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10/11/2017 08:01 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Daniel Lippman

DEMS FRET OVER RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE - Vulnerable Democratic senators up for reelection next year are already worried about one obstacle they can't control: all-but-certain Russian attempts to interfere and influence the 2018 midterms. Democrats are concerned the Trump administration "is dragging its feet on thwarting sophisticated Russian cyber operations that could have significant impact on their races - and could even sway which party wins control of the Senate," Kyle, Elana and Cory Bennett report this morning.

On guard: It doesn't help that President Trump has been reluctant to even acknowledge Russia interfered in the 2016 election, going so far as to call "a hoax" the Moscow meddling that top intel agencies and congressional panels have publicly confirmed. That means if Democrats want any chance of taking back the Senate, all 25 Democratic senators up for reelection - particularly the 10 in states Trump won - will have to be on the lookout for hacked emails, fake news on Facebook and Twitter and other signs of Moscow interference. "If there isn't some effort to take steps against Russian interference, every campaign is going to have to be on guard and working against it," Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
said. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8be5961678bb8da4d729eb8ffea81aac51ac5d69c6e6f53679441b0032b113d140da5f095b5599c648012f83977b224d3bf

ENOUGH ALREADY - Senate Republicans are over Trump's feud with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and wish the two would stop jabbing each other in public. Trump "needs to stop. But I wish Bob would stop too. Just stop," Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) told Burgess. Corker had no response to Trump's latest taunt - the president called him "Liddle Bob Corker" on Twitter Tuesday - and has kept quiet since his explosive New York Times interview Sunday. Now Senate Republicans are holding their breath, hoping for a détente in the feud that's been ramping up for months so they can get the focus back on tax reform. Burgess: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8be1c06af0845b4244c6e4cfd017c15356ca091bde32dd7d72cdd76d8c57c7c834c81e4fc7a672667aabf02348ee64c4df6

Speaking of tax reform, if Republicans fail to get a bill to the president's desk, "the party would have virtually no argument for re-election in 2018 and Senate and House incumbents would be wide open to challenge from both the right and the left," Carl Hulse writes for the New York Times. The first big test comes next week when the Senate budget - a key step to passing tax reform using a simple majority - comes up for a vote. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bec48e3256816a9fddab128367869124cf51b9923670acbbc578f9fadae1c58126f485be41465122b2c7864bcb9b0ad57d

HURRICANE AID PACKAGE RELEASED - The House Appropriations Committee released a $36.5 billion disaster relief package late last night that includes nearly $5 billion to help shore up Puerto Rico's cash-strapped government. The package also includes an additional $14 billion for FEMA's disaster fund, $16 billion for the National Flood Insurance Program and $576 million to fight wildfires, Sarah Ferris reports. The legislation will be considered later this week under a fast-track method reserved for noncontroversial bills. More for Pros: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bed78e3f99c180bb15e1888739101fc63395cb7e25157fa72213ee1ff91437035c31c05770522922844d3d25326b970b68 and the 14-page bill: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8be804bc71578691d231d2de263723c9183d2a76e736b924da4d5e3061ba0c63bed8afe67271aef4513f5280b08fac247cc

TILLIS CARVES OUT IMMIGRATION PATH - Freshman Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) might just be the Republican to watch on immigration, Seung Min reports. Tillis recently introduced a bill that would provide permanent relief to Dreamers, hoping to bring warring lawmakers and the president together on a deal to save the young undocumented immigrants before the program ends in March. But, as Seung Min reports, he's been working to carve out a reputation as a pro-immigration Republican for a while, including trying to boost visas for foreign workers while in the Senate and pushing a bill to give driver's licenses to some undocumented immigrants while speaker of the North Carolina House. Much more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8be722653ad79ed6112a4a66ee70d5b8d0721585a339a668e3d2b14b8dfd93cb785ab2dbbabdaa55edcf56632905651bebb

DUDE, WHERE'S MY FRIDAY? Welcome to Wednesday, Oct. 11 and thanks for tuning in to POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Alex Isenstadt's story about Boyd Matheson, the former chief of staff for Sen. Mike Lee, weighing a primary challenge against Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was the winner.

