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01/30/2018 07:54 AM EDT


By Nolan D. McCaskill (nmccaskill@politico.com or @NolanDMcCaskill)

ALL EYES ON TRUMP TONIGHT \u2015 President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union (not Uniom) address before a joint session of Congress tonight, remarks that come amid an immigration impasse; stalled budget talks; a bitter partisan divide among members of the House Intelligence Committee; the abrupt departure of the deputy FBI director; the administration's decision not to impose sanctions against Russia; and the retirement announcement of yet another House Republican committee chair.

But soon after 9 p.m., that all goes away \u2015 at least temporarily \u2015 as the president begins what's expected to be a unifying address that touches on his first-year accomplishments, the economy, immigration, infrastructure and trade. "Of course, the president has demonstrated considerable unpredictability in his first year in office, straying from scripted speeches and creating headaches for his staff," Ayanna Alexander and Elizabeth Castillo report. "So whether he'll deviate on Tuesday remains to be seen."

Senate leaders have published pre-SOTU editorials. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says Trump "will have outstanding news to share" in his remarks because "our country is back on the right track and "the economy is finally gaining momentum." Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, says Democrats want to hear about "the need for a major, direct federal investment in infrastructure," a proposal the minority party could support.

Democrats, apparently, have a lot to say. While Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass) will give the official party response from his home state - and Virginia Del. Elizabeth Guzman will deliver the official Spanish-language response - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards will give responses of their own. But it's Trump's remarks that could raise money. Campaign donors can have their names flashed on-screen during a live stream on his campaign site.

Related reads: Everything you need to know about Trump's State of the Union: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263d49b10d4c6b69d8e7651541b1e99dcd0ca9bb24a062fbe2173b9d3b66a3be1b437a56f04b13c2f7a6 and five things to watch: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263d615986cf044273a4260d736d39986749dd210c41a15bddeba59d1ac2eae29777fa979a7409588b19

GOVERNMENT FUNDING RUNS OUT NEXT WEEK \u2015 Republicans and Democrats are doubtful they can reach a long-term budget deal by Feb. 8, when government funding is due to run out. "Party leaders are already pointing fingers at each other, a discouraging sign for the long-stalled talks that could lead to more short-term funding measures both parties loathe," Rachael and Burgess report. "Republicans say Democrats are divided over whether they can agree to a budget accord without a solution for Dreamers. Democrats, meanwhile, say Republicans are getting nervous about increasing defense and domestic spending by more than $100 billion."

Few lawmakers anticipate another government shutdown, but the calendar is unfavorable to striking a long-term deal by next week. Republicans will leave town for their annual retreat after the State of the Union, leaving little time to reach a solution. "To avoid a shutdown next week, House Republicans are privately talking about passing a one-month stopgap measure that will buy them more time to reach a budget and immigration accord," they write. "GOP leaders feel confident that they can win enough GOP votes in the House even if Democrats band together to vote against the stopgap bill." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263d5bae5573e34c4a1562ce99cd80b663fda8b59a4091969a7eaa7d331f85518af6aa6ca47a9f7d55ca

MCCONNELL, PELOSI SPAR OVER IMMIGRATION \u2015 McConnell blamed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) "irresponsible racial invective" on Monday for hobbling immigration negotiations with her rhetoric, an apparent response to Pelosi's assertion that the White House's immigration framework was part of Trump's "unmistakable campaign to make America white again." "Democrats have criticized Trump's package for including steps that would limit legal immigration and strengthen federal efforts to find and eject immigrants in the U.S. illegally," Alan Fram reports for The Associated Press.

"Conservatives have opposed it for proposing a pathway to citizenship for up to 1.8 million people who've been protected under the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA," he adds. A Pelosi spokesman said McConnell "is more offended by pointing out the administration's dog whistles than the hateful bigotry itself." What's more, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) conceded "we are not even close" to a DACA deal.

