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12/01/2016 07:58 AM EDT


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

With assists from Kyle Cheney and Daniel Lippman

SO ABOUT THAT OBAMACARE REPEAL- Since Donald Trump's election, Republicans have been shouting from the rooftops that they'll finally be able to dismantle President Obama's signature domestic achievement, Obamacare. But now, as reality sets in, it's not as cut and dry as you think. While Republicans are setting up their own self-imposed deadline to roll back the healthcare law in early 2017, the effective date for that repeal might not kick in for as long as three years, Rachael and Burgess report this morning.

The GOP's big gamble: "They're crossing their fingers that the delay will help them get their own house in order, as well as pressure a handful of Senate Democrats - who would likely be needed to pass replacement legislation - to come onboard before the clock runs out and 20 million Americans lose their health insurance."

But finding a replacement for Obamacare is much harder: The replacement plan is likely to take on some of the principles outlined in House Speaker Paul Ryan's policy agenda earlier this year, they report. But some Senate Republicans are also talking about "avoiding a massive bill and moving the replacement legislation in chunks," a process that could take a long time. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105c800052794181c598f6e30526c79af216e27248ab5c0fbad

PELOSI PREVAILS BUT CHALLENGES AHEAD- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi won another term at the top of the Democratic Caucus Wednesday, but not before 63 of her members-one-third of the caucus-voted against her reelection. The campaign to keep her job, followed by Wednesday's tally, is a sign that even the Pelosi era can't last forever and one of her most valuable assets-the ability to keep her caucus in line, no matter what-is starting to wane, Bres and I report.

Pelosi said after the vote she felt "liberated" and dismissed the idea that the 63 votes against her were defections. But critics were also cheering, pointing to a range of leadership concessions Pelosi made to keep her caucus in her corner. "Our efforts were strong enough to make them start to try to figure out how do we put more people in leadership, how do we change this caucus? That's the win," Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Ryan backer, told Huddle. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c1058242c51990b388c70189781d4a2127265d84bb8edd7df7b0

And last night Pelosi announced even more changes aimed at staving off a potentially bitter fight over rules changes at today's caucus meeting. In a letter to colleagues, Pelosi announced she will back a push to make leaders of House Democrats' campaign arm, the DCCC, and their messaging wing, the DPCC, elected positions. Pelosi will also throw her weight behind plans to add new leadership spots, including two for junior members, the letter states.

One thing she wouldn't budge on? Calls from members to allow the heads of the powerful Steering and Policy panel, which picks committee assignments for lawmakers, to be elected by the caucus. Pelosi has nominated her allies, Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Eric Swalwell, to lead the committee next year. More on the changes she's backing: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c1056cce51c9353f416a5fe68599c6fe9fb7a5a77e6784577a24

With the DPCC chairmanships opened up, expect to hear more names than just the three Pelosi was poised to appoint (Reps. Cheri Bustos, Hakeem Jeffries and Matt Cartwright) vying for the posts. Reps. John Delaney and David Cicilline circulated letters before Thanksgiving trying to gin up support for their DPCC bids. And yesterday Rep. Steve Cohen announced he was running for one of the three spots too.

WELCOME TO THURSDAY, December 1. Thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED- My story with Bres on Pelosi's battle to stay on as Democratic leader.

TODAY IN CONGRESS- The House meets at 10 a.m. with first and last votes around 5 p.m. Today's legislative agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c1059236b11f64d0a049c9fb8d93f7175996286f342908a200b6 The Senate gavels in at 9:30 a.m. with a 1:45 p.m. vote on the Iran Sanctions Act.

AROUND THE HILL- House Democrats meet at 9 a.m. in HVC-215 to consider caucus rules. The member-elect room lottery kicks off at 10:30 a.m. in 2359 Rayburn. House Speaker Paul Ryan holds his weekly press briefing at 11:30 a.m. in HVC Studio A. Sens. Debbie Stabenow, Patty Murray and Ron Wyden discuss a push to require cabinet nominees to disclose their tax returns before confirmation hearings at 12 p.m. in the Senate studio. Sen. Chris Coons holds a 1:30 p.m. media call on the Iran Sanctions Act.

ENERGY AND COMMERCE GAVEL TO BE DECIDED- House Republicans decide today who will lead the Energy and Commerce Committee in the next Congress with current chairman Fred Upton term-limited in the post. Outgoing NRCC Chairman Greg Walden and Rep. John Shimkus have been battling for the position but Walden is favored to win.

