(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
BUDGET DAY: OBAMA’S $ 3.77T BUDGET CALLS FOR TAXES ON RICH BUT ALSO ENTITLEMENT CUTS – President Obama’s 2014 fiscal blueprint was being delivered to Capitol Hill this morning, but the White House had already released some of the highlights. Reid J. Epstein writes for the hometown paper: “The budget itself represents some level of concession, White House aides say, arguing that Obama still would prefer a grand bargain that would completely rethink spending and revenue — though only one that comes on his terms. But even after weeks of outreach to Republicans following Obama’s beat-‘em-up campaign to stop the sequester cuts failed, that kind of deal still isn’t on the table. So they’re back to the budget duel: House Republicans want major cuts. Obama wants big revenues from the rich.
– “His $ 3.77 trillion proposal would reduce the deficit by $ 1.8 trillion by adding $ 580 billion in new taxes on the wealthy, according to senior administration officials. It also includes an estimated $ 230 billion in savings by reducing cost-of-living adjustments for federal entitlement programs. But all of those cuts — which White House aides say the president is ready to make — depend on whether Republicans agree to new tax revenues, including requiring people who make $ 1 million or more to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes and limiting deductions for the top 2 percent of earners. ‘If they refuse to include revenues in any deal, then there will be no deal. It’s that simple,’ a senior administration official said in a briefing call with reporters Tuesday.” http://politi.co/ZMwXMt See an overview of Obama’s budget here: http://politi.co/YjbXlG
OBAMA’S BUDGET MUDDLE – Glenn Thrush and Byron Tau report for POLITICO: On Wednesday, Senate Republicans will break bread with President Barack Obama at the White House. On Tuesday, Bernie Sanders, the most liberal member of the Senate Democratic caucus, was standing outside the gates rebuking Obama for selling out seniors. That jarring juxtaposition captures the upside-down political dynamic of Obama’s new budget proposal, due to be released Wednesday: Its centerpiece is a highly controversial plan to trim Social Security cost-of-living increases — a move one longtime Obama adviser called a ‘goodwill gesture’ to Republicans and liberals decry as a shocking departure from Obama’s 2012 campaign rhetoric, a betrayal that warrants retribution. So far, there is scant evidence that Republicans view Obama’s ‘chained CPI’ proposal as a sign of good will. And there are plenty of people on the left who regard it as a sign of bad will—a departure from the message that won Obama a second-term and new occasion for doubting the president’s negotiating skills.” http://politi.co/ZMsp8P
– A dozen GOP senators are expected to dine with Obama tonight, including Sens. Johnny Isakson (Ga.), John Thune (S.D.) and Orrin Hatch (Utah.). Isakson will release the full list today but none are said to have attended last month’s dinner with senators at a nearby hotel.
– In an interview with POLITICO’s Jon Allen and Mike Allen, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer says Democrats aren’t ready to embrace Obama’s ‘chained CPI” plan. Watch video of the interview and read the story here: http://politi.co/12GInoR
WEINER EYES COMEBACK, MAYOR’S RACE – Maggie Haberman writes for POLITICO: “In a sweeping confessional interview published Wednesday, Anthony Weiner provided his first explanation of the bizarre behavior that led to his downfall, compared his wife’s circumstance to that of Hillary Clinton’s after the Monica Lewinsky scandal — and acknowledged he’s eagerly looking at a political comeback this year. The New York Times Magazine interview with Weiner and his wife, Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, has been the talk of New York’s political world for the past week. It is a building block of a political return by the former Queens congressman, who resigned after admitting that a lewd tweet sent from his account, which he’d claimed had been hacked, was in fact his own doing. The piece is the first time Weiner and Abedin have spoken at length about the rapid-fire events of 2011 that led him to resign his seat: the tweet he sent thinking it was a private message, the exposure by Andrew Breitbart’s site, the days of claiming he was the victim of a crime and then the ultimate, tearful confession at a Midtown press conference. http://politi.co/ZMtFss
– Jonathan Van Meter writes in the NYT Magazine piece: “At breakfast, Weiner quickly put all the speculation to rest: he is eyeing the mayor’s race. He told me that his political committee spent more than $ 100,000 on polling and research by Obama’s longtime pollster, David Binder (a detail that would be made public — and prompt a flurry of news reports — in mid-March when a spending report was filed with the city’s Campaign Finance Board). The focus of the poll, Binder says, was the question “Are voters willing to give him a second chance or not, regardless of what race or what contest?” And the answer? “There was this sense of ‘Yeah, he made a mistake. Let’s give him a second chance. But there are conditions on that, and there are a couple of things we’re going to want to know: What have you been doing since this incident occurred? Did you learn anything from this mistake? How did you deal with it?’ They want to know that they’ve put it behind them.” http://nyti.ms/10SLnMg
McCONNELL CLAIMS THE LEFT ‘BUGGED’ HIS CAMPAIGN HQ, ‘NIXONIAN’ TACTICS – Siobhan Hughes writes in the Wall Street Journal: “Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) on Tuesday accused ‘the political left in America’ of engaging in ‘Nixonian’ political tactics, reacting to the publication of an audio tape of a McConnell re-election strategy session. Mother Jones magazine published an article Tuesday based on the tape, in which campaign aides discussed how to attack potential rival Ashley Judd. Mr. McConnell told reporters: ‘Last month, they were attacking my wife’s ethnicity’ — a reference to a tweet by a liberal group claiming wife Elaine Chao moved U.S. jobs to China– ‘and then apparently also unbeknownst to us they were bugging our headquarters – quite a Nixonian move.’ He added: ‘This is what you get from the political left in America.’ Ms. Chao, who was born in Taiwan, was labor secretary during the George W. Bush administration.
