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10/25/2017 08:01 AM EDT


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

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? With GOP Sens. Jeff Flake and Bob Corker both heading for the exits after sparring with President Trump, the White House is quickly squeezing out enemies within its own party. But at what cost? Sure, insurgent forces led by Steve Bannon can claim victory in the short term. But now Flake and Corker are unmoored and fully emboldened to take on the president. What they do between now and the end of next year could determine the success or failure of the GOP-controlled Congress through the 2018 midterms, Alex Isenstadt reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0d0bc90c22bc631bab89e94b63f7742ad949979109018338c098748e5415f62c7159f66f02bef752a6bebdc0d08ef08

FLAKE STUNS WITH RETIREMENT NEWS - Flake shocked Capitol Hill Tuesday, abruptly announcing his retirement during a 17-minute Senate floor speech that offered a searing assessment of Trump in the process. "Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified," Flake said in his speech. "And when such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy." The full Flake floor speech (it's worth a watch): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0d0bc90c22bc631f8b2544db56f7b9c2206900d8295af22a5650630842655cd25c730a406cd987cf7c24cbead4c343b

So, uh, how's that unity tour? Flake's announcement capped off an almost unbelievable day that started with Trump reigniting his feud with Sen. Bob Corker. The retiring Tennessee Republican wasn't afraid to punch back, saying the president will be most remembered for the "debasement of our nation." And to think, all of this on the day Trump came to the Hill to make a big show of unity with Senate Republicans as they ramp up their tax reform push.

The White House pounced on Flake's retirement, with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling Flake and Corker "petty" for their criticisms of Trump and saying they made "the right decision" to retire. "Jeff Flake is entitled to say whatever the hell he wants to say," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), another frequent Trump antagonist, said in response. (Friendly reminder: GOP leaders have a slim majority in the Senate and they can only lose two Republicans and still pass a tax overhaul - a bill many in the party see as the linchpin to keeping their majorities next year.)

Trump reacts this morning: @realDonaldTrump: The reason Flake and Corker dropped out of the Senate race is very simple, they had zero chance of being elected. Now act so hurt & wounded!

Meanwhile, the president's lunch meeting with Republicans on Tuesday is most notable for what didn't happen rather than what did. He didn't talk to Corker or Flake (who hadn't yet announced his retirement), according to sources in the room. He didn't offer an opinion on the Alexander-Murray health care bill. He didn't talk specifics on tax reform. The president also didn't discuss Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist who has vowed to primary nearly every GOP incumbent on the ballot next year and oust Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as GOP leader. Seung Min, Josh Dawsey and Elana with the wrap-up: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0d0bc90c22bc631706c8005cb2fee0e366580eff054eaaba1067731dff64771937df25497eda3bb95ebaa4a005a5f49

HOUSE SCRAMBLE AHEAD OF BUDGET VOTE - Republican leaders are scrambling to resolve an intra-party tax dispute ahead of a critical budget vote in the House Thursday. A handful of Republicans from New York and New Jersey are threatening to vote against the budget unless tax-writers scrap plans to eliminate a popular deduction people can take for state and local taxes. Trump has called several lawmakers who are withholding their support and Vice President Mike Pence has also been lobbying members on the issue. The high-stakes vote on Thursday is the final hurdle to Republicans unlocking a filibuster-proof tax overhaul this year. Rachael, Sarah Ferris and Aaron Lorenzo with the latest:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0d0bc90c22bc6319c2fca2e558a250c7b01506610c419d9f8cef81f9b731f70789bba8ac07f6b548f63a2f4dfbc7162

WHAT A WEEK, HUH? AND IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY. Welcome to Oct. 25 and thanks for tuning in to POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

WATCH LIVE THIS MORNING - The Media and Polarization: Golden Age or End of an Era? - The FCC recently made a rule change that opens the door to more aggressive mergers of media companies. Join POLITICO for a timely and important conversation about the future of the news business, implications of the FCC's new policy, particularly on the Sinclair merger, and more. TODAY, October 24 - 8:30 a.m. Livestream: here.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Alex Isenstadt's story about top White House aides planning a multimillion-dollar campaign to sell tax reform took the top spot.

PELOSI TO DEMS: 'YOU WILL BE IN THE MAJORITY' - House Democratic leaders have no plans to work with Republicans on tax reform even if they were given the chance, seeing the House majority as their prize if the GOP fails. "You will be in the majority" if the GOP continues to stumble, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told Democrats during a closed-door caucus meeting Tuesday. Pelosi could be speaker again if Democrats take back the House. But top Ways and Means Democrat Richard Neal sees tax reform as "a legacy issue" and might be willing to buck leadership and cut a deal with Republicans if the opportunity presented itself. Yours truly and Aaron Lorenzo with more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4684f90060783b261e38a806fcdf3b1f43470ed43ec605bdce4531b4404ff62e51c4adf44a695e6ac75aa8afd807632b

LOOKING AHEAD IN ARIZONA - Flake was already facing challenges from former state Sen. Kelli Ward in a GOP primary and Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema in a general election, both of whom he was trailing in the polls. Establishment Republicans are spinning his departure as giving them a better chance to hold onto the seat - and the Senate majority - next year, Kevin Robillard reports this morning.

