By Scott Wong (swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)
ISSA’S MEA CULPA – POLITICO’s John Bresnahan reports on the words you don’t hear from Darrell Issa every day: I’m sorry: “Controversial GOP Rep. Darrell Issa has apologized to the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee following an ugly incident during a Wednesday hearing on alleged IRS abuses. Issa, a California Republican and chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, had the microphone for Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings cut off during the middle of a statement by the Maryland lawmaker. The move infuriated Cummings and other Democrats, who went to the House floor on Thursday with a motion condemning Issa’s actions.
– “While Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other Republicans backed him and easily defeated the Democratic motion, the partisan controversy threatened to derail Issa’s investigation into whether the IRS improperly targeted conservative nonprofit groups. Issa called Cummings on Thursday evening to offer his apologies, Cummings said in a statement released by his office. … For his part, Issa admitted that he should have been ‘more sensitive’ to Cummings’s request to offer a statement during an appearance by Lois Lerner, an IRS official at the center of the scandal. … But Issa and Cummings are likely to return to their partisan battling next week, when Issa is expected to move forward with a contempt resolution against Lois Lerner, a former IRS official at the center of the controversy.” http://politi.co/P7xDPI
MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT: FROM SCANDAL TO CAUSE – Anna Palmer, Juana Summers and Darren Samuelsohn write for the hometown paper: “Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and supporters of her crusade to take military sexual assault cases out of the chain of command lost a major battle Thursday when the proposal was defeated in a procedural vote. But the war is not over. The yearlong campaign transformed the evolution of military sexual assault from episodic scandals to a full-blown mega-cause with staying power — complete with appearances in popular culture and powerful champions who’ve learned the issue can be politically potent. …
– “Supporters of reform promise the military is going to face ongoing pressure on the powerful political issue. And they’ll have another chance later this year when Congress sets to work writing the next defense authorization bill. ‘I think this entire legislative battle has elevated the stakes and the merits of this issue,’ said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a 2016 presidential aspirant, who supported Gillibrand. … Cruz pointed out, the concept behind Gillibrand’s proposal served as an important story line in the second season of the popular Netflix show ‘House of Cards.’ ‘I’ve watched the entire second season,’ Cruz said. ‘I was encouraged to see that the signature issue was this issue.’” http://politi.co/1f5dwLC
– The Gillibrand bill came up five votes short of the 60 needed to break a filibuster, with 10 Republicans backing the measure and 10 Democrats opposing it. Passage of Sen. Claire McCaskill’s alternative “was never in question. Gillibrand even came out in support of it when it was first introduced. And sure enough, the procedural vote to advance McCaskill’s bill Thursday was 100-0, though a vote on final passage was delayed until Monday,” Samuelsohn, Summers and Palmer write. http://politi.co/MTcdDU
– SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) never was going to endorse Rand Paul or Ted Cruz for president, but he took aim at the senators for backing the Gillibrand bill without mentioning them by name: “You want to be commander in chief? You told me a lot today about who you are as a commander in chief candidate,” Graham said at a press conference after the vote. “You were willing to fire every commander in the military for reasons I don’t quite understand,” he said. “We’ll have a good discussion as to whether or not you understand how the military actually works.” The Hill’s Jeremy Herb: http://bit.ly/1jYFskV
** REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS FINALLY AGREE! *But not if Congress gives up before the March 31 deadline. Congress finally has bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare’s broken funding formula. SGR is the problem; H.R. 4015 and S. 2000 are the solution. FixMedicareNow.org
UKRAINE WILL VOTE TO SECEDE, JOIN RUSSIA – The Wall Street Journal’s Lukas I. Alpert in Moscow and Margaret Coker in Simferopol, Ukraine: “Crimea’s Moscow-backed government voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia and accelerated a snap referendum to ratify the move, a dramatic escalation of tension that pushed the West closer to imposing sanctions if Russian troops don’t withdraw. The scheduling of the vote for March 16 means that Crimea could be absorbed into Russia in a matter of weeks. It also means the referendum could be held while the region is under de facto Russian occupation—with no opportunity for a free and fair campaign. A Russian move to absorb Crimea against the will of Ukraine’s national government would mark the first time since World War II that such a maneuver had been attempted in Europe.