– “In a statement on its website, Mother Jones said: “As the story makes clear, we were recently provided the tape by a source who wished to remain anonymous. We were not involved in the making of the tape, but we published a story on the tape due to its obvious newsworthiness. It is our understanding that the tape was not the product of a Watergate-style bugging operation. We cannot comment beyond that.’ The tape of the McConnell strategy session begins with Mr. McConnell saying, ‘I assume most of you have played the, the game Whac-A-Mole? This is the Whac-A-Mole period of the campaign,’ to try to identify and attack potential contenders, according to the transcript posted by Mother Jones.” http://on.wsj.com/10SFQVZ
– Mother Jones’ David Korn, who broke the story, writes that the McConnell campaign discusses raising Judd’s past history with mental illness: “[T]he McConnell gang explored going far beyond Judd’s politics and policy preferences. This included her mental health. The meeting leader noted: ‘She’s clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced. I mean it’s been documented. Jesse can go in chapter and verse from her autobiography about, you know, she’s suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the ’90s.’” http://bit.ly/YjkHZ0
– At the request of the McConnell campaign, the FBI is looking into the matter, POLITICO’s Lois Romano and Kevin Robillard reports: http://politi.co/10OSxmn
MANCHIN, TOOMEY SAY THEY’RE CLOSE TO GUN DEAL – John Bresnahan and Reid Epstein reports for POLITICO: “Sen. Joe Manchin says he is on the verge of a bipartisan deal to expand background checks for gun sales, an agreement that could lead to the biggest change in U.S. gun laws in nearly 20 years. Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, has been meeting with conservative GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania over the past week to try to forge a deal on background checks. Following a briefing with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Manchin told reporters the two sides were very close to an agreement. … Signaling that they had reached consensus, Manchin and Toomey announced Tuesday night they would be holding a joint press conference on expanded background checks on Wednesday at 11 a.m. …
– “Reid moved Tuesday night to start debate over a gun control package that is a wish list for gun control advocates. Reid filed a cloture motion that sets up a Thursday vote to end a GOP filibuster of the motion to proceed to that gun bill. In order to gather 60 votes, Reid and other senior Democrats believe they can hold on to their own nervous members from red states, while picking up 10 or so Republicans.” http://politi.co/Z6339T
–The WSJ editorial board’s lead op-ed says Ted Cruz and his fellow Republicans have “misfired” in filibustering the gun bill: “The President’s calculation seems to be that even if gun control fails, at least he’ll have a keep-kids-safe political issue to help flip the House back to Democratic control in the next midterm. In that sense his inflammatory rhetoric is meant to bait Republicans, some of whom are biting. If conservatives want to prove their gun-control bona fides, the way to do it is to debate the merits and vote on the floor. They can always filibuster the final bill if they want to, but it makes no sense to paint themselves into a political box canyon before even knowing what they’re voting on.” http://on.wsj.com/ZEB3gP
‘GANG OF EIGHT’ IMMIGRATION BILL COULD COME THURSDAY – Mike Allen reports for POLITICO: “The Senate’s immigration Gang of Eight plans to announce a deal within a week but a committee markup is not expected until at least the week of May 6, providing a long period for debate and changes, Senate aides said Tuesday. Aides said the legislative proposal could be released as soon as Thursday, but is more likely to be ready early next week. The schedule outlined by the aides is meant to satisfy Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has said repeatedly that he wants a full debate and amendment process, to maximize the chances that the final vote is an overwhelming majority.” http://politi.co/ZgUwOD
Wall Street Journal, A1, “Senate Plan Sets High Bar On Border Security,” By Sara Murray: “Immigrants in the U.S. illegally would not gain green cards under a bipartisan Senate bill until law-enforcement officials are monitoring the entire southern border and stopping 90% of people crossing illegally in certain areas, according to people familiar with the plan. The border-security proposal, part of a broader immigration bill being written by eight senators, sets several goals that would have to be met before any of the estimated 11 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally could apply for permanent legal residency, also known as a green card, according to the people familiar with the Senate talks. Meeting all the goals is expected to take 10 years.
