Mayorkas, Wray to testify at Judiciary

By JORDAIN CARNEY, KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS and DANIELLA DIAZ

06/07/2023 07:30 AM EDT

Presented by American Health Care Association

With help from Burgess Everett

House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) will hear testimony from Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray before Congress leaves for its August recess. | Nathan Howard/AP Photo

JIM JORDAN’S BUSY SCHEDULE — Almost from the moment they took over the House majority at the start of this year, Republicans have been itching to square off against their biggest Biden administration foes. Soon, they’ll get a chance.

The news: FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will testify before the August recess in front of the House Judiciary Committee, a panel packed with conservative firebrands.

Mayorkas is expected to testify before the committee the final week before the August recess, which would be the week of July 24, Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told Jordain. A person familiar with the schedule confirmed the timing for the DHS secretary's appearance.

Wray, meanwhile, will also testify before the panel in mid-July, a committee aide told POLITICO.

The two appearances will follow what is already expected to be a blockbuster hearing for the committee in June when former special counsel John Durham testifies about his recent report on the FBI and DOJ's handling of the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

If you’re new here: Your regular reminder that the Mayorkas and Wray hearings are part of the run-of-the-mill annual appearances where administration officials go and testify before their committees of jurisdiction. Mayorkas already testified in March before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of an oversight hearing.

But the two hearings also can't be separated from the larger context in which they’ll take place.

Conservatives have clamored for months to try to impeach Mayorkas — a move that has drawn criticism from Democrats and even some fellow Republicans who worry their party is trying to elevate a policy disagreement to a high crime or misdemeanor. And in the GOP's narrow majority, impeachment would have to win over a swath of moderates and governing-minded pragmatists who have shown little interest in the move.

Meanwhile, Wray has found himself perpetually in the hot seat as Republicans’ relationship with the bureau has soured in recent years. A handful of GOP members (including those who sit on the Judiciary Committee) have joined calls to impeach the FBI director, Republicans are mulling trying to block a new FBI headquarters and Wray is all but guaranteed to be grilled on the bureau's handling of a controversial surveillance program at risk of lapsing at the end of the year.

BRACE YOURSELF — Senate Republicans are expected to force a vote this week on a Congressional Review Act resolution to roll back a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms regulation on guns equipped with pistol braces, a popular gun accessory. The measure, sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), could get a vote in the Senate as soon as today. (Yes, it's the same measure that sent the House into a tailspin on Tuesday. More on that below.)

Keeping tabs on Manchin: West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin told Burgess Tuesday night that he was still studying the pistol brace regulation disapproval resolution.

Manchin was not eager to talk about Labor nominee Julie Su. He said he was "nowhere" on that nomination and indicated he doesn't have a final timetable for his decision.

A message from American Health Care Association:

It's time to prioritize seniors’ access to care. The long term care community is facing a historic labor crisis, forcing nursing homes across the country to limit new admissions, or worse - close entirely. A federal staffing mandate would only further reduce seniors’ access to care and lead to more nursing home closures. We need resources to recruit, not unfunded mandates. Learn more about better solutions.

GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, June 7 where your Huddle hosts are very glad it's Hump day!

NEW BLUE DOG IN TOWN — First in Huddle: The Blue Dogs are adding a new member to their crew – Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) is now the third freshman to join the group in recent weeks, increasing membership to 10. Nickel beat Republican candidate Bo Hines last November by a little less than 3 percentage points for a seat that was previously held by GOP Sen. Ted Budd, who claimed the upper-chamber spot vacated by retired Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

Nickel said in a statement he joined the group because "the Blue Dog Coalition has consistently been at the forefront of finding pragmatic, bipartisan policy solutions on important issues facing the American people."

The North Carolina lawmaker joins the Blue Dogs under new leadership. The group, which lost a significant chunk of its membership in January over a rebranding spat, announced two weeks ago that Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) would serve as co-chairs.

FIRE IN THEIR BONES — House Republicans couldn't pass gas.

