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03/19/2018 07:50 AM EDT


By Nolan D. McCaskill (nmccaskill@politico.com or @NolanDMcCaskill)

ANOTHER FUNDING DEADLINE -- Congress is facing a familiar deadline this week to avert a government shutdown. Lawmakers have until Friday to reach a deal on a massive omnibus spending package to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year. "[B]ut there are still outstanding divisions over what should be included in the $1.3 trillion bill," CNN's Lauren Fox, Ted Barrett and Deirdre Walsh report. "With the midterm election just months away, the massive package aimed at funding programs represents more than just a typical funding bill. It's one of the last opportunities members may have to make their legislative mark and assure their pet projects get funded before the end of
the year."

House Republicans are expected to meet today to discuss the spending package. "Some of the stickiest holdups have little to do with money and much more to do with policy riders that lawmakers hope can get tucked into the bill and passed without the controversy the bills would attract if they were stand-alone provisions," the trio writes. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227635dda5a59410dc139815b98c00a770933829a05656b2283ccaa35f23076edc9d4b1b692bdfb3b986

"Democrats and Republicans have fought over whether to restore subsidies aimed at shoring up the Affordable Care Act and bar subsidies for insurers who cover abortion services," Kristina Peterson writes for The Wall Street Journal. "Also at issue are funding for immigration enforcement, a host of tax provisions and funding for a new rail tunnel into New York City--a fight that pits President Donald Trump against some Republicans from his region." Congressional leaders hope to avoid a shutdown, "but it isn't clear that they have allotted enough time to pass legislation that likely will draw some opposition from both sides of the aisle." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227603b5ea40933b5abe95010c80c9a50e97e313805454ea8efc2612a72e4dd6554be39fea461a44f1cc

Related: "Spending bill could quash Minor League Baseball players' wage claims," by The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227610a028c9e140c971dce8bbf9ec7e4ce81d21c5722a4559d0c36651aa39f5a32424c43dab2a4168db

SENATE REPUBLICANS BET ON TRUMP TO SAVE MAJORITY -- Forget the low approval ratings and seemingly constant chaos emanating from the White House. "Senate Republicans are nevertheless making a counterintuitive, all-in bet that President Donald Trump will save their 51-49 majority -- and perhaps even help them pick up a few seats," Burgess and Kevin Robillard report this morning. "Even as fears grow within the GOP that Trump will cost Republicans the House, Senate Republicans say the president will play a starring role in the closely contested campaigns that will decide control of the chamber. Trump will be front and center in every state that helped elect the president, according to GOP
senators and strategists, making the case that Democrats are hindering his agenda."

Republicans plan to lean on Trump in deep-red states -- West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana, Missouri and Montana -- and deploy him in battleground states he narrowly won in 2016 -- Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida. "And they expect him to help preserve GOP seats in Nevada, where he narrowly lost, and in Arizona," they add. "In fact, despite his unpopularity on the national level, Republicans insist there isn't a state on the Senate map where they are nervous about deploying Trump. ... [Republicans] figure Democrats will be motivated to vote whether Trump shows up or not, so they might as well use him to fire up their base, too." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f97822768e86fe91757983c233c1866b8d9971595d3e68bd4a0ed89e06f402fd98cf313459905b08934c194c

GOP WARNS TRUMP AGAINST MUELLER MOVES -- Congressional Republicans urged the president to allow special counsel Robert Mueller to continue conducting his investigation of possible collusion between Trump associates and the Kremlin unimpeded. "[B]ut they offered no hint about what actions they might take if Trump attempts to fire him," Kyle reports. "Republicans who have helped run their own Russia investigations warned Trump against taking any action on Mueller but stopped short of proposing any efforts to block such a move." Sen. Lindsey Graham said such a move "would be the beginning of the end of his presidency."

"But bipartisan legislation intended to block a unilateral move by Trump to remove Mueller has stalled in Congress for months, as Republicans and Democrats have worked to combine competing proposals, and even the sponsors of the legislation have described limited urgency to act," Kyle notes. "Until this weekend, they pointed to Trump's deference to Mueller and expressed confidence he wouldn't go after the veteran prosecutor. That changed Saturday, when Trump's personal lawyer, John Dowd, called for Mueller's probe to be shut down, arguing that it was contrived by former FBI Director James Comey and based on a dossier provided to the bureau by former British spy Christopher Steele." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227648da24ac163e2be1dfbf272973a95b16a6a67abc4ed1ef25b67be39c9b6fa620ead43d645cea7dac

Related reads: "How Top Republicans Reacted, or Didn't, to Trump's Tweets on Mueller," via The New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227630c55d636a9e3fac81082e6c849e95bd9808c62fe7bf2a45e7670079f059691fe8017b8296ba2851 and "Democrats fume over Parscale's limited answers on Russian digital meddling," by Josh Meyer: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276e9ad038c27881f760c3550273bc72f472bbc1389666d7e4e0ba0d2c54989774420cefc482c67bb8d

GOOD MORNING! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, March 19.

