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02/12/2019 08:12 AM EDT

By MELANIE ZANONA (mzanona@politico.com; @MZanona)


A DEAL IN PRINCIPLE -- Just before President Donald Trump took the stage in El Paso to rally for a border wall last night, congressional negotiators announced a tentative deal that includes $1.375 billion for border barrier fencing (think "steel slats", not a concrete wall). Now, lawmakers will put pen to paper and get moving on the proposal as they race to avoid another government shutdown by week's end.

The proposal is far short of the $5.7 billion Trump initially demanded for the wall, and it's even less than the $1.6 billion Senate Democrats approved just last year before the midterm elections. But negotiators said it was the best they could do. Expect both sides to now try to message this as a win.

What else is in the deal: Democrats dropped their demands to put a cap on the number of people who can be detained at a time, with negotiators agreeing to fund a total of 40,520 detention beds - a roughly 17 percent decrease from current levels. A GOP source claims the deal has enough flexibility, however, to actually reach the president's requested level of 52,000 beds.

What conservatives are saying: Fox News Host Sean Hannity called it a "garbage compromise." Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said it was "hardly a serious attempt to secure our border" and "kicks the can down the road yet again." And conservative ring-leader Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) panned the effort as a "bad deal."

The million-dollar question: Will Trump sign it? Negotiators hope so, though they didn't explicitly guarantee it. Meadows told your Huddle host last night that Trump is more inclined to use executive action to build the wall than to shut down the government again. And Trump told the rally crowd last night: "We're building the wall anyway." Much more from Sarah, Heather and Burgess: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c2588a59da3eb08e8665d5a8c62307bde9f843b1b22db19c2912ae64ed0cce5fe20736c79d1a8dc08cb

Related read: "'It will create a firestorm': Mulvaney's border wall cash grab sparks dissent in White House," by Nancy Cook and Eliana Johnson: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c2565bc9c0edbb006bf7015c8196dcc3c93f3d4ed7fb0f196af3898cd5d8f04c159ef72a8c67d47f077

ILHAN APOLOGIZES -- After coming under intense pressure from her Democratic colleagues, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was forced to apologize for a controversial tweet seen by many as anti-Semitic. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic leaders strongly condemned Omar's remarks, in which she suggested that Republican support for Israel was fueled by campaign donations from pro-Israel groups like AIPAC. "My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole," Omar said. "We have to always be willing to step back and think through criticism, just as I expect people to hear me when others attack me for my identity. This is why I unequivocally apologize."

The controversy is just the latest headache for Pelosi and her top lieutenants, who are dealing with a fiery - and highly visible - freshman class in their new majority. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) caused a stir last month for calling to "impeach the motherf****r" in reference to Trump, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) early stumbles have attracted widespread scrutiny. The GOP has been quick to villainize Omar, Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez as part of their effort to paint Democrats as extreme. But the strategy also risks backlash for a party that already has a problem with females and minorities. More from Bres, Laura and Heather: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c25edfddc7a0b61762ce3e5a02a3ceb8c204f7bd9684644dd421094001d60f8a65a72b0291f48449780

Related: "Ocasio-Cortez retracts erroneous information about Green New Deal backed by 2020 Democratic candidates," from Jeff Stein and David Weigel of The Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c25df49c7a4c382f1d46e63eaf98ee98cb5c26c7b7729148713668291fb0e0f29e57a58e17ef9da5fec

REMEMBERING TWO OF THE HOUSE'S FINEST -- Family, friends and lawmakers will gather in Dearborn, Mich., today to honor the life of former Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest serving member of Congress who passed away at age 92 last week. Votes were cancelled in the House to accommodate members who wish to attend the services. The speaker line-up includes former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). A motorcade carrying Dingell's casket will pass the Capitol later today after it arrives back in Washington, and a funeral mass will be held in D.C. on Thursday.

And public funeral services for longtime Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), who died Sunday on his 76th birthday, will take place in Greenville, N.C., on Thursday, followed by a private family burial. The House passed a resolution Monday night honoring Jones, a prominent critic of the Iraq war who earned a reputation as a principled rebel within his own party.

GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Feb. 12, where we're having some serious deja vu over this new Trump poster from the GOP (What's next, Trump playing "Fight Song" at a rally!?)

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED: BuzzFeed's report on Rep. South Moulton (D-Mass.) considering a presidential bid was the big winner.

