Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
GOP lawmakers: Declare suspect "enemy combatant," eBay CEO rallies troops against online sales tax bill, Cruz vs. Rubio, Globe endorses Markey, Ricin suspect"s ex: He was framed
GOP LAWMAKERS WANT BOSTON SUSPECT DECLARED ‘ENEMY COMBATANT’ – Charlie Savage writes in the New York Times: “Some Republican lawmakers want President Obama to declare the surviving Boston bombing suspect an enemy combatant in order to question him without a lawyer and other protections of the criminal justice system, intensifying a recurring debate over how to handle terrorism cases arising inside the United States. But while the suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a naturalized American citizen, is a Muslim, there is no known evidence suggesting that he is part of Al Qaeda. The United States is engaged in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, not all Muslim extremists. As a result, the dispute is pushing beyond familiar arguments and into new territory.
– “Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, is among the earliest and most vocal proponents of declaring Mr. Tsarnaev an enemy combatant. Others include Senators Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and John McCain of Arizona, as well as Representative Peter T. King of New York, all also Republicans. The Obama administration has said it thinks terrorism suspects arrested inside the United States should be handled exclusively in the criminal justice system. It has indicated no intention to do otherwise in Mr. Tsarnaev’s case, but the issue is taking on political currency, underscoring a major divide on national security legal policy.
– “Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that the laws of war did not apply to Mr. Tsarnaev and that there was so far no evidence that he was “part of any organized group, let alone Al Qaeda, the Taliban or one of their affiliates — the only organizations whose members are subject” to detention as a part of war.” http://nyti.ms/ZgsNly
BLAME GAME: GRAHAM SUGGESTS THE FBI DROPPED THE BALL after interviewing one of the Boston bombing suspects, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, two years ago following a tip from Russian authorities, reports CNN’s Ashley Killough. “The ball was dropped in one of two ways,” Graham said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The senator from South Carolina said the FBI either “missed a lot of things” in its investigation, or federal laws did not allow the FBI to “follow up in a sound, solid way.” http://bit.ly/17HZRCh
REP. PETER KING (R-N.Y.) was much more direct: “This is at least the fifth case I’m aware of where the FBI has failed to stop someone,” the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence said on “Fox News Sunday.” http://politi.co/108UhnN
TOP DEMS: ‘DEATH PENALTY’ APPROPRIATE – “Federal prosecutors should seek the death penalty in the case of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, top Senate Democrats said Sunday, Alan Zibel reports for the Wall Street Journal. “Speaking on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said the Tsarnaev case is ‘just the kind of case’ that should merit the death penalty under federal law. Mr. Schumer compared the case of Mr. Tsarnaev, a naturalized U.S. citizen, to that of Timothy McVeigh, who was executed under federal law in June 2011 after being found guilty in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings, which killed 168 people. … Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) also indicated she favored the death penalty for Mr. Tsarnaev.” http://on.wsj.com/17dmK2b
– The Boston bombing suspects were not licensed to own guns where they lived, Reuters reports: http://nyti.ms/10ttF8j
eBAY CEO RALLIES TROOPS AGAINST ONLINE SALES TAX BILL – Alistair Barr reports for Reuters ahead of tonight’s cloture vote in the Senate: “EBay Inc Chief Executive John Donahoe began emailing millions of users of the company’s online marketplace on Sunday in an unprecedented lobbying effort to change looming Federal sales tax legislation. The e-commerce giant plans to send emails from Donahoe to at least 40 million eBay users, including most sellers on the marketplace. The first messages were sent out Sunday morning. In the emails, Donahoe said the legislation, known as the Marketplace Fairness Act, unfairly burdens small online merchants and asked eBay users to send an email message to members of Congress asking for changes. The legislation, due to be voted on by the Senate in coming days, gives states the power to compel retailers outside their borders to collect online sales tax. … The legislation includes an exemption for merchants that generate less than $ 1 million in annual out-of-state revenue. Donahoe argued in the emails that merchants with less than $ 10 million in annual out-of-state sales, or fewer than 50 employees, should be exempt. Reuters viewed copies of the emails.
– “In emails to eBay sellers, Donahoe singled out Amazon.com Inc, eBay’s main rival, which supports the current legislation. ‘This legislation treats you and big multi-billion dollar online retailers – such as Amazon – exactly the same,’ Donahoe wrote. ‘Those fighting for this change refuse to acknowledge that the burden on businesses like yours is far greater than for a big national retailer.’” http://fxn.ws/XZAugt
BILL BACKERS PUSH BACK – A coalition that includes Best Buy, Amazon, Retail Industry Leaders Association, National Retail Federation and International Council of Shopping Centers swiftly responded to the eBay chief in a letter sent to Huddle: “This legislation would level the playing field for the industry with the largest private workforce in America. eBay’s opposition to the Marketplace Fairness Act is a transparent attempt to maintain an unlevel playing field and benefit a very small number of their largest sellers. … Mr. Donahoe wants you to believe that the Marketplace Fairness Act would somehow penalize small online businesses. This is disingenuous because it overlooks the fact that this legislation exempts small sellers with less than one-million dollars in annual remote sales to address concerns about small business compliance. To put this in perspective: the Marketplace Fairness Act exempts 99% of all sellers and over 40% of all online commerce.
– “Mr. Donahoe suggests that leveling the playing field and treating all sellers equitably is bad policy. We could not disagree more. The current system can no longer be justified and it is time to modernize how sales taxes are collected, level the playing field for all sellers, and protect the states’ right to make their own policy choices. That is why a broad coalition of sellers, states, and municipalities from across the country and in your district are waiting for Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act and end the uncertainly of the current sales tax collection system. The Marketplace Fairness Act will fuel competition and create real value for consumers based on service, price, and convenience: not unfair sales tax collection rules. All businesses, large and small, must be given the chance to succeed and grow. We exist in a 21st century marketplace and the law must reflect this reality.” View the letter here: http://bit.ly/ZHE8qB
10 A.M. TODAY: 23 WITNESSES ARE SET TO TESTIFY AT IMMIGRATION HEARING – Expect the Boston bombing suspects, immigrants from Chechnya, to once again come up in today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, just as it did during a similar hearing on Friday. Witnesses include: Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform; Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza; former Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.); and Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. Location: Hart 216.
