Lawmakers, staff may get Obamacare exemption, Goodlatte to drop Ag-worker bill today, Hill scrambles to fix flight delays, Poll: Ayotte takes hit after gun vote, trivia

(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)

LAWMAKERS, STAFFERS MAY GET OBAMACARE EXEMPTION; A DOUBLE STANDARD? – John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman report for the hometown paper: “Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said. The talks — which involve Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Obama administration and other top lawmakers — are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out for months, sources said. A source close to the talks says: ‘Everyone has to hold hands on this and jump, or nothing is going to get done.’

– “Yet if Capitol Hill leaders move forward with the plan, they risk being dubbed hypocrites by their political rivals and the American public. By removing themselves from a key Obamacare component, lawmakers and aides would be held to a different standard than the people who put them in office. Democrats, in particular, would take a public hammering as the traditional boosters of Obamacare. Republicans would undoubtedly attempt to shred them over any attempt to escape coverage by it, unless Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) give Democrats cover by backing it. There is concern in some quarters that the provision requiring lawmakers and staffers to join the exchanges, if it isn’t revised, could lead to a ‘brain drain’ on Capitol Hill, as several sources close to the talks put it.

–“The problem stems from whether members and aides set to enter the exchanges would have their health insurance premiums subsidized by their employer — in this case, the federal government. If not, aides and lawmakers in both parties fear that staffers — especially low-paid junior aides — could be hit with thousands of dollars in new health care costs, prompting them to seek jobs elsewhere. Older, more senior staffers could also retire or jump to the private sector rather than face a big financial penalty.” http://politi.co/ZJDfkg

GOP LEADERS YANK OBAMACARE BILL – Jake Sherman writes for POLITICO: “House Republican leadership abruptly pulled a health care bill from the floor after concerns from conservatives that it extended President Barack Obama’s health care law. The legislation, which was championed by Majority Leader Eric Cantor, had opposition from all corners of the conservative universe. It’s a blow to the Virginia Republican, who touted the ‘Helping Sick Americans Now Act’ and visited the Republican Study Committee meeting Wednesday to try to move votes. The legislation attempts to transfer money from what Republicans call a ‘slush fund’ — it’s actually a preventative disease account — to create high-risk pools for sick Americans. The Obama administration said Tuesday the president would likely veto the bill. …

– “The Club for Growth, the Heritage Foundation and tea party groups have urged Republican lawmakers to oppose the bill, which was authored by GOP Reps. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania, Michael Burgess of Texas and Ann Wagner of Missouri. Club for Growth said it would include this vote in its annual rating of members of Congress. Brent Bozell, a tea party leader, dubbed the bill ‘CantorCare’ in a news release Tuesday. Republican lawmakers privately fretted that the bill would bolster Obamacare, which the GOP has long tried to dismantle.” http://politi.co/13uwB1s

– The New York Times’ Jonathan Weisman’s take on Cantor: His efforts to remake the GOP into a kinder, gentler party aren’t going so well: http://nyti.ms/ZQsfxF

BOEHNER-LED COST-CUTTING SAVES $ 400M IN HOUSE – Susan Davis writes for USA Today: “The House of Representatives will spend 15% less on its own operations this year than it did three years ago under a cost-cutting effort launched by Speaker John Boehner that is on pace to have saved taxpayers more than $ 400 million by the end of this year. When Republicans took control of the House in January 2011, Boehner, the new speaker, said cutting House spending would be a priority. Since then, House lawmakers have seen a nearly 20% decrease in their office budgets. Three years ago, the average lawmaker had an annual $ 1.5 million budget, which is down to $ 1.2 million. Those budgets — which vary by office — cover everything from staff salaries to district office rent and bottled water. The cuts trimmed $ 58 million from House costs in fiscal year 2011, $ 143 million in fiscal year 2012, and are on track to save $ 205 million through fiscal year 2013 when the across-the-board government spending cuts known as sequestration are factored in to the savings, according to Boehner’s office. The operating budget for the House in 2010 was $ 1.37 billion; that number has been shaved to $ 1.16 billion for 2013.” http://usat.ly/ZOMX1Q

GOODLATTE EXPECTED TO DROP HIS AG-WORKER BILL TODAY – A few highlights from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s bill, which he shared with stakeholders last night:

– The maximum stay for H-2C workers in temporary or seasonal jobs is 18 months, after which an H-2C worker must remain outside the U.S. for a period equal to at least 1/6 of the duration of their stay on an H-2C visa. For H-2C workers in jobs that are themselves permanent, the requirement to remain outside the U.S. after the first 18 month period is waived.

– An employer must place a local job order with the state workforce agency serving the local area where the H-2C worker will be employed. The state workforce agency shall post the job order on its official agency website for a minimum of 30 days and the Secretary of Labor shall include links to the official websites of all state workforce agencies on a single webpage on its website.

– Aliens in the U.S. as of the date of introduction of the Act who are unlawfully present may participate in the H-2C program. Until the implementation of the H-2C program, such aliens may lawfully work in agriculture in the U.S.

– The total number of aliens who may newly receive H-2C status is limited to 500,000 a year. The Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to raise or lower this cap based on a number of considerations. Bill summary: http://bit.ly/15PzvSr Bill text: http://bit.ly/YUixuY

– The Sierra Club has endorsed comprehensive immigration reform, POLITICO’s Anna Palmer and Darren Samuelsohn report: http://politi.co/ZJCGXO

CAPITOL HILL SCARMBLES FOR FIX TO FLIGHT DELAYS – Adam Snider, Burgess Everett and Kathryn A. Wolfe report for the hometown paper: “Momentum on the Hill is building toward a possible solution to the hours-long delays plaguing the nation’s airports. Many questions remain unanswered, but the cascading woes in the skies combined with the rising partisan rhetoric about budget cuts have pushed top senators from both parties to look for a compromise. And the White House appears to be softening on its previous insistence that it wants a broad solution to the entire sequester — not just the portion that affects the FAA. The Senate’s top aviation leaders met for 40 minutes Wednesday with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA head Michael Huerta to discuss a solution. LaHood and Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) declined to offer details, though Rockefeller said the talks focused on the air traffic controller furloughs that started on Sunday. …

– “It’s still not clear what that solution might be, though a bill dealing with the FAA’s air traffic controllers might be on the fast track. Both chambers of Congress are set to take a one-week vacation next week, further complicating — or providing an incentive for — a possible fix.” http://politi.co/17XJOTP

WSJ, A1, 1-col above the fold, “Senators Seek Way To Ease FAA Cuts,” By Kristina Peterson, Jack Nicas and Susan Carey: http://on.wsj.com/XYTeub

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS: ELVIS IMPERSONATOR MAY HAVE BEEN FRAMED – Kimberly Kindy and Julie Tate report for the Washington Post: “Federal authorities descended Wednesday on a shuttered martial arts studio in Mississippi as the FBI sought to reinvigorate its investigation into ricin-laced letters sent this month to the White House, a U.S. senator and a county judge. James Everett Dutschke, 41, the owner of the studio, saw attention shift to him after an earlier suspect in the case told authorities and news media that Dutschke may have framed him. Law enforcement officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that they believe the earlier suspect, Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, may have been framed. Charges against Curtis were dropped Tuesday and he was released from jail. Law enforcement officials would not say whether they believe Dutschke is responsible for the ricin letters. Dutschke’s attorney said Curtis and Dutschke are acquaintances and that the two men were last in contact three years ago. Dutschke has denied any involvement with the ricin letters and said through his attorney that he has no malice toward Curtis. …

