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06/30/2016 07:44 AM EDT


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

SENATE'S TRUMP TRAIN RIDING EMPTY - Donald Trump may be (mostly) sticking to a script in recent days and beefing up his skeletal campaign operation, but that isn't enough to get some skeptical GOP senators on board, report Burgess and Seung Min, who find that aversion to Trump may actually be solidifying in the upper chamber: Sen. Mike Lee, "along with a crew of mostly younger Senate Republicans not facing competitive reelection races, seems increasingly inclined to join Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse's 'never Trump' caucus."

And "most senators up for reelection are hedging their bets in case Trump's support nosedives - and Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk is outright opposed to Trump's candidacy. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, who has left the door open to opposing Trump, declined twice on Wednesday to discuss Trump's new campaigning style and said he wasn't focused on Trump - even though Trump gave a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday trashing new trade deals."

Key line: "It's not just die-hard conservatives or centrists: Republicans from across the spectrum remain unconvinced by Trump's course adjustments." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d71f0106be89c40fd01ed939e315db604533ea5f202ef2c92d

Related: Mike Lee goes off when pressed on why he doesn't back Trump, from BuzzFeed: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7894426d4e31fd53601eceb14db800e07591500a5c9fdce46

HOUSE GOP HUDDLE THIS A.M.- House Republicans will hold a members-only call this morning to talk about their legislative agenda, sources in the know tell your Huddle host.

HOUSE WATER NOT TESTED FOR MONTHS- House staffers in the Canon Office Building could have been drinking lead-tainted water for months, according to a note obtained by Rachael Bade. Staffers, who first received notice of the problem Tuesday, had trouble getting more details about the issue Wednesday. And it turns out it's not just staffers who might be impacted.

Rachael with more: "Among the panicked staffers was Anthony Foti, chief of staff to Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.). Foti's wife works in Cannon for Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), and she had just given birth to a boy last week. She had been drinking the now-contaminated fountain water throughout her pregnancy - and for years before that. ... 'We are concerned our newborn is at risk yet we receive no updates or guidance from the AOC,' Foti wrote in an email Wednesday afternoon to the Architect of the Capitol's office." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d76d7c384b44fc39303a4b4e313b93d190a9cf6ee1cdca2ad7

IMMIGRATION BILLS ON TAP- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has teed up votes on two immigration bills next week, both stemming from the death of Kathryn Steinle last July, who was shot and killed by an immigrant here illegally on a San Francisco pier. One of the bills, championed by Toomey, focuses on so-called sanctuary cities, something he's made a major campaign issue as he fights for reelection.

McConnell also set up a vote on a Sen. Ted Cruz bill that beefs up mandatory minimum sentences for some immigrants who repeatedly enter the U.S. illegally, reports Seung Min. The full story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7bea9b7b77d575fed6f16fcab82d2696dffbd095e5c61117e

WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH 2016, it's June 30. Good morning and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, your play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, where Thursday is treated like Friday. Cheers!

TODAY IN CONGRESS - It's recess, y'all.

AROUND THE HILL- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Chuck Schumer will hold a 9:45 a.m. press conference in S-211 calling on Republicans to cut recess short and negotiate the Zika bill.


** A message from the National Collegiate Athletic Association: In the last five years, the lives of college athletes have changed for the better, in some cases dramatically. But we've still got work to do. Find out what our member schools are doing to advance academics, fairness and well-being and the NCAA's commitment to this critical mission at NCAA.org/opportunity. **

TROUBLE COMING FOR KAINE? Sen. Tim Kaine, rumored to be a top VP pick for Hillary Clinton, could be in political hot water over $160,000 in gifts he accepted during his tenure as Virginia governor and lieutenant governor. Isaac Arnsdorf with the story, new this morning: "Kaine took advantage of the state's lax gift laws to receive an $18,000 Caribbean vacation, $5,500 in clothes and a trip to watch George Mason University play in the NCAA basketball Final Four."

Why it matters now: "While legal under Virginia's unusually permissive ethics rules, the gifts could become attack-ad fodder after similar presents led to corruption charges for Gov. Bob McDonnell, whose conviction the Supreme Court overturned Monday." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d79f24bc1433f753c00c4b2ebddf6937974584e546455bb73b

PUERTO RICO BILL HEADED TO OBAMA- "With a day to spare, the Senate passed a bill to rescue Puerto Rico from a $73 billion debt crisis, sending it to President Obama's desk to be signed into law before the commonwealth defaults on Friday. The final vote was 68 to 30." Colin Wilhelm and Seung Min: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7d26e7f977643ce0ec546b9ac3dfe9bcdfa8672bdd146bb6d

But before everybody pats themselves on the back: Puerto Rico is still set to default on Friday, even with congressional help. Bloomberg: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7c0d28995b0c3d6829137ef1b2ff3eae4d9e6525c72cd562d

