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06/26/2017 08:02 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Daniel Lippman

THIS WEEK: SENATE'S OBAMACARE REPEAL PUSH - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is determined to push ahead with a vote on his Obamacare repeal plan this week, even as more GOP senators back away from the proposal or demand the process be slowed down. McConnell and his allies want to get a vote on the books before senators head home for a weeklong July 4th recess, where they could face pressure from angry constituents to abandon efforts to dismantle the law. But rank-and-file Senate Republicans are casting doubt on voting this week, Elana and Seung Min report.

"There's no way we should be voting on this" before the recess, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said on NBC Sunday, urging party leaders to "not rush this process." And Sen. Dean Heller, the most vulnerable GOP incumbent, said Friday he won't support the repeal without significant changes to protect Medicaid expansion states. "It's going to be very difficult to get me to a yes," Heller said during a press conference with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Whip count: Heller, Johnson and conservative Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.) have all come out against the current proposal. Moderate Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday she has "very serious concerns" about the plan and several other senators are still publicly undecided. Remember, McConnell can only lose two members and still reach the 50-vote threshold needed for passage.

Leadership weighs in: "We don't have the luxury of waiting around. It's not going to get easier," Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters at the Koch brothers' summit over the weekend, identifying Aug. 1 as a "drop-dead line." Elana and SMK report, with a contribution from Kevin Robillard in Colorado:: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03b847fcfb3360b0151e9cc9f1311eaacf580e0b3ee1b31ea2f8a3680eaa543827a4c35e40262371efb181b24d702b8082

Woo boy: "America First Policies, a White House-backed outside group led by the president's top campaign advisers, has launched a $1 million attack" against Heller, accusing him of standing with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to protect Obamacare, Alex Isenstadt reports. The ads blindsided Heller and rankled McConnell allies. Meanwhile, the AARP has been running ads in Nevada for the last month urging Heller to vote against the repeal, reports David Weigel for the Washington Post.


Stay tuned: "The CBO is poised to tell Senate Republicans this week that their health plan will leave millions more uninsured than Obamacare - with the losses estimated from 15 million to 22 million over a decade, according to a half dozen budget analysts polled by POLITICO." Adam Cancryn and Dan Diamond: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b0335abaf5ddc6938d84cdb64c2db6ea56c41e66184a6a063a06b6b25964c322aa4b0958e9d30f3865c358cbad6f4a2dc94

Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus is holding its fire against the Senate repeal bill, promising to keep an open mind in what's a surprising strategy shift for the hard-line conservative group. Kyle and Rachael with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b0305b790bebfedc6c5f5574586827a97aa250b63a6f4b1367db70c013caad5276a6ade17a4a9a6aea868f8ffde217dcae9

Extra, extra: "Why the Senate health care bill fails," an op-ed from Sen. Ron Johnson in the New York Times this morning, http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03a22e1502a81bd47770b435cf9d6a3343515afd40b8bfebd98a34b1d8c6093dae0d93b7821f453d023a94a2c28d041663 And "Senate GOP expected to add new penalties for the uninsured in their health care bill," via Vox's Sarah Kliff and Dylan Scott: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b034690d494ec1715fdf13db99528d5e28d707cbcfe0ff3c78d923afbafda4adde62f7edafa30484eaf445f309f852ed3a3

WHY DEMOCRATS CAN'T BREAK THROUGH - "For weeks now, liberal activists and Democratic senators have struggled to capture the public's focus" in their campaign to halt GOP repeal efforts, Elana reports this morning. "That messaging crisis is not for lack of trying. But progressives have been stymied by Republicans' strategy of keeping the bill behind closed doors as well as a crowded media landscape fixated more on Trump's tweets and Russia scandal than on the intricacies of Medicaid spending." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b0304eef308f360343b399a1c6d4c9df799fbe7acf784554b3c9775bce512a4b31641dd58fdc721f90a31c0d4a9bc94fc84

THANKS FOR CLEARING THAT UP, MR. PRESIDENT - Last week, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) pushed back on the AP report that Trump called the House Obamacare repeal bill "mean," saying on Fox News he thought that was "some kind of misinterpretation of a private meeting." But as the president made clear on Fox Sunday, there was no wire crossing there. "That was my term," Trump said. "I want to see a bill with heart."

ALRIGHT MONDAY, WE'RE READY FOR YOU. Welcome to June 26 and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Your Huddle host had a wonderful time celebrating great friends this weekend - fellow POLITICO reporter Anthony Adragna and his fiancée Meghan Cassidy - who were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at St. Francis Hall on Saturday.

FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Hill's Mel Zanona won the day with her story about lawmakers trying to block airlines from forcibly removing passengers.

