stop them from signing the petition, they just might be able to halt this whole thing - though moderates say that's unlikely.

THE UNICORN BILL. To be fair, House Republicans' immigration conference wasn't entirely useless happy talk. Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters that lawmakers decided in the meeting that they want to craft GOP immigration legislation that fits Trump's "four pillars" framework. That means the bill would include a wall, cuts to family migration and an end or limits on the diversity visa-lottery program - but not all the other red-meat immigration policies currently in the so-called "Goodlatte bill" that conservatives have backed for months. Yes, that would also mean a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented who came here as kids, a key part of Trump's proposal. When I asked Ryan if his
conference was ready to accept this yesterday, he dodged.

BE SMART. This latest attempt to write a GOP immigration bill is a Hail Mary if ever there was one - and anyone who tells you otherwise must think you're gullible or very blond like me. Hawkish groups, at Denham's mere mention of citizenship, started privately hounding some Hill Republicans to back off. And conservative lawmakers are petrified of being accused of granting amnesty.

** A message from the American Clinical Laboratory Association: Millions of seniors who depend on lab tests to manage their health are facing reductions in access to Medicare lab testing because of HHS' flawed implementation of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA). HHS is putting the nation's most vulnerable seniors at risk. It's time for Congress to act. Learn More. **

IT'S FRIDAY Y'ALL! It's Bade here, with a newfound appreciation for Nolan for getting up before dawn everyday to write this newsletter for you Hill junkies. I'm still recovering from all the drama of yesterday, but do send gossip my way and hit me up to chat off record whenever you have something hot: rbade@politico.com

THAT OTHER CHAMBER... "Cryin' Chuck' might just get the last laugh," by my esteemed Senate colleagues Burgess and Elana: "He's been beat up by the left over his centrist instincts and vilified by the right as a liberal obstructionist in dealmaker's clothing. But somehow, Chuck Schumer's high-wire act is working for him. A year-and-a-half after taking the reins from Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate leader has maintained liberal senators' support as well as a healthier relationship with Mitch McConnell than Reid had. Schumer even occasionally receives handwritten notes from the president who calls him 'Cryin' Chuck.' After Schumer went on the Senate floor this spring to declare that he
preferred President Donald Trump's trade policies to those of Democratic President Barack Obama, Trump sent a copy of a Washington Examiner article with a note attached. According to Schumer's very rough rendition, it read: "'Thanks,' blah blah blah, let's work together on this.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69b2a23d81967b2be1ef4743552571e99e85cbf45c1f5b10382648340712d344ac6b20d4d3b7f092b13

BREAKING OVERNIGHT: "Ex-Senate Intelligence staffer indicted on charges of lying in leak probe," by Josh Gerstein: "A former longtime staffer for the Senate Intelligence Committee was arrested Thursday after being indicted on three felony counts of making false statements to the FBI in the course of an investigation into leaks of classified information. James A. Wolfe, 58, who served as the panel's security director for about 30 years, was accused of lying to FBI investigators about his contacts with four journalists and about whether he had provided confidential committee information to them.

"The indictment does not name the journalists, but the New York Times said in a story published just before Wolfe's arrest was officially confirmed Thursday that the Justice Department had informed one of its national security reporters, Ali Watkins, that records relating to her emails and phone calls had been seized by the government. No prior notice of the seizure was given, the newspaper said. Wolfe, according to the indictment, was accused of lying when he denied leaking to Watkins in connection with an article she wrote for a previous employer, BuzzFeed News, in April 2017 identifying former Donald Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as the target of a Russian espionage operation in New
York. Executive branch officials had provided confirmation of that fact to the Senate Intelligence panel about two weeks earlier, the indictment says." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69bc4e70ed3aecfb83d4366d6350db8670076811dadcb11ad1c55b4294e8c5db32f1ef3e70e5031c767 And here's the origional New York Times story about Justice's extraordinary seizure of Ali's records: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69be54c3176cc1abf6d8aca52672b64a9b1eb4a81558e7d0c8a5f1e25f030398caec89b768e1d8e6d09

AND...

TRUMP GOES TO COURT TO KILL KEY OBAMACARE PROVISIONS. By Renuka Rayasam: "The Trump administration is urging a federal court to dismantle two of the most popular provisions of Obamacare, but to delay taking such drastic action until after the midterm elections this fall. Responding to a lawsuit from conservative states seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, the Justice Department told a judge in Texas on Thursday that Congress' decision to repeal the penalty for failing to buy health insurance renders unconstitutional other Obamacare language banning insurers from charging people more or denying them coverage based on a pre-existing condition."

