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02/12/2016 08:32 AM EDT


By Rachael Bade (rbade@politico.com or @RachaelMBade)

"HARRY REID SAYS CONTESTED DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION POSSIBLE," Manu Raju and Ted Barrett have the sit-down for CNN: "Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that the Democratic race for president could drag on for months -- and possibly to the Democratic National Convention in July. In an interview with CNN, Reid said that the race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton shows no signs of dying down, even as the former secretary of state had hoped the upcoming Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary would be her launching pad to the Democratic nomination."

"'These races go on for a long long time,' Reid said. When asked if that included a brokered convention, he responded 'Sure, seriously some of the old conventions produced some good people.' Reid also said, 'It would be kind of fun.' Reid's comments reflect the party establishment's growing uncertainty about Clinton's viability and lingering questions about whether she can hold off the Sanders surge." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e4b2413a6e77f6322e49e477ccd1fc50e1ce350d7faa4f2527

DRIVING THE MORNING: "DIVIDED GOP TO POWWOW ON BUDGET." Scott Wong and Sarah Ferris for The Hill: "Speaker Paul Ryan is expected to use charts and graphs in his pitch to House Republicans on Friday morning. But his message will be simple: There will be severe consequences if we don't pass a budget this year. That scenario is a real possibility as the Wisconsin Republican struggles to unite the warring factions of his 246-member GOP conference. Conservatives are revolting against higher top-line spending levels negotiated last fall by President Obama and Ryan's predecessor, then-Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). GOP centrists are digging in on the other side, pledging to kill any budget that
deviates from the two-year, bipartisan budget deal."

"Ryan has been listening to all sides and hopes his party can work out its differences internally, insisting he's not the 'micromanager' or 'dictator' of the House. But the former Budget Committee chairman still believes sticking with the current figures gives the House the best chance to return to regular order and a more traditional appropriations process. That would put the power of the purse back in the hands of Congress, he's argued, so lawmakers can hold the Obama administration accountable." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e4eb696e0637ab0af710f3c35a27720e2da5f05bbaef912e1d

GOOD TO BE BACK! - It's Fri., Feb. 12, 2016. Thanks for reading Huddle, where we returned last night from a quick 24-hours sojourn following Trump around South Carolina. Send Hill updates here: rbade@politico.com, or Tweet: @RachaelMBade.

TODAY IN CONGRESS: House back for votes between 11 a.m. and noon. Senate has a 5:30 p.m. vote.

AROUND THE HILL: Wrapping up biz for the long weekend and recess.

** Sponsored by ACAP, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans: ACAP believes everyone with Medicaid and CHIP coverage deserves the highest quality of care. But the quality of care delivered in fee-for-service Medicaid is unknown, leaving federal and state governments no way to compare and improve quality across all delivery systems. Congress should address this by enacting S. 2438, the Medicaid and CHIP Quality Improvement Act. For more information: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=602007f51102e4011953da6b394ec670288569425e86ce71b430338b6239760b **


LAWMAKERS LOAD UP FAA BILL WITH GOODIES. Jake and Pro-Transpo's Heather Caygle tag team it: "It's great to be Alaska Rep. Don Young. On Wednesday, the longtime Republican lawmaker angrily declared that he would not vote for House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster's Federal Aviation Administration overhaul unless his state was taken care of. His gripe: Rural airports were being shortchanged... It was fixed, all right. And more."

"In an amendment approved alongside the 273-page FAA reauthorization bill that was narrowly voted out of committee Thursday, Shuster (R-Pa.) reshuffled millions in mandatory dollars back to the Essential Air Program, acceding to Young's demand that he restore the funding stream for rural air service. The program, while critical to Alaska, also protects qualified rural airports across the country. That wasn't all Alaska got. Under the original bill, air-traffic control facilities across the country would be transferred to a nonprofit company, which could maintain them or sell them. But as outlined in the manager's amendment Alaska and Hawaii's facilities cannot be sold if they are deemed
'critical' to airspace safety. And the nonprofit board must maintain and upgrade Alaska and Hawaii's facilities and equipment, according to changes in Shuster's manager's amendment. Furthermore, air taxis in Alaska and Hawaii are also exempt from paying user fees into the new air traffic control system under Shuster's amendment." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e47a24423550b8be2e0f88740adeec4fcc1f7db33f72c2ff25

COTTON BLOCKS BIPARTISAN JUVENILE BILL. Jason Dick captures the tense exchange, for Roll Call: "A tense exchange on the Senate floor presaged the blocking of bipartisan legislation to overhaul the juvenile justice system. 'I'm trying to get accountability for this program. That's what's at stake here,' Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, said to Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in a private exchange while the chamber was still voting Thursday on a judicial nominee.... [T]he legislation would ask states to avoid throwing young offenders into juvenile detention centers for low-level 'status' offenses such as skipping school..."

