$1.9T ‘TIL INFINITY: Senate Democrats are on the verge of passing President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, with GOP leaders urging their members to unanimously oppose it. But Republicans are still debating how painful to make things for Democrats.
The Senate GOP is discussing whether to drag out the “vote-a-rama” of unlimited amendments overnight, likely on Thursday.
“I’m hoping for infinity. There are people talking about trying to set up a schedule and having it go on and on,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
He said some in his party want to go all night overnight and keep adding amendments, while he has suggested to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to spread the pain over two days. Of course his preference is that the debate literally never ends: “I don’t really want it to pass, so infinity would be a good answer.”
WELCOME TO SPLITSVILLE: If Senate Republicans are from Mars, then House Republicans are from Venus. Okay, not really, but the post-Trump GOP has no doubt illuminated a growing divide among Republicans who hail from opposite ends of the Capitol.
In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has cut off communication with Trump, Republicans are standing behind their incumbents at all costs, and the GOP is even open to a bipartisan deal on the minimum wage. “It's important that we not be a personality-based party,” said Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.).
But in the House, it’s still all about loyalty to Trump. Mar-a-Lago trips have become a rite of passage among GOP leaders, incumbents are left to fend for themselves, and there’s little appetite for increasing the hourly minimum wage at the federal level. “Our more liberal, establishment brethren in the Senate have not been faring very well,” said Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), who is mulling a Senate run in Alabama and led challenges to the election on Jan. 6. “Those were the only ones that lost in 2020.”
Much more on the House-Senate GOP split screen, from Burgess and Mel:
http://politi.co/30ltBtz
HERE COMES A HURDLE: Senate Democrats have a key policy disagreement to resolve with moderates making a last-minute push to cut a weekly federal unemployment bonus from $400 to $300 (and extending the money for a longer period of time). Privately, other Democratic senators are indicating this effort will fail.
Biden in a private phone call on Tuesday impressed upon Senate Dems to put aside their disagreements and pass his Covid relief bill quickly in its current form, which they are aiming to pass this week.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) said there’s a chance that changes could be made but “if I was gonna bet” it would be “on the $400 rate surviving.”
Marianne, Caitlin Emma, and Burgess report:
http://politi.co/3kDbSqC
Related Read: Transit, bridge funds knocked out as Senate takes up aid bill, by Roll Call’s David Lerman and Lindsey McPherson:
http://bit.ly/30a9myB
FILIBUSTER-BUSTERS: Count House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) as part of the growing group of Democrats pushing to end the Senate filibuster. In two separate press appearances, the Maryland Democrat lamented that the 60-vote threshold is holding back the Democratic agenda. “I personally believe the filibuster is an undemocratic aspect of the United States Senate. At some point in time, the majority ought to be able to rule,” Hoyer said.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn — who was already in favor of nixing the filibuster — also delivered a powerful argument against the procedural tactic. Clyburn (R-S.C.) recalled that 60 years ago to the day on Tuesday, he had been arrested, alongside hundreds, at a sit-in protest in his home state of South Carolina.
"Nobody thought that day that one of those little 20 year olds arrested on that day would be standing here today. We are not going to give up on this,” Clyburn said of the party’s priorities. "We’re not going to just give in to these arcane methods of denying progress.”
Meanwhile, Hoyer is confident that the House
would pass the coronavirus relief package when it comes back across the Capitol early next week, telling reporters: “It's going to pass.”
“I cannot believe that the people who voted to send it to the Senate will not also vote to pass it and send it to the President for his signature,” Hoyer said. If the minimum wage provision is stripped out, Hoyer said the House would vote on a standalone version of that wage hike “in the near future” and keep pushing.
On timing: Hoyer said he expects the House to vote as soon as Monday on the bill, which he says the Senate will pass Friday or Saturday.
PROXY PROBLEMZ: A lively debate over proxy voting unfolded during yesterday’s House GOP conference meeting, multiple sources told Mel and your Huddle host.
It all started when Texas Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called out fellow Republicans for using the voting mechanism in order to skip floor votes and attend CPAC in Orlando last week. He argued that the House GOP — which is actively challenging proxy voting in court — needs to practice what it preaches. And House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also sided with Roy on this one, we’re told.
