| | | | |  | | By Daniella Diaz | | | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Senate leadership wants to move quickly on a stopgap measure that would create two new funding deadlines on March 1 and March 8. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | SHUTDOWN STATUS CHECK: DO WE SKATE OR STUMBLE PAST FRIDAY? We may be jinxing ourselves, but there’s a chance that Congress easily sidesteps its next government funding deadline on Friday. Senate leadership wants to move quickly on a stopgap measure that would create two new funding deadlines on March 1 and March 8. And despite some weather issues in the nation’s Capital, the schedule is moving along according to plan. Here are the major hurdles congressional leaders need to clear:
Tonight's Senate vote: The Senate is set to advance a stopgap measure Tuesday evening – starting the process to avoid a partial shutdown that is scheduled to kick in on Saturday.
Attendance could be an issue: Chuck Grassley, the 90-year old senior GOP senator from Iowa, is "receiving antibiotic infusions" at a Washington-area hospital "to treat an infection," according to a statement from his office Tuesday evening. And Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is out recovering from abdominal surgery over the weekend.
Reaching a deal on quick passage: After the Senate advances the continuing resolution, senators need to come to a timing agreement in order to pass the measure before the Saturday deadline. That requires agreement from all 100 senators (Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), we’re looking at you).
Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters he thinks some senators will push for amendment votes but expects everything to go as scheduled.
“I don’t think anybody has any desire to drag it out. It should go fairly smoothly here.” he said Tuesday.
Suspension (calendar) of disbelief: Of course, the House has had the most problems on spending bills. Leaders on that side of the building hope that lawmakers will be able to take up the stopgap by Friday on the suspension calendar. That would allow Johnson to bypass certain procedural votes — which conservatives could use to tank the bill — but means it will require two-thirds support for passage.
So Speaker Mike Johnson will need major help from Democrats to get the bill passed. For now, that doesn’t seem like it will be a problem.
Provided all those steps go smoothly, the Senate could clear the stopgap by Thursday, followed by House passage on Friday — the deadline for a partial shutdown. But if Senate passage gets slowed down or the House math gets murky, Washington might be headed for a brief shutdown that would affect agencies under the Transportation-HUD, Military Construction-VA, Agriculture-FDA and Energy-Water bills. — Daniella Diaz, with assists from Burgess Everett, Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes
| | | | A message from Electronic Payments Coalition: CREDIT UNIONS & COMMUNITY BANKS IN All 50 STATES OPPOSE THE DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL: Local credit unions and community banks serve an essential role in supporting Main Street. So, when 9,600+ credit unions and community banks throughout the country oppose the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill, Congress should pay attention. Durbin-Marshall lines the pockets of corporate mega-stores by shifting costs and risks to credit unions, community banks, and their 135 million customers. Click here to learn more. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Jan. 16, where we hope you enjoyed this snow day! TRUMP’S IOWA WIN FAILS TO MOVE SENATE GOP LEADERS Donald Trump’s Iowa romp isn’t spurring endorsements from the Senate leadership suites on Capitol Hill. Yet, anyway. The remaining four unaligned GOP leaders, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, showed no signs of changing their neutrality on Tuesday evening. McConnell declined to answer a question from CNN’s Ted Barrett on Trump’s Iowa win and GOP Whip Thune said he wasn’t surprised by Trump’s victory: “We’re still early in the game with respect to the primary process.” (Thune previously endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and has declined to back another candidate since he dropped out.) No. 4 GOP Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa) didn’t address the prospects of an endorsement as she headed to a leadership meeting in McConnell’s office, but did vow that she will “do whatever it takes to get Joe Biden out of the White House. I do not want to see a second term.” And No. 5 Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said Trump “certainly did well” in Iowa but she still doesn’t feel the need to endorse any candidate. “I’m going to wait on that. We’ll have to see what happens, we’ve got New Hampshire coming up and then South Carolina,” Capito said. Reminder: NRSC Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Senate Republican Conference Chair Barrasso have both endorsed Trump. — Burgess Everett and Ursula Perano