CRUZ VS. RUBIO – Manu Raju writes about the budding rivalry for the hometown paper: Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio “have much in common as first-term senators elected with the help of the tea party from states with large Latino populations. Both have Cuban roots and are considered rising GOP stars and prospective presidential rivals. But the pair is divided on immigration legislation — a key difference that could have significant ramifications for their party and political ambitions. The Texas freshman is sharply critical of the pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants, a central part of the bipartisan bill that Rubio helped write. Cruz is weighing whether to aggressively oppose the immigration overhaul, a decision that could neutralize Rubio’s outreach to conservative activists in order to minimize their opposition. …
–“[I]f Cruz were to lead the fight against the comprehensive plan, it could also spark a revolt from the large — and growing — population of Texas Hispanics who opposed his candidacy in large numbers in 2012. Cruz’s thinking will be on fresh display Monday, when witnesses testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee could be subjected to his prosecutorial style of questioning.
– “The Cruz-Rubio divide underscores the soul-searching within the GOP over immigration reform as Republicans continue to ask themselves: Should they soften their opposition to a comprehensive plan after witnessing a mass erosion of support from Latino voters in recent election cycles? Or should they stand firm and defeat any bill that could provide ‘amnesty’ to millions of illegal immigrants and instead mainly demand tougher border security laws?” http://politi.co/15yDVwZ
IMMIGRATION BILL SPRINKLED WITH PET PROJECTS – Sara Murray reports for the WSJ: “Buried within the 844 pages of the bipartisan immigration bill—amid historic shifts in policies such as a path to citizenship for 11 million unauthorized immigrants—are pet provisions of the senators who crafted it. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham wants more visas for the meat industry, a major employer in his state. Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) pushed for special treatment for Irish workers; his state is home to a large population with Irish ancestry. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio sought help for the cruise-ship industry, a big business in his home state of Florida. And Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado wove in a boost for ski areas.” http://on.wsj.com/11wUy6Q
** This week, members and leaders of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades will be in Washington, D.C., to talk to members of Congress about the $ 1 Billion investment it and IUPAT employers have made in training the best skilled construction workforce in the country. Find out more here: http://www.goiupat.com
GOOD MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 22, 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 @emmaroller and @AllisonPrang.
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The House is out today. The Senate is in at 2 p.m. and holds a procedural vote at 5:30 p.m. on the online sales tax bill known as the Marketplace Fairness Act.
BOSTON GLOBE: MARKEY BEST CHOICE FOR SENATE – The Globe makes its endorsement: “One afternoon in 2007, Ed Markey stood outside the doors of the US House chamber, balancing plaster models in his hands. He was waiting to enter the nearly empty chamber, to make a speech for C-SPAN junkies illustrating the lack of screening of cargo on US airliners — a loophole that Markey feared a terrorist might exploit. It was a point he had hammered home after 9/11, while airlines and cargo companies insisted that existing precautions were sufficient. But he wasn’t about to give up, and, with a big smile on his face, bounded onto the House floor. Though Markey’s district included people who died on 9/11, there was no special reason why he, of all House members, should be leading this particular cause. He simply saw it as his job to do what he could to improve the country. Now, after 37 years of legislative action — sometimes fruitful, sometimes fruitless, always engaged — Markey is seeking to move to the Senate. …
– “On that afternoon in 2007, Markey could have been anywhere else in Washington — or Massachusetts, for that matter — than the floor of the House, intoning about cargo screening. But the opposition finally relented: Markey’s bill became law. On cargo screening and dozens of other issues, Markey’s legislative exertions have paid off for America and Massachusetts. He is the best choice for Bay State Democrats.” http://b.globe.com/15B6Wbt
AIRPORT DELAYS? REAL TEST COMES TODAY AFTER FAA FURLOUGHS – The Associated Press: “Commercial airline flights moved smoothly throughout most of the country on Sunday, the first day air traffic controllers were subject to furloughs resulting from government spending cuts, though some delays appeared in the late evening in and around New York. And even though the nightmarish flight delays and cancellations that the airline industry predicted would result from the furloughs did not materialize yet, the real test will come Monday, when traffic ramps up. Information from the FAA and others showed that flying Sunday was largely uneventful, with most flights on time. There were delays in parts of Florida, but those were caused by thunderstorms. … The FAA website said that flights from Philadelphia and Orlando, Fla., into John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Westchester County airports were delayed due to staffing issues.” http://abcn.ws/122PhoZ
–WaPo, A14, “Major furloughs spur uncertainty at U.S. agencies”: The first round of sequester-related furloughs begins this week, affecting thousands of federal workers, reports Steve Vogel: http://wapo.st/XQPMlx
RICIN SUSPECT’S EX-WIFE: HE WAS FRAMED – Sarah Robinson writes for the Northeast Mississippi News: “Laura Curtis of Booneville, his former wife, contacted the Daily Journal on Saturday to say she fully supports her ex-husband and among friends and family members ‘none of us believe he did this.’ Curtis appeared in court on Friday but after three hours of proceedings Magistrate Judge S. Allan Alexander recessed the hearing until Monday. Defense attorney Christi R. McCoy called the only witness on Friday, FBI Special Agent Brandon Grant. Grant testified investigators are currently unable to link Curtis to ricin and found no evidence of his fingerprints on any of the letters. The agency is awaiting DNA and other lab results from evidence they collected from Curtis’ home. Grant testified in court Friday that Laura Curtis told investigators that Kevin Curtis suffers from bipolar disorder and had been extremely violent toward her and that he had threatened to kill her and had raped her. Laura Curtis did not dispute the accuracy of Grant’s testimony but claimed ‘only one percent of the truth came out.’ She said she and her children remain very close to her ex-husband. …
– “She has spoken to Kevin Curtis since his arrest. She said, ‘I asked him, did he do this, and he said ‘I did not.’’ Laura Curtis said she gave the FBI the names of other people she believes might have sent the letters in an attempt to frame her ex-husband. ‘Anybody could get his tagline,’ she said. The letters in question were signed ‘I am KC and I approve this message,’ a phrase often used by Curtis in his writings about the alleged conspiracy. The three letters also said: ‘To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance,’ a quote Kevin Curtis posted on his public Facebook profile.” http://bit.ly/17dryV6
THE ROGERS REPORT: NEW FIGHT OVER FOOD STAMPS – “‘Where are the jobs?’ Speaker John Boehner likes to ask. But do his fellow House Republicans really want to kick the unemployed off food stamps if they can’t find the jobs either?” David Rogers writes for POLITICO. “That’s the question behind a simmering farm bill battle over reimposing work requirements on millions of able-bodied adults enrolled in the nutrition program. Most have no reported earnings, and without added job training or workfare slots, the change could spell real hardship in today’s economy. For this reason, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) is resisting the move. But back home, the Oklahoma state Legislature recently took steps to reinstate work requirements. And the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has repeatedly raised the issue with Lucas as a way to win conservative votes for his farm bill, now slated for markup May 15.” http://politi.co/15xBZ7U