But, but, but … Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), while he is opposed to the idea of proxy voting, argued during the meeting that Republicans are putting themselves at a disadvantage if they don’t use the system, especially with such a slim Democratic majority in the House and a floor schedule that often changes during the pandemic. “You’ve got to use it to your advantage,” he said afterwards. “We’re getting rolled.”
And more broadly, it looks like the GOP’s desire to fight proxy voting is significantly waning. Now, there are just 21 Republicans left on the lawsuit — down from 160 GOP plaintiffs when it was initially filed last May. (Twenty-seven of those members have since left Congress.)
The latest on the proxy drama:
http://politi.co/3rogsMd
Related: Ambitious Republicans’ dance: Embrace Trump, but don’t try to be him, by NYT’s Elaina Plott:
http://nyti.ms/380Kw8T
STILL WAITING: The Biden administration still hasn't briefed top senators on its Syria strike.
But earlier Tuesday, the White House briefed Senate aides on Biden’s rationale and legal justification for launching retaliatory strikes on Iranian-backed military installations.
As Andrew reports: “Administration officials have yet to brief senators directly, so Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sat in on the staff-level session so that he could hear from the Biden team himself. He wasn’t happy with what he heard.” More here from Andrew:
https://politi.co/3qcn7HR
UPDATES:
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First on CNN: Rep. Ronny Jackson made sexual comments, drank alcohol and took Ambien while working as White House physician, Pentagon watchdog finds:
http://cnn.it/2Pl0KTG
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House fight for Trump's financial records poised to stretch into the summer, Kyle reports:
http://politi.co/3sGQaVy
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Donors gave a House candidate more than $8 million, but a single firm took nearly half of it, by WaPo’s Meagan Flynn and Michael Scherer:
http://wapo.st/384BtUs
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Former Kansas Rep. Steve Watkins has entered into a diversion agreement to avoid prosecution in his voter fraud case, by The Kansas City Star’s Bryan Lowry:
http://bit.ly/2Of6Owv
-Katrina Pierson will not run in the Texas Sixth District special election, but she isn’t ruling out a Congressional run.
CABINET CORNER:
Today:
The Senate Finance Committee will
consider the nominations of Xavier Becerra to lead HHS, Katherine Tai to lead USTR and Adewale Adeyemo to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.
Updates:
Moving Up: The Senate Intelligence Committee
unanimously approved William Burns’ nomination to be Biden’s next CIA chief. Next up? A full floor vote where he is expected to win confirmation.
Confirmed: In a 95-4 vote, the Senate
confirmed Cecilia Rouse to lead the White House Council of Economic Advisers. She is the first Black person to serve in this role since its creation 74 years ago.
Confirmed: The Senate also
confirmed Gina Raimondo as Biden’s secretary of Commerce in a 84-15 vote.
TRANSITIONS
Rick VanMeter has launched Prevail Communications. He previously was comms director for Senate Commerce Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and is an Andy Barr, Adrian Smith and Geoff Davis alum.
Alexandra Menardy is leaving the personal staff of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), where she’s worked on aviation and energy policy for the last four years, and joining the professional staff of the aviation subcommittee he chairs.
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. First votes predicted between noon and 1:30 p.m. and the last votes predicted between 6 p.m.-8:15 p.m.
The Senate convenes at noon.
AROUND THE HILL
9 a.m.: Join Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Eugene Daniels for a conversation with Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), NRCC chairman, to discuss his strategy for the 2022 midterm elections, Trump's role in the party and continued fallout from the Jan. 6 insurrection. Register to
watch live here.
10 a.m.: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch will have a hearing on the U.S. Capitol Police FY 2022 Budget featuring Acting U.S. Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman.
10 a.m.: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Rules and Administration Committee are having a joint hearing to examine the Capitol attack featuring officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Defense and the National Guard.
1 p.m.: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Sarbanes (R-Md.), Democracy Reform Task Force Chair, and House Democrats will hold a press event on H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021 on the House East Front Steps.
3:30 p.m.: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Ct.) and economist Heather Boushey will hold a virtual press event on the American Rescue Plan.
5 p.m.: Biden will speak to House Democrats during their issues conference.
