(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
THE ROGERS REPORT: THE 1-PENNY SEQUESTRATION SOLUTION – “Washington is in a swivet these days over across-the-board cuts March 1 that threaten to wreak havoc with domestic agencies and military readiness. But the reality is that if every American were to get one penny less on each dollar of government benefits and pay one penny more on each dollar of taxes, the budget improvement would be almost the same,” David Rogers writes for the hometown paper. Indeed, based on new estimates this week, just a 1 percent increase in revenues and a 1 percent cut in spending would add up to more than $ 800 billion over 10 years — roughly the same as the almost $ 790 billion in appropriations cuts in the March sequester.
– “Old budget hands hate such simplistic formulas. But does one across-the-board approach deserve another? And could the March sequester be replaced by such an alternative that would spread the pain more broadly and reduce the disruptions?” http://politi.co/11tF1Jv
DEMS PLOT PLAN TO WIN SEQUESTRATION WAR – POLITICO’s Manu Raju reports: “Senate Democrats are digging in against Republican calls for deeper spending cuts by bringing out some of their favorite punching bags: corporate jets, Wall Street and Big Oil. With the automatic budget cuts in the sequester coming up next month, Democrats hope to vote on an alternative plan to raise taxes on some of their favorite boogeymen in hopes of shifting the blame when the GOP inevitably rejects it. Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington, Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana and Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski of Maryland met Thursday to map out their options and plan their public rollout.
– “The Democratic public pressure campaign is expected to begin in earnest next week, starting with President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday and a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing expected Thursday at which senior administration officials will most likely sound the alarm that so-called sequestration cuts would devastate the economy. … Democrats are leaning toward a plan that would be split 50-50 between spending cuts and tax hikes, financed in large part by new taxes on corporate and wealthy taxpayers.” http://politi.co/11tF1sT
– Democrats are confident the GOP will get the blame if the cuts take effect, so much so they’re already eyeing at least 10 Republican-held House seats with strong military connections from Florida to California to target in 2014, POLITICO’s Darren Samuelsohn reports.” http://politi.co/XViFtK
Washington Post, A1, “Brennan defends drone policies … Heated exchange won’t derail confirmation,” By Greg Miller: “A Senate hearing on the nomination of John O. Brennan to serve as CIA director exposed deep skepticism of key aspects of the Obama administration’s approach to fighting terrorism, including its unprecedented reliance on targeted killing and the secrecy it maintains around the exercise of that lethal power. Brennan, who served as the White House’s top counterterrorism adviser for the past four years, was challenged in often blunt terms to explain why under President Obama the number of drone strikes has soared while captures of terrorism suspects have dwindled to single digits. He was prodded to defend the administration’s refusal to provide basic information, including the death toll in drone strikes, and was asked to square his assertion that he opposed the CIA’s use of brutal interrogation measures with not trying to stop them while he was in the agency’s leadership ranks during the George W. Bush administration.
–“The hearing was one of the most heated sessions for a CIA nominee over the past decade … Brennan delivered a confident and at times combative defense of his record and the administration’s decisions, and emerged from the session on course to be confirmed for the CIA job, perhaps as early as next week. But Brennan, whose opening remarks were interrupted repeatedly by protesters in the audience, also expressed dismay with the way the administration’s actions have been perceived. Defending the drone campaign, he said, ‘We only take such actions as a last resort, to save lives when there is no other alternative.’” http://wapo.st/XrlwL3
– Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein was forced to clear the hearing room after protesters disrupted Brennan’s opening remarks five separate times: http://bit.ly/XZ9GpI
– POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein offers four takeaways from Brennan’s grilling Thursday: 1) Senators were looking for a piñata. 2) Drones are here to stay. 3) The campaign is over, but attacking Obama for leaks is not. 4) Torture remains bitter topic. Read his piece here: http://politi.co/11txiLp
LEAHY, GRASSLEY QUESTION W.H. ON TARGETED KILLINGS – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to share any legal memos on the targeted killings of Americans abroad. The Senators’ bipartisan request came one day after the Administration’s decision to share classified legal opinions justifying the president’s ability to authorize the targeted killings of American citizens with the Senate and House Intelligence committees.
