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01/22/2019 08:00 AM EDT

By MELANIE ZANONA (mzanona@politico.com; @MZanona)


DEM UNITY PUT TO THE TEST -- President Donald Trump and the GOP have a new gambit to end the shutdown: back Democrats into a corner. The Senate will vote this week on Trump's proposal to reopen the government, which includes $5.7 billion for the border wall and temporary protections for some undocumented immigrants. In a bid to make the package even more attractive, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has paired it with disaster aid, bipartisan funding levels for shuttered agencies and an extension of the Violence Against Women Act. A summary of the 1,300-page bill can be found here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8b3372fc88c4cec7aed271c125866aadbc607d55645e6270ab0034e5f2f9b2b1de25751a178dfe3e7a

Democrats quickly rejected Trump's immigration pitch over the weekend, calling it a non-starter and insisting they won't negotiate until the government reopens. And few on Capitol Hill think the current offer will get enough Democrats on board, especially since it contains new asylum restrictions. But the floor vote could crank up pressure on centrist and red state Democrats and potentially shift the shutdown blame across the aisle if Democrats are seen as unwilling to negotiate. One to watch: Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who signaled that he is undecided on the proposal. Marianne has more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8bb7f1cf242961164fa4f3ede35cfd9167da9334e1527e63ef075ed9a78ba22cab6573dd0b33285898

MEANWHILE, the House will continue voting on a package of government funding bills this week. But in a new twist, Democrats have tacked on an extra $1 billion in border-related spending as a way to sweeten the pot for Republicans, according to The New York Times. That means the two chambers will be mounting competing pressure campaigns this week, with both sides still far apart on day 32 of the government shutdown.

CHUCK AND NANCY STICK TOGETHER -- Trump has repeatedly tried to drive a wedge between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) throughout the shutdown fight. But so far, it hasn't worked. The duo has stuck together and gone to great lengths to show there is little daylight between them, even squishing together at a podium while they delivered a rebuttal to a televised address from Trump. The show of unity -- and the start of their new power dynamic in Congress -- comes despite their very different approaches to politics. Burgess and Heather with the dispatch: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8b3860c71cdbe2d47cc4fdc5e18d313965e8695a848de2980ff6f2c3ed472a7031dcaa42f9d61ae542

Related read: "McConnell and Pelosi Have a Fraught Relationship. The Shutdown Hasn't Helped," from Carl Hulse and Emily Cochrane at The New York Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8bdeb2152827f5fa2276e7221ae85cdfc95530f43f7cdbae98974a6da512978b676607f9649f096a42

MEET THE TRUMP WHISPERER -- Rep. Mark Meadows may be serving in the minority now, but that hasn't made him irrelevant. The North Carolina Republican, one of Trump's top allies on Capitol Hill and chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, is one of the behind-the-scenes players who helped convince the president to shut down the government. He also walked Trump back from declaring an emergency declaration to build the wall. In fact, Trump talks to Meadows more than many of his senior aides, reports Gabby Orr. Could Meadows also be key to unlocking the stalemate? Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8badc0c9d501b31bc03a3ed038293df86953879b51eae86c3bb919e0e3ad17e157018befba81d911d5

GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Jan. 22. Anthony Scaramucci made his debut on "Celebrity Big Brother" last night, which has us wondering: will The Mooch last longer in the Big Brother house than he did in the White House?

FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Burgess and Heather's report on the funereal mood in the Capitol Hill as the shutdown continues to drag on.

The Davos World Economic Forum Annual Summit is already upon us. Follow what's happening at one of the most exclusive global forums through our Davos Playbook newsletter, kicking off January 19, sign up here, it's free.

** A message from the National Confectioners Association - #AlwaysATreat: Leading global chocolate and candy companies are coming together to provide more information, options, and support as consumers enjoy their favorite treats. It's the first step on our journey to help people manage their sugar intake and ensure that they feel empowered to make informed choices. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com. **

SENATE DEMS DIVE INTO 2020 -- The Senate has become a launching pad for Democratic presidential bids. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) officially announced she was running for president on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, becoming the first African-American to enter the 2020 race and joining a trio of women who have also launched bids. Harris, a former California attorney general, plans to present herself as a "progressive" attorney as a way to undercut expected Democratic criticism about her law-and-order background. Christopher Cadelago has more details from inside the campaign: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8bb131f56f796a54e41ad0890dbe11969de860b92ba72a5ca184a507d9929875f383c9652058cbaaec

Who's next? Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), who will headline the annual Gridiron Dinner in March, could be the next Democratic senator to throw her hat into the ring. And Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) -- two other presidential hopefuls -- trekked to South Carolina on MLK Day. It's a key battleground because South Carolina is the first Southern state to vote in 2020, and African-Americans make up the majority of the primary vote there. "For Booker, the state presents an opportunity for an early show of strength next year with the Democratic Party's most loyal bloc of voters," report Holly Otterbein and Nolan McCaskill from on the ground. "For Sanders, it's an opening to
move beyond his dismal 2016 performance with black voters here." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8b08cb72b3f395815c8a773c67e0e0ef3306ee0fd32eb19d3051405f40d32bdb7a94a7c9f804f8b5c0

Related read: "Women have already made history in the 2020 Democratic primary," via CNN's Harry Enten: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89628ff5944b0b8bc5d9541b0af231560025c16c98e9f79e0db4a43c3e958cae6a989b12666794dd1d6cc62792a1b0d5 and "Exclusive: GOP reaches landmark agreement to juice small-dollar fundraising," from Alex Isenstadt: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c060abd6f5cd51364c3e4eda96c7d7fe10dbf964e410b5881f6c490bff7d408dbcb26a70d10b92bb58f

MUELLER THROWS COLD WATER ON BUZZFEED REPORT-- Special counsel Robert Mueller's office took the rare step of publicly disputing an explosive report from BuzzFeed that said Trump directed his ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about a proposed Trump Tower project in Moscow. "BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the Special Counsel's Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's Congressional testimony are not accurate," Mueller spokesman Peter Carr said in a statement." Trump and his allies were quick to seize on the denial as vindication. Democrats, meanwhile, are still vowing to get to the bottom of
the allegation when Cohen testifies in front of Congress next month. "We'll ask him point blank," Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told CNN's Wolf Blitzer last night.