– “FBI spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment about the arrest and the subsequent release of Curtis, and did not respond to questions about Dutschke. ‘The investigation remains ongoing,’ Bresson said. Charlie Watson, who owns a business near Dutschke’s former martial arts studio, said that several unmarked dark-blue trucks with mounted sirens pulled into the strip mall where the studio is located around 8 a.m. Wednesday. He said they were still there, in addition to several other police cars and a hazardous materials truck, at 6:30 p.m.” http://wapo.st/15Pn2Ov

– Only one of the three letters made it into the hands of its intended targets, 80-year-old Mississippi judge Sadie Holland, The AP reports. Holland is the common link between the two men probed in the case. http://wapo.st/17Wl7nZ

CIA WANTED BOSTON BOMBER ON WATCH LIST – Greg Miller reports on A1 of the Washington Post: “The CIA pushed to have one of the suspected Boston Marathon bombers placed on a U.S. counterterrorism watch list more than a year before the attacks, U.S. officials said Wednesday. Russian authorities contacted the CIA in the fall of 2011 and raised concerns that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed last week in a confrontation with police, was seen as an increasingly radical Islamist who could be planning to travel overseas. The CIA request led the National Counterterrorism Center to add Tsarnaev’s name to a database known as the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, or TIDE, that is used to feed information to other lists, including the FBI’s main terrorist screening database.  The CIA’s request came months after the FBI had closed a preliminary inquiry into Tsarnaev after getting a similar warning from Russian state security, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

–“The disclosure of the CIA’s involvement suggests that the U.S. government may have had more reason than it has previously acknowledged to scrutinize Tsarnaev in the months leading up to the bombings in Boston. It also raises questions why U.S. authorities didn’t flag his return to the United States and investigate him further after a seven-month trip he took to Russia last year.” http://wapo.st/XYQ1uM

** IUPAT members and leaders will be on Capitol Hill today talking about the continued need for workers and contractors to be certified and trained in lead paint safety in order to prevent the spread of lead poisoning and contamination on or off the jobsite(s). Find out more here: http://www.goiupat.com

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 25, 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 @Good4Hearts and @DanaPerino.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. and will recess at 10:30 a.m. for one hour for a senators-only briefing. At 11:30 a.m., the Senate will resume consideration of the Marketplace Fairness Act.  Unless an agreement is reached, the Senate will have a cloture vote on the bill Friday morning.

The House meets at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act.

AROUND THE HILL – Rep. Jan Schakowsky and others speak on POLITICO’s Emerging Tax Leaders panel at 8 a.m. at the Newseum. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Rep. Trey Gowdy speak on immigration reform at 9 a.m. in HVC Studio A.  Former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Sens. Mark Begich, Debbie Stabenow, Chris Coons, Heidi Heitkamp, Tim Johnson, Mark Pryor and Jon Tester participate in Senate Democrats’ 2^nd Rural Summit at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen G-50. 

Reps. Trent Franks, Jim Costa, Ed Royce and others speak on the Victims’ Rights Amendment at 10 a.m. at the House Triangle. Also at 10, Rep. Mike Honda and national education experts speak on education reform at the National Press Club, 529 14t St. NW.  House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi holds an on-camera briefing with reporters at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez participates in a vigil to recognize families separated by deportations, at 11:30 a.m. outside of the Hart Building. Reps. Karen Bass and Joe Courtney speak on student loan debt at 2 p.m. at the House Triangle. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce meets with King Abdullah of Jordan at 4 p.m. in Rayburn 2172.

IN HAWAII DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, IT’S ONCE AGAIN OBAMA VS. CLINTON – Roll Call’s Kyle Trygstad explains: “The lingering fallout from the 2008 presidential primaries could rear its head in another congressional contest — this time in Hawaii. The two Democrats who will face off in next year’s Senate primary took leading roles on opposite sides of the primary that pitted Barack Obama versus Hillary Rodham Clinton. In the Aloha State — where politics is especially personal — every possible division between appointed Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa will likely spill out in the 2014 special election. Schatz’s team plans to use this to its advantage — including parlaying his role in helping nominate the president in his home state. … Like many other states in 2008, the local party in Hawaii was split into two camps. Schatz, then a former state representative, was the political director and top spokesman for the Obama campaign. Meanwhile, Hanabusa, who was then the state Senate president, served as Clinton’s state spokeswoman.” http://bit.ly/Y6lzks

HEITKAMP DEFENDS GUN VOTE – Manu Raju writes for POLITICO: “Heidi Heitkamp’s office was flooded with calls from North Dakotans in the run-up to last week’s high-profile vote to expand background checks on gun purchasers. The overwhelming consensus: Vote no. In an interview in her office this week, the freshman Democrat defended the biggest vote of her young Senate career, when she joined with three other Democrats and most Senate Republicans to oppose expanding background checks during commercial gun sales. ‘I think I always had a reputation as somebody who will listen, somebody who is pretty independent-minded but also believes that at the end of the day, you got to listen to your constituents,’ Heitkamp said. ‘In this office, the calls literally were before the last day at least 7 to 1 against that bill. This was after a series of very extensive ad campaigns done in my state saying call me and tell me to support it.’

– “Heitkamp’s opposition came after intense lobbying by President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly — and families of the victims from the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School last year. The vote turned Heitkamp from an unexpected victor of a 2012 Senate race to a liberal punching bag, fielding a sharp jab from Obama’s former chief of staff, Bill Daley, who demanded a refund of his campaign donation. It all amounted to an unusual amount of attention for a woman who hailed from a town of 90 people, hadn’t held an elected office for a dozen years and is so new to the Senate that she is still cramped in a small ground-level temporary office. But Heitkamp’s vote last week serves as a stark reminder that Obama’s domestic agenda rests largely on wooing both Republicans and red-state Democrats who are unafraid to buck their party.” http://politi.co/YSelvL

SCOTT BROWN FLIRTS WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE – James Hohmann writes for POLITICO: “Scott Brown has the look of a man not quite sure what to do with himself. Since losing his Senate seat in November, the Republican flirted with but then decided against running again in Massachusetts, signed up as a commentator for Fox News and landed a gig at a law firm with a lobbying practice. Now he’s again looking at a possible run … in New Hampshire. Brown is serious enough that he’s making at least five trips to the state in a one-month window, including last Saturday for a speech to a county GOP luncheon in Hanover and an appearance at the New Hampshire Young Republicans convention. The Republican senatorial campaign arm, looking to expand the 2014 map, has promoted the buzz, and Karl Rove has talked him up on cable. Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is favored to win a second term in the swing state, but a Brown entry — the odds are still probably less than 50-50 — would throw the race into flux.” http://politi.co/13vlKEh

SENATORS ASK OBAMA IF ASSAD HAS USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS – Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) fired off a letter to President Obama Wednesday asking him whether the Assad regime – or Syrian elements associated with, or supported by, the Assad regime – has used chemical weapons in Syria since the current conflict began in March 2011: “[T]he senior military intelligence analyst of the Israel Defense Forces, Brigadier General Itai Brun, stated recently that the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad ‘has increasingly used chemical weapons’ against civilians in Syria. This statement follows the letter sent last week by the French and British governments to the Secretary General of the United Nations, in which they reportedly claim to have credible evidence that chemical weapons have been used in Syria. … Like you, we also view the potential use of chemical weapons in Syria as a matter of vital importance for U.S. and international security, with significant implications for U.S. policy toward the conflict in Syria.”

