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02/04/2016 08:29 AM EDT


By Seung Min Kim (skim@politico.com or @seungminkim)

With an assist from Burgess Everett

CHAFFETZ PLOTS CLINTON PROBE - Jake Sherman and Rachael Bade with the scoop for POLITICO: "House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz says he's forging ahead with an investigation into the federal government's record keeping - a probe he acknowledges could put Hillary Clinton in the cross hairs. But Speaker Paul Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy have been clear: They believe the FBI and Justice Department should handle the investigation into Clinton's use of personal email for government business, and that congressional involvement could disrupt the criminal probe and appear overly partisan."

--"Taking that cue, the House Science Committee, which had planned its own investigation into Clinton's email server, on Wednesday opted to delay its inquiry and defer to the FBI ... As for Chaffetz, Ryan (R-Wis.) is giving him the green light to proceed - with caution ... Chaffetz hasn't scheduled a hearing yet, but the Utah Republican has obtained new information, according to sources close to the committee. Chaffetz said the probe will be larger than Clinton but that she's right in the middle of it." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=25ef06f050ffb85af68d18ea8ef45cd8cb5aa0f7d2e73bcbfa1abb96cf3a0c18

RAND GETS CANNED FROM PREZ RACE - The focus for the Kentucky Republican now turns to keeping his Senate seat, and WaPo's Amber Phillips explains why that race isn't necessarily a lock: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a003442753b65c0c6ba7e96eeb18ccbe4648332c80599da881219ccd44 The pros for Paul: Kentucky is a red state at the federal level, his presidential bid gave him plenty of national exposure, and Kentucky Dems are already weakened. Cons: Paul has a credible challenger in the form of Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, he hasn't been your traditional kind of senator, and Paul didn't win any favors by pushing to change the state's primary to a caucus.

--POLITICO's Burgess Everett writes how the end of Paul's presidential bid is a win for the GOP's traditionally hawkish foreign policy views: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=25ef06f050ffb85a4bf561a4ae78f8231e1e3f201b6d5326320ef9eeb517c8d3

SENATE DEM WOMEN PUSHING WARREN ON HILLARY - The Hill's Alex Bolton explains: "A few of the senators have discussed with Warren the possibility of publicly backing Clinton. However, they've been careful not to put a lot of public pressure on their colleague, who is fiercely independent and has a loyal following among progressives. 'I'm hopeful she'll join us. I'm hopeful she'll join the revolution that will allow us to come together to elect' the first female president, said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), one of Clinton's staunchest supporters."

--"Asked if she or other senators had approached Warren personally, Stabenow said, 'We all talk about it,' but declined to reveal what Warren has said in response. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.), the dean of the Senate's Democratic women, has also talked to Warren about backing Clinton. 'I've told Sen. Warren that we would welcome her anytime she's ready,' she said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=25ef06f050ffb85a530a9271394cf6b845049efc6de74f5407729960157d7374

--Warren is indeed speaking out in 2016 - but not for Hillary. In an interview with the International Business Times, Warren defended Bernie Sanders against attacks from Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=25ef06f050ffb85aaa5c4985ef472009f5c89b13e8225ee95072a17e1f032d32

RUBIO SNAGS MORE HILL BACKERS - POLITICO's Daniel Strauss: "Sen. Marco Rubio locked up a handful of congressional endorsements on Wednesday. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), and Reps. Steve Womack and Rick Crawford, both Arkansas Republicans, all endorsed the Florida senator ... The endorsements are the latest in a rapidly increasing list of congressional backers who have thrown their support behind Rubio, who has now vaulted ahead of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the so-called 'endorsement primary.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=25ef06f050ffb85aeb3e5671309dcb5a5692157153ea603164ab5ef17d8154c5

--Rubio's campaign also announced this morning that retiring Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) is now on board the Marco train.

TRANSITIONS - Deshundra Jefferson, communications director for Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), is moving onto new adventures after two years on Capitol Hill, she writes in an e-mail to colleagues. Taking over press duties is Shashrina Thomas.

WELCOME TO THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 and you're reading the Huddle, where we bet this photo (http://goo.gl/r8e19j) of Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) posing with a panda will be the most-clicked of the day. You can always reach me at skim@politico.com, and please follow me on Twitter @seungminkim.

