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CATCH YOU ON THE FLIPPITY FLIP: The House is out for three weeks of recess after an exhausting weeks long dash filled with hearings, legislation and partisan sniping. But that doesnt mean Democratic leaders arent looking ahead to what is up on their next legislative agenda.

First though, members are expected to return to their districts and hit all the messaging points: Democrats tout their legislative accomplishments, with the big one being Covid relief bill (i.e. shots in your arm, money in your pockets), while Republicans will hammer the Biden administration for the slow school reopenings and the crisis at the border and Democrats socialist agenda. This week is all district work period, but then starting the week of March 29th, the House is expected to have two weeks of committee work, remotely.

The recess comes as Democrats are eying their next agenda targets, including possibly muscling priorities on drug pricing, climate change policy goals and immigration through Congress via the budget reconciliation process, Sarah reports (theyd still need to get that legislation past the Senate parliamentarian). All three are major goals Democrats want to get accomplished both to run on in next years midterm elections and in case Republicans take over the House majority in the next Congress.

As Sarah writes: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer havent formally decided to use the budgetary tool known as reconciliation for Bidens next major priority, an infrastructure and jobs plan. Biden and top Democrats are still publicly courting Republicans for his proposal. But given the Senate GOPs continued reluctance, many senior Democrats in both chambers believe it will be the ultimate path.

And House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) says he believes many different health care and climate bills could survive the budget rules, as well as some aspects of immigration policy: Not everything, but I think certain things can.

There is also that lingering frustration over the Senate filibuster. The chorus can get louder, but if some key Dems dont budge, it will be just that: An opera singing Andrea Bochellis Time to Say Goodbye, without an actual departure.

More here from Sarah: http://politi.co/3sb1dX5

AND ACROSS THE CAPITOL: The Senate is in with nominations on the docket, including President Joe Bidens pick to lead the Labor Department, Marty Walsh -- the last outstanding cabinet nominee awaiting confirmation.

The Senate, which got through Bidens confirmations faster than it did for both the Obama and Trump administrations, is also poised to confirm five more nominations this week that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has filed cloture on, including Shalanda Young for OMB Deputy Director, Vivek Murthy for Surgeon General, Rachel Levine for Assistant Secretary at HHS, David Turk for Deputy Energy Secretary, and Wally Adeyemo for Deputy Treasury Secretary.

PPP = Planning to Pass Paychecks: The Senate, which is also out next week, must do something about the Paycheck Protection Program this week, before it is set to expire at the end of this month, on the 31st. The House bill, the PPP Extension Act of 2021, would extend the program until May 31. Schumer, who has filed cloture on this legislation, has said they plan to pass the measure ASAP.

On tap today: Biden will also speak to Senate Dems as part of their retreat tonight. It is closed to the press, but dont worry, we will have our Senate team on the prowl for news nuggets.

Starting today: Schumers newly appointed Senate sergeant at arms leadership team starts today, marking the first time that office is fully staffed by women since its creation in 1789. Lieutenant General Karen Gibson is serving as the Sergeant at Arms, Kelly Fado as the Deputy Sergeant at Arms and Jennifer Hemingway as Chief of Staff:

Related: Outlook: Senate faces deadline to extend pandemic loans program for small businesses, by the National Journals Zach Cohen and Casey Wooten: http://bit.ly/3cVVvlr

ONE FOOT IN, ANOTHER ONE OUT: The House GOP is looking at the fresh new face of Julia Letlow, who won the Louisiana special election on Saturday, and then losing a known face after Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) announced he will not seek re-election to the House nor will he run for governor following allegations of sexual misconduct that came out on Friday.

Letlow took lemons and made lemonade out of a horrible situation after her husband, former Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, died of Covid shortly before he was slated to be sworn into Congress. Letlow, the mother of two small children, launched her campaign and has received a lot of support on Capitol Hill.

In contrast to her rise, Reed, in a lengthy statement, apologized to Nicolette Davis, who detailed how, when she was a young lobbyist attending a dinner in 2017, Reed began touching her back and unhooking her bra. Reed, co-chairman of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, said he was struggling with alcohol at the time and later checked himself into treatment. He wrote in his statement that consistent with my recovery, I publicly take ownership. He had initially denied the allegations, stating that he had a different account of that night.

As NBCs Garret Haake aptly points out: About as complete of an apology & statement taking ownership of past actions as I can recall seeing from a politician.

Davis, an ex-lobbyist, responded: "I am grateful for Congressman Reeds reflection on his actions. I hope that his words and actions will be an example for others who face similar allegations.