HARKIN DELAYS VOTE ON LABOR NOMINEE PEREZ – Sam Hananel writes for the AP: “Senate Democrats have delayed a confirmation vote on Labor Secretary-nominee Thomas Perez after Republicans threatened to use a separate hearing to criticize his handling of a whistleblower case. A vote in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that had been set for Thursday has been pushed back to May 8. Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa said he was concerned that Republicans would use the separate hearing as a forum to attack Perez in his absence. Harkin canceled the hearing on federal whistleblower laws, which also was set for Thursday.” http://yhoo.it/11mLCRd

AYOTTE SEES DIP IN POLLS AFTER GUN VOTE – Kevin Cirilli reports for POLITICO: “Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) is facing a backlash after voting against the background check proposal last week. Ayotte has a 44 percent approval rating and a 46 percent disapproval, according to a Public Policy Polling poll released Thursday. That’s a net 15 percentage point drop since October, the last time PPP polled on her when she had a 48 percent approval and a 35 percent disapproval. … Fifty percent of New Hampshire voters say Ayotte’s voting ‘No’ on the legislation to expand background checks will make them less likely to support her in a future election — only 23 percent saw it as a positive. She’s up for reelection in 2016.” http://politi.co/11GhNvt

WEDNESDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Jonathan Orr and Jim Brewer both correctly answered seconds apart that former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Wilmer “Vinegar Bend” Mizell represented North Carolina in the House.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Ross Kapilian has today’s question: Who was the first British monarch to visit the U.S., and which president hosted him/her? 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/

** The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in coordination with state departments of health have found a higher percentage of construction workers’ children, especially those less than six years of age; have elevated BLLs when compared to age-specific averages for the United States and neighbors’ children. Lead paint regulations and laws, especially the “Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting (LRRP) rule”, are one of many safety valves to prevent the harmful effects of this toxic chemical from our society. By ensuring that workers and contractors are certified and trained in lead safe work practices we can prevent the spread of lead poisoning and contamination on or off the jobsite(s). Trained workers and contractors can in a cost efficient manner remove the hazardous chemical from homes, and public buildings to protect or communities. Find out more here:  http://www.goiupat.com

POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle

Lawmakers, staff may get Obamacare exemption, Goodlatte to drop Ag-worker bill today, Hill scrambles to fix flight delays, Poll: Ayotte takes hit after gun vote, trivia

English News Today - US seeks to export Afghan war to split Pakistan: Webster Tarpley

English News Today - US seeks to export Afghan war to split Pakistan: Webster Tarpley

English News Today - US seeks to export Afghan war to split Pakistan: Webster Tarpley

English News Today - US seeks to export Afghan war to split Pakistan: Webster Tarpley

Abby Martin interviews Richard Grove on "Breaking the Set" (RT Russia Today)

Abby Martin interviews Richard Grove on "Breaking the Set" (RT Russia Today)

Senate action puts Boehner in hot seat, Senate to debate gun bill, Robin Kelly sworn in today, Manchin"s moment, Saturday mail to continue, Jewell confirmed at Interior

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(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)

SENATE BIPARTISANSHIP PUTS BOEHNER IN HOT SEAT – Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer report for the hometown paper: “The Senate has caught bipartisan fever. Long mired in bitter gridlock, two groups of Democratic and Republican lawmakers have hashed out once-unthinkable bipartisan solutions on gun control and rewriting the nation’s immigration laws. But the rush to bipartisanship could grind to an abrupt halt in the House. Speaker John Boehner is once again trapped in a tough position: If he doesn’t move on Senate-passed gun and immigration compromises, the House risks looking like it is obstructing the will of the American people. Should Boehner achieve consensus among Republicans on both issues, it could re-establish him as a deal maker and a central figure in upcoming legislative debates, while helping the House move on to more comfortable political and policy grounds.

– “Publicly, Boehner is being circumspect about how he’ll handle eventual gun and immigration legislation, promising to consider both issues if they pass the Senate — his aides are still skeptical they will. But behind the scenes, his team is planning, and GOP lawmakers are pushing him and Republican leaders in multiple directions. Boehner is following through on his promise to exhaust the legislative process and will allow the House to decide whether to produce its own gun and immigration legislation. All that makes the next few months — which will butt up against a debate on the nation’s borrowing cap and budget — one of the most active few months Washington has seen since 2011.” http://politi.co/ZOsZTJ

ROBIN KELLY will be sworn in this afternoon on the House floor, after winning a special election Tuesday in Illinois’ 2^nd congressional district. Jesse Jackson had resigned from the seat last year amid a federal probe. Kelly will join fellow Democrats at 3 p.m. in the Gabe Zimmerman Meeting Room (HVC 215) to discuss chained CPI, aides said.

@POLITICOVideo Roundtable: Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Lois Romano and Glenn Thrush on this week’s top stories- Obama’s budget & GOP response, deals on gun control & immigration, and a comeback for Anthony Weiner? WATCH: http://politi.co/10MZ5Bv

HIGH DRAMA: SENATE TO BEGIN DEBATE ON GUNS – John Bresnahan reports for POLITICO: “President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats are going to win the first round in the fight over gun control Thursday. As many as a dozen Republicans are expected to join 50 or so Democrats to shut down a Republican filibuster blocking debate on a Democrat-authored gun bill thanks, in part, to a bipartisan deal between Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would expand background checks on all commercial gun sales and end the so-called gun show loophole. And then the real drama will begin. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other GOP senators will try to derail the Democratic bill by using every stalling tactic they’ve got, including plain old talking, until Democrats give up. The amendment process could take two weeks or more as senators debate and then vote on amendments unlikely to pass, such as an assault weapons ban or restrictions on high-capacity magazines.

– “Getting the 60 votes to ensure the final measure will pass could be Majority Leader Harry Reid’s most difficult test yet. Most of the GOP senators likely to cross the aisle Thursday — including John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Dean Heller of Nevada and Susan Collins of Maine — have not pledged to actually vote for the end product of the Senate gun control debate. Toomey has privately told Democrats he hopes to sway six to eight of his GOP colleagues to support the final package after all the amendments are resolved. Yet right now, the only solid Republican votes in that line are Toomey and Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk.” http://politi.co/12JFp73

– As Mitch McConnell repeatedly votes against cloture to protect from a primary challenge, he’s taking himself out of the legislative game, writes POLITICO’s David Rogers. http://politi.co/ZOt8Gy

– Meanwhile, the McConnell campaign says the FBI has “good leads” in its bugging probe, The Hill reports: http://bit.ly/10YAon9

MANCHIN’S MOMENT ON GUNS  – Ed O’Keefe and David A. Fahrenthold write on A1 of the Washington Post: “Before Wednesday, Sen. Joe Manchin III was not known for crafting complicated legislation. He was known for shooting it. That is not a metaphor. In 2010, Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, filmed a campaign ad that highlighted his outsider politics, his distance from President Obama, and his love of firearms, all in one memorable act of man-on-bill violence. He used a hunting rifle to blast a hole in a copy of Obama’s favored ‘cap and trade’ climate proposal. On Wednesday, Manchin was at a Senate podium, playing a vastly different role. In a Senate where dealmaking is a nearly dead art, this old outsider had cut a deal that could pave the way for a major expansion of U.S. gun-control laws.