– “U.S. and European leaders said Thursday that such a referendum would violate the Ukrainian constitution and international law. President Barack Obama spoke for an hour Thursday afternoon with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said, stressing Russian violations of Ukrainian sovereignty and urging Moscow to talk to the new government in Kiev. He also urged Mr. Putin to ensure all Russian forces return to their bases and to support new elections in May. ‘Any discussion about the future of Ukraine must include the legitimate government of Ukraine,’ Mr. Obama said at the White House. ‘In 2014, we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders.’” http://on.wsj.com/1gctm3e
– THE HOUSE, on a lopsided 385-23 vote, passed legislation providing loan guarantees to the new Ukrainian government, but senators are hoping to move on their own, more comprehensive bill. POLITICO’s Seung Min Kim: http://politi.co/1g4WZak
– SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER, writing in a WSJ op-ed, calls on Obama to export U.S. natural gas to Europe to disrupt Putin’s energy influence there: “In response to Mr. Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, President Obama should announce a series of steps that will dramatically expand production of American-made energy, beginning with lifting this de facto ban on exports of U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas. Taking this step would also create American jobs and lower prices for our consumers and small businesses when coupled with other moves that would bolster energy production in North America. These include construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ending the Obama administration’s embargo on our supplies of oil and gas from federal lands and waters, and halting the effort to take coal out of America’s electricity generation mix.
– “The president doesn’t need legislation from Congress to make these changes. This is something the commander in chief can do right now in the face of Mr. Putin’s aggression. It would also provide much-needed evidence that the president’s State of the Union commitment to an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy is real, and not just poll-driven rhetoric. America not only has a right to develop and market its natural resources. In the face of rising danger, it has an obligation to do so.” http://on.wsj.com/1iio3pX
SENATE GOP LEADER MITCH McCONNELL writes in a USA Today op-ed: “With this latest [Obamacare] delay], the president is basically now telling Americans: If you like your plan, some of you can keep it — but only until the next election.” http://usat.ly/1f4gwaY
HARRY REID says his wife, Landra, came up with his “addicted to Koch” line. BuzzFeed’s Kate Nocera: http://bzfd.it/1jYArsr
REP. FREDERICA WILSON (D-FLA.) will accompany President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama on Air Force One and Marine One today as they fly to Miami’s Coral Reef Senior High School to speak about education. Wilson is a frequent flier on Air Force One: Her Cannon Building office is adorned with photos of various trips she’s taken with the president.
GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 7, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.
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TODAY IN CONGRESS – Both the House and Senate are out today, and no press events are scheduled on the Hill. But CPAC continues at National Harbor, including speeches from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas at 9:16 a.m., former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum at 2:26 p.m. and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul at 2:51 p.m.
HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA, opened the Senate in prayer yesterday: “With our thoughts, we make our world. Our mind is central and precedes our deeds. Speak or act with a pure mind, and happiness will follow you like a shadow that never leaves.”
DOJ NOW INVOLVED IN CIA, SENATE FLAP – Mark Hosenball reports for Reuters: “The Justice Department and FBI are looking into a dispute over Senate investigators’ access to what the Central Intelligence Agency regarded as highly privileged and sensitive documents about its use of “enhanced” interrogation techniques, sources familiar with the inquiry said on Thursday. The CIA’s inspector general asked the Justice Department to become involved after the agency and members of the Senate Intelligence Committee got into a dispute over whether Senate investigators looked at documents they were not supposed to see, and whether agency operatives inappropriately monitored Senate investigators.” http://yhoo.it/1hSwZiY
IN SECOND ACT, RUBIO PUSHES STRENGTH ABROAD – Jonathan Martin writes for the New York Times: “The road to presidential success in Iowa and New Hampshire may not run through the Crimean Peninsula or the streets of Caracas, but in recent weeks [Sen. Marco] Rubio has used Russia’s incursion into Ukraine and the violent clashes in Venezuela to remind Republicans of their orthodoxy — projecting strength abroad — and of why he was such a favorite in the party before seeing his popularity slip over his backing of an immigration overhaul. … Addressing a gathering of conservatives here on Thursday, Mr. Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, sought to link the right’s resolute belief in American exceptionalism with a call for the United States to play a more robust role in confronting bad actors on the world stage.
