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06/08/2016 08:03 AM EDT


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

With assistance from Burgess Everett

ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS - Capitol Hill Republicans have found themselves engulfed in a Donald Trump firefight this week and it's clear GOP lawmakers are hoping for a reprieve sometime soon. There may be hope yet: Trump stuck to what seemed to be an establishment-approved script Tuesday night and if he stays on track, party leaders are hoping it will be enough to quell the latest controversy surrounding his comments about a judge's Mexican heritage.

But on the Hill, Republicans are still struggling to find their footing when it comes to responding to the latest Trump-tastrophe. And Sen. Mark Kirk's late Tuesday afternoon announcement that he was ditching the GOP nominee only seemed to stoke the fires around the controversy.

On second thought, I'm good - Kirk's announcement "was a stunning repudiation of the party's nominee by a sitting senator, and one that shows just how much of a liability some in the GOP believe Trump has become. These denizens of the 'Republican establishment' were raised on the idea of party unity and loyalty: You back your guy no matter what. But Trump is straining that loyalty to the breaking point for many Republicans, and beyond for some."

Don't miss this triple threat from John Bresnahan, Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim on the Trump fire that's raging on Capitol Hill: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc06d4d6900ac0f630fd254fb3fdb2e3199c92c3295b45576bc7

Will other vulnerable GOP senators follow Kirk's lead and rescind their tepid support of Trump? Not if NRSC Chairman Roger Wicker has his way: "I wish he hadn't done it. But he's always had an independent streak. And it's that sort of thing that really is his appeal," Wicker said. "I would not have suggested that. I intend to support Trump - and I would hope the majority of Americans - as the better alternative." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc063fe1880a9cc03c733f69e1e3547c3f49eabe2942ee639ce6

MODI HEADS TO THE HILL: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on Capitol Hill this morning to address a joint meeting of Congress, the first with House Speaker Paul Ryan at the helm. And if we know anything about Modi, it's that he's a big hugger. You can watch the speech-and any awkward embraces-starting at 11 a.m.: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc06f79bfb0a7563dec332276ea0e4ae39c6687f365d2c40cb9e

Your Huddle host caught up with Sen. John Cornyn, co-chairman of the Senate India Caucus, to find out what drew him to the country. Cornyn co-founded the caucus with then-Sen. Hillary Clinton after traveling to India in 2003. "I learned about the important ties that the United States and India has and the common values and I saw that as an important strategic relationship and one that we ought to nurture," he told me, adding that he has a fair number of Indian American constituents in the Lone Star State.

WE'VE MADE IT TO WEDNESDAY, June 8. Good morning and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, your go-to tipsheet on all things Capitol Hill.

Think having two Alaskan senators named Dan Sullivan would be confusing? What about running against two candidates with the exact same name as yours? Vasile Cepoi just defeated two other Vasile Cepois (yes, I swear) to win another term as mayor in his Romanian town: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc06e815b5083c90072d15f58b9fa6b9d15f445dd91959bf9999

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House gavels in at 10 a.m. and reconvenes at 10:45 a.m. for a joint meeting with the Senate to receive Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Around 1:30 p.m. the House will hold votes related to a bill delaying new ozone rules.

The Senate comes in at 9:30 a.m. and senators gather at 10:35 a.m. to walk over to the House together. In the afternoon lawmakers resume work on the defense authorization.

AROUND THE HILL - Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Chuck Schumer, Patty Murray, Bill Nelson and Jeanne Shaheen hold a press conference on Zika funding in S-120 in the Capitol starting at 9:45 a.m.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra, Vice Chairman Joe Crowley and Rep. Jim McGovern hold a press availability following the Democrats' weekly caucus meeting at 10 a.m. in HVC-210. Also at 10 a.m., Sen. Chris Murphy and Education Secretary John King talk about increasing school diversity in 419 Dirksen.


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Not happening this morning: The usual House GOP leadership press conference is cancelled for today, citing "logistics" related to the Modi speech.

In the afternoon: Reps. Mike Fitzpatrick and Louise Slaughter hold a press conference at 1:15 p.m. in the House triangle touting their FDA and medical device reform bills. At 4:30 p.m. Sen. Mazie Hirono kicks off her annual "Taste of Hawaii" event in the Kennedy Caucus Room. Rep. Pete Sessions holds a press event on Modi's visit at 5:30 p.m. in the House triangle.

Stargazing: John Slattery will be joining Reps. Judy Chu and Doug Collins and others involved in the making of Spotlight for a Creative Rights Caucus event on moviemaking from script to screen. The event kicks off at 1:00 pm in 216 Hart if you want to catch a glimpse of the Mad Men star.

