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05/18/2016 07:31 AM EDT


By Burgess Everett (@burgessev or beverett@politico.com)

YES WE KAINE? Democrats in the White House and around Clinton World believe Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine would make a fine vice president. But the question being asked now is: Can he be the attack dog that Clinton needs? "'He is really able to fillet you before you realize it, and before you know it, you're on the grill. And all done with a smile,' said his longtime media consultant David Eichenbaum. Others aren't as convinced, especially in a news cycle dominated by Trump, Trump and Trump. 'He would have been a great candidate for president, and I think he'll make a fantastic VP,' said a top official who worked with Kaine when he was Democratic National Committee chair. 'What he's not is an
attack dog. He never enjoyed that part of the gig as chair of the party. It's not his natural disposition,'" writes Edward-Isaac Dovere.

And what does the senator say? A perfectly diplomatic answer that shows he's interested, humbled by the chatter and keeping his head down on his Senate work. "People have to have something to talk about," Kaine told Isaac. "I was speculated [about] eight years ago, and it never seemed that real to me, and I don't feel that different about it now. It doesn't seem that real to me." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c3979b549e6017863d9282e39f574db08d1c81e3e58cb864bd

Complex calculus: If Kaine were on the ticket and won, Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe would pick his replacement. No dice for Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who would have his successor picked by GOP Gov. John Kasich. On MSNBC, Brown said this "bothers" him: "I've not been asked by Hillary's campaign to talk about this. I know they're looking at people, but my interest all along has been staying in the Senate and fighting for the issues that you talk about on your show." Nick Gass with the write up: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c3e474d2406d562703ace8a6dc98434f34968ea5d05fbcb80d

SENATE APPROVES ZIKA FUNDING: The bipartisan compromise hammered out by Sens. Patty Murray and Roy Blunt passed the chamber on Tuesday by a fairly strong 68-29 vote. But the House is looking at a far different plan -- and "the White House issued a veto threat against [their] bill introduced this week that would provide $622 million, a figure the White House called 'woefully inadequate' to fight the rapidly spreading virus that can cause serious birth defects in newborns." Where things go from here are a matter of debate. CNN's Ted Barrett: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c36474a9e260666bcc53070e1d223be5deb069b3d8d2b0cff8

Conditional veto: Sen. Susan Collins office wrote in to clarify that the White House's veto threat of the Senate's THUD bill that Zika funding is now attached to is just a warning to keep off controversial amendments. So, smooth sailing for now.

Another view: A former Senate GOP leadership wrote into Huddle to predict that, once again, the Senate is jamming the House. "This is the majority leader setting up a test vote on Zika to show what the Senate can pass. The Senate, when functioning properly, does this all the time. It's really the opening gambit in a negotiation. Once they've laid out a position, it'll give the House something to react to, or, if the House does send over a smaller bill, it'll expedite the process of amending that bill and sending it back to them. A strong Senate vote can help box the House in and drive them towards an ultimate compromise solution."

PUSHING FORWARD: The Senate also shrugged off a veto threat on a bill that would allow 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The Hill: "'This bill is very near and dear to my heart as a New Yorker because it would allow the victims of 9/11 to pursue some small measure of justice,' Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. '[This is] another example of the [John] Cornyn-Schumer collaboration, which works pretty well around here.' ... Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he and Schumer are talking with leadership in both parties to get an "expedited" vote on the bill in the House." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c32c7bad937530ed649dd93322f9233f23afe5192aabb6948f

@ericawerner: The Senate is suddenly a hotbed of activity, passing Zika funding, confirming Army secretary, passing bill on 9/11 suits. All in one day!

@StewSays: Normal day in the new #Senate. #BackToWork

EXCEPT FOR THAT SCOTUS THING: Seung Min and I take a look at the dwindling options Senate Democrats have for Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, who is facing an obstructive blockade directly at odds with the "Back to Work" message. "Merrick Garland's highly anticipated Supreme Court nominee questionnaire - unsolicited by Republicans - came and went last week without making a major splash. Millions of dollars have been spent on ads, with little movement on either side. Now, Senate Democrats will hold a forum Wednesday, featuring proxies for Garland, but that may be the closest the chamber gets to a confirmation hearing for him before November."

Chill, it's working! In our conversations with top Democrats, it's all about patience. The Supreme Court obstruction is going to define the GOP Senate, they say, like Obamacare's botched launch tarred the last Democratic Senate. The movement won't come at the Capitol, they say, but in the states where purple-state Republicans are under pressure. "It's working. They're doing nothing [in Washington]; that is not where to look at it," one Democratic senator said. "Go look at the states. And [the political damage] will not happen until July or September so we're just going to keep focusing attention on it." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c334b299778c5bd1cd7587b6cc3e25e770fee62b8cb94ce136

Good morning, Congress watchers. And welcome to the Huddle, your play-by-play guide to everything Capitol Hill, where you won't find Ted Cruz as he takes some time off with his family (More here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c3992c5d01477dda6b7fef6e94a41f3d81249db5f3ca8dd956 Please send tips to beverett@politico.com and follow along on Twitter @burgessev.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House is in at 10 a.m. to work on NDAA with first votes scheduled around 2 p.m. and last votes scheduled at the dreaded "TBD." The Senate is in at 9:30 a.m. and will continue working on THUD/MilCon appropriations.