– “That posture stands in contrast with other members of his party, notably Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who argues that the United States should be wary of foreign intervention and retreat from the policies of the George W. Bush era. The divergent national security views of the two ambitious, first-term senators offer an early preview of a debate sure to play out in the Republican presidential primary in 2016. ‘There is only one nation on earth capable of rallying and bringing together the free people on this planet to stand up to the spread of totalitarianism,’ Mr. Rubio told attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference, offering a tour d’horizon of affairs in China, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Russia.” http://nyti.ms/1cH9Afh
JARRETT COMPLAINS ABOUT MURGUÍA’S ‘DEPORTER-IN-CHIEF’ QUIP – Reid Epstein and Seung Min Kim report for POLITICO: “The White House is finding itself increasingly on defense over deportations of undocumented immigrants, as key Democrats and a top immigration reform group have gone public this week with their desire for President Barack Obama to act. National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguía called Obama the “deporter-in-chief” in a major speech Tuesday, leading to angry phone calls from senior White House officials — including adviser Valerie Jarrett — according to three people familiar with the calls. Jarrett told Murguía that Obama was ‘very disappointed’ with the statement, the sources said. … ‘It’s fair to say I heard from the White House and they were disappointed,’ Murguía said in an interview Thursday. The White House declined to comment on the calls.” http://politi.co/1fO4jm9
SINEMA WON’T SWITCH DISTRICTS – Rebekah Sanders reports for The Arizona Republic: “U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., said Thursday that she will remain in her competitive re-election race instead of running for the solidly Democratic Phoenix seat held by retiring Rep. Ed Pastor. Sinema’s decision will likely be a relief for many Democrats, who feared her departure from the toss-up District 9 would hurt the party’s chances of keeping the seat. Sinema confirmed her decision in a phone interview from Washington, D.C., with The Arizona Republic, ending days of speculation as she huddled with top advisers about her options. … Most analysts consider her to be in a strong position for re-election in the Tempe-based seat, though she is likely to face a GOP challenge every two years.” http://bit.ly/1hSiDyD
BIG MONEY IN RACE TO SUCCEED BILL YOUNG – The Washington Post’s Paul Kane reports from Clearwater, Fla.: “The race to succeed the late C.W. Bill Young has stunned voters here accustomed to sleepy campaigns over the genteel and popular congressman’s four-decade tenure. Almost twice as much money has been spent in the general election — at least $ 8.3 million by the nominees to fill Young’s seat, the party campaign committees and outside activist groups — than Young, a Republican, spent combined in his successful runs in the previous six races in this century.
– “Perhaps most surprising in the neck-and-neck race between Democrat Alex Sink and Republican David Jolly is that Sink and her allies have a decided financial edge, blanketing the airwaves with more ads than her opponent ahead of Tuesday’s vote. This money has given her the chance to win despite lingering Democratic doubts that the party’s voters will show up in a low-turnout special election. While Jolly fought a tough primary, draining his resources for the general election, Sink hoarded her cash for an eight-week sprint to the finish. Her campaign has spent $ 2 million on television advertising in the general election campaign, compared with just $ 542,000 for Jolly, according to a tally sheet from a conservative group monitoring the spending.” http://wapo.st/1ighP5s
IT’S TIME TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE HOUSE, argues Sean Trend, a senior columnist for Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “First, a bigger House would diminish the impact of malapportionment that comes with single-member states. … Second, increasing the size of the House could diminish the impact of gerrymandering. … Third, increasing the size of the House would make majority-minority districts easier to maintain. … Fourth, increasing the size of the House would improve rural representation. … Fifth, though this is difficult to measure and hence more speculative, increasing the size of the House could help mend some of the detachment that is felt between Washington and the states.” http://bit.ly/1cfDFI4
– NOT SO FAST, says Bloomberg View’s Jonathan Bernstein: “Trende’s case for a modestly bigger chamber, perhaps from 435 seats to some number between 550 or 650, is well-argued. He’s right that there is a problem of malapportionment with single-representative states. He’s also right that demographic descriptive representation, or creating a House that ‘looks like’ America, would be more manageable if there were more, smaller, districts. Nevertheless, I think the Big House is a bad idea, both on electoral and governing grounds. For elections, it would probably mean fewer voters in competitive districts, and less media attention to each individual election. … What about inside Congress? A Big House means more influence for the leadership, and less for each member. That’s exactly the opposite of what the House needs.” http://bit.ly/1cfDFI4
TODAY’S TRIVIA – No one correctly answered yesterday’s question, so we’ll ask it again today: John Boehner is the only former chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee to become speaker. What former member of the House who served as speaker later became chairman of the Education committee? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.
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** After years of saying “wait until next year,” Congress finally has bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare’s broken funding formula. This is the news seniors have been waiting for. But we’re not over the finish line yet. Congress must act by March 31st to avoid another costly temporary patch. Let’s pass H.R. 4015/S. 2000, scrap the broken SGR formula and fix Medicare once and for all! FixMedicareNow.org