HOUSE GOP LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO KEEP MAJORITY – Alex Isenstadt reports for POLITICO: “Congressional Republicans, seeking to counter efforts by President Barack Obama and Democrats to win the House next year, are launching a program Monday aimed at preserving their 17-seat majority. The National Republican Congressional Committee will unveil what it dubs the ‘Patriot Program,’ which will provide support to the party’s most endangered incumbents. Republicans say the objective is to shore up members facing the toughest races before the 2014 election season heats up in earnest. They say they want to spend much of next year focusing their firepower on vulnerable Democrats with an eye toward building on their majority. …
– “The 11 Republicans who are being named to the Patriot Program are: Reps. Mike Coffman of Colorado, Rodney Davis of Illinois, Jeff Denham and David Valadao of California, Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Bob Gibbs and David Joyce of Ohio, Chris Gibson of New York, Joe Heck of Nevada, Steve Southerland of Florida and Jackie Walorski of Indiana.” http://politi.co/17RwjVG
DSCC OUTRAISES NRSC BY $ 2M – James Hohmann reports for POLITICO: “The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $ 5.2 million in March, beating their Republican counterpart by $ 2 million. Senate Democrats have grown their money advantage so far in 2013, as incumbents from red states last week and now the committee reported sizable first-quarter hauls. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $ 3.2 million for the month, ending with $ 5.3 million cash and $ 9.5 million in debt. The DSCC raised $ 13.7 million over the last three months, their best first quarter ever and $ 6.9 million more than the NRSC. They say that $ 5.6 million of that came from grassroots donors by mail, phone and online.” http://politi.co/17RwaBL
FRIDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Ross Kapilian was first to correctly answer that Alice Roosevelt Longworth had a child with a senator to whom she was not married. He was Sen. William Borah.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Geoff Simon has today’s question: Who was the first president or ex-president to fly in an airplane? 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/
** In 1937, Congress and President Roosevelt signed the National Apprenticeship Act. It established an important federal role in private apprenticeship training by bringing labor and management together to ensure that the training provided was fair, safe and in the best interest of the contractors and the end user. Today, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the Finishing Trades Institute and other Building and Construction Trades Unions annually spend more than $ 1 billion in private funding on apprenticeship instructors, curriculum and training the next generation of construction workers. Any planned expansion of registered apprenticeship or federal role in apprenticeship should proceed outward from resilient and high quality construction programs that currently exist in nearly every community in the United States. Find out more here: http://www.goiupat.com
POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle
GOP lawmakers: Declare suspect "enemy combatant," eBay CEO rallies troops against online sales tax bill, Cruz vs. Rubio, Globe endorses Markey, Ricin suspect"s ex: He was framed
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Rubio goes all in on immigration, NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, Lamborn spills bean on N. Korea nukes, Progress Ky. official resigns, Walden faces backlash
(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
RUBIO GOES ALL IN ON IMMIGRATION – POLITICO’s Manu Raju has a preview of the Florida Republican’s game plan: “Marco Rubio is preparing to go all in to support sweeping immigration legislation, offering himself up as the public face of a bill that will split the Republican Party — but that his allies hope will propel him to the front of the GOP presidential sweepstakes. After offering lukewarm support until now, Rubio is preparing to fully embrace a measure that is the most significant of his political career so far. The gambit could pay off in spades by crowning a leading presidential contender in 2016, or it could permanently damage the Republican’s brand with conservatives.
– “Rubio is planning a media blitz to promote the bill — which is expected to be released early next week — making the rounds on all of the Sunday political talk shows starting this weekend, wooing skeptical conservative radio hosts and pitching the plan to Spanish-language news outlets. The campaign is aimed at building public support for the far-reaching immigration bill that will dominate Capitol Hill’s attention for much of the year. …
– “Behind the scenes, the potential 2016 aspirant has already launched a lobbying campaign to convince conservatives that the plan will be tough on the border. The goal is to assuage GOP concerns over the pathway to citizenship that would be offered to the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants, allowing them to apply for citizenship after 13 years as the new enforcement measures take effect. The Florida Republican has privately briefed individual GOP senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee — including conservative skeptics John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah — about the soon-to-be-unveiled proposal, according to sources familiar with the matter. His staff has pitched the plan to conservative thought leaders, including at the National Review and Wall Street Journal editorial board as well as the columnist Charles Krauthammer, sources say.” http://politi.co/Zknfly
THE GANG’S immigration bill will include a new merit-based program for foreigners to become permanent legal residents based on their work skills, the NYT’s Julia Preston and Ashley Parker report. http://nyti.ms/ZlgS1q
NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, MOVE SENATE – Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in their latest “Behind the Curtain” column: “When a lobbyist for families of Newtown shooting victims called the office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to set up a meeting, the first response was a standard D.C. offer. They could get a meeting with her staff, and a quick and simple ‘hello’ from Collins herself, they were told. The families’ answer: Not good enough. According to their lobbyists, the families have a rule against staff-only meetings: they won’t do them. They insist on sitting down with the senators themselves.
– “That rule is just one of the ways that the Newtown families, political novices just a few months ago, are proving to be savvy, effective advocates as they promote the gun legislation that has finally begun to move through the Senate. The families are well-educated, and many are well-off. They have been polished and sharp on TV. They’re mostly non-political, but quite accomplished in their own fields. With access to money and media, they’re using persistence, visibility — and, most all, their unique moral authority — to help prod Senate action. They also have their own lobbyists — several of them, in fact. …
–“What started as a support group is now a lobbying force unlike any other to descend on Capitol Hill. The family members typically begin their pitch to senators softly, telling the story of the child that they lost. They gently say they could not have imagined themselves in this position, but they’re doing it to honor the memory of their children. They say they’re supporters of the Second Amendment, and just want to have a conversation. But there’s nothing subtle about the way some of them conclude their visits: by leaving behind a color card with a photo of their slain relative. Nicole Hockley, who introduced President Barack Obama in Hartford this week, hands senators a card with three photos of her son Dylan, who was 6 when he was gunned down. One frame shows him grinning, in a Superman shirt. ‘Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06 – 12/14/12,’ the card says. ‘Honor his life. Stand with us for change. NOW IS THE TIME.’” http://politi.co/10SJDFr
– More than a dozen family members of Newtown victims sat in the gallery and looked on as the Senate voted 68-31 to begin debate on a gun-control measures, beating back a GOP-led filibuster, Kasie Hunt reports for NBC News. http://nbcnews.to/157VnZ8
TWO DEMOCRATS broke with their party and voted to filibuster the gun legislation: Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor.
