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September 30, 2022
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THE TOP
Happy Friday morning.
If you’re standing on Independence Ave. early this afternoon, be careful.
The House will be wrapping up its vote on a short-term government funding bill by about 2 p.m. Meaning lawmakers will be racing for their cars or rushing to the airport to head home for the 39-day sprint to Election Day. Those who make it to the Capitol today instead of voting by proxy, that is.
The continuing resolution, which keeps federal agencies open until Dec. 16, cleared the Senate Thursday easily – the vote was 72-25.
The House is expected to pass the bill as well, although we don’t anticipate a huge show of bipartisanship. It’s an election year, after all. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who will spend the next six weeks on the road raising money and trying to rally voters to the GOP cause, told us that his rank-and-file members will be an “overwhelming no” on the largely non-controversial spending package.
For instance, Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, initially told us she’d vote yes on the measure. But Granger’s office said the veteran lawmaker has informed GOP leaders that she’s now a no.
The CR includes more than $12 billion in economic and military aid for Ukraine, billions more in disaster aid for New Mexico and other states, and a five-year reauthorization of FDA user fees.
Lawmakers are already talking about a fresh round of aid for Florida and Puerto Rico following the deadly hurricanes there, but that will have to wait until after the elections.
Three news items:
| → | Big downtown pickup: Will Dunham, the deputy chief of staff for policy for McCarthy, is joining Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a top lobbying firm. This is a major departure from McCarthy’s office, and a clear sign that K Street is beginning to prepare for a potential Republican take over of the House. |
McCarthy announced Dunham’s exit in a closed GOP meeting Thursday morning and the members gave him a big round of applause. Dunham was McCarthy’s representative in all important negotiations for the last several years.
It’s a big pickup for BHFS, which also employs Brian McGuire, the former chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Nadeam Elshami, the former chief of staff to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The firm has a relationship with Barry Jackson, the former chief of staff to Speaker John Boehner, as well.
| → | Lame-duck update: The Senate’s bipartisan election reform bill continues to pick up sponsors from both sides of the aisle. Thirty-two senators are now sponsoring the bill, penned by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). |
New sponsors include some real heavy hitters: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senate Rules Ranking Republican Roy Blunt (Mo.), Senate Minority Whip John Thune, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
Schumer, McConnell, Klobuchar and Blunt all supported the bill during a markup in Rules this week. Thune and Cornyn are key players inside the Senate GOP Conference.
This is yet another show of strength as senators continue to make the case that it’s their bill – not the House version, drafted by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) – that should be the basis for negotiations in the lame duck.
“The Senate bill is the version. There’s not gonna be a conference. There’s not gonna be negotiation,” Thune told reporters on Thursday. “If this gets done, it’s gonna be the Senate version.”
That seems pretty definitive, no?
| → | Want to see Hamilton? Head to the Kennedy Center, not the Capitol: When former President Harry Truman got a statue in the Capitol Rotunda Thursday, the statue of Alexander Hamilton got booted from its prime real estate. |
Schumer found out about the re-location at the congressional BBQ Thursday and jokingly accused Blunt about being a descendant of Aaron Burr. Hamilton, a New Yorker, was killed by Burr in an 1804 duel. But you knew that because Burr was the “damn fool that shot him.”
Later, Schumer approached Klobuchar on the floor and asked what would happen to the Hamilton statue. Schumer joked that Klobuchar better find a new spot before the press found out it was moved. The Rules Committee oversees such issues on the Senate side.
A Klobuchar spokesperson said the Minnesota Democrat will help find a good place for Hamilton in “a room where it happens.”
Also, Klobuchar has noted that there are only 16 statues of women in the Capitol, out of more than 200 overall. So she’s looking forward to the installation of statues for Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O’Connor, authorized by a bipartisan bill she helped pass with other women senators.
– Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan
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WISCONSIN SENATE RACE
Scalise calls Barnes’ comments on 2017 shooting ‘disgraceful’
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise – who nearly died in a 2017 mass shooting by a leftist extremist – called recently unearthed comments made by Wisconsin Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes on the incident “disgraceful.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went through Barnes’ Twitter feed and found a number of controversial statements. Barnes said former President Donald Trump was a “Russian spy.” Barnes – who is African-American – was also critical of President George Washington for being a slave owner. Washington owned more than 120 enslaved people, although he freed them at his death.
Among Barnes’ tweets was one criticizing Scalise, who was critically injured in that June 2017 attack.