TRANSITION WATCH- Outgoing Indiana Sen. Dan Coats is the latest lawmaker being eyed by President-elect Donald Trump for a position in his cabinet. Coats is under consideration to be the national director of intelligence, Alex Isenstadt reports. "Coats, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, met with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday at Trump Tower. Speaking to reporters afterward, he was coy about his intentions. 'I didn't come here to be asked to be considered for anything,' he said, according to a pool report." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105cc5ba2210723cffa893821acc1501fa7b2f1a6cdb23f1fb1

And House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling has turned down an offer to led the Office of Management and Budget in the Trump administration, Jake and Anna report in Playbook this morning: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c1057a616902bf9b2fcac43d31b79cb4da7089030ab17aa70250

JUST SOME BROS HANGING OUT- Sen. John Thune seemed to be having the time of his life Wednesday, hanging out with Shaq at the Capitol. (The basketball legend was on the Hill to advocate against drinking and driving.) Also, kudos to Thune for his A-plus dad joke in the Instagram caption. See the pic: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105f376a413d787e9b23c5586e0cec625186a8b92d3d03cd47a And VP-elect Mike Pence took some time away from his meetings on Capitol Hill to get a picture with Sen. Jerry Moran and Reince Priebus in front of a Christmas tree. Burgess with the pic: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105f1038afa6da956881dbedb00537f97db145763c621e04cb2

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM- South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is preparing a bill to extend "legal protections for previously undocumented immigrants who came here as children - benefits granted under a 2012 directive from President Barack Obama that are at risk with the incoming Trump administration," Seung Min reports. During the campaign Trump promised to revoke Obama's executive actions on immigration. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105b0997eb6d5068979c966a77b88dd8ed54b896a807ca4b3be

NEW DEM ELECTIONS TODAY- The New Dem Coalition meets this afternoon to pick its chairman for the next Congress. Running for the top job: Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes and Colorado Rep. Jared Polis.

THERE'S NO PLEASING PAUL- Sen. Rand Paul, a swing vote on the Foreign Relations Committee, doesn't seem to be too impressed with any of the folks Trump is considering to serve as secretary of state, including Mitt Romney. "Paul's main concern? Whether Romney is in line with Trump on opposing the Iraq War and regime change," Burgess reports. "The libertarian-leaning Paul is one of the most skeptical Republicans in Congress when it comes to military intervention. And while Paul believes that Trump 'gets it,' he's not sure about Romney." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105a8ff1b0396d2aecd69286e7d7bd65901f644ee5c84556684

RICHMOND TO LEAD CBC- Rep. Cedric Richmond will lead the Congressional Black Caucus next year, beating out the more senior Rep. Yvette Clarke for the top post. And the CBC, which clashed with Pelosi behind the scenes recently on proposed leadership changes, will have its largest membership in history with 49 lawmakers in the caucus during the next Congress. More from Roll Call's Rema Rahman: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c1051085246d5f28bcb646dd433bfc683de1eaefe92d44598933

CURES ON TRACK FOR PASSAGE- "The House overwhelmingly passed a far-reaching measure on Wednesday to increase funding for research into cancer and other diseases, address weaknesses in the nation's mental health systems and help combat the prescription drug addictions that have bedeviled nearly every state," Jennifer Steinhauer and Sabrina Tavernise report for the New York Times. The Senate is expected to pass the bill next week despite protests from Sen. Elizabeth Warren. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105d04072c604afb51d8681b5d320a385b5aa9eeebf2299e86b

THAT MAKES TWO- Sen. Mark Warner on Wednesday became the second senator from Virginia to recently rule out a run for the White House. (Sen. Tim Kaine ruled out any potential White House aspirations a few weeks ago.) Reid Epstein with the Wall Street Journal: "Warner, who as Virginia's governor in 2006 laid groundwork for a potential 2008 presidential campaign... said the time for him to be a national candidate has passed... 'I think that window is probably shut,' Mr. Warner said." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105e60c7741a0b192602092eb70555848116ac4ef3b932b1c2c

ARRIVAL LOUNGE- Matt Lahr, deputy chief of staff and communications director for retiring Sen. Dan Coats, is headed to work for Indiana Rep.-elect Jim Banks next year. Lahr will be his chief of staff. Banks also picked up Paul Lagemann, a regional director for Coats, to be his district director. The Journal Gazette with more on both hires: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105c35ea775d922154e4392e2c8be02277f90c8673dca7b24d1

Rep.-elect Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, has hired Jen Rae Wang as his Omaha-based deputy chief of staff. A veteran of Nebraska politics, Wang was the communications director for former Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman for eight years and helped lead Donald Trump's Nebraska operation.

Sen.-elect Catherine Cortez Masto is staffing up, bringing on Laura Erickson Hatalsky, former DSCC policy director, as her deputy chief of staff. She's also tapped Rey Benitez, a media advisor for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, as her communications director. The Las Vegas Review-Journal with more on Cortez Masto's hires: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b9969137cfd6c105e5c0936794db7523e6c1b5bab40a938a60725ab6444c566d

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER- Andrew Brennan was the first to guess that then-Rep. Robert Torricelli invited Donald Trump to testify before a House subcommittee on Indian gaming operations.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- The New York Times' Alex Burns provided the inspiration for today's question: If confirmed, Elaine Chao's nomination to lead the Transportation Department will make her the second person to serve as Labor secretary, DOT secretary and be married to the Senate majority leader. Who was the first?

The first person to correctly guess the answer to today's question gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle. Have your own Congress or D.C.-themed trivia questions you'd like to see in Huddle? Send them my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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