| | | | A message from Electronic Payments Coalition:   | | | WHAT’S UP WITH THOSE LOUISIANA MAPS? There’s a fight bubbling up in Speaker Mike Johnson’s home state, pitting him against new GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, that could have a major impact on the battle for the House. A short recap: A federal district judge said Louisiana needs a new congressional map, after ruling back in 2022 that the state’s lines likely violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters in the state. That map was ultimately still used in the 2022 midterms — electing a House delegation of five white Republicans and one Black Democrat. But after a series of twists and turns at the Supreme Court, that district court judge has given Louisiana lawmakers until the end of this month to draw a new map with another majority-Black district. That, in effect, would move the delegation from 5-1 to 4-2, further chipping away at House Republicans’ already slim majority. Louisiana’s GOP seems ready to do just that: “Let’s make the adjustments necessary, heed the instructions of the court, take the pen out of the hand of non-elected judges and place it in your hand — the hand of the people,” Landry, who was sworn in earlier this month, told the state legislature on Monday. The legislature — with the blessing of Landry, whose own one-term congressional career was ended thanks to redistricting in 2012 — appears willing to draw that second majority-Black district by knifing GOP Rep. Garret Graves, a onetime ally of now-retired Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and rival of Landry, who is now in the political wilderness. Graves’ new proposed district is geographically contorted — it stretches from northwest Louisiana all the way down to East Baton Rouge — which Graves was eager to point out. (In his words: It “combines Saints fans with Cowboys fans.”) Which is where the new speaker comes in. Johnson, in a statement Tuesday, said he is “very concerned with” the proposed changes, adding that he wants the state to continue to fight to defend the midterm map in court. “Should the state not prevail at trial, there are multiple other map options that are legally compliant and do not require the unnecessary surrender of a Republican seat in Congress,” he said. The ball is back in the legislature’s — and the governor’s — hands. What happens next? The legislature could forge ahead with this proposed map, offer another one or just draw nothing at all and see what happens. Should the legislature follow the latter path, effectively what Johnson is calling for, a federal court would almost assuredly draw lines at least for 2024. No matter which way Louisiana goes, expect litigation to continue. — Zach Montellaro
| | George Santos shared his endorsement of… weight-loss drug Ozempic. Stay warm and check out this photo from 1923. Maxwell Alejandro Frost’s flight to Washington got canceled due to the weather — so he pivoted to help out in a Florida special election.
| | | | A message from Electronic Payments Coalition: CREDIT UNIONS & COMMUNITY BANKS IN All 50 STATES OPPOSE THE DURBIN-MARSHALL CREDIT CARD BILL: The Durbin-Marshall credit card bill would create new government mandates on credit cards that would put consumer data and access to credit at risk. The bill would benefit corporate mega-stores, like Walmart and Target, at the expense of Main Street and the 135 million Americans who rely on credit unions and community banks. The threat of Durbin-Marshall to small financial institutions is so clear that 9,600+ credit unions and community banks in America are opposed to the bill. They also see through the so-called “carve out” for smaller banks which is a hoax to try and buy their support. Their message to Congress is simple: on behalf of credit unions and community banks in all 50 states, commit to actively opposing the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill. Click here to learn more. | | | QUICK LINKS Both parties push for Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district, from Piper Hutchinson at the Louisiana Illuminator A New Republican Mom Wants to Change House Rules for Postpartum Voting, from Annie Karni at The New York Times The 10 Pols Who Could Replace Dick Durbin, from Edward Robert McClelland in Chicago Magazine Tax breaks for parents, businesses possible in last-minute deal, from Brian Faler and Benjamin Guggenheim GOP Rep Blasts Speaker Johnson’s Staff For Giving Him ‘Terrible Counsel,’ frrom Lindsey McPherson in The Messenger Lloyd Austin’s Secret Ambulance Request Revealed in 911 Call, from Shannon Vavra at The Daily Beast TRANSITIONS Harrison Fields is joining the Heritage Foundation as assistant director of media and public relations. He was previously a senior adviser for communications for Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) has added John DiGravio as a legislative aide and Christy Charbonnet as a staff assistant. DiGravio previously was press assistant and policy aide to the Senate Banking Committee. Brian McMillan has joined the Computer and Communications Industry Association as vice president of federal affairs. He most recently served as chief counsel and legislative director for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.). Lisa Hofflich is now an SVP at Actum. She previously was a senior adviser for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Kye Laughter is now Western North Carolina regional director for Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.). He previously was press secretary for Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.). Jose Leoncio is now a special assistant for the Commerce Department legislative and intergovernmental affairs office. He previously was a legislative correspondent for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and is a Bob Casey alum. Caty Payette is now communications director for Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). She was previously the deputy communications director. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House is in session. The Senate is in session. WEDNESDAY AROUND THE HILL 11:15 a.m. Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), alongside a bipartisan group of members, and Ryan Corbett’s wife, Anna Corbett, will host a press conference on the Taliban’s detainment of Ryan Corbett and on a resolution calling for Ryan’s return home. (House Triangle)
| | FRIDAY’S ANSWER: Manning M. correctly answered that Florida Democrat David Levy was the first person of Jewish background to be elected to the Senate. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Manning: In what year was the first woman elected to the US Senate? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to huddletrivia@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