TWEETS DU JOUR: Bridget Bowman (@bridgetbhc): "I'm going to go have a drink" -- Sen. Menendez, chief opponent of Puerto Rico bill Senate just passed, when asked about his next steps

-Niels Lesniewski (@nielslesniewski): "The moose dropping thing, I want to see that before I die." says @GrahamBlog (Sen. Lindsey Graham)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM UNLIKELY THIS YEAR-- Backers of criminal justice reform are having to face the music--time and the waning congressional calendar just aren't on their side this year. James Arkin with the story: "The push for criminal justice reform, the legislation seen as having the best chance of passing Congress this session, has stalled as key senators hold slim hopes of passing anything before the end of year.Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who played a key role in negotiating the compromise that ultimately became the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, said in an interview Wednesday the bill is stalled for now." Full story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d786ce8e6569c2c840f990eb1a4ec6495345f8cc58e77cc6a8

RANGEL REFLECTS ON LONG CAREER- For the first time in nearly 50 years, Rep. Charlie Rangel's name won't be on the ballot in his district this November. The Washington Post's Paul Kane brings us a great yarn on Rangel and his storied (and tumultuous) career: "A power-broker in Harlem and a dealmaker on the Hill, Rangel hails from a now extinct era when committee rooms were fiefdoms of bravado that stoked fear in party leaders."

"Those clubby ways landed Rangel in ethics trouble six years ago, prompting President Obama to suggest that he should retire 'with dignity.' But Rangel refused, standing firm for another six years in a way that put distance between his ethics imbroglio and his retirement." Read it: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d71cadaa2dce99eb12cdca2927761da8092f4d5c9f836c3277

GOP'S YOUNG GUNS NOT SO YOUNG-With the average age of the GOP's "Young Guns" nearing 50 and the oldest member clocking in at 74, maybe they should think about rebranding? The Huffington Post: "This year, the average age of those Young Guns is 49, and the 11 candidates still largely look like the old guard: mostly white, mostly male. ... It seems like the 'Young Guns' may be ripe for retirement." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7cd228e96a4d9124778b13e559d80767dccaf09bbc8bdf0ef

McCONNELL TALKS TRUMP, A LITTLE- McConnell is talking a little more about Donald Trump this week after repeatedly ducking questions recently, saying the presumptive GOP nominee is "getting closer" to becoming credible. The Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d703e0c1240805cf3d65be23d9489f995c3d52361c3170b812

SPOTTED-- Senator Bernie Sanders stopped to dine for Chinese food Wednesday evening on Capitol Hill at Hunan Dynasty, a tipster emails us. Speaking of Sanders, he caused the upper chamber to reach "peak Senate" as Seung Min described it last night during a kerfuffle over GMO labels and Planned Parenthood. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7309378abc2bc4db1264ae3738d479f1efb1f735fe88db396

NEW THIS A.M.: ClearPath rolls out endorsements- ClearPath Action Fund, the conservative clean energy group, is unveiling six-figure ad campaigns today for New York GOP Reps. Tom Reed and Elise Stefanik. The digital ad buy will include spots on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The group is also rolling out new ads for Sens. Rob Portman and Kelly Ayotte, both endorsed by ClearPath in April.

WHERE'S THE LOVE? Sen. Jeff Sessions may be Donald Trump's biggest fan, but it turns out Trump actually once backed a Democrat to unseat the long-time Alabama Republican Senator. CNBC: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7b5c3f352a2aea2f0483498401f46980feea27a94e17fca13

PELL GRANTS FOR PRISONERS-- Sens. Brian Schatz, Dick Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse and Bernie Sanders introduced a bill late Wednesday to restore Pell Grant eligibility for prisoners, following on the heels of a pilot program by the Obama administration.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Anthony Moretti was the first to correctly guess that Nick Saban is the highest paid public employee in the U.S., last coming to the White House in March to celebrate the greatest college football team of all time's latest national championship. Roll Tide!

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Anthony brings us today's riddle: This former Michigan standout played for three NFL teams before moving into politics as a member of Congress. Who is he? The first person to email me the correct answer gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle.

HELP ME HELP YOU -- Know any hot gossip, scoops, tips or transitions happening on the Hill? Send 'em my way: hcaygle@politico.com

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e797d5b08a890d7f1e2393efb489890c2b178e2d549a3e215350b7c67f7a31e

** A message from the National Collegiate Athletic Association: Done right, college sports provide extraordinary benefits to college athletes that last a lifetime. And in the last five years, the lives of college athletes have changed for the better, in some cases dramatically. More college athletes are graduating from college than ever before. But we've still got work to do. That's why we're making sure all college athletes have a fair shot at taking advantage of the opportunities that lay ahead on and off the field. Find out what our more than 1,100 member schools across all three divisions are doing to advance academics, fairness and well-being and the NCAA's commitment to this critical
mission at NCAA.org/opportunity. **

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