– “For Manchin, that agreement was the payoff from months of relationship-building with Republicans, including nights of pizza and beer on a senator-stuffed boat called the Black Tie. The final deal was worked out over the past week, and concluded late Tuesday with a huddle at a rooftop birthday party for TV host Joe Scarborough. There, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) agreed to support the proposal — but to skip the news conference so his enemies would not become the bill’s enemies. The big news instead was delivered by Manchin, in his third year in the Senate, serving notice that Washington had underestimated his ambition and his flexibility. ‘This is common sense,’ he said. ‘This is gun sense.’” http://wapo.st/10Ypldn

– The NYT also fronts a story on the Manchin-Toomey bromance: “A Senator’s Search for an Ally Keeps a Gun Bill Alive,” By Jennifer Steinhauer: http://nyti.ms/155x7Hc

… OR IS IT TOOMEY’S MOMENT? – POLITICO’s Emily Schultheis writes: “Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) rose to prominence as a conservative firebrand: He ran to the right of then-Republican Sen. Arlen Specter in a 2004 primary, headed the Club for Growth and has an ‘A’ rating from the National Rifle Association, which spent almost $ 1.5 million getting him elected in 2010. Now he’s emerged as the possible savior of gun control efforts in Congress, calling expanded background checks a matter of common sense during a news conference Wednesday with his Democratic ally, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. The backdrop of Toomey’s pivot is unavoidable: After winning his seat in the Republican wave of 2010, he’ll face a Democrat-friendly electorate in 2016 in Pennsylvania, a state that just voted for President Barack Obama and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey by comfortable margins. Showing a pragmatic side on an issue like gun control could help Toomey soften his image among moderate voters, especially in the vote-rich Philadelphia suburbs.”

A ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ THAT PLAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER? – Manu Raju and Carrie Budoff Brown write for POLITICO: “The ideologically diverse Gang of Eight senators weathered months of painstaking negotiations to piece together a complex immigration plan it will soon unveil. But the eight still face one of their biggest tests: Can they remain united once it leaves their hands? After being locked out of the process for so long, Democratic and Republican senators are anxious to get a crack at amending the bill, setting up a treacherous path through the Judiciary Committee to the Senate floor that threatens to undermine the delicate compromise. Most members of the group are prepared to band together, defeating one by one any controversial amendment that can upset the deal’s balance. Such unity is considered essential if the senators hope to keep the core of the bill intact, hold the support of a cross-section of labor and business interests — and ultimately win the kind of broad bipartisan vote that forces the House to also act on an immigration bill.” http://politi.co/12JKZ9g

– A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that nearly two-thirds of Americans – including eight in 10 Latinos – support giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. NBC’s Mark Murray reports: http://nbcnews.to/14Z8Z8A The full poll is available here: http://on-msn.com/ZJkUH2

** 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 THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 11, 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 @ruelaswritings and @SEOAllDay.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is in at 9:30 a.m. and will vote at 11 a.m. on a motion to begin debate on the gun control legislation called the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act. The House is in at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. on a resolution 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 – Rep. Steve Womack speaks on the Alliance for Marketplace Fairness at 8:30 a.m. at the House Triangle. Rep. Mike Thompson and others speak on gun control at 10 a.m. at the House Triangle. Sens. Dick Blumenthal, Chris Murphy and Chuck Schumer join Newtown families to push for gun legislation at 10:30 a.m. in S-207.

Rep. Ron Kind and the New Democratic Coalition Immigration Task Force release immigration reform principles at 11 a.m. in HVC Studio A. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Joe Manchin, Orrin Hatch, Reps. Chris Van Hollen and Paul Ryan and others lead a Holocaust Day of Remembrance Ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Peter King speak on the rearview visibility rule at 1 p.m. at the House Triangle.

Speaker John Boehner holds an on-camera briefing with reporters at 1:15 p.m. in HVC Studio A. Reps. Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison speak out against chained CPI at 2 p.m. at the House Triangle. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi holds an on-camera briefing with reporters at 2 p.m. in HVC Studio A. Rep. Joe Courtney and Sen. Jack Reed speak on student loan interest rates at 4 p.m. at the House Triangle. Sen. Mazie Hirono holds a conference call to unveil legislation that would cut government red tape that makes it more difficult for tourists from Hong Kong to come to Hawaii, 4:30 p.m. To RSVP, reporters should email David_Miyashiro@hirono.senate.gov.

HOW OBAMA’S BUDGET PLAYED – New York Times: “Obama Budget Opens Rift for Democrats on Social Benefits.” Washington Post: “Obama eyes end to debt deadlock: PRESIDENT UNVEILS BUDGET PLAN: Blueprint signals goal: A deal with GOP.” WSJ: “Obama Makes Budget Gamble: Proposed entitlement curbs aimed at compromise; GOP leaders dismiss plan.” Boston Globe: “A party rift on Obama budget: Warren, others rip plan to alter benefit funding.” USA Today: “OBAMA BUDGET: LURE OR LONG SHOT? Entitlement changes aim to restart talks.”

OBAMA DINES WITH GOP SENATORS – Peter Nicholas, Janet Hook and Kristina Peterson write for the WSJ: “The dinner—which topped a busy day marked by the release of the administration’s 2014 budget proposal—was the second Mr. Obama has hosted in as many months, as he steps up outreach to rank-and-file Republican lawmakers, bypassing a leadership that has proved an obstacle to his policy goals. Meeting in the Old Family Dining Room, the president and his guests spent 2½ hours talking over a dinner that included steak, salad, sauteed vegetables and coconut sorbet. Sen. Deb Fischer (R., Neb.) said in an interview afterward that senators went around the table and aired various concerns, mostly dealing with the budget. Mr. Obama gave a response, and the conversation flowed from that point, she said. …

– “Guests at the dinner: Sens. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, John Boozman of Arkansas, Susan Collins of Maine, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Mike Enzi of Wyoming, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Marco Rubio of Florida, John Thune of South Dakota and Roger Wicker of Mississippi.” http://on.wsj.com/Xu2vKu

SATURDAY MAIL TO CONTINUE – Bloomberg’s Angela Greiling Keane  writes: “The U.S. Postal Service doesn’t have legal authority to end Saturday mail delivery without authorization from Congress and must halt plans to take that step in August, its board said. The board’s action follows a Government Accountability Office opinion last month saying the service didn’t have the authority to stop Saturday deliveries, a move officials said would save about $ 2 billion annually. The service, which lost $ 15.9 billion last year, may be left with few options to quickly cut costs. Congress hasn’t passed legislation to relax a requirement that the service pay now for future retirees’ health-care costs, which the service says it can’t afford. It also hasn’t allowed the service to accelerate closings of rural post offices.” http://buswk.co/YeWX42

SENATE CONFIRMS JEWELL AS INTERIOR SECRETARY – “The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Sally Jewell as the next secretary of the interior, installing the first new member of President Barack Obama’s second-term energy team. The vote was 87-11. Jewell — the CEO of the outdoor retailer REI, a conservationist and a former petroleum engineer — came under criticism from some Republicans, but the fate of her nomination was never truly in doubt.” http://politi.co/10UiwHg

WEDNESDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Matthew Erwin was first to correctly answer that William Howard Taft — on the last day of his presidency, March 4, 1913 — signed legislation creating the Labor Department. The agency has a nice story about it on its website here: http://1.usa.gov/Zj6M15

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Norb Trenor, inspired by yesterday’s trivia, offers this question: Old National Road (US. 40 today) was the first highway to be built by the federal government. Which president approved of the deal, and from what city did the highway start? 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

