With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
News: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer canceled the chamber’s vote on a vehicle for a continuing resolution on Monday. He’s leaving some wiggle room, but it essentially means he’s accepting Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to fund the government.
SUPPLEMENTAL IS ON THE ROCKS
Johnson’s plan to avert a shutdown has thrown the fate of supplemental spending on Ukraine, Israel and the border into limbo.
The two-deadline continuing resolution keeps the government funded at its current levels but contains no additional funding, despite the White House requesting money weeks ago and multiple congressional leaders’ repeated assertions that the money is a priority.
It would mark the second time Congress punts on the supplemental as they work to keep the government’s lights on, stoking fears it may never get done. One Senate Republican leader said they’re still not giving up, as lawmakers hope to pass something by the end of the year.
“That’ll move on a separate track, I think,” Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters. “I think dealing with the government funding issue is one aspect of it, and then trying to have a normal appropriations process where a lot of the other appropriations issues can be handled. But I think the Ukraine slash Israel slash border probably moves on a separate track.”
Senate Democratic leadership is waiting for a bipartisan Senate group to finish negotiating on border provisions to include in a broader package that includes Ukraine and Israel aid before moving forward on the package.
Reality check: That group has reportedly hit a wall, another negative sign for supplemental funding. Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have insisted that it has to include border provisions.
In the latest iteration of discussions, Democrats proposed narrow changes to immigration but didn’t bend to Republicans’ request for strong border security provisions, a person familiar told POLITICO. That’s led to tension between Democrats and Republicans. The conversations will continue Monday evening, Thune said.
“I think, right now, it’s the Democrats going through the stages of grief, I don’t think they’ve fully come to grips with, or realization yet, that that’s this has got to be part of the package,” Thune said. “I think it’s probably going to move separately from the CR, it’s not gonna probably be ready this week, but they have to get serious in these negotiations. And right now, they’re not.”
Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who has historically played a leading role on immigration negotiations, didn’t offer any encouraging signs on the supplemental, however. When asked about an update, he told us: “I haven’t heard anything. I’m sorry.”
In the House: It’s widely expected that Johnson will not move a Ukraine funding package, despite saying publicly since he took the gavel that he would “bifurcate” Israel and Ukraine aid (The House moved its own bill to send aid to Israel that was dead on arrival in the Senate). But with 93 Republicans having previously voted to stop assistance to Ukraine (Johnson was one of them), it doesn’t seem like House Republicans are likely to move on this all.
“If you think you’re gonna solve the border (with) Ukraine, someone explain to me how you’re gonna get the votes,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said. “I don’t know — someone show me how we could, because right now we have way too much opposition among Republicans on Ukraine just generally, we have basically Never-Ukrainers, right?
“And the Never-Ukrainers are too many for us to be able to rely upon to then use that as the leverage to get border,” he added.
— Daniella Diaz, with assist from Anthony Adragna
GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, Nov. 13, where we are wondering: Do you feel comfortable making weekend plans?
EXPECT A HANDFUL OF DEMS TO SUPPORT THE CR
The stopgap’s chances are anyone’s guess right now. Johnson needs help from Democrats and they’re playing the “wait and see” game.
Generally, Democrats are unlikely to help Republicans get through a major procedural hurdle, known as a vote on the rule, that’s expected to occur Tuesday. But if the House GOP can clear that on its own, enough Democrats are signaling they may come in to help on final passage.
Let’s do the math: With Rep.-elect Gabe Amo (D-R.I.) being sworn in Monday evening, the number of Democrats in the House will be 213. Republicans will have 221 with one vacancy. That means the GOP can only afford to lose three votes if there’s full attendance.
Remember May? That’s when Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held up a green card, alerting the Dems who planned to vote yes on the rule for the debt limit bill that they could move to help get the measures across the finish line. We’ll be keeping an eye out for a repeat here.
House Democratic leaders are keeping their powder dry ahead of any potential CR vote. Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar kept the door open to Democrats lending some support in a Monday afternoon letter to colleagues: “At this time, we are carefully evaluating the proposal set forth by Republican leadership and discussing it with Members.”
Party leaders are closely watching the vote on the rule, which could happen as soon as Tuesday. If the rule fails, the House will be left without a path forward, with only days left until a shutdown deadline hits.
Another wonky but important note: Of course, another option is for Republicans to move the CR under a suspension of the rules, which would skip the rule vote altogether. But that would create problems for GOP leaders with their right flank.
