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06/12/2017 08:04 AM EDT


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

THE SENATE IS IN SESSION(S) - Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday as part of its ongoing probe into connections between Russia and the Trump campaign. The big question is whether Sessions' hearing will be open or closed. Several senators are concerned Sessions is trying to avoid testifying in public, CNN reports, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent a letter to Intel leaders Sunday calling for an open hearing. But GOP leaders are desperately trying to notch some legislative wins and another big public hearing after James Comey testified last week could again scuttle Republicans' entire messaging agenda this week.

What to expect tomorrow: "If this is an open session - it is still unclear at this point, but Senate aides believe it will be public - Sessions will likely face a barrage of questions over his role in Comey's dismissal, his independence from President Donald Trump, and allegations of additional unreported meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak," Kyle reports. Sessions' Intel appearance comes in lieu of his planned testimony before the House and Senate Appropriations committees on DOJ's budget. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will testify on the funding request instead. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065cc3d96ba23cde1deacb5d881f1efe426ec7ec7827825890eb06bc43e4500792d7321a696f0b8b001

I'M NOT GOING THERE - Republicans making the Sunday show rounds notably did not join efforts to discredit Comey's testimony, something President Donald Trump and his allies have been working at, even before the ousted FBI director testified Thursday. Instead, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she'd "be fine" with issuing a subpoena for tapes the president suggested he made of his conversations with Comey if the White House continues to refuse to say if the recordings exist. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Trump may "go down" because he can't stop talking inappropriately about an investigation that would clear him. And Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) called Trump's interactions with Comey
"very inappropriate." Kyle with the roundup: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065100d85ed1afb9519102cefc488d4cbefd7928332be194ed265eff037329b6c74d546ba902028ab3c

ROUND ONE, FIGHT - House Democrats are already battling over who will be their next leader on the powerful Judiciary Committee, even though current ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.), dean of the House, hasn't said he plans on stepping aside. In a letter late last week, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) fired off a warning to New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the committee's No.2 Democrat, that she too would be interested in the job if and when Conyers steps down. To some Democrats, Nadler already serves as the unofficial ranking member given Conyers, at 88, is not as robust as he used to be. But Lofgren, an ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), is also widely respected in the
caucus and could make a competitive run for the seat.

Worth watching: "Whoever is the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee is a critical issue. Many Democrats believe they have a good chance of taking back the House in November 2018, and the Judiciary panel would be a key battleground for taking on President Donald Trump if Democrats are in the majority in the next Congress," Margaret Harding McGill and Bres report this morning. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e006547452748e6c83b92e082ebc5c7be78d4adda7fd7bee90c74f3420d97cb5dc3cb8fa9a78ecbf28de9

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DON'T FRET, TUESDAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. Welcome to Monday, June 12. Thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Your host is happy to be back navigating another hectic week after a fun weekend visiting with a friend who's moving overseas.

FRIDAY'S MOST READ: Rep. Mark Meadow's photo of pal Rep. Trey Gowdy's interesting fashion choices (re: a bucket hat and pink shorts, to start) got all the clicks.

TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE - Senators are hoping to vote this week on a bipartisan proposal to punish Russia for meddling in the 2016 election. Democrats want to see a plan that would give Congress the power to block any attempt by Trump to ease current sanctions against the Kremlin. But it's unclear if a majority of Republicans are willing to go that far, publicly rebuking the president. Whatever deal emerges, some senators were clear over the weekend that Trump should sign it or face a possible veto override. "If the president doesn't sign the bill to punish Russia, he would be betraying democracy," GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said. Elana with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065720ff493cd8059fd4c4fc1370a95232b2091c01a72d5c97040b73011ee0b2d676caa499b8a74e7d8

CONSERVATIVES THREATEN HEALTH CARE REVOLT - Conservative senators and allied outside groups are threatening to jump ship on the Senate's efforts to repeal Obamacare as the GOP plan continues to tilt toward the party's more moderate members. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said Sunday he has "grave concerns about what we're doing so far." Losing Lee and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who aides increasingly think will oppose the plan, "would be a major blow that would allow Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell no further defections in his 52-senator majority," Burgess reports. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065ffa304e6e331ecdcdee42db2cca508658ac81771e5ece9506ed427d046e285075d4d72bdab417ef6