"The Texas-led lawsuit filed in February claims that the recent elimination of Obamacare's individual mandate penalty means that the whole health care law should now be ruled invalid. The mandate penalty was wiped out effective in 2019 as part of the GOP tax law passed late last year, H.R. 1 (115). The administration's evening filing says it agrees with states bringing the suit that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, as are two of the law's major insurance provisions meant to protect people with expensive medical conditions." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69b56794a6b62e1a99e1bfdd489c7261b21f52e50f135974037ae42cb97858ef818121c7e5ea2e53f5a

LET'S UNPACK THIS. One of the central hurdles to the GOP effort to repeal Obamacare was Republican concerns about people with pre-existing conditions. Obamacare's protections prevent insurance companies from charging sick and old people more or denying them coverage - one of the main reasons Democrats wrote the law in the first place. When Republicans tucked a repeal of the individual mandate into their tax bill last December, they had no idea that the Trump Administration would use that to then argue the rest of the Obama-era health law was unconstitutional: including protections for sick people. Surprise!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: JUNE 14. It's the day Trump allies have been salivating over: The Department of Justice will release it report on the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Elana Schor with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69ba557d23e30bafbf8421cfa9593b25f449eddf8c5d38a7ac80a212e6cf17a4bce2c8ba8f1d5e63f3d

"WHITE HOUSE WOULD SEEK CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF N. KOREA DEAL." By Roll Call's John T. Bennett: "Trump administration officials intend to ask Congress to approve any nuclear deal President Donald Trump might strike with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says has vowed to give up his nuclear arsenal. Pompeo told reporters at the White House Thursday the administration would submit a 'document' to Congress for their review and possible approval. The idea is to give Kim confidence that a possible nuclear accord would be honored when the next U.S. administration takes over in 2021 or 2025." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69bc2722169027d04863c7f8bc0ae85019eca763402ee734d9c315294edf9391f7aff6fe42fb9176d9d

WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD TO HILL REPUBLICANS ON TRUMP TARIFFS: DO SOMETHING. "Republicans have complained for years that the executive has encroached on the powers of the legislature, but the GOP hasn't done much to stop the invasion. This week a bipartisan coalition in the Senate is finally rebelling against the Trump Administration's unilateral trade war, and we're glad to see it." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69b156073008cb1b3c2545a96c84a4089ccacb6fcc9c1386059142c88a3f0325defe454593a91958391

But, but but... Elana and Burgess again: "GOP waves white flag on Trump trade clash": "Senate Republican leaders are maneuvering to defuse an effort by one of their own seeking to handcuff President Donald Trump on trade. GOP leaders are moving swiftly to tamp down support for Sen. Bob Corker's (R-Tenn.) proposal to give Congress power to stop Trump tariffs, eager to avoid a standoff with the president five months ahead of the midterms." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69b1a456b1281366890ec6b9c751f4c908d9feefac87b935675a93e617b1ac7e5f88d17dffbacf0a451

RESCISSION PACKAGE PASSES. Remember the House GOP's "rescission" package spending cuts most GOP lawmakers scoffed at for weeks? Well, they bit their tongues and passed them last night to please President Donald Trump - and to act like they actually care about the deficit again. After the last massive spending bill passed this spring, Trump steamed and the base flipped, accusing Republicans of being irresponsible with government purse strings. So Trump and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) teed-up a plan to cut what ended up being about $15 billion, a drop in the bucket compared to the $1.3 trillion omnibus Congress passed. Many Republicans scolded leaders for pushing the
package, as they feared it would simply remind their constituents of their omnibus vote and make them look like hypocrites. But they plugged their nose and did it anyway.

Our Sarah Ferris has more on the package's uncertain fate in the Senate: "The Senate must approve the bill by June 22 or be forced to recruit Democrats to the effort. With just 10 working days until that deadline, prospects for the bill remain unclear in the Senate, where every GOP senator will need to support the package. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney has personally met with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who has raised issues with the cuts to CHIP, in an effort to secure her vote. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, another GOP moderate, has not yet said whether she supports the bill. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has also remained noncommittal to
the package, despite a slew of changes from the White House. 'We'll see what the House does. We'll look at it,' Shelby said on Thursday. 'I think whatever we rescind, we ought to evaluate it. Is it substantive, or is it more optics, or what?'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4a33358c17c2e69bc719398813f400bfcc964eb322627bc7d88f227ecf28de3d8f186b8a20c25661f68ee9465b83d4cf

AROUND THE HILL - The Senate is adjourned until Monday and the House lawmakers will be headed for the airports by lunchtime after a last series of votes. Enjoy your Friday!

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Allen Wiseley was the first to answer that Mo Udall was the first pro basketball player to serve in Congress.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Comes from Wiseley: Who was the last child of a vice president to serve in elected office in a different state than their parent had? The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in Monday's Huddle. And don't forget, send suggestions for trivia questions to Nolan: nmccaskill@politico.com

How can Washington help the financial well-being of future American retirees? Politico convened leading thinkers and policymakers to identify some solutions. Read the full report. Presented by Prudential


** A message from the American Clinical Laboratory Association: Millions of seniors depend on lab tests to manage their health. Yet steep cuts by HHS to vital lab services put seniors on Medicare at great risk. By reducing access to vital lab tests for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other conditions, other health care costs are sure to increase. Worst of all, these cuts will hit the most vulnerable seniors -- like those in nursing homes or in rural areas -- the hardest. HHS has deliberately ignored the law and Congressional intent, which will reduce access to lab testing for America's seniors. Congress must act now to restore the true intent of the Protecting Access to Medicare
Act (PAMA) and protect seniors from HHS' penny-wise and pound-foolish approach. Learn More. **

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