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11/19/2015 08:12 AM EDT


By Rachael Bade (rbade@politico.com or @RachaelMBade)

EMAILS REVEAL CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY'S COZY TIES. Anna Palmer scoops: "When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put out its proposal to overhaul payday lending rules in March...the final product wasn't a surprise to at least one nonprofit group. While Elizabeth Warren and other progressives decry the influence of big banks and lobbyists in writing legislation, in this instance, the agency created by Warren to protect consumers from abusive lending leaned heavily on consumer activists as it drafted regulations for the $46 billion payday loan industry. The Center for Responsible Lending spent hours consulting with senior Obama administration officials, giving input on how to
implement the rule that would restrict the vast majority of short-term loans with interest rates often higher than 400 percent. The group regularly sent over policy papers, traded emails and met multiple times with top officials responsible for drafting the rule..."

"Companies and trade associations regularly spend tens of millions of dollars to lobby Congress and the executive branch to push their agenda, but the Center for Responsible Lending efforts to overhaul payday lending rules is a revealing example of how nonprofits and consumer groups also work back channels in Washington to influence the outcome of laws and regulations." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac473fcca9ab28498cd38c2238799f6675b57221fafac58c1839

TEEN TRUCKERS, COMING TO AN INTERSTATE NEAR YOU. Heather Caygle for Pro Transpo: "The bipartisan push to deliver the first major highway bill in a decade is drowning out warnings from safety groups about big changes they say will make the nation's roads more dangerous: teenagers at the wheel of big rigs, budget cuts for the automobile safety watchdog and a loophole that lets auto dealers loan out defective cars. That's due to pressure from industry groups and lobbyists who've managed to insert items from their long-standing wish lists into a $350 billion bill that covers highway spending into the next decade for projects ranging from fixing crumbling bridges to studying the impact of
marijuana-impaired drivers..."

"The conference committee jockeying to mesh House and Senate bills into something that can be passed by both chambers and delivered to President Barack Obama by the Dec. 4 deadline has centered mostly on funding levels and whether the bill should run for five or six years... But that pressure has pushed the safety portion of the bill to authorize and pay for the federal share of highway work and transit systems to the sidelines, where it has gotten insufficient scrutiny, say safety advocates." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac4797c0e43b759c21785c9782dd88f0260d4b2dacad101e84d8

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T-MINUS FRIDAY. And next week is Thanksgiving break. THANKS FOR READING HUDDLE this week for your latest Hill drama. Drop a line, anytime, at: rbade@politico.com, or Tweet: @RachaelMBade.

TODAY IN CONGRESS: House returns at 9:30 a.m. for morning hour and noon for leg-biz. First votes expected: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Last votes: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. to continue work on transpo approps. No votes scheduled.

AROUND THE HILL: At 10:45 a.m. Minority Leader Pelosi holds her weekly press conference. At 11 a.m. Sens. Schumer and Markey join Reps. Ellison, Connolly and Beyer to discuss airport workers rights. Speaker Ryan has his presser at 11:30 a.m. And Sen. Tom Carper (D-Dele.) and Deputy Treasury Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin at noon in the SVC will convene industry leaders to discuss innovation in the global financial system and its impact on emerging economies and customers.

DRIVING THE DAY: HOUSE TO VOTE ON REFUGEE BILL. Karoun Demirjian with the Post: "House Republicans are moving forward with a plan that would prevent Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States unless the government can verify they don't pose a security a threat. The opening legislative salvo from House Republicans is expected to be brought to the floor for a vote Thursday as Congress moves quickly to respond to the Paris terror attack..."

"The bill is based on legislation drafted by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) that would require the FBI, Homeland Security Department and National Intelligence director to report to Congress that none of the refugees that have been cleared to enter the country are a security threat. The FBI also would have to certify that adequate background checks were conducted on the Syrians and Iraqis seeking to relocate to the United States." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac471cb25fe17443b91a5d8897a0c32480b9369ea0a43833b87e

-- W.H. issues veto threat on refugee bill. Jordan Fabian for The Hill: "The White House on Wednesday threatened to veto a House bill that would require additional security checks on Syrian refugees before they could be resettled in the United States. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac47cb2e6b33388fbe6c68e9939aa5b3885326f5534882118785

-- Democrats plan alternative. Roll Call's Emma Dumain: "House Democrats will use procedural gambits to get a vote on their proposal aimed at easing concerns about Syrian refugees coming to the United States but without completely blocking their resettlement. The partisan maneuvering has the potential to weaken support for a Republican-backed bill set to come to the floor Thursday... Democrats said they attempted to negotiate Tuesday with Republicans... but those efforts fell flat." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac4780d7af957185a6e519d445bcd91ff9ac520e056e7104c71a

-- "No 'religious test' in House bill pausing Syrian refugees: Ryan." In the wake of some controversial comments by far-right conservatives, that the U.S. should just block all Muslim refugees from the U.S., Speaker Paul Ryan vows the bill will not discriminate against Muslims. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac474004ffec440cd2e03471dd141bb9b1c05f4370db3c253d44

SYRIAN REFUGEES SPLIT DEMOCRATIC PARTY. Seung Min Kim and Burgess Everett report: "President Barack Obama's Syrian refugee program is driving a wedge through the Democratic Party, pitting liberal stalwarts against nervous Senate candidates and some senior lawmakers... [L]liberals were alarmed earlier this week when third-ranking Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York expressed openness to a time-out on resettling Syrian refugees. Meanwhile, Democrats battling in competitive races from Ohio to New Hampshire to Nevada are voicing concerns with the vetting process for refugees fleeing Syria, a nation millions have left since a civil war began four years ago."