JUST FYI... House Democratic Caucus leaders will not be holding a press conference after Democrats' weekly meeting this morning. Typically (although there have been a few past exceptions), both GOP and Democratic leaders hold separate press conferences after their groups gather for weekly huddles. Your Huddle host isn't sure why Democrats aren't holding one today but will note that Vice Chairwoman Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), who normally participates, stirred up controversy late last week by saying the current top crop of leaders should be making plans to step down to make way for a new generation.

WHAT THE HILL IS READING: President Trump "said he wanted what amounted to a nearly tenfold increase in the U.S. nuclear arsenal during a gathering this past summer of the nation's highest ranking national security leaders, according to three officials who were in the room," NBC News reports this morning. "Officials briefly explained the legal and practical impediments to a nuclear buildup ... In interviews, they told NBC News that no such expansion is planned. ...It was soon after the meeting broke up that officials who remained behind heard [Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson say that Trump is a 'moron.'" Courtney Kube, Kristen Welker, Carol Lee and Savannah Guthrie:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8beed4e67fe10f73b71df13c3c1cb2620493ddd5689c77f915e03568c57d61586cdd81efef28602e6a15c6cda7489e23baa

HOUSE DEMS HOLD BRIEFING ON IRAN DEAL - Former secretary of State John Kerry and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who spearheaded the negotiations that led to the Iran nuclear agreement, will be on the Hill today for a panel discussion with House Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi arranged the members-only briefing just days before Trump's deadline to pull out of the Obama-era agreement. Other top diplomats who support the deal will also participate. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bee45f3de6c03bf61779e47a25a043bdb61f25d5d5123d1fc66ba19a5509c1fbeddb1ba27b76efc91fa2970c7f38326cd9

Related: Democrats hope to prevail to cooler heads in Trump's orbit to discourage the president and Republican leaders from trying to reimpose sanctions on Iran, Elana and Nahal Toosi report this morning. "I think that maybe it'll make the president feel good," House Foreign Relations ranking member Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) said about pulling out of the deal. "It might make me feel good. But it's not the right thing to do."

McCASKILL TEARS INTO HAWLEY - Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) wasted no time ripping into her new GOP challenger Josh Hawley on Tuesday, painting the state attorney general as Mitch McConnell's preferred candidate who has so far avoided answering tough policy questions on Obamacare and protections for Dreamers. Hawley, who officially entered the race yesterday, has tried to head off a potential GOP primary challenge by reaching out to Steve Bannon ahead of time. But McCaskill said that won't diminish Hawley's GOP establishment bonafides. "Make no mistake about it, whether Steve Bannon is saying nice things about Josh Hawley or not, it will be Mitch McConnell that will be by and large funding
this race," McCaskill told reporters after a town hall Tuesday. Bryan Lowry with the Kansas City Star: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bebee145eba50ddcc28478cc0b61f97694effc4b5cdf2a8e1d45d0a37d098b2ad8cc93ae687aacd3056145823b39dd74b9

ONE DOWN... Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) officially ruled out a run for president in 2020 during an interview with CBS, saying he's focused on his reelection campaign next year. The video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bebcc6ca266a3b0dc306cfdaf83cfc4c6bf6633fb4782a2bd74fcb0aec3819f91be1339328c6aa85f2e5231e1073c34210

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - Sen. Susan Collins will announce Friday whether she plans to run for reelection next year or leave the upper chamber behind for a gubernatorial bid. Collins, one of the few true moderates left, is a pivotal swing vote in the Senate. But, according to a source, she also likes the idea of "capping her political career as Maine's first female governor -- the job she ran for unsuccessfully in 1994." CNN's Eric Bradner and Jamie Gangel: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bee5671c5dd220c317c13af5b36658055ab282493419794394db238aa763bd458ad61f93f760b9e80fcab58c63e307d12a

BIPARTISAN BUMP STOCK BILL INTRODUCED - Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) introduced a bill Tuesday night to prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of bump stocks. The firearm accessory was used by the Las Vegas shooter to convert his guns into automatic weapons. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) panned the bill after it was introduced, saying it undermines similar legislation she and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) unveiled last week. The Hill's Cristina Marcos: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8be1efc78f68e6aaf0295f77fae1298aa902022de18e029020ef9df7cc6e9e002cdb88725a4165e5211cc73b504c3d7e804

