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By Burgess Everett (@burgessev or
mailto:beverett@politico.com
beverett@politico.com )

THE LEDE - Wednesday was packed with enough news for a week of Congress and Thursday will be no different. In reaction to the upcoming Louisiana Senate run-off both chambers of Congress will hold votes on approving the Keystone Pipeline, with the House starting today and the Senate set to follow next week. Today the House and Senate will hold leadership elections, with no major changes expected at the top but still some drama at the lower ends. And Sen. Patrick Leahy will get his wish as the Senate moves toward a vote on NSA reform.

LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS -- Senate GOP begins at 9:30 a.m.: On the Senate side the biggest toss-up up is whether Roger Wicker of Mississippi or Dean Heller of Nevada will be the party's campaign committee chairman for the next cycle. Wicker raised more money for Senate Republicans' this cycle and says he will win, but one big pitch from Heller is the hard sell he's giving Brian Sandoval to run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Las Vegas Sun's Amber Phillips has more on that:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017c7599a79ffb07a77d60614589b794e8f123570bab62b16a9
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017c7599a79ffb07a77d60614589b794e8f123570bab62b16a9

Senate Democrats begin at 9 a.m.: No one is expected to challenge Democratic Leader Harry Reid, even though some people won't commit to voting for him. And the Manu and Bres show tied much of the rest. Montana Sen. Jon Tester has emerged as the favorite for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and could be named today (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200176e9edf22344b94fdc78f8c35899d797e3e02381318f631e0
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200176e9edf22344b94fdc78f8c35899d797e3e02381318f631e0 ). And the party may try to move Elizabeth Warren into a new specially created slot in leadership, which you may know because it's the most-read story on our webpage (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017cbf02c6784cfe907826359ab2256ab414dcb45d976ef5ba5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017cbf02c6784cfe907826359ab2256ab414dcb45d976ef5ba5 ). My question: Does that mean she will speak to reporters in the Capitol?

House leaders: We detailed some of the lower-level races on the GOP leadership side yesterday, but overall there seems to be little appetite for change on this side of the Capitol either. National Journal, take it away: "Talk that the conservative discomfort with Boehner might render him a target for a challenge has dissipated given the party's election success last week, including the election of several more-moderate Republicans ... Pelosi, meanwhile,is definitely a target of some grumbling among House Democrats. One House member: ... 'I would vote for somebody other than Pelosi, and against our continued Californication in this caucus, if there was somebody else running-but there
just isn't.'
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017f775f7b6aecdbaefe10d2fffffd76b0a5ccdf3d8bdea2b83
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017f775f7b6aecdbaefe10d2fffffd76b0a5ccdf3d8bdea2b83

House committees: Jake takes us into the battle for the House's Oversight panel (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017adfc39fce54715a390f311e1db2bae9a48bcc8ac26d42866
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017adfc39fce54715a390f311e1db2bae9a48bcc8ac26d42866 ), which under Rep. Darrell Issa has been one of the most prominent perches in the whole chamber. Boehner has "thus far, refused to weigh in even privately with his leadership team or closest allies. His silence is making this contest the most intense battle for power during this otherwise tame lame-duck session of Congress." On the Democratic side Raul Grijalva now has a clear path to be the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, Emma Dumain reports (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017cbdc1c4de155aecbbe3f0e10292515c7bf641cb8c513b815
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017cbdc1c4de155aecbbe3f0e10292515c7bf641cb8c513b815 ). And Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is asking Boehner to treat Democrats "fairly" after floating across the board committee cuts of two to three seats for the minority, per Lauren.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200174cb96f46f9d71e090c54848a9a6e8e8d864a8d62456569d0
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200174cb96f46f9d71e090c54848a9a6e8e8d864a8d62456569d0

KEYSTONE GOES FROM UPHILL BATTLE TO DOWNHILL: Perhaps we just need to have a Senate runoff election every month to bring things to a quick vote. Sen. Mary Landrieu's Democratic leaders cleared the way for a vote in the Senate next week. Not to be outdone, Rep. Bill Cassidy's Republican leaders rushed a Keystone bill to the floor to begin consideration TODAY and Senate leaders promised him an Energy Committee slot if he wins. Dana Milbank is calling it the "Mary Landrieu Preservation Act" and he has quite the snarky take on yesterday's theatrics, which included whiplash announcements from both chambers of Congress, a Landrieu press conference (pic:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017599535d8e837e1bc62ca5065719aaa106738e81c00f1ed7b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017599535d8e837e1bc62ca5065719aaa106738e81c00f1ed7b ) attended by dozens of reporters and Fox News honcho Chad Pergram running up the Senate's down escalator.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017c18c0cb8df88cdbe593e1c123c6bdf897c5df88c039ba9a6
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017c18c0cb8df88cdbe593e1c123c6bdf897c5df88c039ba9a6