– “In a major change for businesses, all employers would be required after a five-year phase-in period to use the government’s E-Verify system, which screens for illegal workers. E-Verify now is largely voluntary, though some states require it. Some 409,000 employers had enrolled in the program as of last year, the federal government says, a tiny fraction of the estimated six million private U.S. employers, many of which have only a handful of employees.” http://on.wsj.com/ZMDhDz
– A House immigration bill is hung up on a disagreement over low-skilled workers, Jake Sherman and Kate Nocera report for POLITICO: http://politi.co/17pUsCE
IMMIGRATION POLITICS IS LOCAL – Manu Raju and Anna Palmer report for POLITICO: “Sen. Barbara Mikulski wants to help the Polish. Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to help the Irish. Sen. Marco Rubio wants to woo foreign workers to help after national emergencies. And Sen. Mazie Hirono wants to reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families. As negotiations over a sweeping immigration deal comes to a head, senators are rapidly moving to resolve a bevy of narrow and parochial issues raised by lawmakers nervous about the impact of the far-reaching plan.
– “On Tuesday, one issue affecting rural America appeared closer to resolution: A new visa program for foreign workers on farms. A deal between labor and farm industry officials over wages for workers and caps on annual visas for migrant workers could come as soon as Wednesday, helping attract a range of rural-state lawmakers eager to appease farm interests back home. And Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he was close to resolving a lingering dispute with Rubio, the Florida Republican, over the number of H1-B visas to provide high-skill foreign workers.” http://politi.co/152xVwj
** On the Hill? Then join the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure ‘State of Pink’ Challenge, a little friendly competition to support the fight against breast cancer. Just form a team in your office and then come celebrate with us on Saturday, May 11. Winning teams will be recognized on Race Day. Learn more. http://globalrace.info-komen.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hq_gr_2012_about_hill_teams
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 10, 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 @cshogan276 and @MatosJay.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is in at 9:30 a.m. resume consideration of a cloture motion on gun control legislation known as the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013. Unless the Senate comes to an agreement, the Senate will hold a cloture vote on the motion to proceed on Thursday.
The House is in at 10 a.m. with first votes expected between 1:30 and 2 p.m. and last votes expected between 5 and 6 p.m. on the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act.
AROUND THE HILL – President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget is delivered to Congress at 8 a.m. in Cannon 210 and at 8:15 a.m. in Dirksen 604. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks on guns at 9:30 a.m. in S-325. Speaker John Boehner and other GOP leaders hold a post-conference media availability at 10 a.m. in HC-8. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer holds a pen and pad briefing at 10:30 a.m. in H-144.
Reps. Chris Smith and Frank Wolf speak on Vietnamese victims on religious persecution in Vietnam at 10:30 a.m. at the House Triangle. Sens. Pat Toomey and Joe Manchin will speak on firearms background checks at 11 a.m. in S-325.
A news conference where Sens. Jerry Moran, Dick Blumenthal, Jim Inhofe, Amy Klobuchar, Kelly Ayotte and David Vitter planned to reintroduce legislation to stop air traffic control tower closings has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict.
Reps. Marcia Fudge and Chaka Fattah, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and others speak on the State of Black America at 11:30 a.m. at the House Triangle. Rep. Joe Crowley speaks on comprehensive immigration reform at 12:30 p.m. at the House Triangle. Steny Hoyer and House Democrats speak on Make It In America legislation at 1 p.m. in HVC Studio A. Rep. Frank Wolf speaks on Benghazi at 1:30 p.m. at the House Triangle.
