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By Scott Wong (
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OBAMA MAY USE 19 EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON GUNS -- Michael D. Shear and Jennifer Steinhauer write on A1 of the New York Times: "President Obama this week will embrace a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence that will call for major legislation to expand background checks for gun purchases and lay out 19 separate actions the president could take by invoking the power of his office, lawmakers who were briefed on the plan said Monday. Lawmakers and other officials said that the president could use a public event as soon as Wednesday to signal his intention to engage in the biggest Congressional fight over guns in nearly two decades, focusing on the heightened background checks and including
efforts to ban assault weapons and their high-capacity clips. But given the difficulty of pushing new rules through a bitterly divided Congress, Mr. Obama will also promise to act on his own to reduce gun violence wherever possible.

-- "Actions the president could take on his own are likely to include imposing new limits on guns imported from overseas, compelling federal agencies to improve sharing of mental health records and directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct research on gun violence, according to those briefed on the effort. White House aides believe Mr. Obama can also ratchet up enforcement of existing laws, including tougher prosecution of people who lie on their background checks.

-- "At a news conference on Monday, exactly one month after the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., Mr. Obama said a task force led by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had 'presented me now with a list of sensible, common-sense steps that can be taken to make sure that the kinds of violence we saw at Newtown doesn't happen again.' He added: 'My starting point is not to worry about the politics. My starting point is to focus on what makes sense, what works.'"
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N.Y. MOVES TOWARD TOUGHER GUN-CONTROL MEASURES - Laura Nahmias writes for the Wall Street Journal: "Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers agreed late Monday on a series of new gun-control laws that would make New York the first state to put new restrictions on firearms after the Newtown, Conn., school shooting in mid-December. The bill passed the state Senate Monday at about 11:20 p.m. by a vote of 43-18, and the more liberal state Assembly said it would take up the measure on Tuesday morning. ...The measure, which would tighten the state's ban on what it defines as assault weapons, would include a ban on ammunition magazines holding more than seven bullets, increased penalties and
prison sentences for some gun crimes and a requirement that mental-health providers report potentially dangerous patients to authorities."
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POLLS: BROAD SUPPORT FOR NEW GUN MEASURES - Justin Sink writes for The Hill: "Americans support a wide range of new measures to combat gun violence, according to a pair of new polls released Monday. The surveys, preformed by Pew Research and the Washington Post/ABC News, show majority support for background checks, an assault weapons ban, and placing armed police in schools. ... Among the most popular proposal in either survey was closing the so-called 'gun show' loophole, which allows the private sale of guns without a background check. Some 88 percent of those in the Post/ABC survey and 85 percent of those in the Pew poll supported such a measure.Establishing a central database to track
gun purchases also earned broad support, with two-thirds of respondents in the Pew survey and 71 percent of the Post/ABC respondents supporting such a plan. And majorities in both the Post/ABC (65 percent) and Pew (54 percent) surveys said they support eliminating the sale of high-capacity magazines for semi-automatic weapons."
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GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, JANUARY 15, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to
mailto:swong@politico.com
swong@politico.com . If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include but are not limited to @alyson_z and @brandon_stewart.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate is out this week. The House is in at 10 a.m. with first votes expected between 1:30 and 2 p.m. and last votes between 7 and 8 p.m. Members will participate in a reading of the Constitution of the United States at 10 a.m., and vote on the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, including more than a dozen amendments.

AROUND THE HILL - House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and Vice Chairman Joseph Crowley hold a post-conference media availability in the HVC-210 alcove at 9:50 a.m. House Republicans hold their conference meeting in HC-5 at 9 a.m. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad briefing at 11:30 a.m. in H-144. Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi speaks on equality for Puerto Rico at 1 p.m. at the House Triangle. Rep. Mike Pompeo speaks on the Energy Freedom and Economic Prosperity Act at 3 p.m. at the House Triangle.

OBAMA CAMPAIGN STAFFERS GRIPE ABOUT GETTING COLD SHOULDER - Zeke Miller reports for BuzzFeed: "In a sour footnote to President Barack Obama's sweeping electoral victory last November, many of his campaign staffers have been shut out of the inaugural festivities, more than a dozen of them complained to BuzzFeed Monday. 'We worked our butts off, and I'm going to watch it on TV instead of being there,' said one former staffer. 'It's a huge bummer.' Former staffers - who spoke to BuzzFeed on the condition of anonymity to preserve their relationships, and possible jobs, in Obama's second term - say they have grown frustrated by what they see as inadequate communication from the
Presidential Inaugural Committee, the group responsible for the inaugural balls, and in particular by its restrictions on access to the official events. 'I didn't hear anything from PIC until a little more than a week ago,' said another staffer. 'They knew this was happening. Instead of giving us details [of what we could attend] on November 7th, we found out so late that it would cost me $2,000 to go to Washington for a weekend as opposed to $1,000 or less if I booked two months ago.'"
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-- Weather forecast for Inauguration Day: High of 37 degrees.Brrrrr.