POLIS JOINS CROWDED GOV RACE - Democratic Rep. Jared Polis will run for governor of Colorado, he announced Sunday, joining a crowded race that already includes one of his House Democratic colleagues. "With both Polis and [Rep. Ed] Perlmutter in the race, the only House Democrat from Colorado not running for governor in 2018 is U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette of Denver," Mark Matthews reports for the Denver Post. Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e00651412a6083ce32ee7111b40ec1cf49d39d768416420fdb42645ce6db34bb24ae19bedeec029df0096

WHAT'S NEXT FOR DEMOCRATS? The party is facing an ever-widening gulf between the party's progressives, who are calling on leaders to go all-in on a liberal platform heading into 2018 (health care for all, impeach Trump, etc.), and the more moderate wing, which insists the road back to the majority runs through conservative-leaning districts. "The growing tension between the party's ascendant militant wing and Democrats competing in conservative-leaning terrain, was on vivid, split-screen display over the weekend," Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin report for the New York Times.

"In Chicago, Senator Bernie Sanders led a revival-style meeting of his progressive devotees, while in Atlanta, Democrats made a final push to seize a traditionally Republican congressional district. It may be essential for Democrats to reconcile the party's two clashing impulses if they are to retake the House of Representatives in 2018." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065a3dc522c1c095cf051df7a2e3ffeb063356c4944697aa981a5b8bc55daa6b93a7bb8ae8fec161123

YOU CAN CALL ME ON MY FLIP PHONE - When the president calls, you answer- even if you're mid-workout as Sen. Lindsey Graham was last week when Trump gave him a ring to vent about the ongoing Russia investigation. The buddy-to-buddy chat is a far cry from the pair's relationship two years ago, when Graham called Trump a "jackass" on the campaign trail and Trump then announced the senator's cell phone number to the world on national TV. Emma Dumain reports for the Post and Courier: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e006568e84b91db64f1e50b43efd1d5a8f5f9b3582315388ef22244d6c9075871d1d6db38afa110212435

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIEND - Trump raised more than $800,000 for Rep. Tom MacArthur Sunday night, the New Jersey Republican credited with successfully reviving House efforts to repeal Obamacare. "The fundraiser, at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, was the first personal fundraiser Trump has held for a House incumbent. About 100 people were in attendance, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie," Katie Jennings reports. Notably, press weren't allowed into the fundraiser, not even for Trump's opening remarks. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065b51da9c8cde18d581c7d091b0b62438c4ccfee1025efd95a9a2c660298a50136b1bfac3dbc6f7600

IS ROMNEY IN OR OUT? Mitt Romney has refused to rule out a Senate bid next year, most recently at his annual donor gathering over the weekend. "On Friday night, in a private appearance with former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democrat raised eyebrows when he told Romney he should consider running for Senate," Alex Isenstadt reports. "Romney, who has refused to quash persistent speculation he might seek Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch's seat should he forgo seeking reelection, did not push back at the suggestion, said two people who witnessed the exchange between the two former rivals." More on Romney's return to the spotlight: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e00651cb3d2a924a854bed08cb39a422f3a06833a8ae86f73115946eba24d09139b4c80dcf18d6fdf0d7a

POLITICO's INAUGURAL "WOMEN RULE" INVESTIGATION - Not only did women not break the glass ceiling in 2016 -they stalled at just 20 percent in Congress, and less than one-quarter of elected offices nation-wide. Why does a persistent gap in women's interest in running for office continue-even as political activism among women has heated up since the election?

Over the course of several months, POLITICO conducted over 50 interviews with candidates, elected officials, researchers, wavering candidates and political operatives and found that the swell of female political activism does not translate to future candidacies. To change things, recruiters must start earlier in a woman's life for her to consider running, school boards are the best starting place, and the sales pitch to get women to run for office must change. Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e006561fbb5b2c8cbf3a38ec8bf3022ee824cb614d851f67b232d0072c975edb7aaa5ea73c79e6c305fa0

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House meets at 12 p.m. with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. The week's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7c09732a7d6e0065f9e7d62669b5559b1c3f1bd95cd399f32bccce9b05920f40a6a32164bab15e6ee1cd448f61ac2587 The Senate convenes at 4 p.m. with a 5:30 p.m. roll call vote on the confirmation of Kenneth Rapuano to be assistant Defense secretary.

AROUND THE HILL - The familiar sounds of sensible shoes shuffling back into the Capitol for evening votes.

FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - No one correctly guessed that more than 100 bird species are depicted in Constantino Brumidi's frescoes throughout the Capitol (via the Senate historian).

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Shelby Boxenbaum with today's trivia question: Name the last Supreme Court justice to have been born outside the United States and his/her place of birth. Send answers my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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