– “The deliberate killing of a United States citizen pursuant to a targeted operation authorized or aided by our Government raises significant constitutional and legal concerns that fall squarely within the jurisdiction of the Committee,” Leahy and Grassley wrote. “Given the important constitutional issues implicated by the targeted killing of U.S. citizens by our Government, and given our Committee’s jurisdiction over these issues and the Department, we respectfully request that you direct the Department to promptly provide our Committee with access to unredacted copies of any and all legal opinions drafted by OLC that pertain to the targeted killing of U.S. citizens abroad.” Read the letter here: http://1.usa.gov/14Hwi4k
MENENDEZ DONOR PROBED FOR BILLING MEDICARE FOR TREATMENTS PATIENTS DIDN’T NEED – Jay Weaver and Marc Caputo write on A1 of the Miami Herald: “A South Florida eye surgeon who’s a friend of a U.S. senator is under federal criminal investigation for billing Medicare millions of dollars to treat elderly patients for services they may not have needed, The Miami Herald has learned. Federal agents began investigating Dr. Salomon Melgen last year, sources say, after investigators suspected he overbilled the taxpayer-funded health program by overprescribing a high-priced drug called Lucentis, which is injected into patients’ eyes. Several sources familiar with the doctor’s practice said he used the drug, which costs $ 2,000 a vial, to treat patients with macular degeneration more than any other ophthalmologist in Florida and possibly the country. His high patient volume also raised red flags for investigators, the sources said. …
– “Melgen, whose lawyers have denied any wrongdoing, finds himself in the middle of two federal investigations: His Vitreo-Retinal eye clinics in West Palm Beach and two other South Florida sites were raided last week by agents with the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services, who are investigating possible Medicare fraud. A separate FBI investigation revolves around the doctor’s relationship with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and the trips they took on his private plane to Melgen’s villa at a resort in the Dominican Republic. Melgen donated more than $ 750,000 last year to Menendez’s reelection campaign and other political committees and candidates.” http://hrld.us/V3uWh6 Front-page image: http://bit.ly/Yfc64h
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GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 8, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
My new followers include but are not limited to @RobColeDC and @CWoodyKF.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – Both the House and Senate are out today. The Senate is back at 2 p.m. Monday and will vote at 5:30 p.m. on a series of amendments to the Violence Against Women Act. A vote on final passage could come as early as Monday night.
OFF THE HILL – At 11 a.m., Sen. Ben Cardin, a member of the Finance committee, will hold a town hall with employees at the National Institutes of Health headquarters in Bethesda, Md.
McCAIN: THE GRAND INQUISITOR – Jonathan Allen reports for POLITICO: “It usually takes a lot to rattle the Pentagon’s top brass, but John McCain’s got a knack for doing just that. Since returning to the Senate after his failed 2008 presidential bid, McCain has settled into the role of his party’s chief inquisitor on military issues and foreign affairs, a position that has given him new life as an informal leader among his GOP colleagues. Never has that status been more evident than in his aggressive questioning at three recent hearings on the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks on America’s consulate in Benghazi and a nearby U.S. facility. On Thursday Martin Dempsey, the highest-ranking military officer in the land, found just how deep McCain’s frustration runs the hard way at an Armed Services Committee hearing on the assault, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.” http://politi.co/XVizlZ
OBAMA BLOCKED REBEL ARMS – Adam Entous writes the A1 lead for the Wall Street Journal: A proposal to arm Syrian rebels was backed by the Pentagon, the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency, but the White House decided not to act on the plan. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed publicly for the first time at a Senate hearing on Thursday that they supported the proposal last year by senior officials including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-CIA director David Petraeus. The officials came to favor the plan last year with the meltdown of an international diplomatic initiative to end the Syrian civil war, according to current and former officials involved in the deliberations. The White House stalled the proposal because of lingering questions about which rebels could be trusted with the arms, whether the transfers would make a difference in the campaign to remove Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and whether the weapons would add to the suffering, the U.S. officials said.” http://on.wsj.com/YJifaW
HOUSE DEMS NEW REALITY: THEY MATTER – Jeremy Peters reports for the New York Times from the retreat in Leesburg, Va.: “After more than two trying years in the political wilderness, House Democrats who gathered here for their annual retreat are starting to appreciate a new political reality that few of them expected: They matter. It is one of the more notable aspects of the current House of Representatives, which is still controlled by Republicans and more deeply partisan than ever. With Democrats now in control of 200 seats, a handful more than they had in the last Congress, and Republicans often sharply split on big issues like spending and taxes, Democratic votes have been decisive in getting major legislation through the House. Other issues that are equally threatening to Republican unity like gun laws and immigration changes will likely be on the agenda early this year, giving Democrats what they hope will be an even bigger opportunity to play a pivotal role both in shaping legislation and in deciding its fate.