Important note: Landrieu said she does not have a commitment that she will get a presidential signature on Keystone approval, but sounded confident that she could get 60 votes.

LOUISIANA RUN-OFF NUGGETS -- Senate shake-down: A lot of people have written of Landrieu's prospects, emphasized by the DSCC slashing ad buys. But Senate Democrats are raising her money, Reid is asking senators to donate and the subject of supporting Landrieu is sure to come up during today's caucus lunch ahead of her Dec. 6 runoff.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e572001796241a9fd605af46f9657f51c9788241bf19f0b95d55c89b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e572001796241a9fd605af46f9657f51c9788241bf19f0b95d55c89b

Palin for Cassidy: Sarah Palin, Rob Maness and Willie Robertson will all throw in at a GOP unity rally for Cassidy on Saturday as Cassidy works to convert the ousted Maness's supporters.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200174eb7d361abe88f4559179c95e3bbc90bfd60b24aa643d9a3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200174eb7d361abe88f4559179c95e3bbc90bfd60b24aa643d9a3

LEAHY GETS HIS WISH -- Senate to vote on NSA reform: Reid set up a vote on "the USA Freedom Act, which seeks to end the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk collection of Americans' telephone records, the most controversial program revealed by Edward Snowden more than one year ago. The surprise move on Wednesday evening ends speculation about whether the bill would receive a vote this year ... Votes to advance the measure aren't expected until next week, and it could face an attempted filibuster from defense hawks who fear the bill would gut the country's defenses against terrorism. "It's a terrible piece of legislation," [said] Sen. Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), the top Republican on the Senate
Intelligence Committee." The Hill:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200171f94801ea0d6a453bddd779b767861acaa0c0c059967c9b4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200171f94801ea0d6a453bddd779b767861acaa0c0c059967c9b4

** A message from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and FairReform.com: America needs comprehensive tax reform - to protect American employers and American jobs.Learn more at
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017b1356074c66b0907e3deed13b3a316a8a872f8aab208002f
FairReform.com. **

THURSDAY SHOULD BE THE NEW FRIDAY. Welcome to the Huddle, your play-by-play guide to everything Capitol Hill, where I am still catching my breath from Wednesday but excited to serve you, dear reader. Please send tips to
mailto:beverett@politico.com
beverett@politico.com and follow along on Twitter @burgessev.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate's caucuses will spend all morning and lunchtime on leadership elections and, uh, getting on the same page. The chamber will come in at 2:15 p.m., hold votes on two judges and the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013 and then dip for the weekend, I predict. The House will also crank up its leadership elections and will open the chamber at 10 a.m. with votes expected around 5 p.m., give or take, on several bills under suspension as well as Cassidy's pipeline bill.

AROUND THE HILL - At 9 a.m., House freshmen get oriented in the Capitol Visitor Center. Pelosi holds her weekly presser at 10:45 a.m. at HVC 117 studio A, followed 15 minutes later by a Rep. Earl Blumenauer presser on marijuana access in studio B. At 1:30 p.m. House Democratic leaders are expected to hold a post-leadership election availability at HVC 210. At 2 p.m., Rep. Luis Gutierrez talks immigration executive action in HVC 117. At 3:15 p.m. Sen. Barbara Mikulski will talk about the childcare legislation expected to clear the Senate today in the Senate studi. And at 4:30 p.m. House Republican leaders will an availability in the House studio.