It was a protest no one saw coming. Eleven conservatives – including 10 members of the House Freedom Caucus – voted against the rule for bills that would prohibit the Biden administration from regulating natural-gas burning stoves because of a grudge over the debt limit fight. And it made history — no rule had failed to pass a floor vote since Nov. 14, 2002 when Dennis Hastert was speaker. (Democrats have lost other procedural votes in the meantime, but not rules.)

What's unclear for now is whether Tuesday's rule-vote failure was a one-off shot across the speaker's bow or the start of a tactical shift by conservatives – most of them in the House Freedom Caucus – to begin holding their power to advance legislation against Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who they feel didn't cut a conservative enough deal to increase the debt limit.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), who voted in favor of the rule, accused GOP leaders of threatening to sink his bill to roll back a Biden administration pistol brace regulation unless he supported advancing last week's debt deal. He later met with Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who had denied Clyde's allegation hours before the rule vote. Don't miss the full story.

Unlike the Senate, where CRAs get speedy action and the minority can force a vote whenever, the House does not have expedited procedures for initial House consideration. The resolution would be considered in the House under a closed special rule reported by the Rules Committee, which requires buy-in from leadership and the speaker. Clyde told reporters the vote on his bill will be next Tuesday.

House Republicans are going to try again to pass the bills later today – and the members to watch are Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Bob Good, (R-Va.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas).

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

RED STATES, BLUE SLIPS — President Joe Biden is set to announce two nominees to fill judicial vacancies in Louisiana: Jerry Edwards, Jr., a top federal prosecutor in the state, according to a forthcoming White House announcement that POLITICO reviewed, while Brandon Scott Long is a former deputy chief of staff to FBI Director Chris Wray, reports Betsy Woodruff Swan.

The picks will face a tradition, the blue slip, that will give Louisiana's Republican senators say in if the nominees move forward. Without the backing of the home-state senators, judicial picks in red states can be strung up.

But Wednesday's nominees don't appear in peril, Betsy reports. Louisiana GOP Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy are expected to lock in blue slips for confirmation hearings, according to a person familiar with the nomination process who was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

LAWMAKERS LIV(ID) — Who knew golf could become a bipartisan issue? When news broke that Saudi-financed league LIV Golf will merge with the PGA Tour, lawmakers offered mixed reaction. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), one of four members in the Golf Caucus, praised the decision and said in a statement she will "be watching to see how this all plays out."

"While the extent of [Public Investment Fund] and Saudi Arabia's influence is concerning, LIV has shown an ability to be at the forefront of creative ways to grow the game which could be monumental to the future success of the golf industry as a whole," she added.

Many lawmakers shared their concerns about LIV Golf's financial backing to the Saudi royal family, calling out Saudi Arabia's human-rights record and U.S. government reports about its role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The criticism spanned the ideological spectrum:

Sen. Chris Murphy: "So weird. PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis’ human rights record should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport. I guess maybe their concerns weren't really about human rights?"

Sen. Ron Wyden: "Hypocrisy doesn't begin to describe this brazen, shameless cash grab. I’m going to dive into every piece of Saudi Arabia's deal with the PGA. U.S. officials need to consider whether a deal will give the Saudi regime inappropriate control or access to U.S. real estate."

Rep. Chip Roy: "One year ago next week: ‘Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the @PGATour’ in the context of the players going to LIV and the impact on 9/11 families (among other things). Answer, now? Yes."

GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE.

RISHI MAKES THE ROUNDS — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom meets with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) this afternoon. Later he’ll gather with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and a bipartisan group of other senators

LUNCH DATE — The Republican Study Committee welcomes SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Canadian psychology professor and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson to its lunch today.

A TENANTS ASSOCIATION BY ANOTHER NAME — Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) is launching the Congressional Renters Caucus this morning, aimed at representing the rights of renters and challenges that renters face.