My new followers include @briandevine and @Tory_J_.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House is in at 10 a.m. and will vote at 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Financial Institution Customer Protection Act. The Senate is back at 10 a.m. and will continue working on the Energy Policy Modernization Act, with a cloture vote at 11 a.m.

AROUND THE HILL - Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Reps. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) will hold a roundtable to discuss new child care legislation at 10 a.m. in Russell 485. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will hold her weekly news conference at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will hold a press briefing at 11:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Just off the Hill, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) will speak about improving mail service during remarks at the Bipartisan Policy Center at 8:30 a.m. The BPC is at 1225 Eye Street NW, Suite 1000, and the remarks will be livestreamed here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a003442753516235308b6e7438f15d616989bbb67b2938d10de47ebfef

FLINT CRISIS: 'FAILING AT EVERY LEVEL' - Todd Spangler and Maureen Groppe for the Detroit Free Press and USA Today: "Congressional interrogators on Wednesday sharply criticized state and federal regulators for failing to react to warnings of rising lead levels in Flint's tap water, chastising Michigan officials for not taking adequate steps to protect public health and blasting the federal EPA for not forcing the state's hand sooner ... House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, directed most of his criticism at the Environmental Protection Agency, saying there have been "festering" problems there for years." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a003442753cac2b221725fff211e16654158e5560636a6d050123d0e5c

--Flint residents brought brown water and clumps of hair - the result of the city's toxic water system -- to the hearing, HuffPo reports: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a0034427532859b3d731b6abd6ef0cd3d9ca641f747addb7e7f1709944 And Dems blast Republicans for not calling on the GOP governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder, to testify. HuffPo again: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a0034427536e37c179e00a8f4a49d82c05f4ca8c818838285d8322cbec

--And The Hill reports that a fight flaring over the Flint water crisis is threatening the Senate's energy bill, with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) warning that Dems won't allow the bill to proceed without provisions to aid Flint. Yes, a dispute over amendments could sink a bipartisan bill in the Senate. Stop us if you've heard this before. Timothy Cama and Devin Henry for The Hill: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a0034427536c19e9fe6df5c4b52df56aa3f2f7f30219b994f99faf0f72

BULLETS RICOCHETING AT USCP FIRING RANGE - WaPo's Peter Hermann and Clarence Williams explain why the Capitol Police's firing range was shut down: "Jim Konczos, chairman of the labor committee representing police officers assigned to the Capitol Hill force, said the range has been the subject of complaints since it reopened less than a month ago. The nine-lane facility is in the basement of the House building on Independence Avenue SW. Konczos said one officer was slightly injured last week when a bullet fragment ricocheted and struck him in the corner of one eye. Police officials said they were unaware of any injuries at the range, and Konczos said the officer had not reported it because
it was minor." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a00344275389e6d12f7607040e7af7c300f49fd81e050756e3c1504bc9

ENZI COLD SHOULDERS CHENEY -- It wasn't long ago that Liz Cheney was trying to take down Sen. Mike Enzi. Now Cheney is seeking Wyoming's lone House seat, and Enzi said in an interview that he will not be helping the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney get a leg up on a crowded GOP field. "I'm always happy when people are willing to run for public office and that's about all I can say." Would you make an endorsement? "We've always had a policy that unless it was an incumbent in the position, that we don't endorse until after the primary."

@burgessev: Senator Enzi how are you doing today? "Well, pretty good until now"

BURWELL TO BRIEF ON ZIKA - From yours truly and POLITICO's Jen Haberkorn: "Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell will head to Capitol Hill next week to brief key Senate leaders and committee members on the Zika virus, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Wednesday morning. Senate committees being briefed include the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=bfd795a003442753237b67a184239e3e76c2f59a4263efad3b085e52db39e070

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Logan Ferree was the first person to correctly answer that Josephine Henry was the first woman to run statewide in Kentucky. It was in 1890, and Henry ran for clerk of the Kentucky court of appeals.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Logan has today's question: Who was the first person since 1952 to win the presidency without winning the New Hampshire primary? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. E-mail skim@politico.com.

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