Senate action puts Boehner in hot seat, Senate to debate gun bill, Robin Kelly sworn in today, Manchin"s moment, Saturday mail to continue, Jewell confirmed at Interior

OBAMA TRIES TO WOO GOP WITH BUDGET, Coburn: Is gun filibuster about Rand Paul?, The gay marriage backer"s playbook, A mixed homecoming for Portman, USA Today front: Airport cutbacks on the radar

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(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)

OBAMA BUDGET CALLS FOR CUTS TO ENTITLEMENTS, FEWER TAX HIKES – Zachary Goldfarb reports this morning for the Washington Post: “President Obama will release a budget next week that proposes significant cuts to Medicare and Social Security and fewer tax hikes than in the past, a conciliatory approach that he hopes will convince Republicans to sign onto a grand bargain that would curb government borrowing and replace deep spending cuts that took effect March 1. When he unveils the budget on Wednesday, Obama will break with the tradition of providing a sweeping vision of his ideal spending priorities, untethered from political realities. Instead, the document will incorporate the compromise offer Obama made to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) last December in the discussions over the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ – which included $ 1.8 trillion in deficit reduction through spending cuts and tax increases. …

– “While Republicans are certain to be skeptical of Obama’s call for more taxes, the president also is likely to face immediate heat over his budget proposal from some Democrats and liberal supporters. Obama proposes, for instance, to change the cost-of-living calculation for Social Security in a way that will reduce benefits for most beneficiaries, a key Republican request that he had earlier embraced only as part of a compromise. Many Democrats say they are opposed to any Social Security cuts and are likely to be furious that such cuts are now being proposed as official administration policy.” http://wapo.st/XhtokK

88,000 JOBS ADDED IN MARCH – Seung Min Kim reports for POLITICO: “The economy added 88,000 jobs in March while unemployment dropped to 7.6 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday. The number was far below the expectations of analysts who predicted the economy added about 190,000 jobs last month. Friday’s jobs report is the first to reflect the post-sequester world. With a divided Washington unable to reach a deal, a series of automatic budget cuts to nearly all government programs kicked in March 1, and economists have warned that the sequester could take a hammer to the still-recovering economy. In particular, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected the sequester could cost the economy 750,000 jobs this year and scale back economic growth by 0.6 percent.” http://politi.co/16Bl5Do

COBURN: IS GUN FILIBUSTER ABOUT 2^ND AMENDMENT ‘OR IS THAT ABOUT RAND PAUL?’ – Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a conservative and gun-rights advocate, has come under enormous pressure during recess to back away from any bipartisan talks about gun-control measures, The Wall Street Journal’s Janet Hook and Kristina Peterson: “After Mr. Coburn was asked multiple times an identically worded question about whether he would join Mr. Paul’s effort to block gun legislation as he traveled around Oklahoma in recent days, Mr. Coburn bristled at the idea that Mr. Paul would threaten to filibuster a bill before its contents were made final. ‘Is that about filibustering a bill to protect the Second Amendment, or is that about Rand Paul?’ Mr. Coburn said at a town-hall meeting at the Oklahoma Sports Museum in Guthrie, Okla., on Wednesday. ‘I’ve done more filibusters than Rand Paul is old,’ Mr. Coburn said, but he added that he doesn’t announce such moves before he understands the bill. http://on.wsj.com/10EaIcH

COMING MONDAY: POLITICO Pro will unveil Pro Report, an end of the day newsletter designed just for Pros. This is something many of you have been asking for: The most essential policy news that broke since the morning cycle – all in one place. The roundup will also offer a sneak peek into the next day’s biggest storylines. Pro Report will be sent to all Pro readers by 6 p.m. every weekday and published later that evening on POLITICO’s home page. An excerpt of the newsletter will also appear in the next morning’s print edition.

THE GAY-MARRIAGE BACKER’S PLAYBOOK – Lois Romano and Katie Glueck write for the hometown paper: “There’s clearly a new playbook for senators just now coming out for gay marriage: quietly post something on Facebook, slip it into your Tumblr feed or release a statement to friendly media outlets. What most lawmakers are not doing is talking for the cameras. In the past month, 11 senators have endorsed gay marriage, providing a nearly daily storyline of increased support for marriage equality. Lawmakers say they’ve ‘prayed,’ ‘evolved,’ discovered gay children to stand behind or had epiphanies following an illness. ‘It’s sort of been like flower-of-the-month club,’ said LGBT activist David Mixner.

– “Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is the latest, sending a statement Thursday to the Tampa Bay Times. ‘Simply put, if The Lord made homosexuals as well as heterosexuals, why should I discriminate against their civil marriage? I shouldn’t, and I won’t,’ Nelson said. But for all the hoopla over their announcements, combined with media coverage of last month’s Supreme Court arguments on the issue, these moments are scripted to be public — but not too public. There’s little footage available for opponents to use in the next campaign or live interviews with reporters who might ask difficult or inconvenient questions. The fact that so many of these announcements are coming from lawmakers who are retiring or just reelected helps make it even safer for them to take a stand. … Sticking with Facebook posts or issuing a simple statement can also help avoid freelancing on live television and going beyond the language they previously wrote or approved.” http://politi.co/10CADS1

NELSON BECAME THE 51^ST SENATOR TO BACK GAY MARRIAGE, notes Roll Call’s Emily Pierce. There are now just six Senate Democrats who oppose it: Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Tim Johnson of South Dakota. http://bit.ly/10EdYEQ

A MIXED HOMECOMING FOR PORTMAN – The New York Times’ Trip Gabriel reports from Cincinnati: “No one heckled Senator Rob Portman during his first appearance before thousands of Ohioans since becoming the most prominent elected Republican in the country to endorse same-sex marriage. ‘Wouldn’t you say,’ he said, turning to his wife, Jane, after marching in an opening day parade for the Cincinnati Reds on Monday,  ‘that most of the comments were thank yous and thumbs up and ‘You did the right thing’?’ True, but for some of the Ohioans who acknowledged Mr. Portman, doubts flickered below the surface. ‘Senator!’ said one spectator, Pete Kidnocker, reaching out to shake Mr. Portman’s hand. But after Mr. Portman passed, Mr. Kidnocker said he would vote for an alternative in a Republican primary and accused the senator of ‘betraying his principles.’ ‘If you’re a Christian and you believe in those principles, whether your son or daughter is a homosexual, you can’t change your principles,’ he said.

– “Mr. Portman’s reversal of his long-held opposition to same-sex marriage — he said it was spurred by a son’s disclosure that he is gay — has intensified and quickened debate over the issue here in his home state. Though his shift has been welcomed by gay rights advocates as an example of how a family’s love can change minds, social conservatives have denounced Mr. Portman and vowed to block his re-election.  … One impact of Mr. Portman’s change of heart has been to fuel a movement seeking the repeal of a constitutional amendment in Ohio that bans same-sex marriage, according to the group leading the effort, FreedomOhio. Requests to download petitions from the group’s Web site more than doubled overnight, to 50 a day, after Mr. Portman’s announcement, said Ian James, a co-founder of FreedomOhio. ‘His endorsement of freedom to marry, I would submit, has done more than any politician other than Barack Obama,’ Mr. James said.” http://nyti.ms/Xtixql

New York Times, A1, “Schumer’s new brief: Turning foes into friends,” By Jeremy W. Peters: “For much of the last decade, Senator Charles E. Schumer’s job was to bury Republicans, as one of his party’s most ruthless strategists and tireless fund-raisers. It was a job he did so effectively that he was asked to do it twice. But to watch Mr. Schumer operate these days, it would seem he has managed to get some Republicans to forget. There are now regular early-morning chats on immigration reform with Marco Rubio in the Senate gym. There was the excursion last week to the Mexican border with John McCain, who after learning that their visit would fall during Passover offered, ‘I’ll bring the latkes.’ Just this week, Mr. Schumer spent a good deal of time on the phone with Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, one of the Senate’s most unyielding conservatives, trying to keep the door open to a deal that would expand background checks for all gun sales.

