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09/08/2016 07:51 AM EDT


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

With assistance from Daniel Lippman and Seung Min Kim

NEW THIS A.M.: RYAN'S RECORD HAUL- House Speaker Paul Ryan transferred about $2.7 million to the House GOP's campaign arm in August, report Rachael Bade and Jake Sherman this morning, bringing his total haul for the National Republican Campaign Committee to almost $30 million. "The fundraising sum is a record for a sitting speaker, and nearly triple that of former Speaker John Boehner's NRCC numbers for the 2014 election cycle." The story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca102c02fd5015f3273c4e567b0dd8deeab000da241252c6eb0c

FREEDOM CAUCUS EYES TOP RSC SPOT-Members of the House Freedom Caucus are mulling a plan that might be their most ambitious since the ouster of House Speaker John Boehner last fall. The group of far-right agitators is considering making a run for the top spot on the Republican Study Committee by nominating one of their own for the chairmanship. Both Freedom Caucus Reps. Trent Franks and Andy Harris are considering challenging freshman Rep. Mark Walker (who's not an HFC member) for the job. My story with Rachael: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca10ef033194052bb1ab15f507465d3358cab85e4ae534c660c4

BE ON THE LOOKOUT-Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland will be back on Capitol Hill this morning for a 10:30 a.m. meeting with Sen. Patrick Leahy, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy was the first senator to meet with Garland after his nomination earlier this year. Seung Min Kim with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca10da01bdb07153756d8111e533425570e60772f94012e37f53

PELOSI BULLISH ON HOUSE CONTROL- Is there any possibility Democrats could take the House? Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told our indefatigable Playbook authors Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer that what once seemed like a pipe dream is now within reach. "I think it comes down to probably a single digit, one way or another," she told Jake and Anna during a Wednesday interview in her office. "She added, 'If Hillary [Clinton] were to win 54-46, oh my God. It's all over.'" Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca10ef7142302dfdb194a10df1815f90af8757248e6b3dcfdbcb

KOSKINEN'S CHARM OFFENSIVE-IRS Commissioner John Koskinen was up on Capitol Hill Wednesday, meeting with House Republicans privately to proclaim "his innocence and making election-wary members squirm over their colleagues' efforts to oust him," report Katy O'Donnell and Rachael. "The commissioner's day on the Hill seems to have been effective, giving some Republicans pause on pursuing impeachment, which is clearly a non-starter in the Senate." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca1042a584cb2812cd859ff88f5caabe493f5dd6bb099d0a6f04

THANKS FOR TUNING IN, it's Thursday, Sept. 8. You're reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

Also, some personal news: Your Huddle host is an engaged lady as of this week! Don't worry, while wedding planning hasn't started I already know when we won't be celebrating the big day-any Saturday in the fall. I'd hate for my family to miss the ceremony if there's a big game on TV! I'm kidding, kind of.

TODAY IN CONGRESS- The House gavels in at 10 a.m. with first votes around 1:15 p.m. and last votes around 3:15 p.m. The Senate convenes at 9:30 a.m. and will observe a moment of silence for the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks before resuming work on the water resources bill.

AROUND THE HILL- Sens. Thom Tillis and Dan Sullivan along with Reps. Jackie Walorski, Joe Heck and Mike Coffman will attend a 8 a.m. event on military families in the Kennedy Caucus Room sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club and the United Health Foundation. House Speaker Paul Ryan will be on the Hugh Hewitt Show at 8:30 a.m.

The Trump congressional caucus resumes its weekly meetings with a gathering at 9 a.m. near Tortilla Coast. Speaker Ryan holds his weekly press conference at 11:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A. NRCC Chairman Greg Walden will speak at the Press Club (529 14th Street NW) at 10 a.m.

At 12 p.m., Vice President Joe Biden joins Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats for a press conference on the Capitol steps criticizing Republicans for legislative inaction. Pelosi holds her weekly press conference at 2 p.m in HVC Studio A. Sen. Reid and Rep. Ruben Gallego hold a 3 p.m. press conference on protecting public lands in S-115.