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WILL COHEN EVER COME TO CONGRESS? -- Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen has once again delayed plans to testify in front of Congress. This time, he postponed a closed-door appearance in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee that was scheduled for today, citing medical reasons. Lawmakers have been eager to grill Cohen over everything from the Russia probe to hush money payments, but their window is closing in: Cohen is scheduled to report to prison next month. Lawmakers are now 0 for 3 in their attempts to haul him in, after Cohen delayed two other hearings. More from Darren Samuelsohn: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c25baadbb6ede772febb33b3a27ff236c8de3904a32a2d64a7ab0938ec4a59aae980b871d44b4d3e1a7

KELLY LIFTS OFF -- Astronaut Mark Kelly, who is married to former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), announced this morning that he will run in Arizona's special election for Senate next year. "My next mission... #FullSpeedAhead #ForArizona," he tweeted alongside a video.

DEMS LAUNCH MAR-A-LAGO PROBE -- House Democrats are zeroing in on Trump's "winter White House," the latest target in their rigorous oversight of the administration. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano has opened an investigation into the role that three Mar-a-Lago members played in a multi-billion dollar digital health record contract and other VA business. The California Democrat is seeking all records of communication between the country club members and their companies with current or former senior VA officials. Arthur Allen with the dispatch: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c25a4f99d4f5f96dae669b47d420c2eaa96d1cfb01dcf99142c21f5d057f7c9733badf7a47db0bddd21

GOP FUMES OVER WHITE HOUSE REPORT -- The White House has infuriated the GOP for failing to submit a report to Congress on whether Saudi Arabia's crown prince was behind the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But the question is: how far will Senate Republicans go? Some are calling on the Foreign Relations Committee to force the administration to comply with the law. And more GOP senators may now feel inclined to back a Democrat-led resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's civil war. "They owe us a report," Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said. "We can make a fuss about it." More from Andrew and Burgess:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c2571c95e41e3f97f783eba13b61d42e624860aa8fd65bae697c42b7a25fef022484c9b99d4962d074c

PAUL NOT BACKING BARR -- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he will vote against Trump's attorney general pick William Barr because of his record on privacy issues. "I'm a no," Paul told Marianne. "He's been the chief advocate for warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens." But Paul will likely be one of the lone "no" votes on the GOP side, while Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) said last week he would vote to confirm Barr. That means his confirmation is all but guaranteed. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c258499a30c5e3d6ac91d3417396e2dac5707127075fe3b92a919fd5e4ee8ef98bba6d695b432eb31be

Related: "Neomi Rao, Trump's nominee for D.C. appeals court, apologizes for past writing on date rape," by The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=89a1eab1667c9c25cf6409d3d86bca009a07fac208fb7e9d08f878a65967a062b9e34725f163badaa3feabf1dc0e557c

NEW RULES -- GOP senators are meeting about their internal conference rules on Tuesday and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) plans to offer a change that clarifies the circumstances under which a committee chair or committee member may be removed, report Marianne and Burgess. The amendment says that a "committee member may be deprived of committee rank or assignment, including removal from a committee, by a majority vote of the Conference."
TRANSITIONS
Jeannine Bender has joined King & Spalding as a consultant. She plans to register as a lobbyist. She previously worked for former Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) as a health policy adviser and before that worked as a lobbyist for Medicaid Health Plans of America.

Jordan Barab, who during the Obama administration was OSHA's former deputy assistant secretary of labor, is joining the staff of the House Education and Labor Committee.
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House gavels in at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session, with no votes expected. The Senate meets at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of S. 47. At 4:30, senators will vote on passage.
AROUND THE HILL
The Senate will recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus luncheons. Both parties will hold a media availability at the Ohio Clock Corridor following the lunches.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) hold a press conference to announce the reintroduction of the "Keep Americans Safe Act" at 12:30 p.m. in SVC 201.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) hold a press conference announce the reintroduction of the FAMILY Act at 3:30 p.m. in HVC 200.
TRIVIA
MONDAY'S WINNER -- David DeAngelo was the first to correctly guess that the late Rep. John Dingell made his debut on the House floor in 1933 at the age of six, when his father was elected to Congress.

TODAY'S QUESTION -- From David: Who is the only member of Congress to vote against declaring war on Germany in WWI and Japan in WWII? First person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: mzanona@politico.com.

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