– “No one in the Senate right now has a legislative portfolio thicker than Mr. Schumer’s, and no one’s political fortunes are as closely linked to the outcome of the major public policy fights now consuming Congress. He is not only a whisperer to Republicans but also an envoy to the White House and a trusted confidant to the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, who having handpicked Mr. Schumer to keep Republicans in the minority is now counting on him as his most important bipartisan bridge builder. … If Congress passes comprehensive legislation on either of these issues, few lawmakers will be able to claim more credit than Mr. Schumer. He would add to his résumé a significant achievement that could make it easier to attain what colleagues believe is his ultimate goal after Mr. Reid steps aside: the majority leader’s post. But if these efforts fail, few will shoulder more of the blame.” http://nyti.ms/YzYaqe Schumer Slideshow: http://nyti.ms/ZDsR9i

POLITICO FLASHBACK: “Schumer plays role of deal maker,” Feb. 25: http://politi.co/WnQwKY

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 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 @DreenaWhitfield and @jehred00.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The House and Senate are in recess this week.

AIRPORT CUTBACKS ON THE RADAR – In two front-page stories on the sequester cuts, USA Today warns about longer lines for international travelers and pilots turning to ‘see-and-avoid’ as airport towers around the country go dark: “Starting Sunday, tens of thousands of pilots flying each day will have to rely increasingly on ‘see-and-avoid’ as the Federal Aviation Administration begins to close nearly a third of its air-traffic control towers to cut costs,” writes Thomas Frank. “The 149 affected airports — small facilities in 38 states catering to private and commuter flights — will remain open but without controllers to keep airplanes a safe distance apart and to warn pilots about runway hazards they may not see. The tower closures are among thousands of steps federal officials are taking to cut $ 85 billion in spending this year as a 2011 law requires. But unlike furloughs, removing 871 controllers who guide 8 million planes a year around airports raises fears that pilots, passengers and bystanders will be killed. ‘You’re putting people’s lives at risk,’ said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who is trying to restore funding for the control towers, including five in his state. ‘It’s like taking down the stop signs in your town.’ …

– “U.S. airplane collisions have killed an average of 30 people a year since 1982 — a total of 910 deaths, according to a USA TODAY review of federal records. Another 167 people have been seriously injured, and 729 airplanes have been destroyed or substantially damaged in the collisions, the records show.” Check out the interactive map of where these tower closures are located: http://usat.ly/11w5IdV  PDF of front page: http://bit.ly/14Jbr36

– And international travelers are facing longer waits at customs checkpoints, Bart Jansen reports: “Travelers taking off from the nation’s biggest airports aren’t facing longer security lines from federal spending cuts yet, but many of those arriving from overseas are. A USA TODAY survey of airport officials and travelers at Atlanta, Chicago’s O’Hare, Los Angeles, Miami, New York’s JFK and Washington Dulles this week finds that lines at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints aren’t noticeably longer for most departing passengers a month after federal spending cuts were imposed.  However, customs lines for many people arriving on international flights are growing — prompting Los Angeles airport officials to hold passengers on planes for up to an hour at busy times before letting them into terminals.” http://usat.ly/Y2gN25

CONSERVATIVE GROUPS BACK IMMIGRATION REFORM –  Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman report for POLITICO: “High-profile conservative groups are taking on an unexpected cause: passing immigration reform. A diverse mix of the Washington consultant class is cutting TV ads, revving up the grassroots and advising lawmakers on messaging and strategy in hopes of getting a bill across the finish line this year. The surprising effort is a new element to the immigration debate — and one that could influence Republican lawmakers reluctant to support the cause. The next few weeks will be a critical phase for the immigration fight, as lawmakers return to Washington from a two-week recess to face mounting pressure from advocates on both sides.

–“‘We’re doing it to make sure…that Republican congressman and senators feel comfortable,” said American for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist in an interview. “They look out and hear the guys on talk radio, and they go ‘Oh my goodness, everybody out there thinks this. That’s not necessarily where I was, but I guess if everybody thinks that way, I’ll either be quiet or go along, or I’ll listen to them so they can convince me.’ They’re now hearing the other side of the issue.’ Conservatives say the strongest case in favor of immigration reform is an economic one, not values-based, arguing that an expanded pool of legal workers will boost the economy — the message that tests best in focus groups.” http://politi.co/16vyYky

– One of the next fights for the Gang of Eight will be what to name the immigration bill, The Hill’s Molly Hooper writes: http://bit.ly/Xtonbd

– Mark Zuckerberg’s new immigration group is stumbling out of the gates, POLITICO’s Reid Epstein reports: http://politi.co/YzkMXF

A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP has been confusing to Americans, writes NYT’s Julia Preston: “In six nationwide nonpartisan polls released since January, at least 70 percent of Americans said they supported options allowing those immigrants to remain in the country with some form of legal status. Generally only about one-quarter of those polled said the immigrants should not be allowed to stay. But results vary widely when Americans are asked whether legal status should include the possibility of citizenship. In a large national poll released on March 21 by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution, 63 percent of Americans said immigrants here illegally should be allowed to become citizens if they met certain requirements. In a poll published a week later by the Pew Research Center, which asked about citizenship in a slightly different way, only 43 percent said they would give citizenship to the immigrants, while 24 percent said the immigrants should be allowed to stay as permanent residents but not citizens. The 20-point gap points to a difficulty facing lawmakers as they sell their proposals to revamp the immigration system: its procedures are unfamiliar and puzzling to many Americans.” http://nyti.ms/13X4WdG

SPRING TRAINING OVER FOR COLBERT BUSCH – Alex Isenstadt reports for POLITICO: “For months, rookie South Carolina congressional candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch has had the luxury of kicking back and watching Republicans fight among themselves. With a big hand from her famous brother, comedian Stephen Colbert, she’s drawn money and publicity that other first-time office seekers could only dream of. Spring training is over now.  With former Gov. Mark Sanford’s GOP primary battle behind him, Republicans say they’re laying the groundwork for a scorched-earth general election, branding Colbert Busch as a down-the-line liberal who’s out of step with the 1st District’s conservative electorate. She will have to show she can go toe-to-toe with a seasoned, though obviously flawed opponent who was once regarded as potential presidential material. Sanford’s general election strategy is straightforward: divert attention from his own personal baggage, and make the race about Colbert Busch’s support for the policies of the national Democratic Party — in a district where those policies are not popular.” http://politi.co/16vzaAj

THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – We have a tie: Both James McCaghren and Tom Flanagin correctly answered just seconds apart that Thomas Hart Benton, who would go on to become a senator from Missouri, shot Andrew Jackson, the future president, in a street brawl in 1813.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Jerry Skurnik has today’s question: Who is the only U.S. Senator to graduate from a branch of City University of New York? 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/

POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle

OBAMA TRIES TO WOO GOP WITH BUDGET, Coburn: Is gun filibuster about Rand Paul?, The gay marriage backer"s playbook, A mixed homecoming for Portman, USA Today front: Airport cutbacks on the radar