– “So far this year, two major bills — the multibillion dollar Hurricane Sandy aid package and the fiscal compromise that let tax rates on high-earners rise — have made it through the House without a majority of Republicans voting yes. That left Democrats as the ones who provided the needed votes.” http://nyti.ms/UJoMVP
And POLITICO’s Kate Nocera reports that Democrats are fully embracing Obama: “At their retreat in Leesburg, Va., this week, lawmakers positively beamed while listening to President Barack Obama speak on Thursday, erupting into applause and snapping photos with their iPhones. In fact, Obama told them, if House Democrats stick with him, he expects ‘Nancy Pelosi to be speaker again.’ That’s a long way up for a party that was depressed and downtrodden — and is still in the minority after devastating losses in the 2010 elections. Judging by their enthusiasm at the retreat this week, it seems hard to remember the Democrats of two years ago, who viewed Obama as something of a dead weight on their reelection chances.” http://politi.co/11tF08c
– Pelosi will interview comedian Stephen Colbert today at the retreat, while President Bill Clinton will also address House Democrats, The Hill’s Russell Berman reports: http://bit.ly/YJminO
CONGRESS MEMBERS’ KIDS BEHAVING BADLY – Alex Isenstadt reports for POLITICO: “The cases sound like the blotter entries at a busy police station: Assault. Drug possession. DUI. Breaking and entering. Carrying a weapon. Except the alleged perpetrators aren’t your typical troublemakers — they’re the children of members of Congress. One after another in recent weeks has been posing for a mug shot, generating embarrassing headlines and causing their prominent parents plenty of heartburn. In December, Patrick Moran, the 23-year-old son of Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), was arrested outside a Washington bar for allegedly slamming his girlfriend’s head into a metal trash can after she confronted him for talking to another woman. … Last month came news of another alleged assault: William Paul, the 19-year-old son of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), was arrested for allegedly using physical force with a female flight attendant. … Next up was the son of Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), James Barrow. Cops found a small amount of marijuana in his car when he was pulled over for speeding. …
– “Lots of parents toss and turn at night, worrying that their kids’ rebellious behavior might cross the line to something worse. As it turns out, members of Congress are no different. … The rash of recent headlines shines a harsh spotlight inside the political fishbowl — a place where an embarrassing incident that for most families would remain private turns public in a flash.” http://politi.co/XaOIIf
LABRADOR SACKS SPOX AFTER NAUGHTY TWEET – The Idaho Statesman reports: “Immediately deleted: The tweet, ‘Me likey Broke Girls,’ was deleted after 14 seconds. But that was long enough for Phil Hardy to lose his job as Rep. Raul Labrador’s spokesman. Super Bowl ad: The tweet followed a CBS promo featuring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, the stars of ‘2 Broke Girls,’ pole-dancing in revealing clothing. The Idaho Republican’s office apologized Monday, saying Hardy mistakenly used Labrador’s Twitter account. Heavy metal background: Hardy worked in the music industry before coming to Idaho. A Labrador aide confirmed the firing, but neither the congressman nor Hardy could be reached for comment.” http://bit.ly/V3xP1u
SNEED: JACKSON JR. PLEA DEAL OFFER INCLUDES ‘SIGNIFICANT JAIL TIME’ – Michael Sneed writes for the Chicago Sun-Times: “Sneed has learned a plea deal is now on the table between former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and federal authorities probing allegations of campaign fund misuse. Sneed is told the plea deal includes Jackson serving time in federal prison. ‘Significant jail time is now definitely a part of the deal,’ said a top Sneed source close to the probe. ‘But I think [Jackson’s wife] Sandi, feels like she was thrown under the bus by her husband,’ now that a separate probe has begun on her, a second source added. Sandi Jackson claims she was stunned by campaign finance abuse disclosures against her husband, who has been treated for mental disorders and allegedly spent $ 40,000 on a Rolex watch purchased with campaign funds. This disclosure follows in the wake of an exclusive report Tuesday by Sneed and Sun-Times political reporter Natasha Korecki, revealing the feds’ financial probe of the once-politically powerful Jackson couple has evolved into two separate investigations, with federal authorities now taking an independent look at former Ald. Sandi Jackson.” http://bit.ly/XsBZgh
SCHUMER: WORKHORSE, SHOW HORSE – Todd Purdum profiles the New York Democrat in Vanity Fair: “In the circus that is the United States Senate, there have always been two kinds of horses, work and show. Like Dr. Dolittle’s pushmi-pullyu, Chuck Schumer is that rarest of two-headed breeds: he is both a show horse and a workhorse. That’s never been a secret to the New Yorkers who’ve followed his career with care (and occasional exhaustion) for more than 30 years now. But it’s become especially apparent in recent weeks as Schumer has emerged as a key figure on the national stage on two of the biggest legislative issues bedeviling Washington and the country: guns and immigration.