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FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: David Siders' report on the possibility that no Democratic candidates in California will appear on the November ballot in several key House races was the winner.

PELOSI LOSING HER GRIP ON DEM CAUCUS? -- After Conor Lamb's upset win in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, a growing number of Democratic candidates are vowing not to back Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as Democratic leader. "The candidates and some current House Democrats ... are now openly distancing themselves from Ms. Pelosi or declaring outright that it is time for her to go," The New York Times' Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns report. Even Pelosi's allies acknowledge she could lose her grip on the caucus, in which case House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) are waiting in the wings to take over as leader.

"Most ominous for Ms. Pelosi, it is not just centrist candidates running in red-tinged districts who are reluctant to embrace her, but also political insurgents on the left who see her as an embodiment of the Washington establishment," they write. "And on Capitol Hill, Ms. Pelosi, 77, must contend with colleagues from her own generation who want their turn in charge, as well as younger Democrats who'd prefer to clear out the party's entire septuagenarian leadership team." Signaling that she doesn't intend to step aside, Pelosi said she's a "master legislator" and "shrewd politician" with "a following in the country that, apart from a presidential candidate, nobody else can claim." Much
more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227653a317dcaa77de2491cac422105ea9d5e89084a106cc223354e730bcd56e3f3226aed8646bb9e5cc

Related: "Once-safe Republican districts suddenly in play as Democrats expand the map," from The Washington Post's David Weigel: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f97822768d70554ca1662aeda467fc025dfb95425740a078fd5b1f36aef28b1aa2c5d3e6147437a9a05a43d0 and "Inside the Democrats' efforts to elect more Conor Lambs," by CNN's Deirdre Walsh: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276713b70302910a3b98a0b12f427c59b06d281c01b344bfef4b9bb2cb179f74b8564327c475a07a582

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN OPIOID SPENDING UNSPENT -- Congress sent states hundreds of millions of dollars to combat the opioid crisis. But more than a year later, most of the funds remain unspent. "Mixed signals from the Trump administration on how to use the money and state challenges ramping up their efforts have left untouched more than three-quarters of the $500 million Congress set aside under the 21st Century Cures Act in late 2016," Rachana Pradhan and Brianna Ehley report. "The grants for opioid addiction and prevention efforts were part of a $1 billion commitment over two years authorized in the Cures Act, which then-President Barack Obama signed just before leaving office." Much
more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276dd43746afac6fad6e58d510ccec42fb809e69a1c04bd4f2e5eb47ae59828bb1a6efd7f1532008b35

CONGRESS MOURNS DEATH OF LOUISE SLAUGHTER -- Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) died early Friday morning while surrounded by family at George Washington University Hospital. Slaughter, 88, had been hospitalized after a fall. She was the first woman to chair the House Rules Committee and leaves "a legacy as a liberal stalwart who broke down barriers for female lawmakers during her more than 30 years in Congress," Heather reports. "A close ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Slaughter had a reputation as a shrewd negotiator who wasn't afraid to spar with Republicans over policy. But Slaughter was also known for her kindness, humor and readiness with a pithy quote." Lawmakers
from both sides of the aisle lauded Slaughter in numerous statements. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276cd12e48e3dc55743212a70fd33f02cab4f74bbc301292f52c8048bba50bcd8c6572d3dada14218bb

POTENTIAL 2020 DEMS QUIETLY STAFF UP -- At least a dozen possible Democratic presidential candidates have begun adding aides with campaign experience to their teams, including a group of senators. "The hires are never explicitly advertised or designed to be about 2020. But the behind-the-scenes shuffle is a long-overdue stage in the traditional precampaign scramble," Gabriel Debenedetti reports. "[I]n many other cases, chiefs of staff and senior strategists are now actively looking for new talent after receiving clear instructions from their bosses: I don't know whether I'm going to run for president, but do everything you need to do to get me in position, just in case."