SIXTEEN REPUBLICANS voted to begin debate on the bill: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire; Richard Burr of North Carolina; Saxby Chambliss of Georgia; Tom Coburn of Oklahoma; Susan Collins of Maine; Bob Corker of Tennessee; Jeff Flake of Arizona; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; John Hoeven of North Dakota; Johnny Isakson of Georgia; Dean Heller of Nevada; Mark Kirk of Illinois; John McCain of Arizona; Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania; Roger Wicker of Mississippi. http://politi.co/155XEE3
– Thursday’s vote could be just the first of many on gun legislation, POLITICO’s John Bresnahan reports: “A vote could come as soon as Tuesday on the bipartisan proposal by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would expand background checks to all commercial gun sales and close the so-called gun-show loophole, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a key player in the gun bill debate. … But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have yet to reach an agreement laying out all the conditions for the gun debate, including how long the fight could go on and how many amendments — and what type — can be offered. The Manchin-Toomey proposal will actually be offered as an amendment to an underlying Democrat-only gun bill, and without agreement from McConnell, it will be hard for Reid to get to a final vote on the gun package.” http://politi.co/1525UVv
– Roll Call’s John Gramlich has five gun-control amendments to watch next week, including measures on concealed carry, mental-health records and high-capacity magazines: http://bit.ly/Zlk6Sw
SUBURBAN GROWTH in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Virginia is forcing lawmakers to consider a new political calculus in the gun debate, Philip Rucker and Paul Kane write on A1 of the Washington Post: http://wapo.st/10YqS0J
LAWMAKER: NORTH KOREA CAN MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPON MOUNTED ON BALLISTIC MISSILE – The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and L.A. Times all front stories about Rep. Doug Lamborn’s surprising revelation about Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities. Thom Shanker, David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt write for the NYT: “A new assessment by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm has concluded for the first time, with “moderate confidence,” that North Korea has learned how to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile. The assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has been distributed to senior administration officials and members of Congress, cautions that the weapon’s ‘reliability will be low,’ apparently a reference to the North’s difficulty in developing accurate missiles or, perhaps, to the huge technical challenges of designing a warhead that can survive the rigors of flight and detonate on a specific target.
– “The assessment’s existence was disclosed Thursday by Representative Doug Lamborn, Republican of Colorado, three hours into a budget hearing of the House Armed Services Committee with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. General Dempsey declined to comment on the assessment because of classification issues. But late Thursday, the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., released a statement saying that the assessment did not represent a consensus of the nation’s intelligence community and that ‘North Korea has not yet demonstrated the full range of capabilities necessary for a nuclear armed missile.’” http://nyti.ms/16RtqCR
– Defense hawk Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the North Korean dictator a “clown” and a “fool” on Fox News Thursday night, saying the U.S. can “take out” his nuclear capabilities if he fires a test missile. http://politi.co/ZlawyS
** 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 FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 12, 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 @Katy_Brock and @Cabananatuan.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ANITA FORD, a senior web producer at POLITICO who’s endured countless early morning wake-up calls and worked behind the scenes to produce The Huddle each day since I took over a year and a half ago. Today marks her final Huddle as she moves on to bigger things, and we wish her the best! Email her at: aford@politico.com
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is out today. The House meets at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on a bill requiring the National Labor Relations Board to halt all activity until the legal issues surrounding the legitimacy of President Obama’s recess appointments are resolved.
AROUND THE HILL — Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform holds a Countdown-to-Tax-Day press conference at 10 a.m. in H-137, featuring speakers House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Sen. Orrin Hatch, and Reps. Kevin Brady, Devin Nunes, Tom Price and Reid Ribble.
Sen. Ben Cardin holds a town hall with employees at 11:15 a.m. at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Cato Institute hosts a Capitol Hill briefing titled “After the Arguments: What’s Next for Marriage Equality?” at noon in Rayburn B-369.
PROGRESS KENTUCKY OFFICIAL RESIGNS AMID McCONNELL BUGGING FALLOUT – Kevin Robillard reports for POLITICO: “Pressure is growing Thursday afternoon on a liberal super PAC in Kentucky accused of surreptitiously recording a strategy session held by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Jacob Conway, the Jefferson County Democratic Party’s executive committee member who originally accused Progress Kentucky of making the recording, told NBC News he was on his way to talk to the FBI about the allegations. And the group’s treasurer confirmed he had quit his position after the audio was published. ‘At this time based on advice of both friends and counsel, I will be not be making a public statement available until everything has been reviewed by an attorney at this time,’ Douglas L. Davis told NBC News. ‘I have resigned my position as treasurer and did not and do not condone any allegations of illegal activity that might have taken place.’