CORNYN NOT BACKING CRUZ IN PRIMARY-Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told CNN's Manu Raju he has no plans to back fellow Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (or his potential challenger, Rep. Mike McCaul) ahead of the 2018 primary. "Cornyn's decision to stay out of a primary challenge shows how frosty Cruz's relations have become with his GOP colleagues after three years of bitter infighting and name-calling from the campaign trail. Cruz himself declined to endorse Cornyn during the senior senator's 2014 primary campaign," Manu reports. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca106bc25f7c2d8563126c950f0b7e8e20c16e7b0006566098f2

HOUSE VOTE ON 9/11 BILL THIS WEEK-The House will vote this week on a controversial bill allowing families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts but President Obama is expected to veto the measure. Rachael and John Bresnahan with more: "The legislation, approved unanimously by the Senate in May, is expected to clear the House on Friday, just two days before 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. ... A potential veto override would not occur until an expected lame-duck session after Election Day." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca101f07e0248b00d779027da64ff70c0b29ed05d4ed083cd25f

McCONNELL MAKES IT RAIN- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell knows the GOP faces an increasingly perilous Senate map, prompting him to warn his colleagues Wednesday that the only way to maintain Republican control of the upper chamber is through "individual senators' efforts - and wallets," reports Burgess Everett. "McConnell hauled in roughly $3 million on Wednesday all told, enough to make a significant impact in a key state down the line but a drop in the bucket compared with the more substantial hauls of conservative outside groups."

The biggest spender? "As Republicans went around the room, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas offered up $100,000, and several other senators pledged similarly large amounts, in response to McConnell's plea. Then Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said 'two' - which some people in the room thought meant $200,000. No, Thune said, $2 million."

Hmm... Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, who isn't facing a serious challenger in the fall, "has declined to fork over any of the approximately $10 million he had on hand this summer."

Not to be outdone, Sen. Chuck Schumer is making his own $2 million donation to the Senate Democrats' campaign arm, Burgess reports. The full story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca10f4f3d19fbd3b1b75f14cff763fcb780b17064409ebb4db7c

THE IRRESISTIBLE DEAL? Could lawmakers ultimately decide to couple a short-term spending bill with money to address the Zika crisis? That's looking increasingly likely reports the National Journal's Daniel Newhauser: "All that's left is figuring out how to stretch one day of work over four weeks. ...House Republicans lack the votes to pass a short-term continuing resolution and Senate Republicans lack the votes to pass a $1.1 billion Zika package in its current form. But put the two together, and members will be boarding their planes home in no time." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca106a6e680b55b3337f444686c690e73276ec8f01df713c4364

Buzz, buzz: Florida GOP Rep. David Jolly brought mosquitoes to the House floor Wednesday for a Zika speech. The AP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca108ec73bf1119b36fb267de3d680d553f9c4b211d8a3124b44

DEMOCRATS PUSH BACK ON SIT-IN PUNISHMENT-House GOP leaders haven't announced what punshment they're planning for the gun control sit-in over the summer but Democrats are already pushing back, describing the move as a direct attack on Rep. John Lewis. But some GOP rank-and-filers say the civil rights icon deserves to be treated just like everybody else, report BuzzFeed's Tarini Parti and Kate Nocera (welcome back to the Hill, Kate!). "'Sometimes the most popular kid in the class breaks the rules, and he needs to be treated the same way as the other kids,' Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio told BuzzFeed News. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca10d9c954ab7394df270ebf7a533886d102646af61a4c64ab27

SPOTTED! Sen. Ben Sasse buying Campbell's soup at Capitol Hill Supermarket Wednesday. (The tipster didn't see the specific kind of soup, don't worry, we checked).

STIVERS LOCKS DOWN KEY NRCC ENDORSEMENT-- Rep. Steve Stivers picked up a key endorsement Wednesday in his quest to lead the House GOP campaign arm next Congress-Rep. Richard Hudson. Rachael with the scoop: "Many had speculated that Hudson would run to replace National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Greg Walden ... But the two-term congressman decided he wanted more time with his family ...The NRCC post involves heavy travel for fundraising. So now Hudson is all-in for Stivers." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca109713ea462801df30060d3374df666d5bd496d4cbcba1d216

TESTER NEPHEW MURDERED-Sen. Jon Tester's nephew was killed in a horrific murder earlier this week while his 8-year-old daughter was in the next room, according to the Spokesman-Review. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fad47c0f5d0cca10ca04398a353da6726b71210b00974a655ef68abb5ba51419 "Senator Jon Tester and his family appreciate the privacy given during this difficult time," said a spokeswoman for the Montanan.

DEPARTURE LOUNGE- Peter True, spokesman for Sen. Barbara Boxer, is leaving Capitol Hill (for now, at least) for a new job as press secretary for Rep. Patrick Murphy's Senate campaign. Hampton Ray, formerly an aide to Sen. Marco Rubio, is now a spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, handling projects in Jacksonville. Bonus: He and his wife are expecting in a few weeks.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER- Sebastian Silva was the first to guess that Reps. Frances Bolton and Oliver Bolton were the first and only mother-son team to serve simultaneously in Congress.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- Sebastian with today's question: When and how was the line of succession changed so that the House speaker was second in line? And who was speaker at the time? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle. Email me: hcaygle@politico.com

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