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED LINK: Another runaway pictorial winner, with a picture of Paul Ryan in a North Face easily beating out Ted Cruz's new coloring book for most clicked. In honor of your insatiable desire for pictures of politicians in things other than a drab suit, here's Rep. Richard Hudson paying tribute to Rep. Howard Coble last night in the loudest jacket I've ever seen. Thanks to Matt Fuller of Roll Call for snapping this pic on the floor:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e572001752c3ba2f4867e8acba93c05bc3638177cf917d47936f9ea2
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e572001752c3ba2f4867e8acba93c05bc3638177cf917d47936f9ea2

MORE ON THE LAME DUCK -- Agenda: White chief of staff Denis McDonough popped by the Capitol on Wednesday to deliver a wish list to Senate Democrats during their last days of control. Top priorities include: Nominations, Ebola funding, a more detailed spending bill and some progress on a new military authorization for engagement against the Islamic State.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200179b5ad72fdff468e9c9a627b4ea498ff90d36428027ccee7b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200179b5ad72fdff468e9c9a627b4ea498ff90d36428027ccee7b

The Rogers report on Ebola test: "The Obama administration told Congress on Wednesday that real progress has been made to protect U.S. citizens from the threat of Ebola, but containing the disease in Africa must remain a priority and faces new challenges with the end of the rainy season, renewed outbreaks in Mali and concern about major food shortages in the region if the epidemic continues to spread. The White House is seeking $6.18 billion to cope with the crisis - an early post-election test of whether the two political parties can work together on a health issue that has known no ideology."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200174ab61a3e7609741193fc58fa96b990279220f781e079969b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200174ab61a3e7609741193fc58fa96b990279220f781e079969b

#GRUBERGATE LIKELY COMING TO CONGRESS -- Robert Costa gets the first rattlings of a big reaction to the Obamacare architect's comments: "'We may want to have hearings on this,' said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), an influential voice among GOP hardliners and a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in an interview at the Capitol. 'We shouldn't be surprised they were misleading us.'
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017fc7f66a8b09b23d9dc506268180f784007313eddde9feade
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017fc7f66a8b09b23d9dc506268180f784007313eddde9feade

No, no, no: "The White House is publicly distancing itself from MIT professor Jonathan Gruber's comments on the legislative process behind Obamacare and its 'lack of transparency,' which have been seized on by conservatives this week, saying that they are 'simply not true.'" TPM:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017445a568ff2b4f2b7d74dda42742e17de33b1ff3162386a1b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e5720017445a568ff2b4f2b7d74dda42742e17de33b1ff3162386a1b

2016 FAULT LINES: Club for Growth's PAC is backing six GOP incumbents for reelection this cycle: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Club for Growth is a big primary player -- so this announcement is an early warning shot to back off.

But what does it mean, Paul Kane?@rickklein: inbox: @club4growth endorses Sens. Johnson, Lee, Paul, Rubio, Scott and Toomey. Yes, in the election TWO YEARS FROM NOW.

@pkcapitol: @rickklein @club4growth Which is their way of soliciting challengers to McCain, Shelby, Kirk, Ayotte, other Rs up in '16.

HOUSE MID-TERM RESULTS, per Morning Score's tireless Kyle Cheney: "Republican Mark Assini has conceded to veteran Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter ... Democrat Julia Brownley claimed victory Wednesday after an updated vote count showed her ahead of Republican Jeff Gorell ... Democratic Rep. Jim Costa surged into the lead in the latest round of counting in this Fresno-area House district ... Democratic Rep. Ami Bera has taken a 711-vote lead in the contest with Republican Doug Ose in the latest count."

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Wes Farno was the first to answer that President Obama vetoed the Interstate Notarization Act over fears that it would have unintended consequences on home mortgages. Some people answered before Wes, but I will not be accepting obviously copied-and-pasted answers filled with bill numbers and acronyms. Step it up y'all.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Wes has today's question: Two Republican candidates have secured the party's presidential nomination after losing the general election. Who are they? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at
mailto:beverett@politico.com
beverett@politico.com

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** A message from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and FairReform.com: It's not a red or blue issue. It's a red, white and blue issue: America's largest employers face tough global competition every day AND the highest statutory tax rate of any major country in the world. America needs comprehensive tax reform to allow U.S. businesses to compete successfully in the global economy.America needs comprehensive tax reform to attract foreign investment.America needs comprehensive tax reform to increase capital for investment and drive job creation in the U.S.

America needs comprehensive tax reform today - to protect American employers and American jobs. Learn more and find out what you can do to help at
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c355a759e57200171de114535444cc13f23ec4ce301923f5497dddba3f1d1e36
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