– “Conway told Louisville’s NPR affiliate earlier Thursday that two Progress Kentucky employees bragged to him about recording the meeting through a door in McConnell’s office. Conway said Shawn Reilly and Curtis Morrison told him they snuck into McConnell’s freshly-opened campaign office February 2, not long after McConnell held an open house for GOP activists and media members. They heard the meeting going on through a closed door and recorded it. … McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton told the radio station the door in question has a large gap at the bottom and a vent the duo could’ve recorded the meeting through.” http://politi.co/ZPqq3C
– Reilly, the group’s executive director is denying he engaged in any illegal activity, The Hill’s Alexandra Jaffe reports: http://bit.ly/ZQTms2
DEFICIT GANG OF EIGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD? – Ginger Gibson reports for POLITICO: “Republican and Democratic senators are considering resurrecting a gang of deficit-busting lawmakers with an eye on a grand bargain with President Barack Obama. The bipartisan effort would come on the heels of the immigration Gang of Eight that is on the verge of announcing a sweeping immigration overhaul, and a breakthrough agreement on gun control between Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). In fact, it seems reining in the deficit is the only thorny issue left in Washington that hasn’t seen a recent bipartisan breakthrough despite an aggressive outreach campaign by Obama to lawmakers. …
–“A revival of the group could see the return of veteran negotiators like Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.). But they could also tap new blood like Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Johnny Iskason (R-Ga.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), or budget supercommittee members Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Toomey.” http://politi.co/1525Y7w
WALDEN’S ‘CHAINED CPI’ REMARK SPLITS GOP – Jonathan Strong writes for Roll Call: National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden touched a nerve Wednesday when he savaged the entitlement changes in President Barack Obama’s budget as a ‘shocking attack on seniors.’ But while conservative groups expressed outrage and top House leaders, including Speaker John A. Boehner, said they disagreed with Walden, it’s the lack of fallout for the Oregon Republican that may be more revealing. The debate Walden’s remarks has set off inside the GOP shows many Republicans harbor deep-seated fears about publicly supporting the entitlement cuts they supposedly back and have demanded Obama and other Democrats embrace since taking control of the House in 2011. ‘Walden is doing the right thing for the 30 seats that control the majority of the House, and that’s what the mission of NRCC chair is,’ said Brock McLeary, the president of Harper Polling and a former top political hand at the NRCC. …
–“On Thursday, Boehner said, ‘I’ve made it clear that I disagree with what Chairman Walden said. He and I have had a conversation about it. This is the least we must do to begin to solve the problems of Social Security.’ Rory Cooper, a spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said his boss “thinks that chained CPI should definitely be on the table” and noted that, like Boehner, Cantor had also spoken to Walden.” http://bit.ly/XH4EF9
– Angered by Walden’s position, the conservative Club for Growth is now looking for a primary challenger to take him on in 2014, Kate Nocera reports for POLITICO: http://politi.co/ZPEOsO
THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Bradley Dlatt was first to correctly answer that Thomas Jefferson signed legislation in 1806 providing funding for the National Road, previously known as the Cumberland Road, the first highway to be built by the federal government. The road started in Cumberland, Md.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Howard Kipnes has today’s question: Which U. S. president was the first to appear on television, and what was the event he was attending? 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
POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle
Rubio goes all in on immigration, NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, Lamborn spills bean on N. Korea nukes, Progress Ky. official resigns, Walden faces backlash
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Rubio goes all in on immigration, NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, Lamborn spills bean on N. Korea nukes, Progress Ky. official resigns, Walden faces backlash
(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
RUBIO GOES ALL IN ON IMMIGRATION – POLITICO’s Manu Raju has a preview of the Florida Republican’s game plan: “Marco Rubio is preparing to go all in to support sweeping immigration legislation, offering himself up as the public face of a bill that will split the Republican Party — but that his allies hope will propel him to the front of the GOP presidential sweepstakes. After offering lukewarm support until now, Rubio is preparing to fully embrace a measure that is the most significant of his political career so far. The gambit could pay off in spades by crowning a leading presidential contender in 2016, or it could permanently damage the Republican’s brand with conservatives.
– “Rubio is planning a media blitz to promote the bill — which is expected to be released early next week — making the rounds on all of the Sunday political talk shows starting this weekend, wooing skeptical conservative radio hosts and pitching the plan to Spanish-language news outlets. The campaign is aimed at building public support for the far-reaching immigration bill that will dominate Capitol Hill’s attention for much of the year. …
– “Behind the scenes, the potential 2016 aspirant has already launched a lobbying campaign to convince conservatives that the plan will be tough on the border. The goal is to assuage GOP concerns over the pathway to citizenship that would be offered to the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants, allowing them to apply for citizenship after 13 years as the new enforcement measures take effect. The Florida Republican has privately briefed individual GOP senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee — including conservative skeptics John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah — about the soon-to-be-unveiled proposal, according to sources familiar with the matter. His staff has pitched the plan to conservative thought leaders, including at the National Review and Wall Street Journal editorial board as well as the columnist Charles Krauthammer, sources say.” http://politi.co/Zknfly
THE GANG’S immigration bill will include a new merit-based program for foreigners to become permanent legal residents based on their work skills, the NYT’s Julia Preston and Ashley Parker report. http://nyti.ms/ZlgS1q
NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, MOVE SENATE – Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in their latest “Behind the Curtain” column: “When a lobbyist for families of Newtown shooting victims called the office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to set up a meeting, the first response was a standard D.C. offer. They could get a meeting with her staff, and a quick and simple ‘hello’ from Collins herself, they were told. The families’ answer: Not good enough. According to their lobbyists, the families have a rule against staff-only meetings: they won’t do them. They insist on sitting down with the senators themselves.
– “That rule is just one of the ways that the Newtown families, political novices just a few months ago, are proving to be savvy, effective advocates as they promote the gun legislation that has finally begun to move through the Senate. The families are well-educated, and many are well-off. They have been polished and sharp on TV. They’re mostly non-political, but quite accomplished in their own fields. With access to money and media, they’re using persistence, visibility — and, most all, their unique moral authority — to help prod Senate action. They also have their own lobbyists — several of them, in fact. …
–“What started as a support group is now a lobbying force unlike any other to descend on Capitol Hill. The family members typically begin their pitch to senators softly, telling the story of the child that they lost. They gently say they could not have imagined themselves in this position, but they’re doing it to honor the memory of their children. They say they’re supporters of the Second Amendment, and just want to have a conversation. But there’s nothing subtle about the way some of them conclude their visits: by leaving behind a color card with a photo of their slain relative. Nicole Hockley, who introduced President Barack Obama in Hartford this week, hands senators a card with three photos of her son Dylan, who was 6 when he was gunned down. One frame shows him grinning, in a Superman shirt. ‘Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06 – 12/14/12,’ the card says. ‘Honor his life. Stand with us for change. NOW IS THE TIME.’” http://politi.co/10SJDFr
– More than a dozen family members of Newtown victims sat in the gallery and looked on as the Senate voted 68-31 to begin debate on a gun-control measures, beating back a GOP-led filibuster, Kasie Hunt reports for NBC News. http://nbcnews.to/157VnZ8
TWO DEMOCRATS broke with their party and voted to filibuster the gun legislation: Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor.