While her tip to the Washington Post came before Reed had announced his interest in a potential gubernatorial bid as Governor Andrew Cuomo faced a growing list of allegations of sexual misconduct, Reed had taken the position that combating sexual violence and harassment was a top priority of his in Congress. He recently called for Cuomo to be impeached.

Reeds district, which is just above the New York-Pennsylvania border and south of Buffalo, is considered a safe GOP stronghold. Former President Donald Trump won the 23rd District 11 points against Biden in November, and 15 points when Trump ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016.

But as Cook Political Reports Dave Wasserman notes: If NY Dems override the commission and redraw the map for 2022, pretty good bet #NY23 gets eliminated or combined w/ #NY27 Rep. Chris Jacobs (R).

Roll Calls Herb Jackson has more on Reed and his apology: http://bit.ly/2OLBHJL

A message from McDonald's:

Protecting our restaurant crew and customers is our number one priority. McDonalds national COVID safety plan is fact-based, data-driven, and informed by epidemiologists and health authorities. As science evolves, we update our plan. We train and retrain to always stay on top of whats happening. Thats Safety + Commitment.Learn more at mcdonalds.com/safety

HAPPY MONDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill on this March 22, where cameras -- including police cams -- can sure catch the darndest things.

FRIDAYS MOST CLICKED: The Jewish Insiders story on the Chabad chief in the House was the big winner.

PUPS OF CAPITOL HILL: New week, new pup pictures! We have one more day or so before we dive into the final rounds of the pup photo com-paw-tition. The Friday winners advancing to the next round: Albert Bertie Sanders Golden, Norman Cutler and Toby. Be sure to throw your favorite pooches a bone and vote for your favorite, and make sure you get your friends involved in this bi-paw-tisan competition others certainly are. Up on deck today: Batch 9Batch 10.

RHETORIC OR LEGAL REALITIES?: Michael Sherwin, the federal prosecutor who up until recently was leading the Justice Departments inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, told 60 Minutes in an interview that aired Sunday he believes the federal government has obtained evidence that meets the bar of charging suspects with sedition, a rare charge.

I personally believe the evidence is trending toward that, and probably meets those elements, Sherwin said. I believe the facts do support those charges and I think that, as we go forward, more facts will support that.

Seamus Hughes, Deputy Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, noted that Sherwin didnt bring sedition charges against anyone in the seven weeks that he led the investigation even after hinting in January that such charges were forthcoming. Theres a difference between prosecutorial rhetoric & legal realities, Hughes tweeted.

Reuters has more on Sherwins interview: http://reut.rs/2OMZwAZ

Related: Assaulting the truth, Ron Johnson helps erode confidence in government, by the NYTs Trip Gabriel and Reid Epstein: http://nyti.ms/2QjrF2G

MEANWHILE, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is warning that a bipartisan 9/11-like commission to probe the Capitol Hill riot may delay needed security improvements.

"The Congress itself has the capacity here to move forward," the No. 4 GOP Senate leader said Sunday on NBC News Meet the Press. "That doesn't mean I'm opposed to a commission, but frankly, I would believe that commission would probably be a reason to wait and not do the things that we know we need to do right now." Our Zachary Warmbrodt has the story: http://politi.co/2OUaWmk

NOT SO TRANSPARENT: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling on the Biden administration to open up Customs and Border Protection facilities to journalists.

"This should be transparent, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told CBS News. It's amazing to me how little my constituents know about what's going on down along the border. It is a situation spiraling out of control."

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told NPR over the weekend that we should all press the administration to do better on opening up access to media coverage at these facilities, noting that while there are young children in these facilities who are at incredibly vulnerable points in their life, he added that he believes there's a way for DHS to do it. More here from CBSs Nicole Sganga: http://cbsn.ws/2ND1XFs

The bipartisan push comes as Axios Jonathan Swan reports that an internal Department of Homeland Security document showed 823 unaccompanied migrant children held in border patrol custody for more than 10 days, more than a fourfold increase over the past week.

IOWA 2ND: Nine of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump earlier this year called on Pelosi over the weekend to end the House probe into the results of the contested House race in Iowas 2nd District. In a letter to the speaker, the nine lawmakers voiced extreme dismay over Democrats challenge of the race in Iowa, arguing it will undermine confidence in the electoral process -- just as Trump did in 2020, WaPos Marianna Sotomayor reports: http://wapo.st/3rbtQCh

Our Playbook friends report that the effort to oust GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in favor of Rita Hart (D) has been blessed by the top echelons of House Democratic leadership. And the DCCC has brought in and is paying the legal fees for top Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias, this person said.