Top Republicans are looking to candidates other than Ward, who many consider unelectable in a general campaign, Alex and Kevin report. GOP Reps. Martha McSally and David Schweikert are both possible contenders. Sinema, one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Caucus, could also face a primary from the left, the Washington Post reports.

Can't get enough Flake: Read Flake's op-ed in the Washington Post this a.m.: "Enough." "The original Tea Partier exits, stage right" via the Hill's Reid Wilson; "Two retiring GOP senators sound the alarm on Trump," from WaPo's Bob Costa, Philip Rucker and Sean Sullivan; Flake to NPR's Steve Inskeep: "It was a tough speech to give."

RYAN EYES YEAR-END DACA FIX - Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told a group of House conservatives Tuesday that he's likely to include a legislative fix to protect Dreamers in a year-end spending bill, HuffPost reports. "Ryan told leaders of the Republican Study Committee that he didn't believe [Obamacare subsidies] would be part of the deal with Democrats, but that DACA would," Matt Fuller and Elise Foley write. RSC Chairman Mark Walker "did note that the speaker was emphatic that additional border security measures would be part of any agreement legislatively codifying DACA, which President Donald Trump ended last month." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8352dd21294bb9dc249d79c8191b1cc8308a69d5f72388d5be202242488a612f8ef8b503e6026a9daf4b018ed8591d29

RELIVING 2016: HOUSE LAUNCHES CLINTON PROBES - House Republicans launched a pair of investigations into Obama-era controversies Tuesday, after Trump said actions by the former administration and Hillary Clinton weren't receiving enough scrutiny in Congress. "GOP-led committees will separately probe the FBI's handling of last year's Clinton email probe and an unrelated uranium deal struck during her tenure at the State Department, lawmakers announced," Kyle reports. "Trump latched onto the developments, calling them 'the real Russia story.' He has also derided the investigations into Russian election meddling as a 'hoax' cooked up by Democrats." Kyle with much more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8352dd21294bb9dc0d74849becca9b904bb50d5cbf3652ac37d72838fbdb83aae72d16f235ef15c2f0d0f4f5dcac5d56

Related: The Clinton campaign and the DNC helped fund research that led to the infamous dossier about Trump's alleged connections to Russia, the Washington Post scooped Tuesday night. "Marc E. Elias, a lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Fusion GPS, a Washington firm, to conduct the research," WaPo reports. Before the Clinton camp picked up the tab, the research into Trump was funded by a still-unknown Republican client during the GOP primary. Fusion GPS officials are in a long-running dispute with House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) over the dossier and last week refused to testify before the panel. Adam Entous, Devlin Barrett and Rosalind S. Helderman:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8352dd21294bb9dc13893a33d648e0ecf4d0f9147d04892d8cb23c39c0ee622416cd97b8ee21dee9b703e399210dc81d

TWEET DU JOUR: NBC's Kasie Hunt (@kasie): "Probably the only shot you've got to take me out." -- @clairecmc to NRSC chair @CoryGardner as his car almost hits her in Senate driveway. With video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e372a088e492161b53ae87cd65081098d59a595f2212dd8d927061977c2cd3b6dd3666327e0d699395e20a9765f7ceb

PENCE BREAKS TIE ON BANKING REG ROLLBACK - Vice President Mike Pence came to the Capitol Tuesday night to break a tie on a controversial Senate vote to repeal a rule "that would let consumers band together to sue their bank or credit card company to resolve financial disputes," the AP reports. The banking industry lobbied hard to roll back the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulation, which restricted banks and credit card companies from imposing mandatory arbitration clauses. Democrats argued the rule is needed now more than ever, pointing to recent consumer-related scandals at Wells Fargo and the Equifax security breach. Zachary Warmbrodt with more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e372a088e492161c8ca6d6d345a6e1c0d535f9aad98ad37f6d4ef32d189b8fc963033f1e84ab1d7b74b1e84c5b9321d

SENATE SENDS DISASTER AID BILL TO TRUMP - "The Senate passed a $36.5 billion emergency aid measure Tuesday to refill disaster accounts, provide a much-needed cash infusion to Puerto Rico, and bail out the federal flood insurance program," the AP's Andrew Taylor reports. "The 82-17 vote sends the measure to the White House, where President Donald Trump is sure to sign it." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e372a088e492161dc6dcce3bdcc061f8e1c50c7086f1a5f91bce6e93e1c04674b85268eea4fe4d3529bcd5fec3c5c83