** A message from American Society of Anesthesiologists(R): Removing physician anesthesiologists from Veterans' surgical teams would "directly compromise patient safety and limit our ability to provide quality care to Veterans." Over 200 VA Chiefs of Anesthesiology and physician anesthesiologists, October 2015. Protect Safe VA Care. Vets earned it and deserve it. Visit www.safevacare.org. **

AROUND THE HILL - At 9:30 a.m., Rep. Luis Gutierrez leads a news conference at 234 Rayburn on the Central American refugees. At 10 a.m., Sen. Mazie Hirono meets with Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in Hart 330 and across the Capitol at Cannon 210 Reps. Bobby Scott and Joe Kennedy announce introduction of the Do No Harm Act. At 11 a.m., House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Orrin Hatch talk about manufacturing at H 230.

At 11:30 a.m., Senate Democrats hold a forum on Garland's qualifications at Dirksen 562. At 1 p.m., Rep. Chris Gibson joins veterans groups on the House Triangle to discuss Agent Orange legislation. At 2 p.m., Sen. Tom Udall will meet with Garland at Hart 531. At 3:30 p.m. on the House Triangle, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Blake Farenthold discuss the FAIR Act. And at 4 p.m., Sen. Chris Murphy meets with Garland at Hart 136.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Ken Vogel's story on the Koch network dropping 30 bills on Senate races.

DRIVING THE MORNING: POLITICO's Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen and POLITICO Energy Reporter Darius Dixon take Playbook live for a conversation about policy, politics, and the news of the day with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. GO NOW TO THE W HOTEL or peep the live stream at approx. 8 a.m.: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c31536040509660dd2e903a8b6f1f4b7fd4d5561bb21b9fe5f

ABOUT LAST NIGHT -- Oregon: Bernie Sanders 54.5 percent, Hillary Clinton 45.5 percent with 75 percent reporting.

Kentucky: Clinton 46.8 percent, Sanders 46.3 percent, 99 percent with 99 percent reporting.

A JOYLESS PLOD: "It's not that [Clinton] needed the delegates. The result simply ensured that the likely Democratic nominee wouldn't lose the two states voting Tuesday, which would have opened her up to weeks of second-guessing and nit-picking from Democrats concerned about her inability to put Sanders away ... there are few signs that the party is ready to fully unite behind its frontrunner: In the wake of Nevada's chaotic state Democratic convention Saturday and the ensuing sniping between the Sanders camp and the Democratic establishment, the prospect of a messy national convention in July is no longer unthinkable." Gabriel Debenedetti: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c335be84d08838932162e2fe9f90f393e0bd19895283ca9f4b

INCUMBENTS KEEP WINNING: Last night's congressional primary results brought no shock losses, and Rep. Chaka Fattah is still the only incumbent to drop a primary race. James Comer, who lost a gubernatorial race in Kentucky last year, won the GOP nomination to replace Rep. Ed Whitfield. And Jim Gray, the mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, is now the Democratic nominee to take on Rand Paul.

BACK TO THE HILL -- Senate lookahead: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he aims to finish NDAA before Memorial Day then turn to defense appropriations afterward. That would get the Senate one-third of the way on approps by early-to-mid June if all goes well.

NRCC YOU NEXT YEAR? The buzz about the next NRCC Chairman is centering on Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers, Jake and Rachael Bade report. "Reps. Roger Williams of Texas and [Stivers] are the two announced contenders for the top slot at the campaign committee, but GOP insiders give Stivers - who has been in NRCC leadership for the past several years - the edge. 'I have started having great meetings with folks and feel really good about it,' Stivers said in an exclusive interview with POLITICO. 'The things that set me apart and make me the right candidate are No. 1, I am prepared; No. 2, my energy level; and No. 3, the temperament I have.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c38f6cba1a5ebe687f6a4980d1bb07cef13b247d8e5b1dbc10

WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH CONGRESS: The lede from Aaron Davis says it all: "A congressional committee on Tuesday nullified a ballot measure passed by District voters and then declared that D.C. can never spend local tax dollars without congressional approval." The House Oversight Committee is moving to block D.C.'s budget autonomy that was even more popular than the recreational marijuana legalization legislation that passed in 2014. The House could vote on it next week. WaPo: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c33cd4bd23d93f55675bd607b92d4f38dc00f6c7ed58f6b458

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Logan Ferree was the first to answer that while William McKinley in 1896 won a plurality in Kentucky, it was Herbert Hoover in 1928 who first won a majority in Kentucky. Mitch McConnell was one of the few others to get the answer.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Logan has today's question: Which was the first state to incorporate the Confederate battle flag into their state flag, and what was the year? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at beverett@politico.com

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says "Sign Up." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d74731897fbe59c3e1748dd617f49806fc845d828f5a94cfc194f6d8c20c33f7

** A message from American Society of Anesthesiologists(R): Protect Safe VA Care. Join the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Veterans, physician anesthesiologists and VA Chiefs of Anesthesiology in opposing VA's proposed policy to remove physician anesthesiologists from Veterans' surgical teams abandoning a proven model of care where physician anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists work together to provide high-quality, safe anesthesia. There's no shortage of physician anesthesiologists in VA - this change isn't needed to improve access to anesthesia. VA's own internal review concluded current information doesn't support the proposed nurse-only model of anesthesia care as safe for
Veterans and key studies "do not provide any guidance on how to assign patients for management by a solo CRNA [nurse anesthetist], or whether more complex surgeries can be safely managed by CRNAs, particularly in small or isolated VA hospitals where preoperative and postoperative health system factors may be less than optimal."

Protect Safe VA Care. Vets earned it and deserve it. Visit www.safevacare.org. **

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