Expect this to start -- not that it hasnt already -- a series of finger pointing and claims of hypocrisy as anti-certification Republicans call foul for Congress becoming involved in this election process and Democrats weighing flipping state-certified election results.

How some Mods feel: I dont think theres the slightest chance that that would happen, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) said on Fox News.

Related: Jim Clyburn is ticking off some in the White House. Hes perfectly fine with that, by our Natasha Korecki: https://politi.co/3tJOHOE

A message from McDonald's:

CAMPAIGN CENTRAL:

-Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) is expected to announce his Senate bid today and could receive a coveted Trump endorsement in the foreseeable future if not on Monday, sources tell Gabby Orr and Meridith McGraw, who break down the various ways to win over Trump as well as how to alienate the former president: http://politi.co/311TaQF

-Rep. Jody Hice is expected to launch GOP challenge against Raffensperger by the AJCs Greg Bluestein: http://bit.ly/3f6Jb4D | And Trump is looking to take down Raffensberger by endorsing Hice, our Alex Isenstadt and Zach Montellaro report: http://politi.co/2NE8Sy9

-OP-ED: How this voting rights bill could turn the next election into a clusterf*ck, by The Daily Beasts Jessica Huseman: http://bit.ly/3s8HHKX

-Next up in race to replace Cedric Richmond: Gary Chambers' endorsement and how runoff might play out, by The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocates Tyler Bridges: http://bit.ly/2QoaJbn

-Club for Growth takes aim at impeachment backers Cheney, Anthony Gonzalez, by our Alex Isenstadt: http://politi.co/3cVIVmj

-2024 shadow campaign takes shape under Trumps watchful eye as Pompeo, Rick Scott, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis and others show signs of presidential bids, David Siders reports: http://politi.co/3lDwtLT

CABINET CORNER:

-Today: After convening, the Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Marty Walsh to be Bidens Secretary of Labor.

-VP Kamala Harris will swear in Isabella Guzman as Bidens Small Business Administration administrator today at 9:30 a.m.

TRANSITIONS

Vanessa Ambrosini and Alexa Henning, both Trump White House alums, are joining Sen. Ron Johnsons (R-Wis.) office as senior communications advisers. Ambrosini most recently was deputy director of public affairs at the Commerce Department. Henning most recently was director of media affairs for the Trump campaign.

Geoff Burgan will be comms director for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). He most recently was Arizona comms director for the Biden campaign and is a Beto ORourke and Andrew Gillum alum. Giselle Barry will be moving to deputy chief of staff and Jeremy DAloisio to legislative director.

Jon Green is now defense policy adviser for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). He previously was national security adviser for Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.).

Gabriella Vesey is now legislative correspondent for Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), covering health care and aging issues. She previously was legislative correspondent/aide for Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.).

Amanda Fitzmorris is now press secretary for Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.). She previously was a special adviser in the Office of Research and Development at the EPA.

John Elizandro will be director of strategic comms and data at the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. He previously was senior adviser and comms director for Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), and is an Erik Paulsen alum.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House is out.

The Senate will convene at 3 p.m.

AROUND THE HILL

11 a.m.: The House Oversight Committee will hear testimony from Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and others about D.C. statehood.

7 p.m.: Biden will meet virtually with the Senate Democratic Caucus during their annual retreat.

TRIVIA

FRIDAYS WINNER: Zev Siegfeld was the first person to correctly guess that Gerold Ford was the President who owned a Golden Retriever named Liberty.

TODAYS QUESTION: From Zev: Which president is buried at the Albany Rural Cemetery, in Albany, NY?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to [emailprotected].

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.

Follow Olivia on Twitter: @Olivia_Beavers

A message from McDonald's:

Safety + Commitment: Protecting our restaurant crew and customers is our number one priority. Over the last year, we have developed a comprehensive, national COVID safety plan to help ensure that McDonalds remains a safe place to eat and to work. Safety + Science: McDonalds COVID safety plan is fact-based, data-driven, and informed by epidemiologists and health authorities. Every time CDC guidelines are updated, as science evolves, we update our plan. Safety + Training: Early on, we created a nationally recognized set of COVID safety standards. All 850,000 managers and crew were trained on its effective usage. We train and retrain on safety, to always stay on top of whats happening. And provide the protection that our customers, crew and communities expect from us.Learn more at mcdonalds.com/safety

Read more here:
Dems sell Covid bill at home and eye reconciliation for their return - Politico