"The Congressional Renters Caucus will work to expand assistance for all eligible cost-burdened renters, eliminate bureaucratic and discriminatory barriers to accessing affordable housing; and improve the quality, availability, and affordability of our nation's rental housing stock," per his office.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Rep. Garrett Graves (R-La.) shows off his fishing haul from last weekend during a House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries hearing on Tuesday. | (Francis Chung/POLITICO) | (Francis Chung/POLITICO)

RIP Tortilla Coast… Has the House Freedom Caucus settled on a new Capitol Hill haunt? A Huddle tipster told us that the group of conservative lawmakers was spotted at Hawk n’ Dove Tuesday night. Rep Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) (who isn't in the caucus, but is closely aligned with many members) was wearing a hat reading "ISSA VIBE"... unclear if that is Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) campaign merch, but if not, free idea for one of the richest men in Congress.

E Street in the House… Stevie Van Zandt was at House votes on Tuesday.

No Alias needed… Actress and activist Jennifer Garner was in the Senate as the trustee of Save the Children. She stopped by Sen. Joni Ernst's (R-Iowa) office.

Trust the simulation… Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) is being the best avatar of himself, complete with the soundtrack.

A message from American Health Care Association:

QUICK LINKS

New Orleans police didn't test Cedric Richmond for DWI after single-car wreck into tree, from Gordon Russell and Katie Moore at NOLA.com

U.S. House committee approves bills on whole milk, condemns sheltering migrants in schools, from Ariana Figueroa at States Newsroom

Fort Wayne man charged with felony in harassment of Congressman Banks, from Whitney Downard at Indiana Capital Chronicle

How Abigail Spanberger represents Frontline Democrats on leadership, from Jim Saksa at CQ Roll Call (worth the click to learn her polarizing sandwich choice)

ICYMI: McCarthy and McConnell show signs of a split on defense spending, from Anthony, Connor O’Brien, Joe Gould and Nancy

A message from American Health Care Association:

America's seniors need our help. The long term care community is facing a historic labor crisis that is forcing nursing homes across the country to limit new admissions, and for hundreds, close their doors. Facilities are doing everything they can to hire more caregivers, but with limited government funding, they can't recruit the staff they need.

A federal staffing mandate without resources would only make the crisis worse, forcing more nursing homes to close and limiting access to care for seniors. We need Washington to invest in long term care and our workforce to ensure seniors have the caregivers they need. Learn more.

TRANSITIONS

Corey Noble is now the communications director for Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18). He was previously with Rep. Bill Posey and is a native Floridian.

Sahil Mehrotra is now press secretary for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). He was most recently press secretary for Everytown for Gun Safety.

Derrick Utley has been promoted to be communications director for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). He most recently was press secretary for Tlaib.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House meets at noon for legislative business. It will hold a vote on the motion to reconsider H.Res. 463, the rule that provided for consideration of the Save our Gas Stoves Act, Gas Stoves Protection and Freedom Act, the REINS Act of 2023, and the Separation of Powers Act of 2023. First votes are expected at 12:20 p.m. and last votes are expected at 4 p.m.

The Senate meets at 10 a.m. At 11:30 a.m., it will hold a confirmation vote on David Crane's nomination to be an Undersecretary of Energy and hold a cloture vote on Dale E. Ho's nomination to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

AROUND THE HILL

11 a.m. The statue of Nebraska's Willa Cather will be unveiled in a ceremony featuring the Nebraska delegation. (Statuary Hall)

12:30 p.m. Reps. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Moms for America and others hold an event to call on the Senate to pass "The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023." (House Triangle)

2 p.m. Senate Democratic and GOP leaders hold separate press conferences following closed door caucus lunches. (Ohio Clock Corridor)

2:30 p.m. Senate Indian Affairs Committee business meeting to consider a bill to establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the U.S. (628 Dirksen)

TUESDAY’S WINNER: Frank McDougall correctly guessed that Barbara Jordan was the first Southern, African-American woman elected to the House of Representatives.

TODAY’S QUESTION: Who was the first president to keep cats as pets — and what were the cats’ names?

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

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Follow Katherine and Daniella on Twitter @ktullymcmanus and @DaniellaMicaela

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this newsletter misstated Rep. Andrew Clyde's (R-Ga.) support for a rule in a Tuesday House floor vote. Clyde voted in favor of the rule.