HOUSE TO VOTE ON IMMIGRATION BILLS THIS WEEK - The House will take up a pair of bills this week that would crack down on illegal immigration, Seung Min and Bres scooped on Friday. "One of the bills to see a floor vote, dubbed Kate's Law, boosts penalties for immigrants who try to re-enter the United States after being deported. ...The second is legislation that goes after so-called sanctuary cities - localities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including by refusing to hold an immigrant in jail longer just so federal officials can pick him or her up to be deported." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03da93d5a1af55495add868cb7173ca8bfe5e65995bb91f21ce43549a41309a3e31b0dd8f49423132b20ac7adf0793b52d

MEANWHILE IN KOCH-LAND... The Koch brothers' network "plans to spend between $300 million and $400 million on politics and policy during the 2018 cycle," the group announced at the kickoff of its annual summit Saturday. On the attendance list this weekend: Cornyn, Cruz, Lee, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and House Freedom Caucus Reps. Mark Meadows (N.C.), Justin Amash (Mich.), Dave Brat (Va.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio). Kevin Robillard reports from Colorado Springs: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03750f250ac4cbf7701401a4ddaacd1dd5311ee6083693f6623cf24be14d4a45d069d9d2ce631877747a190c0c4118a73d

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING - "The largest number of Democratic congressional candidates in decades is putting into play dozens of House districts across the country," Ed O'Keefe and David Weigel report. "What they don't agree on is how to do it - by exciting the base with a liberal economic message and fiery candidates in the model of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), or by keeping the party's doors open to moderates and independents with centrist contenders, ideally with business or military experience." The Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03117a7ed4e24a0bb54a1115496978172e53741300a58955848c614de642af783d87baf057f66576d554d7d4c94703678e

THE BEST THING YOU'LL SEE ALL DAY - Don't miss Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) showing off his awesome dad-style dance moves during a summer party in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Schumer, clad in a baseball cap, purple checked shirt and khakis, gets down to a remix that includes "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems" from Biggie Smalls. Video via Richard Buery: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b031357499175a4f8b23ced1222e78ba087d4d013f67861eaf2635220eb75549022eb5aa12d17373bc7e221167997dfe2cd (h/t Seung Min)

GOWDY WON'T PURSUE RUSSIA PROBE - Newly minted House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) says he won't use his powerful perch to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election or whether Trump obstructed justice as part of that probe. "The South Carolina Republican told a gathering of reporters Friday that he instead wants to return the Oversight panel to its original 'compulsory' jurisdiction, including overseeing more mundane issues like government procurement and the Census," Rachael reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b031ef978dcd70273f57e047a2255a9f67e394edb721e975816316494ef530e361c195502bd310f606e117b8fff1786f47b

COMING ATTRACTIONS - Former New York Rep. Michael Grimm, who resigned from Congress in 2015 after pleading guilty to felony tax evasion, said he'll likely run for office again in a bizarre rant/letter to the editor of the Staten Island Advance over the weekend: "Many have seen me out and about with my usual upbeat attitude... They know that I will likely run again for elected office, that I will make a comeback. I disagree with that characterization because it isn't a comeback, I am back! The rumors are actually true." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b034fb463779ff59cb4f506d6f495e755f4ecb7ec7d06a880f28b2357f38c052606444f29f31dac2c953d0298aa99017d25

THE LATEST ON RUSSIAN SANCTIONS - GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Illinois) tells our Susan Glasser he's "prepared to wage a rebellion and raise 'holy hell' in the face of new efforts by the White House and its allies to water down" a Russians sanctions bill that overwhelmingly passed the Senate but has been held up in the House. The Global Politico: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b034f55236a8f4d29b6234d8a4c86d446d248c40cb79e3b6bfdc0e6a925fbf4de4403901b0b25dc8b92b6d128d1a90e6d24

MIKA DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL - Matt Mika, the Tyson Foods lobbyist wounded during the congressional baseball practice shooting, was discharged from the hospital Friday. Before leaving the hospital, Mika was visited by Nationals superstar outfielder Jayson Werth. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is still in the hospital but has been transferred out of the intensive care unit, according to a statement Friday. Cristiano Lima: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b0354cf0b241bff513ae5272a84748d9f47d86290904fb851cfde3b0b1dd31eb5c1b63926d08a7bc1c5111ad48c2e5fcc54

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES - Paige Alwood is wrapping up her time as deputy communications director for Sen. Ron Johnson and is moving to Raleigh, N.C., for a new adventure. Samantha Greene starts today as communications director for Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.). She was previously comms director at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Tim Brown, comms director for Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Tracey Roberts, congressional liaison for NLRB welcomed Abigail Roberts Brown on Sunday: "She checked in at 11:52 a.m. at 7 pounds, 6.5 ounces, and 19 inches tall. Mother and daughter are resting comfortably." Pic: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03b5f4879a0c929fe0dbdd33660e886ed08624e883207a0211d876fa1622d86a905b33a01453bd2f1586244d4461b5616a

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House meets at 12 p.m. with votes at 6:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a06c5870171a3b03739b26adfd8fb62654cfc569dcf343209c6e4ba9cdd39cd886bf3c118db516c5839208117ac64d818b3e96f01bd2ccee The Senate gavels in at 4 p.m. with a 5:30 p.m. confirmation vote on Kristine Svinicki, Nuclear Regulatory Commission nominee.

AROUND THE HILL - Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) holds a news conference on election reform at 3 p.m. in the House triangle. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) hold a press conference on funding for community health centers at 4 p.m. in the Senate swamp.

FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Allison Green, press secretary for Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) correctly guessed that no U.S. presidents have been born in Kansas or went to college in the Sunflower State. But Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is a University of Kansas alum.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Allison with today's question: Which two long-serving senators and personal friends attended the same high school in western Kansas? Name the senators and the town where the high school is located. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send answers my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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