OTHER HAPPENINGS - Sens. Chuck Schumer and Sheldon Whitehouse will join activists on the Supreme Court steps at noon to urge Senate action on the high court's vacancy. Sens. Chris Coons and Jeff Merkley will hold a conference call on Wall Street-related appropriations riders at 1:30 p.m. Press can call 800-230-1085, confirmation # 395613.

OUT THIS A.M.: HOYER/MALONEY OP-ED - The House is going to give appropriations another go this week with the legislative branch funding bill on tap. But Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney and Steny Hoyer are already out with an op-ed blasting the GOP for considering changes to the appropriations process to limit controversial amendments after Maloney's anti-discrimination LGBT proposal sunk the energy and water bill a few weeks ago.

"House Republicans are in the majority, entitling them to run the House by their rules. But when the majority bends those rules to manipulate a vote, that is a serious threat to our democracy," they write. "While some may stand in the way - rigging votes and bending the rules - they will never succeed in derailing the progress of achieving civil rights and equality for all Americans." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc06db9c7eea6e79d6305fa9b97c2e776fef1daeb41219e724a8

'MEAN GIRL ON STEROIDS' - Rep. Renee Ellmers has the distinction of becoming the first GOP incumbent to lose in a primary this year after facing off against Rep. George Holding in a newly redrawn district Tuesday night. But long before the votes were tallied, Ellmers was already making news for her nasty comments to a GOP acquaintance on her way in to vote yesterday. "You're eating a little bit too much pork barbecue. Whoo," she told Maggie Sandrock, a former GOP county party chairwoman and past Ellmers backer. "Typical Renee," Sandrock told CBS in an interview after. "She has become a mean girl on steroids in my view." The story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc0665f5abd8e36f89063148fb10f61b65a14225a2a0a65742c1

THROW WHAT YOU KNOW: Sen. Angus King is no longer flirting with being a caucus switcher. After two successive cycles in which he left some mystery over whether he would caucus with Republicans, the Maine independent is now firmly with the Democrats, a spokeswoman confirmed.

But, lest you think that King is abandoning his indy cred, he would not say in an interview when or if he will ever back Hillary Clinton: "I'm going to vote. And I'm going to decide how I'm going to vote. And chances are I will announce how I'm going to vote. I don't anticipate that happening in the immediate future."

TESTER DOES A LIL' BACKTRACKING - Well that didn't take long. Sen. Jon Tester quickly walked backed comments on Tuesday questioning whether voters would be ready for an all-female presidential ticket (i.e. Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren), now calling the possibility "powerful." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc068c5c477c93b3795139458248538aef5252e24cf299211437

MAKING MAGIC HAPPEN - Texas Rep. Pete Sessions-a national treasure in his own right-is stepping up his efforts to get magic recognized as the "rare and valuable art form" that it is. Sessions is cohosting what is sure to be a can't-miss panel with magician David Copperfield Thursday in the Capitol. Sessions introduced his magic resolution back in May.

@LukeRussert: "Likely first question---Can you make Donald Trump disappear?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc0685ad18bd96e9758a3c5544df34623b50f578273a6f1cca58

ENOUGH ALREADY, BUDDY: What's Bernie Sanders going to do now that Hillary Clinton essentially has the Democratic nomination locked up? Well, he's vowed to keep fighting until the end. But his colleagues back in the Senate are ready for him to pack it up and come home. "He should stand down now. That's my conclusion," said Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida. "Democrats will come together after the convention, anyway. But it's an unnecessary diversion at this point."

Burgess and Seung Min: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc0631a7cec75c7d3ec933af946996fe5cfd058ed91cc6c3aaf6

DEMS TO FACE OFF FOR BOXER'S SEAT- The L.A. Times: "California voters made history on Tuesday in the race for the U.S. Senate, sending two Democrats to a November runoff and denying a Republican a spot on the fall ballot for the first time since the state's first direct election of senators in 1914. State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris won the largest share of the vote and the title of winner in the primary. By the end of the night, Harris led Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez by more than 800,000 votes, a margin of 23 percentage points." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc06263620166a0e8331681447c5f7d338abb710e903f5c19746

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Grant Dubler was the first to answer that James Lawrence Orr was House speaker in 1857 and that he later died in St. Petersburg serving as ambassador to Russia.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Grant brings us today's question: Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, making her the first female nominee of a major party. In honor of this, who was the first Democratic woman elected, not appointed, to the U.S. Senate and in what year was she elected?

The first person to correctly answer will get a mention in tomorrow's Huddle. Email me: hcaygle@politico.com

HELP ME HELP YOU -- Know any hot gossip, scoops, tips or transitions happening on the Hill? Send 'em my way: hcaygle@politico.com

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=041981d600c5fc068a748ded9cf9472f80c56445b4baf46a0fd2307121bc8d47

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