Among those who have recently bolstered their staffs are Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). "Some senators in the 2020 conversation have added aides with national campaign experience in recent months, leading lawmaker colleagues to speculate about their ambitions," he writes. "Others have seen their own senior aides jump onto other high-profile state-level midterm campaigns -- a frequent tactic for staffers aiming to get more high-level experience before a presidential race. And some have hired a wide range of staffers for roles on 2018 reelection campaigns that could turn into 2020 jobs." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f97822764eb5c7ead7cf5f5c2470160b0df2ec88a6972c3a5c1ee763873b1760a7646ed480fb9fecb5de221a

Related read: "Kamala Harris Is Dreaming Big," via Vogue's Abby Aguirre: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227617b7ce8980d3ece93cb809655acd95c30c0841c70d1180de20f6899d2b1841bf61776759cbec2cde

TARKANIAN DROPS SENATE CHALLENGE -- Trump nudged Danny Tarkanian to abandon his primary challenge against Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and run for a House seat. So he did. "Tarkanian, the son of a legendary University of Nevada-Las Vegas basketball coach, has lost several prior bids for office," Kevin Robillard reports. "He was among the Senate candidates encouraged by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon to run against incumbent Republicans in 2018." With state Sen. Chris McDaniel also dropping his primary challenge to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), there are no high-profile Senate challenges to Republican incumbents. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f978227644faa59532e1cabfece0421b69f128580d08ebe64919e6f3cd9d65a4bd2552d7ffa6f9ea57288151

Related: "With a Nevada Senate Candidate's Exit, the Bannon Revolt Fizzles," from The New York Times' Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Jonathan Martin: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f97822760a65e38ece50898e9fe5dabd4acc6b9a1cb7031fea1cf202d44451ddd61ded98e2c5cc3454179fa5

HE'S NOT RUNNING -- After announcing that he wouldn't seek reelection, then reconsidering, Rep. Ruben Kihuen (D-Nev.) declined to file for reelection by Friday's deadline. Kihuen was accused of sexual misconduct, charges he denies. "Kihuen's district is a competitive one, and several Democrats and Republicans, including one Democrat and one Republican who previously held the seat, have filed to take it over," BuzzFeed's Lissandra Villa reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276068e10514c9c5edfdc3f6493ca6987e9b3969f0a0434a033e555c32837f1dba39ab5ad91ff6a323f

DEPARTURE LOUNGE -- Lacey Rose, Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) press secretary, is leaving to serve as communications director for Richard Cordray's campaign for Ohio governor.

Kamau Marshall has joined the DCCC as director of African-American media and deputy national press secretary. Marshall most recently served as Rep. Al Green's (D-Texas) communications director.

ENGAGED -- JEB ALUMNI -- Mike Thom, deputy director of Iowa for Jeb 2016 who is now regional political director for the NRCC, on Sunday night proposed to Emily Benavides, traveling press secretary for Jeb 2016 who is now deputy communications director for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), at sunset on a walk around the waterfront at Navy Yard. The couple met in Iowa when Tim Miller sent Emily to work the caucus in 2016. Instapics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276617fe88513db1af91f459eea46b16e3db71d00fa134b5f399d33615dd953a83648b5551ae8094be7

TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House gavels in at 12 p.m., with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=cbc77ad8f9782276310415df0f9551d1e5f902f43fd0e3de367a67b64ea458ebd0afbc25ae9e301d65bfe41991f53786 The Senate meets at 3 p.m. to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to an anti-sex trafficking bill. At 5:30 p.m., the chamber will hold a confirmation vote on the nomination of Kevin McAleenan to be commissioner of U.S. protection in the Department of Homeland Security and a procedural vote on the anti-sex trafficking bill.

AROUND THE HILL -- Reps. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) and other members of the bipartisan Women's Caucus will hold a hearing on sexual harassment in the service sector at 2 p.m. in 2322 Rayburn.

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and others will participate in a nationally televised town hall discussion on inequality in America at 7 p.m. in the CVC Auditorium.

FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- No one correctly guessed that 1990 is the last time a party in power in the White House was successfully able to defend an open seat in a district that had been won by the other party in the last presidential contest. Jim Nussle won the seat in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District after Tom Tauke left to run for Senate.

TODAY'S TRIVIA -- From David Klaus: A father and son served more than 80 combined years in Congress. Who are they? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: nmccaskill@politico.com.

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