| | | | |  | | By Daniella Diaz | | | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Every week seems to make passing a broad foreign aid package more complicated. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | SUPPLEMENTAL ON THE ROCKS Complicated border negotiations. Pushing Ukraine and Israel and Taiwan together. Now add to the supplemental’s many troubles: some Democrats want conditions on aid to Israel. Every week seems to make passing a broad foreign aid package more complicated. What’s happening: The Senate is working toward a bipartisan supplemental package that would include sending billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine and Israel. Senators hope to pass the package before the end of the year but Republicans have vowed they won’t take a package without border security. What’s new: Some members of the Democratic Caucus, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), are saying they won’t vote for such a package unless it puts conditions on money to Israel, such as ending “indiscriminate bombing.” It’s still not clear how large that faction is, however, with one House Democratic appropriator saying it’s hard to know what opposition could look like until the Senate officially drafts a deal. “We have some questions about the strategic goals that Israel is doing in Gaza right now,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), said in an interview. “Since many of the munitions will be supplied with US dollars, we feel we should have a say about that. I think whether it's Israel, or any country, I think that's a reasonable request.” This could just be the beginning. Progressives have already said they want the White House to use its leverage to force Israel to address the growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza. “I think the fact that people want to make sure that our values are aligned with the money that we give countries is generally a positive statement, that we care enough about our values, we want to make sure that they’re spread when we give money,” Pocan said. The clock is ticking: Lawmakers have made clear that right now there’s urgency to get this supplemental passed – but that could lose momentum when lawmakers break for the holidays – especially with Congress having just passed a stopgap measure to fund the government with deadlines in January and February. About those border measures: The bipartisan group negotiating border security provisions for the supplemental package are still optimistic they can come to a deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told Huddle. They worked through the weekend and the person said they hope talks will begin wrapping up when the Senate is back next week. Republicans continue to emphasize they want changes to the asylum and parole system and Democrats want changes to immigration. Right now, there’s a lot of planes that have to land together for this supplemental to work out. We hear lawmakers’ optimism, but we have some doubts. — Daniella Diaz
| | A message from Mastercard: Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and Mastercard understands that every business has unique needs. Alongside partners, Mastercard supports small business owners with innovative and tailored tools, resources and solutions. With Mastercard, small businesses can connect to capital, technology, financial tools and more, to help grow and protect their business every step of the way. Learn more about how Mastercard supports small businesses at mastercard.us/smallbusiness. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, Nov. 20, where we congratulate Liberty and Bell for being pardoned today! RETIREMENT SEASON It’s the first holiday season in more than a decade without a spending fight threatening to ruin the holidays. That means more time back home for lawmakers to take part in a hallowed end-of-year tradition: deciding if they should retire. Announcements to that effect have been coming for weeks, but more are expected as Congress heads towards the new year. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) is the latest in a growing number of lawmakers opting out, after weeks of particularly brutal House chaos. As Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) told Nicholas last week: “I've spoken to some of the people who are leaving, and I expect some others to leave … I started looking at the situation here. So I think everybody else is doing it — evaluating the value of staying.” More than 30 House members have said they won’t run again, and it’s only mid-November. They include the typical contingent of members who are leaving after extended service, developing health issues or in bids to seek higher office. But there are also plenty of younger members stepping away in pursuit of work far outside the typical post-Congress gig on K-Street. Lawmakers in relatively safe seats have bailed to run foundations, lead nonprofits and even to reportedly operate a performing arts center. The common theme: There are more inviting pursuits than serving in a bitterly divided House that just isn’t what it used to be. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chair of the House Administration Committee, acknowledged that the House hasn’t exactly been a wonderful workplace of late (he has no immediate plans to leave). He is worried about the House attracting — and keeping — the kind of members who want to legislate. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), who will hang up his members’ pin after more than a decade in the House, described it as “a bit of a pressure cooker lately” and said he’s been losing sleep. “I'm concerned that we're going to have other members [leave] who are great policy leaders, who are people that are willing to truly dive into the substance of the issues and are also seeking solutions,” Steil told POLITICO. “I do think you want to make sure that we're not unnecessarily putting ourselves in a position where the most thoughtful members are choosing to depart.” Multiple members cited a thin House margin making the situation even more difficult. Even reasonable excuses for missing a vote, like a tragedy in the district or important family obligations, become untenable if your yay or nay could decide the outcome. And any flexibility to “vote your conscience” or veer from the party line almost evaporates. In one particularly odd blip, Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) announced last week that he’d run for his old state Senate job in Austin, where he’d actually represent more Texans than he does in the House. But then he pivoted, deciding to run for reelection after an agonizing discussion with his family. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) committed much of the last five years to trying to fix the dysfunction that plagues Congress. But now he, too, is leaving. He said the chamber needs more people who “want to actively work to make the institution better," calling them “loving critics.” — Katherine Tully-McManus, with an assist from Sarah Ferris
| | | | GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE. | | | | | FIRST DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) became the latest lawmaker and the first senator to call for a ceasefire Monday afternoon, citing “accelerating body counts” and calls from Oregonians to “stop the carnage" in the Israel-Hamas war. “Israel must end its bombing and shelling and also address the immediate humanitarian challenge. Israel should open the Kerem Shalom gate and flood Gaza with humanitarian aid,” Merkley wrote, alongside a list of other actions he hopes to see Israel and Hamas take. Merkley’s announcement follows Sanders calling for conditions to be added to ongoing Israel aid over the weekend, including a commitment from Israel to engage with peace talks that work toward a two-state solution. Pro-Palestinian protestors for weeks have been calling on lawmakers to back a ceasefire and have made some headway in the House. But Senate Democrats have remained almost unanimously against a ceasefire until now. What to watch: When senators return next week, they plan to tackle a supplemental package that is slated to include Israel aid. That could put Merkley and Sanders to the test on a pressing issue for Senate Democratic leadership. — Ursula Perano
| | | | A message from Mastercard:   | | | | | Looking for a new Thanksgiving recipe this week? This thread has you covered. QUICK LINKS Senate Dems stake their 2024 hopes on last 2 red-state incumbents, from Burgess Everett John Walsh, who engineered Deval Patrick’s historic win, dies at 65, from Bryan Marquard at The Boston Globe ‘A complete misunderstanding of how this job works’: Jewish Hill staffers push back on staff-level cease-fire protests, from Marc Rod at Jewish Insider Sen. Mike Lee promotes a debunked conspiracy theory about a Jan. 6 rioter, from Ryan J. Reilly at NBC News
| | | | GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO COP28 WITH GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Get insider access to the conference that sets the tone of the global climate agenda with POLITICO's Global Playbook newsletter. Authored by Suzanne Lynch, Global Playbook delivers exclusive, daily insights and comprehensive coverage that will keep you informed about the most crucial climate summit of the year. Dive deep into the critical discussions and developments at COP28 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | TRANSITIONS Taylor Haulsee is now deputy communications director for media relations for Speaker Mike Johnson. He most recently was at Plus Communications and previously worked for Johnson in the 117th Congress. Ruth Ward is now chief of staff for the personal office of Speaker Mike Johnson. She most recently was director of government affairs at the Family Policy Alliance. Anna Przebinda is now a manager at BPC Action. She most recently was a legislative correspondent for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
| | A message from Mastercard: Whether it’s setting up shop online, accepting digital payments, or boosting cybersecurity readiness, Mastercard connects small businesses with the support they need to help reach their goals. With Mastercard, small businesses can connect to capital, technology, financial tools and more, to help grow and protect their business every step of the way. And as part of Mastercard’s community, small business owners can hone their skills and learn new ones to help build, manage, and grow their enterprises. Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and Mastercard understands that every business has unique needs. By helping business owners reach their goals, we’re helping make our economy stronger together. Learn more about how Mastercard supports small businesses at mastercard.us/smallbusiness. | | | TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House is out. The Senate is out. TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL *crickets*
| | FRIDAY’S ANSWER: The Joint Committee on Reduction of Non-Essential Federal Expenditures, or “Byrd Committee”, was created by an amendment to the Revenue Act of 1941 to make budget reductions and program eliminations to offset the cost of World War II. TODAY’S QUESTION from former Huddle host KTM: Two class of 2012 House Democrats who have announced they'll leave Congress at the end of the 118th Congress were both preceded by members with 36 years of service: Who are the current members and who did they succeed? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to huddletrivia@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each evening. Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