SIXTEEN REPUBLICANS voted to begin debate on the bill: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire; Richard Burr of North Carolina; Saxby Chambliss of Georgia; Tom Coburn of Oklahoma; Susan Collins of Maine; Bob Corker of Tennessee; Jeff Flake of Arizona; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; John Hoeven of North Dakota; Johnny Isakson of Georgia; Dean Heller of Nevada; Mark Kirk of Illinois; John McCain of Arizona; Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania; Roger Wicker of Mississippi. http://politi.co/155XEE3
– Thursday’s vote could be just the first of many on gun legislation, POLITICO’s John Bresnahan reports: “A vote could come as soon as Tuesday on the bipartisan proposal by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would expand background checks to all commercial gun sales and close the so-called gun-show loophole, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a key player in the gun bill debate. … But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have yet to reach an agreement laying out all the conditions for the gun debate, including how long the fight could go on and how many amendments — and what type — can be offered. The Manchin-Toomey proposal will actually be offered as an amendment to an underlying Democrat-only gun bill, and without agreement from McConnell, it will be hard for Reid to get to a final vote on the gun package.” http://politi.co/1525UVv
– Roll Call’s John Gramlich has five gun-control amendments to watch next week, including measures on concealed carry, mental-health records and high-capacity magazines: http://bit.ly/Zlk6Sw
SUBURBAN GROWTH in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Virginia is forcing lawmakers to consider a new political calculus in the gun debate, Philip Rucker and Paul Kane write on A1 of the Washington Post: http://wapo.st/10YqS0J
LAWMAKER: NORTH KOREA CAN MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPON MOUNTED ON BALLISTIC MISSILE – The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and L.A. Times all front stories about Rep. Doug Lamborn’s surprising revelation about Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities. Thom Shanker, David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt write for the NYT: “A new assessment by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm has concluded for the first time, with “moderate confidence,” that North Korea has learned how to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile. The assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has been distributed to senior administration officials and members of Congress, cautions that the weapon’s ‘reliability will be low,’ apparently a reference to the North’s difficulty in developing accurate missiles or, perhaps, to the huge technical challenges of designing a warhead that can survive the rigors of flight and detonate on a specific target.
– “The assessment’s existence was disclosed Thursday by Representative Doug Lamborn, Republican of Colorado, three hours into a budget hearing of the House Armed Services Committee with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. General Dempsey declined to comment on the assessment because of classification issues. But late Thursday, the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., released a statement saying that the assessment did not represent a consensus of the nation’s intelligence community and that ‘North Korea has not yet demonstrated the full range of capabilities necessary for a nuclear armed missile.’” http://nyti.ms/16RtqCR
– Defense hawk Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the North Korean dictator a “clown” and a “fool” on Fox News Thursday night, saying the U.S. can “take out” his nuclear capabilities if he fires a test missile. http://politi.co/ZlawyS
** 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 FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 12, 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 @Katy_Brock and @Cabananatuan.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ANITA FORD, a senior web producer at POLITICO who’s endured countless early morning wake-up calls and worked behind the scenes to produce The Huddle each day since I took over a year and a half ago. Today marks her final Huddle as she moves on to bigger things, and we wish her the best! Email her at: aford@politico.com
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is out today. The House meets at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on a bill requiring the National Labor Relations Board to halt all activity until the legal issues surrounding the legitimacy of President Obama’s recess appointments are resolved.
AROUND THE HILL — Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform holds a Countdown-to-Tax-Day press conference at 10 a.m. in H-137, featuring speakers House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Sen. Orrin Hatch, and Reps. Kevin Brady, Devin Nunes, Tom Price and Reid Ribble.
Sen. Ben Cardin holds a town hall with employees at 11:15 a.m. at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Cato Institute hosts a Capitol Hill briefing titled “After the Arguments: What’s Next for Marriage Equality?” at noon in Rayburn B-369.
PROGRESS KENTUCKY OFFICIAL RESIGNS AMID McCONNELL BUGGING FALLOUT – Kevin Robillard reports for POLITICO: “Pressure is growing Thursday afternoon on a liberal super PAC in Kentucky accused of surreptitiously recording a strategy session held by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Jacob Conway, the Jefferson County Democratic Party’s executive committee member who originally accused Progress Kentucky of making the recording, told NBC News he was on his way to talk to the FBI about the allegations. And the group’s treasurer confirmed he had quit his position after the audio was published. ‘At this time based on advice of both friends and counsel, I will be not be making a public statement available until everything has been reviewed by an attorney at this time,’ Douglas L. Davis told NBC News. ‘I have resigned my position as treasurer and did not and do not condone any allegations of illegal activity that might have taken place.’
– “Conway told Louisville’s NPR affiliate earlier Thursday that two Progress Kentucky employees bragged to him about recording the meeting through a door in McConnell’s office. Conway said Shawn Reilly and Curtis Morrison told him they snuck into McConnell’s freshly-opened campaign office February 2, not long after McConnell held an open house for GOP activists and media members. They heard the meeting going on through a closed door and recorded it. … McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton told the radio station the door in question has a large gap at the bottom and a vent the duo could’ve recorded the meeting through.” http://politi.co/ZPqq3C
– Reilly, the group’s executive director is denying he engaged in any illegal activity, The Hill’s Alexandra Jaffe reports: http://bit.ly/ZQTms2
DEFICIT GANG OF EIGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD? – Ginger Gibson reports for POLITICO: “Republican and Democratic senators are considering resurrecting a gang of deficit-busting lawmakers with an eye on a grand bargain with President Barack Obama. The bipartisan effort would come on the heels of the immigration Gang of Eight that is on the verge of announcing a sweeping immigration overhaul, and a breakthrough agreement on gun control between Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). In fact, it seems reining in the deficit is the only thorny issue left in Washington that hasn’t seen a recent bipartisan breakthrough despite an aggressive outreach campaign by Obama to lawmakers. …
–“A revival of the group could see the return of veteran negotiators like Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.). But they could also tap new blood like Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Johnny Iskason (R-Ga.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), or budget supercommittee members Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Toomey.” http://politi.co/1525Y7w
WALDEN’S ‘CHAINED CPI’ REMARK SPLITS GOP – Jonathan Strong writes for Roll Call: National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden touched a nerve Wednesday when he savaged the entitlement changes in President Barack Obama’s budget as a ‘shocking attack on seniors.’ But while conservative groups expressed outrage and top House leaders, including Speaker John A. Boehner, said they disagreed with Walden, it’s the lack of fallout for the Oregon Republican that may be more revealing. The debate Walden’s remarks has set off inside the GOP shows many Republicans harbor deep-seated fears about publicly supporting the entitlement cuts they supposedly back and have demanded Obama and other Democrats embrace since taking control of the House in 2011. ‘Walden is doing the right thing for the 30 seats that control the majority of the House, and that’s what the mission of NRCC chair is,’ said Brock McLeary, the president of Harper Polling and a former top political hand at the NRCC. …
–“On Thursday, Boehner said, ‘I’ve made it clear that I disagree with what Chairman Walden said. He and I have had a conversation about it. This is the least we must do to begin to solve the problems of Social Security.’ Rory Cooper, a spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said his boss “thinks that chained CPI should definitely be on the table” and noted that, like Boehner, Cantor had also spoken to Walden.” http://bit.ly/XH4EF9
– Angered by Walden’s position, the conservative Club for Growth is now looking for a primary challenger to take him on in 2014, Kate Nocera reports for POLITICO: http://politi.co/ZPEOsO
THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Bradley Dlatt was first to correctly answer that Thomas Jefferson signed legislation in 1806 providing funding for the National Road, previously known as the Cumberland Road, the first highway to be built by the federal government. The road started in Cumberland, Md.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Howard Kipnes has today’s question: Which U. S. president was the first to appear on television, and what was the event he was attending? 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
POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle
Rubio goes all in on immigration, NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, Lamborn spills bean on N. Korea nukes, Progress Ky. official resigns, Walden faces backlash
Friday, April 12, 2013
Rubio goes all in on immigration, NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, Lamborn spills bean on N. Korea nukes, Progress Ky. official resigns, Walden faces backlash
(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
RUBIO GOES ALL IN ON IMMIGRATION – POLITICO’s Manu Raju has a preview of the Florida Republican’s game plan: “Marco Rubio is preparing to go all in to support sweeping immigration legislation, offering himself up as the public face of a bill that will split the Republican Party — but that his allies hope will propel him to the front of the GOP presidential sweepstakes. After offering lukewarm support until now, Rubio is preparing to fully embrace a measure that is the most significant of his political career so far. The gambit could pay off in spades by crowning a leading presidential contender in 2016, or it could permanently damage the Republican’s brand with conservatives.