HAGEL WORKS TO ALLEVIATE DEM FEARS - Manu Raju reports for POLITICO: "Chuck Hagel is moving to assuage concerns raised by pro-Israel Democrats over his nomination as defense secretary, laying out a hawkish posture toward Iran and Hezbollah and apologizing for characterizing powerful activists as the 'Jewish lobby.' In a letter to California Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Jewish Democrat, Hagel said he fully supports unilateral sanctions on Iran and condemned Hezbollah as a terrorist threat to Israel. He called it 'a very poor choice of words' when he referred in a 2006 interview that the 'Jewish lobby' tends to 'intimidate' lawmakers, saying he understands how such words 'can be construed as
anti-Israel.'

--"'Most Americans, myself included, are overwhelmingly supportive of a strong U.S.-Israel strategic and security relationship,' Hagel said in the letter, adding he would work to 'expand the depth and breadth' of the countries' ties if he's confirmed as defense secretary. 'This broad support comes from both Jews and non-Jews alike.'

-- "Hagel's comments give a window into how the Nebraskan and the White House are quickly moving behind the scenes to eliminate dissenters in the Senate - particularly among Democrats who pose the greatest threat to his nomination. Hagel is also expected to meet this week with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the hawkish New York Jewish Democrat, as part of his meetings with senators."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6281c1799e74a84422963e7661db03bc89531cf6e7fa32ac85bf64f622902612
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6281c1799e74a84422963e7661db03bc89531cf6e7fa32ac85bf64f622902612 Hagel's letter is here:
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BOXER BACKS HAGEL -- After hearing directly from Hagel, Sen. Barbara Boxer said Monday night she fully supports his nomination: "First and foremost, he has pledged without reservation to support President Obama's polices - policies that I believe have made our world safer and our alliances stronger," she said in a statement. "I asked him about a number of issues - including America's special relationship with Israel, the threats posed by Iran to the world and the treatment of women and gay and lesbian members of our military - and his answers were reassuring and show a sensitivity and understanding of these issues.

"In addition, Senator Hagel has pledged to meet with me once he has been confirmed for a more detailed discussion about the Defense Department's efforts to combat sexual assault in the military."

WICKER BEGS TO DIFFER - In a POLITICO op-ed this morning, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) explains why he's voting against Hagel's nomination: "Unlike outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who was approved unanimously by the Senate, Hagel is expected to provoke a divisive confirmation process - at a time when Congress should be focused on urgent budget issues that could dramatically change America's defense strategy and capabilities. ... A better choice for the country's top defense post would be a leader with mainstream appeal and unequivocal bipartisan support. A contentious confirmation process does nothing to strengthen America's defense capabilities and global pre-eminence. With so much
at stake in the coming weeks, the president's controversial pick sends the wrong signal to our allies and adversaries around the world."
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THE ROGERS REPORT: HOUSE GOP OPENS PATH FOR SANDY AID -- "Republicans cleared the way for House action Tuesday on Hurricane Sandy disaster aid after the leadership stepped in to pare back scores of amendments that could have been problematic to passage," writes David Rogers. "More than 90 amendments had been filed as of Friday but just a dozen will be made in order under a resolution reported by the House Rules Committee on Monday night following nearly four hours of testimony. ... Chief among the amendments is one seeking a 1.63 percent across-the-board cut from all 2013 appropriations - impacting defense as well as domestic programs. As outlined by Rep. Mick Mulvaney, the goal is to fully
pay for the first $17 billion tranche of the Sandy aid. But the South Carolina Republican is sure to face resistance in his own party since the reduction from defense would come on top of automatic spending cuts already threatening the military this spring. ...

-- "At the core of Tuesday's debate will be a two-step process in which that same $17 billion tranche is only the starting point. That package, sponsored by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), is almost certain to prevail and then become the underlying bill to which the Northeast will try next to add $33.67 billion. That will be done through an amendment offered by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.). If successful, this combination - together with a previously enacted $9.7 billion flood insurance bill- would match the estimated $60.4 billion requested by the White House and adopted by the Senate last month."
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Wall Street Journal, A1, 4-col. lead, "Obama Escalates Debt Fight: President Warns Congress He Won't Pay 'Ransom', GOP Insists on Spending Cuts," By Carol E. Lee and Janet Hook: "President Barack Obama, facing a battle over raising the U.S. borrowing limit, made clear Monday that he sees no alternative to Congress voting for an increase and said that not doing so would be 'irresponsible' and 'absurd.' Mr. Obama's confrontational message-that a debate over the debt limit was already harming the economy and could push the U.S. into a recession-was primarily aimed at Republicans, who plan to use the debt-limit vote as leverage to extract cuts in federal spending. But it also served as a
warning to Democrats who have pressed him to increase the borrowing limit unilaterally by invoking executive powers. 'America cannot afford another debate with this Congress about whether or not they should pay the bills they've already racked up,' he said at a White House news conference.

