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10/26/2017 08:06 AM EDT


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

HOUSE BUDGET VOTE TODAY - The House will vote on the Senate's budget resolution later this morning, the last roadblock to Republicans being able to shield their eventual tax bill from a Democratic filibuster in the Senate. Expect the budget vote to be close - some Republicans, upset with what's in the GOP's tax bill, have threatened to vote against the resolution unless their concerns are addressed first. Republican leaders will meet with GOP lawmakers from New York and New Jersey later this morning to talk about their key point of contention: plans to roll back the deduction people get for state and local taxes. Lawmakers in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California oppose
the idea.

Under pressure: Reps. Peter King (R-N.Y.) and Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) have said they think they have enough detractors to sink the budget vote if necessary, Bloomberg reports. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is putting pressure on vulnerable Republicans from her home state to oppose today's vote, calling them "accomplices" in the push to eliminate the deduction if they back the plan, McClatchy reports. But GOP leadership sources expect the budget to pass and hope the promise of resolving the disagreement in the future is enough for now.

-Six things that could derail the GOP's tax plans, via Brian Faler: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c6e21f15831a32b0d5af760eb0d479cfe51015d2b801f237511a4660bd5af0d399d60aa3ebc41cbfaad445a87cb85663 and Aaron Lorenzo on the 401(k) changes still being considered: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f767c5767e419b53d90f6f3eb973b361c2cd97fae845d75a6a7695bcee3670dad13c09a25a159805b15ac83851c707b3

THE PARTY OF TRUMP - As retiring Sens. Jeff Flake and Bob Corker speak their conscience about Trump, the silence from their colleagues running for reelection is deafening. Trump's hard-edge nationalism is "taking root within his adopted party, and those uneasy with grievance politics are either giving in or giving up the fight," Jonathan Martin and Jeremy Peters report for the New York Times. "We have a leader who has a personality disorder," said former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), "but he's done what he actually told the people he was going to do, and they're not going to abandon him."

Exhibit A: Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, No. 2 in the GOP ranks, endorsed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore on Wednesday. Moore spent his entire campaign lambasting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and vowing to make his life miserable if elected. Moore has also made a career of making incendiary statements including saying the Supreme Court's decision legalizing gay marriage is "even worse" than the court's 1857 decision upholding slavery, "homosexual conduct" should be illegal, suggesting 9/11 was punishment from God and that Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) shouldn't serve in Congress because he is Muslim.

Then vs. Now: Cornyn just last month: "I do not," Cornyn said when asked whether he thought Moore would be a productive member of the Republican caucus. "Look at his track record." But yesterday, when asked by NBC's Frank Thorp about Moore's comments on Ellison: "I have disagreement within my own family, doesn't mean I care for them any less, so I support the nominee of my party."

Reality check: Despite a surge of attacks from Steve Bannon, Sean Hannity and others in the Breitbart wing of the party, McConnell and Cornyn remain firmly in charge of the GOP conference, Bres reports. Still, Senate Republicans are starting to wonder whether this anti-establishment fervor gripping the GOP will ultimately cost them the majority. McConnell allies declared open war on Bannon Wednesday in an attempt to head off his plans to defeat mainstream Republicans in next year's election, the Washington Post reports. Senate Leadership Fund, the PAC aligned with McConnell, plans to spend millions discrediting Bannon and promoting establishment-backed candidates in the coming months.

PHEW, THURSDAY IS BACK AGAIN. Welcome to Oct. 26 and thanks for tuning in to POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The video of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) joking with Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) about him taking her out with his car, via NBC's Kasie Hunt, was the winner.

CAN NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST? Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady is one of the friendliest guys on Capitol Hill, known for his love of the Houston Astros and cracking corny jokes to reporters. But as Republicans gear up to muscle a tax bill through the House by Thanksgiving, Brady is going to have to make some tough decisions - and disappoint several of his colleagues in the process. "Kevin's about to go from the most popular, well-liked guy, the gentleman with a kind smile from Texas, to the most hated guy in Washington, D.C., by some group or another," said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.). Brady has already had to retool the GOP's tax bill at least twice in recent days and the plan isn't even
public yet.

Priorities: Brady "told POLITICO recently that the Astros winning the World Series is first in his prayers; tax reform, second," Rachael reports. Much more in her profile: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=09686a2d6f916a2a576504b619ce91430a9823e5073074914b4f1cbb36b85cff56b9c52d142295d76a555b5ff60af30d

** A message from The Science Coalition: American-made innovation - fueled by the nation's investment in basic scientific research - is creating jobs, sparking economic growth and keeping the United States globally competitive. Find hundreds of examples of companies created from federally funded university research in The Science Coalition's "Sparking Economic Growth" database. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=09686a2d6f916a2ada23d375207a784bfd44276d82a432b2bb045a5012642a191934ce0515b6ec35562de6a50710e9c0 **

GRAHAM, BOOKER TO TESTIFY IN MENENDEZ TRIAL - Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are expected to testify in defense of Sen. Bob Menendez today in New Jersey as part of his ongoing federal bribery trial, CNN reports. "Graham and Booker are specifically expected to vouch for the New Jersey Democrat's character and integrity," write Laura Jarrett and Dana Bash. "Thursday's testimony is particularly notable given that most senators -- especially on the Democratic side of the aisle -- have been mum on Menendez's case throughout the trial." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=09686a2d6f916a2a8c9ed5872757c974dcdc69092e1ed8bb7fd756b2a15b47e5d24b4e00ad8e9f9767463f2e48f9faf5

FLAKE: NOT OUT TO BE 'VINDICTIVE' - Just because retiring Sen. Jeff Flake is free to speak his mind about Trump doesn't mean he plans to oppose the president's agenda left and right, he tells Seung Min. "I'm going to work on issues that I'm for," the Arizona Republican said. "I'm not out [to be] vindictive." Senate Republicans say they don't think Flake and fellow retiring Sen. Bob Corker will tank tax reform just because of their distaste for Trump.