– “Rubio is planning a media blitz to promote the bill — which is expected to be released early next week — making the rounds on all of the Sunday political talk shows starting this weekend, wooing skeptical conservative radio hosts and pitching the plan to Spanish-language news outlets. The campaign is aimed at building public support for the far-reaching immigration bill that will dominate Capitol Hill’s attention for much of the year. …
– “Behind the scenes, the potential 2016 aspirant has already launched a lobbying campaign to convince conservatives that the plan will be tough on the border. The goal is to assuage GOP concerns over the pathway to citizenship that would be offered to the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants, allowing them to apply for citizenship after 13 years as the new enforcement measures take effect. The Florida Republican has privately briefed individual GOP senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee — including conservative skeptics John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah — about the soon-to-be-unveiled proposal, according to sources familiar with the matter. His staff has pitched the plan to conservative thought leaders, including at the National Review and Wall Street Journal editorial board as well as the columnist Charles Krauthammer, sources say.” http://politi.co/Zknfly
THE GANG’S immigration bill will include a new merit-based program for foreigners to become permanent legal residents based on their work skills, the NYT’s Julia Preston and Ashley Parker report. http://nyti.ms/ZlgS1q
NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, MOVE SENATE – Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in their latest “Behind the Curtain” column: “When a lobbyist for families of Newtown shooting victims called the office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to set up a meeting, the first response was a standard D.C. offer. They could get a meeting with her staff, and a quick and simple ‘hello’ from Collins herself, they were told. The families’ answer: Not good enough. According to their lobbyists, the families have a rule against staff-only meetings: they won’t do them. They insist on sitting down with the senators themselves.
– “That rule is just one of the ways that the Newtown families, political novices just a few months ago, are proving to be savvy, effective advocates as they promote the gun legislation that has finally begun to move through the Senate. The families are well-educated, and many are well-off. They have been polished and sharp on TV. They’re mostly non-political, but quite accomplished in their own fields. With access to money and media, they’re using persistence, visibility — and, most all, their unique moral authority — to help prod Senate action. They also have their own lobbyists — several of them, in fact. …
–“What started as a support group is now a lobbying force unlike any other to descend on Capitol Hill. The family members typically begin their pitch to senators softly, telling the story of the child that they lost. They gently say they could not have imagined themselves in this position, but they’re doing it to honor the memory of their children. They say they’re supporters of the Second Amendment, and just want to have a conversation. But there’s nothing subtle about the way some of them conclude their visits: by leaving behind a color card with a photo of their slain relative. Nicole Hockley, who introduced President Barack Obama in Hartford this week, hands senators a card with three photos of her son Dylan, who was 6 when he was gunned down. One frame shows him grinning, in a Superman shirt. ‘Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06 – 12/14/12,’ the card says. ‘Honor his life. Stand with us for change. NOW IS THE TIME.’” http://politi.co/10SJDFr
– More than a dozen family members of Newtown victims sat in the gallery and looked on as the Senate voted 68-31 to begin debate on a gun-control measures, beating back a GOP-led filibuster, Kasie Hunt reports for NBC News. http://nbcnews.to/157VnZ8
TWO DEMOCRATS broke with their party and voted to filibuster the gun legislation: Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor.
SIXTEEN REPUBLICANS voted to begin debate on the bill: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee; Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire; Richard Burr of North Carolina; Saxby Chambliss of Georgia; Tom Coburn of Oklahoma; Susan Collins of Maine; Bob Corker of Tennessee; Jeff Flake of Arizona; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; John Hoeven of North Dakota; Johnny Isakson of Georgia; Dean Heller of Nevada; Mark Kirk of Illinois; John McCain of Arizona; Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania; Roger Wicker of Mississippi. http://politi.co/155XEE3
– Thursday’s vote could be just the first of many on gun legislation, POLITICO’s John Bresnahan reports: “A vote could come as soon as Tuesday on the bipartisan proposal by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would expand background checks to all commercial gun sales and close the so-called gun-show loophole, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), a key player in the gun bill debate. … But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have yet to reach an agreement laying out all the conditions for the gun debate, including how long the fight could go on and how many amendments — and what type — can be offered. The Manchin-Toomey proposal will actually be offered as an amendment to an underlying Democrat-only gun bill, and without agreement from McConnell, it will be hard for Reid to get to a final vote on the gun package.” http://politi.co/1525UVv
– Roll Call’s John Gramlich has five gun-control amendments to watch next week, including measures on concealed carry, mental-health records and high-capacity magazines: http://bit.ly/Zlk6Sw
SUBURBAN GROWTH in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Virginia is forcing lawmakers to consider a new political calculus in the gun debate, Philip Rucker and Paul Kane write on A1 of the Washington Post: http://wapo.st/10YqS0J
LAWMAKER: NORTH KOREA CAN MAKE NUCLEAR WEAPON MOUNTED ON BALLISTIC MISSILE – The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and L.A. Times all front stories about Rep. Doug Lamborn’s surprising revelation about Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities. Thom Shanker, David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt write for the NYT: “A new assessment by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm has concluded for the first time, with “moderate confidence,” that North Korea has learned how to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile. The assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has been distributed to senior administration officials and members of Congress, cautions that the weapon’s ‘reliability will be low,’ apparently a reference to the North’s difficulty in developing accurate missiles or, perhaps, to the huge technical challenges of designing a warhead that can survive the rigors of flight and detonate on a specific target.