But wait: "Forget the stalemate over immigration and spending," Burgess writes. "Right now, Republicans are most worried about President Donald Trump's trade policy." Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263dd764a935057f50fe170929f1cea548b2aa26e746dbfa4e46b5fde95d5c3da69c357acf126e34f914

IT'S STATE OF THE UNION DAY! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Jan. 30.

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The glimpse of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) at the Grammys was by far the big winner.

HOUSE GOP INTEL COMMITTEE MEMBERS VOTE TO RELEASE MEMO \u2015 Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee voted last night to release a classified memo alleging misconduct by senior FBI officials involved in the Russia probe despite warnings from the Justice Department. Trump has five days to accept or object to the committee's request. "The memo has been a source of escalating partisan tension in Congress. Republicans argue it shows wrongdoing by FBI officials involved in surveillance of a Trump campaign aide, while Democrats say it mischaracterizes intelligence and is an attempt to distract from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election," Kyle
reports.

The panel voted to publish the document a day after sharing it with FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was nominated by the president to replace fired FBI Director James Comey. It's "a sign of the House GOP's growing suspicions toward the FBI - as well as the influence of Donald Trump's allies who wanted the memo made public," Kyle writes. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263de9f58e139d1d6f165eae011e66e151e4d8e1114fbd17f407baeb2efb6752ed0ad54375206475dd04

APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT \u2015 House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) will not seek a 13th term, he announced Monday, making him the eighth GOP chairman to forgo reelection. "In years past, Frelinghuysen's seat had been considered so safe that liberal filmmaker Michael Moore once attempted to get a ficus tree on the ballot against the congressman to protest the lack of competitive congressional races," Elena Schneider reports, noting that Frelinghuysen never won less than 58 percent of the vote. "But in 2018, he drew several Democratic challengers, including Mikie Sherrill, an attorney and Navy helicopter pilot who's found national support."

Three Democrats outraised Frelinghuysen in the third quarter, with each bringing in more money than any challenger Frelinghuysen has faced in 20-plus years. Potential GOP candidates include Assemblyman Jay Webber, state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, Assemblyman Anthony Bucco and attorney Rosemary Becchi. In the House, Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), Kay Granger (R-Texas) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said they plan to run for the chairmanship, assuming Republicans retain their majority. Other possible candidates for the potential chairmanship include Reps. John Culberson (R-Texas) and Tom Graves (R-Ga.). More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263da952b6d972b945519a6e8cbc7674b2af04e9d009b2671dfe45c6356f6f6e693fbb013be7316f0c68

Related: Edward-Isaac Dovere's new Off Message interview with NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers (R-Ohio): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263d712100aef3471d7f5ff92baa91637997ff90cd7f24660775f56cb5a2046d2f29a7d43b2c32660d41

HOUSE PASSES BILL ADDRESSING SEX ABUSE IN SPORTS \u2015 The House overwhelmingly passed a bill Monday that requires mandatory reporting of sexual abuse in amateur athletics to law enforcement and requires extensive training for coaches and others to prevent such abuse. "The bill differs slightly from a similar piece of legislation sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in the Senate. But Feinstein said in a statement she was hopeful that bipartisan support for the House bill could pass in the Senate as early as Tuesday," Elizabeth Castillo reports. "The bill follows the sentencing of Larry Nassar, the former national gymnastics team doctor who pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct and
was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263da23240a855c5ea40257356be90d8258457bed76813a176efd8e730888061b07d893db2886f92f8ef

ABORTION BAN BILL STALLS IN SENATE \u2015 A procedural vote on a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy failed in the Senate on Monday. Sixty votes were required, and it only got 51. The vote was designed to put pressure on red-state Democrats who are up for reelection. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) voted to advance the bill, while Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted to block the measure. "Anti-abortion advocates have made a priority of passing the 20-week ban, which is based on the premise that a fetus can feel pain at that point," Jennifer Haberkorn reports. "The bill passed the House, 237-189, in October." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263d61a96bbda8f57659e6bd095a58ea2d9922eb2a6e2f17a7dfc943e68a2d97a9c6e8bf09ecb7881afb