Who else to watch: It’s not immediately clear if all of the House Republicans who have signaled their opposition to the funding measure would also vote against the rule. We’re keeping a close eye on them.
— Daniella Diaz and Nicholas Wu
TUBERVILLE’S BLOCKADE FACES WRECKING BALL
Tuesday could mark the beginning of the end of Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong military promotions blockade.
The Senate Rules Committee is slated to debate and feasibly pass a resolution that would allow military nominees to be confirmed en bloc — requiring only one roll-call vote for all confirmations, rather than hundreds. More than 400 military officer nominees are currently backlogged, due to the Alabama Republican’s blanket hold over a Pentagon abortion policy.
This pins Senate Republicans in a highly uncomfortable spot. They have to either side with anti-abortion advocates who support Tuberville’s tactics or with military communities who the Alabamian has left dangling for eight months. Tuberville has said he won’t budge on his holds, and the measure would require 60 votes — meaning at least nine Republicans — to pass.
“Tommy has every right to do this,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). “And he may not change his mind. But my guess is, there’s a vote in the Rules Committee on Tuesday. And I’m not saying that’s the drop-dead date, but it’s close to it.”
After a meeting last week where GOP senators haggled over their options behind closed doors, many came out optimistic that they could reach some sort of deal with Tuberville. But with less than 24 hours until the Rules hearing, there’s no news of an agreement.
“We don’t know exactly how they’re gonna vote, and I’m OK with that, because I’m hoping some of them will vote with us,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said of Republicans.
Tuberville told us Monday that his position has not changed heading into the Rules hearing.
“There’s some people working real hard on a solution. And I’m hopeful, but not overly optimistic,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member on the Armed Services Committee.
— Ursula Perano and Anthony Adragna
The Senate refectory has been without Celsius energy drinks for almost a week, irking staff and reporters alike. But fear not: A spokesperson for Restaurant Associates, which stocks the refectory, says the company is “experiencing a supply chain issue” with Celsius “that we hope to resolve this week.” (Ursula, a diehard Celsius fan, made sure to check for the Huddle audience.)
Rep. Rich McCormick’s (R-Ga.) gym skills are very impressive.
It’s mouse season in the Senate. (Please don’t come to the House.)
Who among us isn’t spending too much at the Cannon Coffee Cart?
News you can use: We’re hoping to be capital T-Thankful to not be in the Capitol on Turkey Day, but if a shutdown or other chaos will have you working, Sweetgreen won’t be delivering to Cannon Nov. 22-24 and will resume service Nov. 27.
QUICK LINKS
Sinema left the Democratic Party. Democratic donors left her too, from Ally Mutnick and Jessica Piper
‘QAnon Shaman’ who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 files paperwork to run for Congress, from Summer Concepcion at NBC News
How the nonreligious in Congress view Speaker Mike Johnson, from Jim Saksa at Roll Call
TRANSITIONS
Lizzie Hunsaker has been promoted to legislative director for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). She most recently was Coons’ energy and climate policy adviser.
Amy Rutkin will retire in January after 25 years as chief of staff to Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.).
Taylor Tougaw is now energy policy adviser with the Congressional Western Caucus. He was previously senior legislative assistant with Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.).
Mike Abboud has joined Targeted Victory as a managing director on the public affairs team. He was most recently national press secretary for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s political operation and served as press secretary at the EPA in the Trump administration.
TOMORROW IN CONGRESS
The House is in session.
The Senate is in session.
TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL
11 a.m. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) will hold a press conference to discuss their resolution for an appropriate US response to any action by Iran to escalate the war in Israel. (Senate Studio)
Noon Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and other GOP senators will hold a press conference to discuss stand-alone Israel aid. (Senate Studio)
1 p.m. Reps. Garret Graves (R-La.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.), as well as Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) will hold a press conference on U.S. drone competitiveness against China. (House Triangle)
2 p.m. Reps. Tony Gonzales and Marjorie Taylor Greene will have a press conference on border security. (House Triangle)
FRIDAY’S ANSWER: Brad Fitch correctly answered that William Jennings Bryan is the U.S. presidential candidate who holds the record for the most second-place finishes.
TODAY’S QUESTION from Brad: Who was the first vice president immortalized with a bust in the US Senate, which inspired the chamber to create busts of all other vice presidents?
The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to [email protected].
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Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela.