OBAMA TRIES TO WOO GOP WITH BUDGET, Coburn: Is gun filibuster about Rand Paul?, The gay marriage backer"s playbook, A mixed homecoming for Portman, USA Today front: Airport cutbacks on the radar

Tweet

(swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)

OBAMA BUDGET CALLS FOR CUTS TO ENTITLEMENTS, FEWER TAX HIKES – Zachary Goldfarb reports this morning for the Washington Post: “President Obama will release a budget next week that proposes significant cuts to Medicare and Social Security and fewer tax hikes than in the past, a conciliatory approach that he hopes will convince Republicans to sign onto a grand bargain that would curb government borrowing and replace deep spending cuts that took effect March 1. When he unveils the budget on Wednesday, Obama will break with the tradition of providing a sweeping vision of his ideal spending priorities, untethered from political realities. Instead, the document will incorporate the compromise offer Obama made to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) last December in the discussions over the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ – which included $ 1.8 trillion in deficit reduction through spending cuts and tax increases. …

– “While Republicans are certain to be skeptical of Obama’s call for more taxes, the president also is likely to face immediate heat over his budget proposal from some Democrats and liberal supporters. Obama proposes, for instance, to change the cost-of-living calculation for Social Security in a way that will reduce benefits for most beneficiaries, a key Republican request that he had earlier embraced only as part of a compromise. Many Democrats say they are opposed to any Social Security cuts and are likely to be furious that such cuts are now being proposed as official administration policy.” http://wapo.st/XhtokK

88,000 JOBS ADDED IN MARCH – Seung Min Kim reports for POLITICO: “The economy added 88,000 jobs in March while unemployment dropped to 7.6 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday. The number was far below the expectations of analysts who predicted the economy added about 190,000 jobs last month. Friday’s jobs report is the first to reflect the post-sequester world. With a divided Washington unable to reach a deal, a series of automatic budget cuts to nearly all government programs kicked in March 1, and economists have warned that the sequester could take a hammer to the still-recovering economy. In particular, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has projected the sequester could cost the economy 750,000 jobs this year and scale back economic growth by 0.6 percent.” http://politi.co/16Bl5Do

COBURN: IS GUN FILIBUSTER ABOUT 2^ND AMENDMENT ‘OR IS THAT ABOUT RAND PAUL?’ – Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a conservative and gun-rights advocate, has come under enormous pressure during recess to back away from any bipartisan talks about gun-control measures, The Wall Street Journal’s Janet Hook and Kristina Peterson: “After Mr. Coburn was asked multiple times an identically worded question about whether he would join Mr. Paul’s effort to block gun legislation as he traveled around Oklahoma in recent days, Mr. Coburn bristled at the idea that Mr. Paul would threaten to filibuster a bill before its contents were made final. ‘Is that about filibustering a bill to protect the Second Amendment, or is that about Rand Paul?’ Mr. Coburn said at a town-hall meeting at the Oklahoma Sports Museum in Guthrie, Okla., on Wednesday. ‘I’ve done more filibusters than Rand Paul is old,’ Mr. Coburn said, but he added that he doesn’t announce such moves before he understands the bill. http://on.wsj.com/10EaIcH

COMING MONDAY: POLITICO Pro will unveil Pro Report, an end of the day newsletter designed just for Pros. This is something many of you have been asking for: The most essential policy news that broke since the morning cycle – all in one place. The roundup will also offer a sneak peek into the next day’s biggest storylines. Pro Report will be sent to all Pro readers by 6 p.m. every weekday and published later that evening on POLITICO’s home page. An excerpt of the newsletter will also appear in the next morning’s print edition.

THE GAY-MARRIAGE BACKER’S PLAYBOOK – Lois Romano and Katie Glueck write for the hometown paper: “There’s clearly a new playbook for senators just now coming out for gay marriage: quietly post something on Facebook, slip it into your Tumblr feed or release a statement to friendly media outlets. What most lawmakers are not doing is talking for the cameras. In the past month, 11 senators have endorsed gay marriage, providing a nearly daily storyline of increased support for marriage equality. Lawmakers say they’ve ‘prayed,’ ‘evolved,’ discovered gay children to stand behind or had epiphanies following an illness. ‘It’s sort of been like flower-of-the-month club,’ said LGBT activist David Mixner.

– “Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is the latest, sending a statement Thursday to the Tampa Bay Times. ‘Simply put, if The Lord made homosexuals as well as heterosexuals, why should I discriminate against their civil marriage? I shouldn’t, and I won’t,’ Nelson said. But for all the hoopla over their announcements, combined with media coverage of last month’s Supreme Court arguments on the issue, these moments are scripted to be public — but not too public. There’s little footage available for opponents to use in the next campaign or live interviews with reporters who might ask difficult or inconvenient questions. The fact that so many of these announcements are coming from lawmakers who are retiring or just reelected helps make it even safer for them to take a stand. … Sticking with Facebook posts or issuing a simple statement can also help avoid freelancing on live television and going beyond the language they previously wrote or approved.” http://politi.co/10CADS1

NELSON BECAME THE 51^ST SENATOR TO BACK GAY MARRIAGE, notes Roll Call’s Emily Pierce. There are now just six Senate Democrats who oppose it: Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Tim Johnson of South Dakota. http://bit.ly/10EdYEQ

A MIXED HOMECOMING FOR PORTMAN – The New York Times’ Trip Gabriel reports from Cincinnati: “No one heckled Senator Rob Portman during his first appearance before thousands of Ohioans since becoming the most prominent elected Republican in the country to endorse same-sex marriage. ‘Wouldn’t you say,’ he said, turning to his wife, Jane, after marching in an opening day parade for the Cincinnati Reds on Monday,  ‘that most of the comments were thank yous and thumbs up and ‘You did the right thing’?’ True, but for some of the Ohioans who acknowledged Mr. Portman, doubts flickered below the surface. ‘Senator!’ said one spectator, Pete Kidnocker, reaching out to shake Mr. Portman’s hand. But after Mr. Portman passed, Mr. Kidnocker said he would vote for an alternative in a Republican primary and accused the senator of ‘betraying his principles.’ ‘If you’re a Christian and you believe in those principles, whether your son or daughter is a homosexual, you can’t change your principles,’ he said.

– “Mr. Portman’s reversal of his long-held opposition to same-sex marriage — he said it was spurred by a son’s disclosure that he is gay — has intensified and quickened debate over the issue here in his home state. Though his shift has been welcomed by gay rights advocates as an example of how a family’s love can change minds, social conservatives have denounced Mr. Portman and vowed to block his re-election.  … One impact of Mr. Portman’s change of heart has been to fuel a movement seeking the repeal of a constitutional amendment in Ohio that bans same-sex marriage, according to the group leading the effort, FreedomOhio. Requests to download petitions from the group’s Web site more than doubled overnight, to 50 a day, after Mr. Portman’s announcement, said Ian James, a co-founder of FreedomOhio. ‘His endorsement of freedom to marry, I would submit, has done more than any politician other than Barack Obama,’ Mr. James said.” http://nyti.ms/Xtixql

New York Times, A1, “Schumer’s new brief: Turning foes into friends,” By Jeremy W. Peters: “For much of the last decade, Senator Charles E. Schumer’s job was to bury Republicans, as one of his party’s most ruthless strategists and tireless fund-raisers. It was a job he did so effectively that he was asked to do it twice. But to watch Mr. Schumer operate these days, it would seem he has managed to get some Republicans to forget. There are now regular early-morning chats on immigration reform with Marco Rubio in the Senate gym. There was the excursion last week to the Mexican border with John McCain, who after learning that their visit would fall during Passover offered, ‘I’ll bring the latkes.’ Just this week, Mr. Schumer spent a good deal of time on the phone with Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, one of the Senate’s most unyielding conservatives, trying to keep the door open to a deal that would expand background checks for all gun sales.