QUOTE DU JOUR: "F--- no, I'm not running for Senate. Are you kidding me?" Kid Rock said on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show. "Who couldn't figure that out?" The Detroit Free Press: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e372a088e492161b61a2717f76ccd9c131ae2fc4f03932032e2391d712439c2d51b92a72624fa23858a75f075a76d2f

BRADY AIDES CHARGED IN PRIMARY PROBE - Two top aides to Rep. Bob Brady were indicted Tuesday in a federal probe related to $90,000 the Pennsylvania Democrat allegedly paid to his primary challenger in 2012 to drop out of the race. "Federal prosecutors accused Ken Smukler, 57, and Donald 'D.A.' Jones, 62, of making illegal campaign contributions on behalf of their boss and conspiring to hide the money in the campaign finance reports of his rival," the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "Prosecutors offered no indication of whether they intend to charge Brady, one of the city's most powerful Democrats, with a crime." Jeremy Roebuck, Chris Brennan and Craig R. McCoy report:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e372a088e492161a3087eb19cb9de4d0b7d05dff4a100e841da4c9e483650c19dffdabbc19a1b4980bf963a317e45e5

GOP LEADERS TIE ROHRABACHER'S HANDS - House GOP leaders have placed restrictions on Rep. Dana Rohrabacher's official travel budget and the hearings he can convene as a subcommittee chairman out of fears about the California Republican's close ties to Russia, the Daily Beast reports. Rohrabacher was seen lurking outside of the Senate GOP lunch yesterday, hoping to get a moment with Trump. The lawmaker has been trying to broker a deal with Trump to pardon WikiLeak's founder Julian Assange but White House aides continue to block his access to the president. Nico Hines and Sam Stein: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5bea63c3051468f95aac0fcb1280738f0e0261becf35a447f50fb593e421845678c8c144ebd5ae3677300cdc16b53a9f

SHAHEEN ON SEXUAL ASSAULT: "We need men to speak up" - Thousands of women around the world have shared deeply personal experiences of sexual harassment and assault using the #MeToo hashtag. Though Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) sees this as progress, she warns on POLITICO's Women Rule podcast that unless women feel safe and empowered to speak up, Congress alone can't provide one "silver bullet fix." "We need men to speak up and say, 'this is not acceptable. We are not going to allow this in our businesses, in our workplaces, in our sports teams, anywhere." Tune in HERE.


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TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House meets at 10 a.m. with first votes at 1:30 p.m. and last votes at 5:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c4391ab0e01581599f42219b7553f45bca5f455a0039fc0ce8bd1bed9cee3ed72c0cc6db15ad5222f6e1ecd8f74dbc37 The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. with a roll call vote at 10:30 a.m. related to judicial nominee Scott Palk.

AROUND THE HILL - House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) participates in the Christian Science Monitor breakfast with reporters at 8 a.m. at the St. Regis Hotel. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) talks tax reform with Reuters at 8:45 a.m. at the Capitol Hilton.

House GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) will host Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as part of her "Meet the Cabinet" series starting at 9:15 a.m. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) hold a press conference on their legislation dealing with Medicare drug pricing at 9:30 a.m. in the Senate swamp.

House Natural Resources ranking member Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) participate in a rally about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Capitol. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) hold a press conference on the Dream Act at 10:30 a.m. in SVC-208.

Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) hold a conference call on the state and local tax deduction at 10:30 a.m. Ryan, Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) present a congressional gold medal to honor Filipino veterans of WWII during an 11 a.m. ceremony in Emancipation Hall.

Pelosi, House Budget ranking member John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) and House Ways and Means ranking member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) hold a press conference on the GOP's tax plan at 12:30 p.m. in HVC Studio A. Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) hold a pen and pad on their recent trips to Puerto Rico at 1:30 p.m. in 2408 Rayburn.

Durbin and Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) hold a press conference with gun violence survivors to reintroduce their background check bill at 2 p.m.in the Senate swamp. Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) hold a press conference on the child tax credit after meeting with Ivanka Trump at 2:30 p.m. in S-211.

McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Kellyanne Conway speak at a minority entrepreneurs event at 3 p.m. in H-137. Reps. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and David Price (D-N.C.), co-chairs of the Congressional Moldova Caucus, host a Moldovan wine tasting and briefing with Ambassador Aureliu Ciocoi at 5:30 p.m. in 2253 Rayburn.

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Arman Ramnath correctly guessed that the 27th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1992, 200 years after it was proposed and passed by Congress. The amendment essentially requires any pay raise Congress gives itself to not take effect until after the next election. NPR has a great backstory on the amendment and the man who lobbied 10 years for its ratification: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5bea63c3051468f99b94556a3f7291b8095ecad9bf73b8d372568f27aa58a9fadc10db2c50db1178222d2d59ae37201e

TODAY'S TRIVIA - This former member of Congress once helped detain a person who was half his age after being attacked during a routine political appearance. Name the lawmaker and the attacker. 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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