"Grassley asked for consent to pass the bill, Cotton objected... 'I agree that the bill improves the way we handle juvenile offenders. ... He said he thinks judges should have the option to place juvenile offenders in detention centers if they violate an order to take part in rehabilitation or other treatments.... 'I think this is the first time I've felt he was wrong,' Grassley said on the floor." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e4e1453b3c7294d449c096028378a307005f4c080536fff709

RYAN CASTS DOUBT ON HOUSE SUPPORT FOR TRADE DEAL. Kristina Peterson and William Mauldin for WSJ: "House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) said Thursday there wasn't enough support at this point to pass a sweeping Pacific trade deal in the House, casting doubt over its fate in Congress. Mr. Ryan said he had both his own concerns over the content of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TTP, and was hearing worries from many other lawmakers...Mr. Ryan has been a trade advocate, but said he didn't see "majority support" for the trade deal currently. The agreement is politically contentious and is opposed by some lawmakers and presidential candidates in both parties."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e46e76c96e62e576e93e3bffe1f12690fdbf1fd0a67b6ae3b1

WAIT... DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN IN THE U.S. HOUSE? Rep. Duncan Hunter" vaped" in a House mark-up while defending the use of vaporizers saying it "helps people trying to quit smoking" and is "the future." Andy Cush writes for Gawker: "Oh My God, a U.S. Congressman Just Vaped While Legislating." (h/t Lauren) http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e4a2e0d9b8d2bc4ca9dcd7a65aa9c63bfd39d4e6de1dd4f472

"CONGRESS DAWDLES IN RACE OF PRESIDENTIAL ENDORSEMENTS." Emmarie Huetteman reports: "If the presidential race hinged on congressional endorsements alone, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Hillary Clinton, a former New York senator, would take their parties' nominations today. But with nine months until Election Day and quite a few candidates still standing, most lawmakers have yet to declare a favorite." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4121989bd4f152e4f40f58b97d2c7f68f3033e254e1a951da2b27eceefa28293

--Exception: Congressional Black Caucus backs Hillary Clinton, per Renna Flores CBS News: "The Congressional Black Caucus' political action committee endorsed Hillary Clinton Thursday, just as the Democratic presidential candidate is set to battle with rival Bernie Sanders at a PBS-hosted debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=602007f51102e401367b905b6ad154a00b3f723a05e83bcbb6420d63e4211995

--Cummings abstains, per Darren Sands of BuzzFeed: "Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, abstained from a vote by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC on whether to support Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, citing his role in the Benghazi hearings." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=602007f51102e40109adfcd89422f4d934bdf6ba924f6cbfefca60c06328f8b4

--John Lewis: 'I never saw' Sanders at civil rights events. Ooof! CNN with the quote: "I never saw him. I never met him," Lewis said. "I was chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee for three years, from 1963 to 1966. I was involved with the sit-ins, the Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery and directed (the) voter education project for six years. But I met Hillary Clinton. I met President (Bill) Clinton." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=602007f51102e401ac2dcf0cddbd1fb214b24596d52837de064c4e717fa59b18

HAPPY TRAILS-

CRUZ ON DEFENSE IN MILITARY-HEAVY S.C. Burgess reports from Rock Hill: "Ted Cruz has faced attacks on his national security record before, but not in a place like this. The Palmetto State has far more of a military presence than Iowa and New Hampshire. And some of Cruz's votes on national defense - during his time in the Senate he's joined with Sen. Rand Paul to slow military spending, and was a key collaborator in reforming the Patriot Act - could put the Texas senator on defense. A fifth of 2012 GOP primary voters here identified as veterans... Several of his foes and a super PAC are already pouncing.

"He voted for budgets that would gut the military. He voted for the Rand Paul budget that guts our foreign aid. Any military person knows you better have a soft power approach, and this carpet bombing thing is just silly," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a Jeb Bush backer." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=602007f51102e401f7382180b84029a6bd7599ab2c5b90e8ef688bf4244e3f91

ELECTION YEAR MUSICAL CHAIRS. Tons of staff changes these days. Here we go: Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) yesterday announced a series of promos for her staff: Brandon Webb will take on two roles as policy director of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and Kelly's internal chief of staff, replacing E. Brandon Garrett, who's out the door to become managing director of LA-based private equity firm Paladin Healthcare Capital. Senior legislative assistant Zachary Ostro will replace Webb in managing Kelly's policy team. And legislative assistant Jay Cho will handle the congresswoman's technology portfolio and help her as ranking member of an Oversight panel.

-Craig Frucht, Rep. Jarid Polis' press secretary, is "returning to my Connecticut roots" and will become coms director for Rep. Elizabeth Esty. Michael Sparks is taking over his press duties; Mike Berman, his privacy and cybersecurity job; and Bo Morris, his equality and civil rights hat. Sen. Joe Manchin's leg director and chief counsel Kirtan Mehta, a Huddle trivia regular, will become Senior Vice President of the American, but she'll still be around for us: "For sure I'll still play. I can't get over that addiction!" she says.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER. Colleen Shogan, deputy director of the Congressional Research Service, was the first to answer that Lincoln, Hayes, Arthur and Harrison were the four presidents who began their careers as members of the Whig Party before switching to, and be elected as, Republicans.

TODAY'S TRIVIA: Which comes from our winner and is of course about the Library of Congress - one of the best sightseeing tours in town (and you'll know the answer if you've visited): "The Library of Congress owns the oldest book printed in what is now the United States. What is the name of the book and when was it printed?" Email rbade@politico.com.

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** Sponsored by ACAP, the Association for Community Affiliated Plans: Medicaid and CHIP form the backbone of coverage for tens of millions of low-income and disabled Americans. But we don't have a clear view of the quality of care delivered through fee-for-service Medicaid. Ask your member of Congress to reward states that provide high-quality Medicaid and CHIP coverage by cosponsoring S. 2438, the Medicaid and CHIP Quality Improvement Act. It will allow for apples-to-apples comparisons on quality - and provide incentives to spur improvement. For more information: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=602007f51102e4011953da6b394ec670288569425e86ce71b430338b6239760b **

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