– “No one in the Senate right now has a legislative portfolio thicker than Mr. Schumer’s, and no one’s political fortunes are as closely linked to the outcome of the major public policy fights now consuming Congress. He is not only a whisperer to Republicans but also an envoy to the White House and a trusted confidant to the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, who having handpicked Mr. Schumer to keep Republicans in the minority is now counting on him as his most important bipartisan bridge builder. … If Congress passes comprehensive legislation on either of these issues, few lawmakers will be able to claim more credit than Mr. Schumer. He would add to his résumé a significant achievement that could make it easier to attain what colleagues believe is his ultimate goal after Mr. Reid steps aside: the majority leader’s post. But if these efforts fail, few will shoulder more of the blame.” http://nyti.ms/YzYaqe Schumer Slideshow: http://nyti.ms/ZDsR9i

POLITICO FLASHBACK: “Schumer plays role of deal maker,” Feb. 25: http://politi.co/WnQwKY

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 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 @DreenaWhitfield and @jehred00.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The House and Senate are in recess this week.

AIRPORT CUTBACKS ON THE RADAR – In two front-page stories on the sequester cuts, USA Today warns about longer lines for international travelers and pilots turning to ‘see-and-avoid’ as airport towers around the country go dark: “Starting Sunday, tens of thousands of pilots flying each day will have to rely increasingly on ‘see-and-avoid’ as the Federal Aviation Administration begins to close nearly a third of its air-traffic control towers to cut costs,” writes Thomas Frank. “The 149 affected airports — small facilities in 38 states catering to private and commuter flights — will remain open but without controllers to keep airplanes a safe distance apart and to warn pilots about runway hazards they may not see. The tower closures are among thousands of steps federal officials are taking to cut $ 85 billion in spending this year as a 2011 law requires. But unlike furloughs, removing 871 controllers who guide 8 million planes a year around airports raises fears that pilots, passengers and bystanders will be killed. ‘You’re putting people’s lives at risk,’ said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., who is trying to restore funding for the control towers, including five in his state. ‘It’s like taking down the stop signs in your town.’ …

– “U.S. airplane collisions have killed an average of 30 people a year since 1982 — a total of 910 deaths, according to a USA TODAY review of federal records. Another 167 people have been seriously injured, and 729 airplanes have been destroyed or substantially damaged in the collisions, the records show.” Check out the interactive map of where these tower closures are located: http://usat.ly/11w5IdV  PDF of front page: http://bit.ly/14Jbr36

– And international travelers are facing longer waits at customs checkpoints, Bart Jansen reports: “Travelers taking off from the nation’s biggest airports aren’t facing longer security lines from federal spending cuts yet, but many of those arriving from overseas are. A USA TODAY survey of airport officials and travelers at Atlanta, Chicago’s O’Hare, Los Angeles, Miami, New York’s JFK and Washington Dulles this week finds that lines at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints aren’t noticeably longer for most departing passengers a month after federal spending cuts were imposed.  However, customs lines for many people arriving on international flights are growing — prompting Los Angeles airport officials to hold passengers on planes for up to an hour at busy times before letting them into terminals.” http://usat.ly/Y2gN25

CONSERVATIVE GROUPS BACK IMMIGRATION REFORM –  Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman report for POLITICO: “High-profile conservative groups are taking on an unexpected cause: passing immigration reform. A diverse mix of the Washington consultant class is cutting TV ads, revving up the grassroots and advising lawmakers on messaging and strategy in hopes of getting a bill across the finish line this year. The surprising effort is a new element to the immigration debate — and one that could influence Republican lawmakers reluctant to support the cause. The next few weeks will be a critical phase for the immigration fight, as lawmakers return to Washington from a two-week recess to face mounting pressure from advocates on both sides.

–“‘We’re doing it to make sure…that Republican congressman and senators feel comfortable,” said American for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist in an interview. “They look out and hear the guys on talk radio, and they go ‘Oh my goodness, everybody out there thinks this. That’s not necessarily where I was, but I guess if everybody thinks that way, I’ll either be quiet or go along, or I’ll listen to them so they can convince me.’ They’re now hearing the other side of the issue.’ Conservatives say the strongest case in favor of immigration reform is an economic one, not values-based, arguing that an expanded pool of legal workers will boost the economy — the message that tests best in focus groups.” http://politi.co/16vyYky

– One of the next fights for the Gang of Eight will be what to name the immigration bill, The Hill’s Molly Hooper writes: http://bit.ly/Xtonbd

– Mark Zuckerberg’s new immigration group is stumbling out of the gates, POLITICO’s Reid Epstein reports: http://politi.co/YzkMXF

A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP has been confusing to Americans, writes NYT’s Julia Preston: “In six nationwide nonpartisan polls released since January, at least 70 percent of Americans said they supported options allowing those immigrants to remain in the country with some form of legal status. Generally only about one-quarter of those polled said the immigrants should not be allowed to stay. But results vary widely when Americans are asked whether legal status should include the possibility of citizenship. In a large national poll released on March 21 by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution, 63 percent of Americans said immigrants here illegally should be allowed to become citizens if they met certain requirements. In a poll published a week later by the Pew Research Center, which asked about citizenship in a slightly different way, only 43 percent said they would give citizenship to the immigrants, while 24 percent said the immigrants should be allowed to stay as permanent residents but not citizens. The 20-point gap points to a difficulty facing lawmakers as they sell their proposals to revamp the immigration system: its procedures are unfamiliar and puzzling to many Americans.” http://nyti.ms/13X4WdG

SPRING TRAINING OVER FOR COLBERT BUSCH – Alex Isenstadt reports for POLITICO: “For months, rookie South Carolina congressional candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch has had the luxury of kicking back and watching Republicans fight among themselves. With a big hand from her famous brother, comedian Stephen Colbert, she’s drawn money and publicity that other first-time office seekers could only dream of. Spring training is over now.  With former Gov. Mark Sanford’s GOP primary battle behind him, Republicans say they’re laying the groundwork for a scorched-earth general election, branding Colbert Busch as a down-the-line liberal who’s out of step with the 1st District’s conservative electorate. She will have to show she can go toe-to-toe with a seasoned, though obviously flawed opponent who was once regarded as potential presidential material. Sanford’s general election strategy is straightforward: divert attention from his own personal baggage, and make the race about Colbert Busch’s support for the policies of the national Democratic Party — in a district where those policies are not popular.” http://politi.co/16vzaAj

THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – We have a tie: Both James McCaghren and Tom Flanagin correctly answered just seconds apart that Thomas Hart Benton, who would go on to become a senator from Missouri, shot Andrew Jackson, the future president, in a street brawl in 1813.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Jerry Skurnik has today’s question: Who is the only U.S. Senator to graduate from a branch of City University of New York? 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/

POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle

OBAMA TRIES TO WOO GOP WITH BUDGET, Coburn: Is gun filibuster about Rand Paul?, The gay marriage backer"s playbook, A mixed homecoming for Portman, USA Today front: Airport cutbacks on the radar