– “In the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings, Schumer reached out to Senate colleagues of both parties who have been strong advocates of gun rights—including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Mark Kirk of Illinois—to see if there isn’t room for compromise on questions such as tighter background checks, limits on magazine size, or closing the loophole that allows weapons to be sold at gun shows without a criminal background check. Details of their negotiations have been scant, but the mere fact that they are talking is a near miracle. … It’s easy to mock Schumer. He’s the world’s biggest publicity hound, famous for chewing through press secretaries. A standing joke in Washington: What’s the most dangerous place on Capitol Hill? Between Chuck Schumer and a television camera. He is an observant Jew but hardly an exponent of that maxim from the Book of Ecclesiastes, the one about “a time to keep silence.” He is serially monomaniacal, waking each day freshly appalled by some new outrage and vowing to do something—anything—about it. ‘Inaction is perhaps the greatest mistake of all,’ he once said, and he meant it.” http://vnty.fr/VL4Cef
‘BLOOD FEUD’: BACA SEEKS REVENGE IN 2014 – Kyle Trygstad reports for Roll Call: “The first congressional grudge match of the 2014 cycle has launched in California’s Inland Empire. Redistricting, ambition and dynasty politics laid the groundwork there last year for the unceremonious end to former Rep. Joe Baca’s two-decade reign. His fellow California Democrat, freshman Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod, took advantage of a new top-two primary system and a redrawn district to defeat the six-term incumbent by a remarkable 12 points. But to the surprise of few, the ambitious Baca wants back in, adding a new chapter to what some local observers have dubbed a ‘blood feud’ between the two politicos. Baca, one of seven California incumbents to lose in 2012, blamed his defeat in the vast exurbs east of Los Angeles on $ 3.3 million in outside spending. In the final weeks of the campaign, a super PAC controlled by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched the multimillion-dollar campaign targeting Baca’s conservative record on gun control.” http://bit.ly/VL5PT4
GOP STATE REP. JUMPS INTO MASS. SENATE RACE – Bob Salsberg writes for the AP: “Massachusetts Rep. Daniel Winslow said Thursday he would run in the upcoming special election for the U.S. Senate, giving Republicans a candidate for the seat after former Sen. Scott Brown and other high-profile party members declined to enter the race. Winslow, a one-time judge who served as chief legal counsel in the administration of former Gov. Mitt Romney, announced his decision in a letter to supporters and GOP activists. He said the next two years represent the ‘last, best opportunity’ to fix a ‘runaway federal deficit and crushing federal debt.’” http://bo.st/14HtAvu
THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Jim Brewer and Matthew Erwin correctly answered seconds apart that Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) gained political campaign experience as a child by placing bumper stickers for her uncle, Lawton Chiles, who served as both governor and senator of Florida. Also, a minor correction: It was David Torre who offered the trivia question.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – David Albert has today’s question: Name the person who succeeded his grandmother in Congress. First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
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The 1-penny Sequestration Solution, Brennan defends drone policies, McCain: Grand Inquisitor, Colbert/Clinton huddle with House Dems, Labrador sacks spox, Jail time for Jackson Jr.?
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