--"Mr. Obama's tone suggested that battle lines already have hardened ahead of the next budget fight. Republicans showed no signs of backing away from their push to reduce the federal deficit. 'The president and his allies need to get serious about spending, and the debt-limit debate is the perfect time for it,' said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.).Mr. Obama warned that if Congress doesn't raise the debt limit, Social Security checks and veterans' benefits could be delayed and government workers and vendors wouldn't get paid."
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WaPo, A1, "Obama won't hold debt talks with GOP."
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--In a speech Monday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke urged Congress to raise the debt ceiling or face a dangerous default:
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--POLITICO's Carrie Budoff Brown and Jake Sherman outline the five ways out of the debt debacle: Apply a band-aid, Do nothing, Somebody caves, Go big again, Obama goes it alone.
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RUBIO TRIES TO OUTMANUEVER OBAMA ON IMMIGRATION - Beth Reinhard writes for National Journal: "Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's newly unveiled proposal for sweeping immigration reform looms as a daunting leadership test for a freshman member of Congress on the fast track to the 2016 presidential campaign. If Rubio can unite the political establishment and the more conservative grassroots behind his plan, the 41-year-old lawmaker could emerge as an unstoppable force in the Republican Party -- and even pique interest among Democrats and independents. ...

-- "By describing a broad overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in The Wall Street Journal on Saturdaythat would smooth a course for both high-skilled immigrants and farmworkers, Rubio answered a question that's dogged his first two years in Washington: Is he willing to lead? Though Rubio has yet to put pen to paper in the form of legislation and delve into the nitty-gritty details, his initiative may dampen criticism that the charismatic politician is more style than substance. That criticism gained momentum earlier this year when Rubio proposed allowing young illegal immigrants who attend college or join the military to stay in this country.But a bill never materialized and President
Obama stole the spotlight by issuing an executive order giving those young people temporary legal status. This time, Rubio appears to be trying to get out ahead of the president, who is expected to talk about his immigration plan in the State of the Union speech next month."
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NYT: "Rubio pushes his party on immigration changes," By Julia Preston:
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-- Rubio's immigration plan received an endorsement from a potential 2016 rival, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who announced his support on his Facebook page.
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REID DOWNPLAYS SENATE CHANCES ON GUN CONTROL, FILIBUSTER REFORM - Niels Lesniewski reports for Roll Call: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told a Nevada television station Friday that the Senate is unlikely to pass an assault weapons ban or a radical revamp of filibuster rules. But the Democratic leader was optimistic about changes to immigration laws, noting that it will be the chamber's top priority this year. In the interview that aired on Vegas PBS this weekend, Reid, a gun rights supporter, struck a pragmatic tone on gun control measures. 'Let's be realistic. In the Senate, we're going to do what we think can get through the House. And I'm not going to be going through a bunch of
these gyrations just to say we've done something because if we're really legislators, the purpose of it is to pass legislation,' Reid said."
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AIDES: KERRY PAID FOR MARKET VALUE FOR PATS PLAYOFF TICKETS - Glen Johnson writes for the Boston Globe: "The CBS Sports cameras made their traditional game-day pan of the owner's box at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, catching not just Robert Kraft but also one of his highly recognizable guests: Senator John Kerry. That prompted instant questions about how Kerry ended up in such rarified air, and whether the secretary of state-to-be paid his fair share to attend. His staff insists he did. In response to a Globe query today, a Kerry aide said the senator personally paid what the team determined to be fair market value - $191 each - for a pair of suite tickets to Sunday's AFC Divisional playoff
game between the Patriots and the Houston Texans."
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FAMILY NAMES MAY SUSTAIN SOUTHERN DEMS - Joshua Miller writes for Roll Call: "Mark Pryor and Mary L. Landrieu begin the 2014 election cycle as two of the most vulnerable Democratic senators. Each faces re-election in states where President Barack Obama and national Democrats are deeply unpopular. But Pryor and Landrieu have at least one distinct advantage over any potential GOP opponent. Their names - brands, even - have been hewed into the Arkansas and Louisiana political firmaments, respectively, by years of family service. That makes voting for each more than just a choice: It's something of a family tradition. Democrats believe that family element gives the senators a brand that will be
independent from the national party and will help inoculate them against the strain of GOP attacks to come."
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TODAY'S TRIVIA - We didn't have a winner for Monday's trivia question, so we'll ask it again: Longtime Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) announced that he's retiring at the end of his term. What other current U.S. senator is a distant relative of Rockefeller?First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at
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