The Small Business Committees hold a small business summit from 1 to 5:30 p.m. in Russell 428A. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions hold a conference call tomorrow in response to President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 budget proposal, at 2 p.m. Call in: (888) 469-1370. Passcode: 224143. House Triangle. Rep. Bob Goodlatte speaks on RFS legislation at 2:30 p.m. at the House Triangle. Chairwoman Patty Murray’s Senate Budget Committee holds a hearing on President Obama’s budget at 3 p.m. in Dirksen 608. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and ranking member Dutch Ruppersberger hold post-CISPA mark-up availability at 4 p.m. at the HVC Intel stakeout site.
‘OBAMA PHONES’ DRAW SCRUTINY ON CAPITOL HILL – Karen Tumulty writes on A1 of thwe Washington Post: “Obama phone” is the widely used — and misleading — nickname of a 28-year-old federal program known as Lifeline. It provides discounts, averaging $ 9.25 a month, on phone service for 13.3 million low-income subscribers. In the 31 / 2 years after false rumors started that the Obama administration was giving free cellphones to poor people — and six months after a racially charged video about it went viral — a once-obscure phone service subsidy is getting renewed scrutiny on Capitol Hill. There are growing calls in Congress to end or drastically cut back Lifeline; later this month, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing that could help determine its fate. … Lifeline was begun not by President Obama but under Ronald Reagan. It expanded to include cellphone service during the presidency of another Republican, George W. Bush.” http://wapo.st/ZMCXoD
KELLY EASILY WINS JACKSON JR.S OLD HOUSE SEAT – Rick Pearson and Bill Ruthhart write on A1 of the Chicago Tribune: “Following Tuesday’s special election victory, Democrat Robin Kelly will start a new job in Congress as the least senior member of a House dominated by Republicans. That political reality is not lost on Kelly, who said her first task is to restore district offices and concentrate on constituent services as she replaces disgraced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. in the South Side and south suburban 2nd Congressional District. … Kelly, who launched her campaign on a strong gun-control theme, was joined at her victory party by Nathaniel Pendleton and Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, the parents of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old band majorette killed by gunfire on the South Side little more than a week after performing in Washington during President Barack Obama’s inauguration weekend festivities. ‘Watch us take on the NRA, the tea party and anyone else standing in the way of safety,’ Kelly said. With 80 percent of precincts counted in the low-turnout contest, Kelly had 74 percent of the vote to about 19 percent for Republican Paul McKinley, an unemployed political activist and ex-convict.” http://trib.in/10TPk5P
OBAMA’S NOMINEES COAST THROUGH SENATE HEARINGS – Matthew L. Wald and Robert Pear write for the New York Times: “President Obama’s three nominees to run Medicare and Medicaid, the Energy Department and the Office of Management and Budget sailed through their separate Senate confirmation hearings on Tuesday and appeared to be on track to win approval from the committees, though none of the panels voted on the nominations. Marilyn B. Tavenner, who has been chosen to run the government’s big health care programs, won endorsement from the House Republican leader, Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, who said he had worked with her in his days as a state lawmaker. …
– “Similarly, Mr. Obama’s nominee for energy secretary, Ernest J. Moniz, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was under secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, faced no opposition Tuesday in a three-hour hearing held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who has been nominated as director of the budget office, also appeared to have no serious opposition in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.” http://nyti.ms/12J1xug
TUESDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Adam Heider was first to correctly answer that Ted Yoho (Florida), David Price (UNC) and Joe Courtney (UConn) are the current House members who represent the districts that include the three universities that are tied for the most number of Division I NCAA basketball championships in the last 10 years. Each won two titles in the past decade.
CORRECTION: Monday’s trivia answer should have said Tom McMillen was elected to Congress in 1986, the same year he retired from the NBA.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Claude Marx has today’s question: Which president signed legislation creating the Labor Department? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@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://www.politico.com/huddle/
** On the Hill? Then join the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure ‘State of Pink’ Challenge, a little friendly competition to support the fight against breast cancer. Since 1990, Komen’s investments have helped drive down breast cancer mortality rates in the U.S. by 33% thanks to participants like you. Represent your state and keep the momentum going. Form a team in your office today and then come celebrate with us on Saturday, May 11. The largest congressional team and top fundraising team will be recognized on Race Day. Learn more. http://globalrace.info-komen.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hq_gr_2012_about_hill_teams