"New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, who is challenging Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) in her bid for reelection, urged the federal government to stop accepting Syrian refugees until the process is reviewed. Nevada Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto wants U.S. intelligence officials to sign off on the vetting process before admitting more refugees... But those responses have triggered strong blowback from liberal Democrats and advocacy groups. They're exerting tremendous pressure on lawmakers to reject any measure that would further tie the Obama administration's hands when it comes to accepting more refugees from abroad... 'I'm very disappointed in a number of my colleagues, and that's
irrespective of party,' Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said Wednesday. 'I think that we just have such a knee-jerk reaction that is so divorced from the facts.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac478f61175a6adc107982bd8fe15729e7829896a0d0ce98615e

--ICYMI: "Senators gripe after FBI director skips Paris briefing." Burgess: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac47669e2163aa698819142b5f435320d877c1273746680a6b1e

CRUZ RELENTS ON USAID HOLD. Seung Min writes in: What can make Sen. Ted Cruz back down from blocking a nominee? Perhaps some gentle coaxing from Sen. Bob Corker. Leadership announced Wednesday that the Senate will vote to confirm Gayle Smith as director for the U.S. Agency for International Development - a nomination that has long been in limbo due to Cruz's objections to any State Department nominee over the Iran deal. But as the international refugee crisis began to deepen in September, Democrats began to up the pressure on Cruz to drop his hold on the USAID position - a critical role in the U.S.'s humanitarian policy abroad.

Finally, something happened on Wednesday and Corker, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, shed some light: Cruz "had some concerns about some internal issues at USAID and we're working with him to resolve them," Corker said. "It worked out very well. We're going to get some GAO reporting done on various areas in USAID. And I've agreed to lead that effort, to write a letter, to ensure that that happens." Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) added another theory: On Wednesday, "I was going to make a unanimous consent request that the nomination be considered and I don't think [Republicans] wanted to challenge."

CLICKY-"NBC exec's 'illegals' remark angers Hispanic lawmakers." French and Hadas Gold get in the room. "Hispanic lawmakers hoped a meeting with top executives from MSNBC and NBC News Wednesday would smooth over hard feelings from Donald Trump's appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.' Instead, it had the opposite effect. NBC News President Deborah Turness committed a major blunder - as far as the Hispanic lawmakers were concerned - when she described undocumented immigrants as 'illegals,' a term that many in the Latino community find highly offensive... It only got worse from there. Turness at one point... 'We love the Hispanic community...Yo hablo español,' Turness said."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac471f8d6b94984296624522478ebfba0b5fea2ecc7224babef6

JACKIE SPEIER RECOUNTS SHOOTING W/ ROLL CALL. Rebecca Gale with easily the grimmest profile of the day, er, month: "On Nov. 18, 1978, she was shot five times on a remote airstrip in Guyana, South America. Her boss, Rep. Leo J. Ryan and four others lay dead nearby, killed by gunfire as they tried to escape Jonestown, the commune built by cult leader Jim Jones."

"Nearly 40 years later, Speier still remembers why she decided to get on a plane to go down on the ill-fated congressional trip. 'Back in 1978, there were not many women in high-ranking positions in Congress,' said Speier, who was legislative counsel for Ryan at the time. 'I felt if I didn't go, it would be a step back for women holding these high positions. I thought, 'I can't not go.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=df9fffb463dfac473072c4a6f67a6e07988705aaff2563a58d81847ffa04ec92

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER. Nicholas Reindl was the first to answer that Sen. William Proxmire from Wisconsin gave Lyndon Johnson and the Democratic party its fiftieth vote in the Senate in 1957 after a surprising victory in a special election.

TODAY'S TRIVIA: Which comes from frequent trivia player Shelby Boxenbaum, legislative counsel for Rep. Matt Cartwright, yesterday's runner-up: Virginia's state seal features a bare-chested Roman goddess Virtus. What former Virginia elected official gave his staff lapel pins of the seal with Virtus covered by an armor plate? Email rbade@politico.com.

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** A message from The Broad Tax Extenders Coalition: The consensus is clear: failure to pass tax extenders would hurt families, farmers, charities, and businesses. Over 2,000 nonprofits, charitable organizations, businesses and associations agree: permanent and multiyear tax extenders will support jobs, generate new investment and innovation, and boost charitable giving. Learn more at www.consensusisclear.org **


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