NUNES SIGNS OFF ON NEW SUBPOENAS - House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) has signed off on subpoenas to the partners who run Fusion GPS, the research firm behind the Trump dossier, CNN reports. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who is overseeing the House Intel's Russia probe, said he asked for the subpoenas, which were issued Oct. 4. But some Democrats on the panel say they are furious after being blindsided by the move. Evan Perez, Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8becc981ebcb6919f83527cbbc04658ad84a02742750af14016966a6ab586c44a314f62054872f6056f63f50478117e2e7e

RYAN TRAVELS TO PUERTO RICO - Speaker Paul Ryan will lead a five-member delegation to Puerto Rico on Friday to tour the hurricane-devastated island, which is still without power and access to clean water in many areas. GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) and ranking Democrat Nita M. Lowey (N.Y.) and Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (R) will accompany Ryan. The Washington Post's Ed O'Keefe: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8be3b47721babcfb8d986eca8631898119e6c7ce6c6f1b76a941771b6a7ead8de3f8db9fe5497bd89229ddbd2f6d38703da

VIDEO DU JOUR - Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are out with a new video talking about their "Solution Sunday" initiative, which they started more than a year ago to encourage more open, positive discussions about race relations by having dinner with families of other ethnicities. Senate Chaplain Barry Black also makes a cameo: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bec44c3e45c990cfb6125ecae26f0c2403e81d7df6595bd16edc67986b6bbe82c434679e416438fd9e1f12927bdc882f3d

ON SECOND THOUGHT... Twitter has reversed its decision and will now allow Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to promote her Senate campaign video on the social media site. Twitter had originally banned Blackburn from advertising the announcement video, saying a line about investigating Planned Parenthood and "the sale of baby body parts" was too inflammatory. Kevin Robillard: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2447ae3a0af9f8bed89650f831a2d5fe246c14661e5930fa5ba22609ef23dbaf32cf5d2edb7d8e4b13c3a9defb00e5f122e2b945fcee9a39

ARRIVAL LOUNGE - Schafer Bagwell has been hired as a legislative correspondent for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). He most recently was an LA for Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.).


TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House gavels in at 10 a.m. with first votes at 1:30 p.m. and last votes at 4:30 p.m. The Senate is out until Monday, Oct. 16.

AROUND THE HILL - Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón take questions from reporters at 10 a.m. in HC-8.

Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) participate in a press conference on NAFTA at 10:15 a.m. in the House triangle (1629 Longworth if raining).

Leaders of several conservative groups including FreedomWorks and the Senate Conservative Fund will hold a press conference on "the future of Senate leadership" at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate swamp (400 North Capitol, Suite 765 if raining).

Members of the Ways and Means Committee will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at 11 a.m. in the committee hearing room (1100 Longworth). Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) participates in a press call on the impact ending DACA would have on LGBTQ immigrants at 11 a.m. RSVP: press@cortezmasto.senate.gov.

House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) hold a 12 p.m. conference call to discuss the Antiquities Act. RSVP: katie.schoettler@mail.house.gov.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) hold a press conference on Dreamers at 1 p.m. in HVC-215.

Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) hold a press conference on the 2020 census at 2 p.m. in the House triangle. Ellison and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) participate in a briefing on pesticides at 2 p.m. in 121 Cannon.

House Democrats participate in a members only briefing on the Iran nuclear deal with key negotiators of the agreement at 3:30 p.m. in HVC 215.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) and Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) participate in a briefing on trademarks and famous brands at 3:30 p.m. in the CVC.

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Jennifer Schaming correctly guessed that House Appropriations Chairman John DeWitt Clinton Atkins from Tennessee was the key lawmaker who objected to the House installing elevators in the 1800s, saying the renovation expenses were unnecessary.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Brad McKiney (who also guessed correctly) with today's trivia: Indiana is second only to New York as the state that produces the most vice presidents, including current Vice President and former Indiana Governor Mike Pence. The second Hoosier to become vice president - also the first former Indiana Governor to become VP - was Thomas Hendricks.

There is a statue of Hendricks on the southeast corner of the Indiana statehouse - do you know why he faces southeast? 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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