– “The assessment’s existence was disclosed Thursday by Representative Doug Lamborn, Republican of Colorado, three hours into a budget hearing of the House Armed Services Committee with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. General Dempsey declined to comment on the assessment because of classification issues. But late Thursday, the director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., released a statement saying that the assessment did not represent a consensus of the nation’s intelligence community and that ‘North Korea has not yet demonstrated the full range of capabilities necessary for a nuclear armed missile.’” http://nyti.ms/16RtqCR
– Defense hawk Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the North Korean dictator a “clown” and a “fool” on Fox News Thursday night, saying the U.S. can “take out” his nuclear capabilities if he fires a test missile. http://politi.co/ZlawyS
** 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 FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 12, 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 @Katy_Brock and @Cabananatuan.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ANITA FORD, a senior web producer at POLITICO who’s endured countless early morning wake-up calls and worked behind the scenes to produce The Huddle each day since I took over a year and a half ago. Today marks her final Huddle as she moves on to bigger things, and we wish her the best! Email her at: aford@politico.com
TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is out today. The House meets at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on a bill requiring the National Labor Relations Board to halt all activity until the legal issues surrounding the legitimacy of President Obama’s recess appointments are resolved.
AROUND THE HILL — Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform holds a Countdown-to-Tax-Day press conference at 10 a.m. in H-137, featuring speakers House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Sen. Orrin Hatch, and Reps. Kevin Brady, Devin Nunes, Tom Price and Reid Ribble.
Sen. Ben Cardin holds a town hall with employees at 11:15 a.m. at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The Cato Institute hosts a Capitol Hill briefing titled “After the Arguments: What’s Next for Marriage Equality?” at noon in Rayburn B-369.
PROGRESS KENTUCKY OFFICIAL RESIGNS AMID McCONNELL BUGGING FALLOUT – Kevin Robillard reports for POLITICO: “Pressure is growing Thursday afternoon on a liberal super PAC in Kentucky accused of surreptitiously recording a strategy session held by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Jacob Conway, the Jefferson County Democratic Party’s executive committee member who originally accused Progress Kentucky of making the recording, told NBC News he was on his way to talk to the FBI about the allegations. And the group’s treasurer confirmed he had quit his position after the audio was published. ‘At this time based on advice of both friends and counsel, I will be not be making a public statement available until everything has been reviewed by an attorney at this time,’ Douglas L. Davis told NBC News. ‘I have resigned my position as treasurer and did not and do not condone any allegations of illegal activity that might have taken place.’
– “Conway told Louisville’s NPR affiliate earlier Thursday that two Progress Kentucky employees bragged to him about recording the meeting through a door in McConnell’s office. Conway said Shawn Reilly and Curtis Morrison told him they snuck into McConnell’s freshly-opened campaign office February 2, not long after McConnell held an open house for GOP activists and media members. They heard the meeting going on through a closed door and recorded it. … McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton told the radio station the door in question has a large gap at the bottom and a vent the duo could’ve recorded the meeting through.” http://politi.co/ZPqq3C
– Reilly, the group’s executive director is denying he engaged in any illegal activity, The Hill’s Alexandra Jaffe reports: http://bit.ly/ZQTms2
DEFICIT GANG OF EIGHT BACK FROM THE DEAD? – Ginger Gibson reports for POLITICO: “Republican and Democratic senators are considering resurrecting a gang of deficit-busting lawmakers with an eye on a grand bargain with President Barack Obama. The bipartisan effort would come on the heels of the immigration Gang of Eight that is on the verge of announcing a sweeping immigration overhaul, and a breakthrough agreement on gun control between Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). In fact, it seems reining in the deficit is the only thorny issue left in Washington that hasn’t seen a recent bipartisan breakthrough despite an aggressive outreach campaign by Obama to lawmakers. …
–“A revival of the group could see the return of veteran negotiators like Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.). But they could also tap new blood like Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Johnny Iskason (R-Ga.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), or budget supercommittee members Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Toomey.” http://politi.co/1525Y7w
WALDEN’S ‘CHAINED CPI’ REMARK SPLITS GOP – Jonathan Strong writes for Roll Call: National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden touched a nerve Wednesday when he savaged the entitlement changes in President Barack Obama’s budget as a ‘shocking attack on seniors.’ But while conservative groups expressed outrage and top House leaders, including Speaker John A. Boehner, said they disagreed with Walden, it’s the lack of fallout for the Oregon Republican that may be more revealing. The debate Walden’s remarks has set off inside the GOP shows many Republicans harbor deep-seated fears about publicly supporting the entitlement cuts they supposedly back and have demanded Obama and other Democrats embrace since taking control of the House in 2011. ‘Walden is doing the right thing for the 30 seats that control the majority of the House, and that’s what the mission of NRCC chair is,’ said Brock McLeary, the president of Harper Polling and a former top political hand at the NRCC. …
–“On Thursday, Boehner said, ‘I’ve made it clear that I disagree with what Chairman Walden said. He and I have had a conversation about it. This is the least we must do to begin to solve the problems of Social Security.’ Rory Cooper, a spokesman for Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said his boss “thinks that chained CPI should definitely be on the table” and noted that, like Boehner, Cantor had also spoken to Walden.” http://bit.ly/XH4EF9
– Angered by Walden’s position, the conservative Club for Growth is now looking for a primary challenger to take him on in 2014, Kate Nocera reports for POLITICO: http://politi.co/ZPEOsO
THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Bradley Dlatt was first to correctly answer that Thomas Jefferson signed legislation in 1806 providing funding for the National Road, previously known as the Cumberland Road, the first highway to be built by the federal government. The road started in Cumberland, Md.
TODAY’S TRIVIA – Howard Kipnes has today’s question: Which U. S. president was the first to appear on television, and what was the event he was attending? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
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** 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
POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle
Rubio goes all in on immigration, NEWTOWN VICTIMS BECOME POWERFUL LOBBY, Lamborn spills bean on N. Korea nukes, Progress Ky. official resigns, Walden faces backlash