And even Democrats agree: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a close friend of Flake, didn't see any reason why the libertarian-leaning fiscal conservative would change. "Jeff Flake is not a Democrat. Bob Corker is not a Democrat. There are issues on which not only do we disagree, but we disagree strongly," Kaine said. SMK with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=09686a2d6f916a2add4fca14869f825ffc62d45fe1884735c858a31b41faf8007a49daf1e8e6b0860ae3afba512d4986

YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY - Senate Judiciary leaders are splitting off in different directions when it comes to investigating Russian meddling in the election, risking a collapse of their once bipartisan probe, Elana and Kyle report. Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is digging deeper into a uranium sale approved by Hillary Clinton's State Department. Meanwhile top Democrat Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is working on a bill that would make it illegal for Americans to accept foreign help to influence an election - a direct rebuke of Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer last year. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c490164ee00b78ef69ce30052616d7264b774368b80b0f2b210633a1e775ce6bfb413e4547fb24c9dccd3ac90c3619db

NO NEW FRIENDS - Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is supposed to be the administration's point man for tax reform on Capitol Hill. But the former investment banker is finding it hard to make friends on the Hill, even with fellow Republicans, Nancy Cook reports. Mnuchin particularly angered House Republicans in September when he asked them to take a tough debt ceiling vote not for the party or the president but for him. "So few members felt any personal bond with Mnuchin that they were surprised he felt comfortable making such a request," Nancy notes. "That was also the last time that Mnuchin spoke to many of the people in the room, said one senior House aide." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c490164ee00b78efe3a97f1e21b928dc255c7e29c9de30db34d545902e7ea3fd7e61225d952460a2819f0a730678442b

CORKER WANTS ANSWERS ON SANCTIONS - Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, the chief GOP architect of a Russia sanctions package Congress overwhelmingly approved earlier this year, promised Wednesday to find out why the White House has delayed using its new powers to punish the Kremlin, Elana reports. Corker "told reporters that 'I'm going to get on the phone with someone' within 24 hours to get details on why the administration missed the law's Oct. 1 deadline to hit certain Russian entities with new penalties," she reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c490164ee00b78efe33d9ba0904e426bb032eff21344126437e1178b4119725cbf1a03c081f93b25c70e87872c5f1c16

ARRIVAL LOUNGE - Stephanie Parks is joining Speaker Ryan's office as policy assistant, where she will focus on health care and veterans affairs issues. She was previously a staffer on the Ways and Means Committee. Courtney Webb has a new gig as military legislative assistant for Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.). She was most recently an LA for Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.).

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House meets at 9 a.m. with last votes for the week - on the Senate budget - around 10:30 a.m. The Senate gavels in at 10 a.m. with two roll call votes at 12 p.m. related to judicial nominees.

AROUND THE HILL - Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) hold a press conference on their bills dealing with clean ports and rights for port truckers at 9 a.m. in the House triangle.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) and Ami Bera (D-Calif.) hold a press conference on access to birth control at 10 a.m. in 234 Cannon.

Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) hold a press conference on replacing fossil fuels with clean energy at 10 a.m. in the House triangle.

Pelosi holds her weekly press conference at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) holds his weekly press conference at 11:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) and Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), co-chairmen of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, hold a briefing on Uyghur rights in China at 10 a.m. in 2255 Rayburn.

Reps. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), Pat Meehan (R-Pa.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and David Joyce (R-Ohio) participate in a briefing on preventing sexual violence on college campuses at 11 a.m. in 340 Cannon.

Energy and Commerce ranking member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Va.) will host a forum with gun violence prevention experts at 11:30 a.m. in the members room in the Library of Congress.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - No one correctly guessed that the lawmaker in question was the late Sen. John Glenn, who helped detain his attacker, Michael John Breen, after Breen sucker-punched Glenn during a tree-planting ceremony in 1989. Glenn was 68, Breen was 31. "I haven't been hit like that in 30 years," Glenn said after.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Many historic events transpired during the 93rd Congress. But Jan. 23, 1973, was a particularly memorable day in the House. What did lawmakers vote on that day and what made the occasion particularly momentous? Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle.

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** A message from The Science Coalition: The Science Coalition's Sparking Economic Growth report identifies companies created from federally funded university research. Each company is a shining example of how America leads the world in science and technology - and why the United States must continue to invest robustly in basic scientific research to ensure that we maintain this leadership. Learn how Klogene Therapeutics is developing neuroprotective therapeutics based on decades of research into Alzheimer's disease at Boston University with support from NIH. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c490164ee00b78efe63e0464bb6e58e5f17b216e2212ddc7a2df22f956d32a717c948e176329ac2f7523fcfda03d5132 **

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