DNC CEO OUT \u2015 Less than a year into the job, DNC CEO Jess O'Connell told staff in an email Monday that she will leave the committee. Her departure "comes as the DNC works to rebuild under Chairman Tom Perez after years of neglect," Gabriel Debenedetti reports. "It had struggled to raise money in 2017, but invested in local races in recent months." O'Connell is expected to continue working through March, but Perez has already begun searching for her replacement. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ac0fa943256c263d8d785941e5ddf206dbc5c052a3862d80bbfe9a38e8a36eb9d07e7e24f4e137558b796c315ebbb277

SPOTTED: Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.), lobbyist Tom Quinn, Levick's Julie Chase and former professional sailor Bob Comstock having dinner together last night at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab.

MOVING UP AND MOVING ON - Kyle Glenn has been hired to serve as Rep. Dennis Ross' (R-Fla.) chief of staff. He previously served as Ross' deputy chief of staff and will transition into the role over the next few weeks. Timothy Cummings will serve as deputy chief of staff, in addition to his duties as legislative director.

Dean Peterson has been hired as Rep. Randy Hultgren's (R-Ill.) chief of staff. He most recently served as executive director of communications at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Chicago.

Christian Morgan has joined the federal lobbying team at Husch Blackwell Strategies after spending five years as Rep. Ann Wagner's (R-Mo.) chief of staff. Alexander Schenck has also joined HBS's lobbying team after serving as a legislative aide to Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House gavels in at 10 a.m. with first votes expected around 1:30 p.m. and last votes expected around 4 p.m. The chamber will recess no later than 5 p.m. and reconvene around 8:35 p.m. for the president's State of the Union address. The Senate meets at 10 a.m. and recesses from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for weekly caucus meetings. The chamber will vote to confirm judicial nominee David Ryan Stras' nomination at 2:15 p.m. before gathering in the Senate Chamber and proceeding to the House at 8:25 p.m. for the president's State of the Union address.

AROUND THE HILL - Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) will hold a news conference with sexual abuse survivors of former Olympics women's gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar to call for legislation requiring amateur athletics governing bodies to report sex-abuse allegations to law enforcement at 10:30 a.m. in 325 Russell.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will hold a media availability following a Republican Conference meeting at 10 a.m. in HC-8.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will hold his weekly pen and pad briefing at 11 a.m. in H-144.

Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) will hold a news conference to highlight the president's response to Hurricane Maria and the struggle Puerto Ricans still face at 11 a.m. in 234 Cannon.

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond (D-La.) and Reps. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) will hold a State of the Union pre-buttal news conference on the CBC's message for the president and American people at 11:30 a.m. in HVC-Studio B.

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) and others will hold a conference call briefing on President Donald Trump's border wall and how it would affect people, commerce and the environment at 12 p.m. The call-in number is 866-528-6930, and the password is "BORDER."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) will hold a news conference with House Democrats and a group of Dreamers to urge Republicans to bring a permanent legislative solution to protect Dreamers to the floor at 1:30 p.m. in HVC-215.

Senate Republican and Democratic leaders will hold separate press conferences after their weekly policy lunches starting around 2 p.m. in the Ohio Clock Corridor.

Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) will host a discussion to urge the Trump administration to "properly" recognize Black History Month and stop attacking civil rights at 2:15 p.m. in 1519 Longworth.

President Donald Trump will deliver the State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress at 9 p.m. in the House chamber.

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Logan Ferree was first to correctly guess that former Rep. Elizabeth Hawley Gasque (D-S.C.) is the longest-lived member of Congress. She lived to be 103.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Logan with today's question: The practice of having a Cabinet member not attend the State of the Union as a "designated survivor" in case of "calamity" dates back to the start of the Cold War, but the identity has not regularly been made public until the 1980s. Based on what is publicly known, only one person has been the official designated survivor twice. Who is it? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: nmccaskill@politico.com.

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