Related: "Giuliani walks back statements on Trump Tower Moscow talks," by Quint Forgey: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c0613898c8fbe697ecd34033be0addd12a0700d425897fd79e185cd4b95009112aad151009c63d6e953 and "Russian Oligarch and Allies Could Benefit From Sanctions Deal, Document Shows," from Kenneth P. Vogel at The New York Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c06fca95cc26166fa27bcad71fca102584b3f299978afdf7b25a97c6a7d49da9120ce97bff6dffc94c1

JACKSON LEE WON'T BACK DOWN -- The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) called on its embattled leader Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to resign from the board last week, but the Texas Democrat refused to step aside, scoop Heather and Andrew. Jackson Lee is being sued by a former staffer who claims she was fired because she was planning to report an alleged rape by a former CBCF employee. After Jackson Lee declined to step down from the board during a conference call last week, one board member, Cathy Hughes, resigned. More are expected to follow suit if the lawmaker remains in her post. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c0677e7853db6fae0e92e0a1eb616ac60d603aa2767ea1978077d971530a5843be706a46ac7abf4f1e0

SENATE RULES CHANGE ON THE HORIZON: Senate Republicans may change the chamber's rules as soon as this week to speed up the confirmation process for some of Trump's nominees, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) told Hugh Hewitt on Monday. The Senate has long been weighing the idea, which would cut down debate time for lower-level nominees from 30 hours to two hours. "It's very difficult for a president to advance his or her agenda if you don't have the right people in place," Young said. Reminder: just 433 out of 704 Senate-confirmation slots in the Trump administration are filled. Burgess has more details: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c069d70f63ffbd2fcff3eb7b3bc2cdcd99b17caf1d5b3ff18101f41453ff209aac5ea6e80522ba38168

Related read: "Pompeo discussing a run for Kansas Senate seat," by Alex Isenstadt: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c06cfbc9490e00cebf4f007ad29c9b5be84bb4aff6b0413c2073ac775c0aab882022381e29b74a492cb

DHS SECRETARY UNDER FIRE -- Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is in hot water following the release of an internal memo from December 2017 that shows the Trump administration was considering separating migrant families that illegally cross the border. Nielsen previously said that the administration had no such policy in place. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) is now asking the FBI to investigate whether she lied to Congress, while a trio of Democratic chairmen in the House are threatening to haul Nielsen and other officials in for questioning. The family separation issue was already a top investigative priority for Democrats. "Secretary Nielsen must appear before Congress to answer for
this cruel and heartless policy-and her inaccurate statements to Congress and the American people," said the heads of the Oversight, Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees.

FORMER PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR DIES -- Former Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Pa.) passed away at age 92 on Monday after complications from a fall, reports The Washington Post. Wofford was a civil rights activist who helped John F. Kennedy win the White House in 1960, was the first white student to graduate from Howard University Law School and marched alongside Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala. Read WAPO's obit here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c06b3b85a9404348adf8de3b7a1c2393b6d5b6f008a4e8eb692d0ef71083f8bc17930beb00362d96227
TRANSITIONS
George Twigg has joined the Boulder County Commissioners' Office as a policy analyst. He most recently was state director for Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and is also a John Kerry alum.

Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the ranking member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is staffing up. Sarah Venuto will be committee staff director, Lance West will be deputy staff director and Sam Runyon will be press secretary.

Jessica Gail is starting today as communications director for Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa). She was previously with Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.).

Annie Orloff is joining Sen. Tom Udall's (D-N.M.) personal office as press secretary. She previously worked for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee under Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

Sarah Feldman starts today as communications director for Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). She was previously communications director for former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House gavels in at noon, with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=57d69e2cb93c6c0685781b07df77dac412ff7cdee99288938ca845ac447c3823b194dc2aa8a99fccb3e4be82fb19a3b1 The Senate meets at 1 p.m. to resume consideration of S. 1.
AROUND THE HILL
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and House Democrats will introduce legislation supporting NATO at 3:30 p.m. in HVC Studio A.
TRIVIA
FRIDAY'S WINNER -- Chris Armstrong was the first to correctly guess that there are 15 members of the House who have been serving since before Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born.

TODAY'S QUESTION -- From Chris: Who is the only person to serve as Speaker of the House, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee and President of the United States? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: mzanona@politico.com.

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** A message from the National Confectioners Association - #AlwaysATreat: We've always created transparent, fun, and great-tasting treats. By 2022, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Nestlé USA, Ferrero, Lindt, Ghirardelli, Russell Stover, and Ferrara Candy Company will work together to make half of their individually wrapped products available in sizes that contain 200 calories or less per pack. And, 90 percent of the best-selling treats made by these companies will have calorie information printed right on the front of the pack. During the same time period, the newly established AlwaysATreat.com will evolve into a digital resource full of easy-to-use information for consumers to better
understand the unique role that chocolate and candy can play in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com. **

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