Barnes – out of office at the time – was upset that Scalise remained a gun rights supporter even after this deadly event. Here’s the tweet from Barnes on Oct. 3, 2017:
We showed Scalise these comments from Barnes and asked him for a response:
We followed up with the Barnes’ campaign. Here’s a statement from Barnes:
Barnes, Wisconsin’s 35-year-old lieutenant governor, is challenging GOP Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) in a key Senate race this November. Recent polls show Johnson with a slight edge heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
– John Bresnahan
POSTCARD TO SEAN PATRICK MALONEY
Vulnerable House Democrat gripes about DCCC on private fundraising Zoom
We’ve written extensively about the complaints that House Democrats have with the DCCC, so we won’t rehash everything here.
But this is something worth watching: Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), locked in one of the nation’s tightest races against Republican challenger Eli Crane, told donors on a Sept. 26 fundraising Zoom that the DCCC has “spread their wings too far” in trying to defend too many Democratic incumbents. O’Halleran said Democrats need to “step up soon” to help him win.
Here’s the video and here’s the transcript:
This type of candid talk from a lawmaker about the state of their race is rare. But it hits on all the frustrations that Democrats have about the current political environment – the DCCC is stretched too thin, the Congressional Leadership Fund is outraising House Majority PAC and that Democrats have to defend a whole host of seats to save their narrow, five-seat House majority.
O’Halleran’s race is classified as “Lean Republican” by The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, making O’Halleran one of the four most endangered Democratic incumbents in the House.
Kaitlin Hooker, O’Halleran’s spokesperson, told us this in response to the video:
Chris Taylor, a spokesperson for the DCCC, sent an unsolicited statement:
– Jake Sherman
LEADER LOOK
The Great Dane goes in big for Dems
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is writing a huge check to boost Democrats’ campaign coffers, a day after reiterating he expects his party to hold the House despite the steep odds.
Hoyer is cutting a $500,000 check to House Majority PAC, bringing his contributions to $1 million directly to the group aligned with Democratic leadership. This is in addition to the $1.1 million in direct contributions Hoyer has made to the DCCC this cycle.
Some more Hoyer fundraising stats, per a source with knowledge of his operation:
Hoyer’s latest fundraising move comes a day after telling reporters he has no plans to abide by the leadership term limits that Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed to in 2018. “She speaks for herself on that issue,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer has made no secret of his desire to become the top Democrat if Pelosi leaves. But the 83-year-old Hoyer could face a potential challenge from one or more younger members who are ready for a new generation of Democrats to take over the caucus.
Still, Hoyer has a strong case to make. He’s experienced, well-liked, a true member’s member. And as the No. 2 Democrat for the past two decades, Hoyer has a lot of chits to cash in when the time comes.
Hoyer is also making clear he doesn’t intend to leave without a fight – between the big campaign check to his trip to Pennsylvania last week to slam Republicans ahead of their big agenda rollout.
Now Hoyer is predicting Democrats will hold the House – and possibly pick up seats – keeping his speaker dreams alive.
“I think we’re going to hold the majority. We may pick up a number of seats,” Hoyer told reporters on Thursday. “The momentum, I think, is with us.”
— Heather Caygle and Max Cohen
FRESHMAN WATCH
Sara Jacobs raises $4.6 million for DCCC
Freshman Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) is continuing to raise eye-catching sums for House Democrats, cementing the 33-year-old as a rising fundraising juggernaut.
Jacobs has raised $4.6 million for the DCCC this cycle and paid $350,000 in dues to the campaign arm, according to sources familiar with Jacobs’ fundraising. A fundraiser Jacobs hosted this week in San Diego featuring Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former President Barack Obama also pulled in $2.5 million for House Democrats.
These are big numbers for a first-term member. Jacobs, who represents a San Diego-area seat, is the granddaughter of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs.
The California Democrat is also crisscrossing the country supporting Democratic candidates in Nevada, Arizona, California, Ohio, and Michigan. Jacobs has appeared with Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.). She’s also stumped for challengers including Emilia Sykes, Greg Landsman, Asif Mahmood, Jay Chen and Jevin Hodge.
Is a run for DCCC chair in Jacobs’ future?
— Max Cohen
TWITTER SPACES
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THE CAMPAIGN
| → | New: House Democrats raised more than $900,000 for Frontline members during a Thursday lunch led by Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark, House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries and House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Pete Aguilar. |
Many see Clark, Jeffries and Aguilar as the next generation of Democratic leadership in the House.
Check out the full invite here.
— Heather Caygle and Max Cohen
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