With a big helping hand from Sarah Ferris

PUT NUANCE ON THE MENU — Tony Gonzales is a swing-seat Texan not afraid of taking big swings at divisive policy fights or bucking his party, from sitting down with Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas instead of calling for his impeachment to appearing with a Democrat on the campaign trail.

He’s “crusading against a draconian immigration bill from fellow Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy, while also warning his party against big spending cuts that could hurt military bases like those in his district,” write Sarah and Olivia this morning.

Immigration is one of the most politically explosive issues within the GOP and with his credibility as a border-district swing-seat member, he’s pushing his party to do something it’s resisted: giving nuance a try.

“We can’t just throw bombs and rhetoric and expect people to reelect us over and over again,” he said.

He is holding out hope, using his party’s slim margins in his favor.

“In this Congress, five votes equals 100,” Gonzales said on possible action on immigration issues. “There’s opportunity there for those that want to govern and not allow the place to get hijacked.”

Three details that didn’t make it into Sarah and Olivia’s sweeping look at Gonzales:

• The Cuellar Question: Some in the GOP speculated that Gonzales was among the Republicans encouraging conservative Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar to switch parties earlier this year to help with McCarthy’s math problem. All Gonzales would say on the subject: “It’s hard for him to become a Republican when [the Congressional Leadership Fund] is dropping $5 million on his head.”)
• A lonely road: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) joked that before Gonzales became vice-chair of the Congressional Hispanic Conference this year, he had been “the chairman, and the vice chairman, and the events coordinator” because the group had so few members.
• Keeping the powder dry: “I think it’s a bad idea for Republicans, anyone, to come up with a conclusion before you even begin,” he said of his colleagues’ push for a Mayorkas impeachment.

GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, Feb. 3, where both chambers skipped town before the cold front moves in.

HUDDLE’S WEEKLY MOST CLICKED: Rep. Jill Tokuda’s (D-Hawaii) trip to IKEA was the winner.

ANIMAL INSTINCT — Of all the lines that Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has allegedly crossed, one facet of the alleged fraud has touched a third rail that junior staff across the Hill know all too well: animal welfare issues.

Lawmakers’ offices often are flooded with concerns from constituents about animal issues. Week in and week out, animal concerns dominate email and mail intake, no matter what is in the news or on the House floor.

When POLITICO broke the news Wednesday that the FBI is digging into Rep. George Santos’ role in an alleged scheme to defraud a disabled U.S. Navy veteran seeking help for his dying service dog, junior staff across Capitol Hill put their warning antenna up.

“Animals were always the number one issue every week. The advocacy organizations are just relentless,” one House staffer told Huddle. They described their inbox as “overwhelmed” by inquiries on everything from wild horses, bird friendly buildings and “big cats” (hello Carol Baskin).

That’s why nearly every member has a legislative staffer with an animal issues portfolio. But staff this week told Huddle that the animal focused mail and email doesn’t translate into calls or other contacts in their congressional offices. Folks who pick up the phone are typically focused on an issue of the day that’s in the news or impacting them personally. The animal mail is evergreen.

The dying service dog wasn’t Santos’ first foray into animal welfare. Santos claimed to run an animal rescue charity called Friends of Pets United. Neither the IRS nor the attorney general’s offices in New York and New Jersey found any record of a registered charity by that name, according to The New York Times.

OH BOY, OLD BAY — Ambitious Democrats are gearing up to run for Senate as they wait to hear if 70 year old Sen. Ben Cardin will run for another term in 2024.

“I guess they’re ahead of themselves,” Cardin said, saying he’ll finalize his plans by the end of March. “I’m not concerned about what other people might be doing.”

Who’s waiting in the wings? Prince George’s County executive Angela Alsobrooks is building a staff for a potential run. And Reps. Jamie Raskin and David Trone could also throw their hats in the ring. None are expected to challenge Cardin if he does run.

MODCOM IS BACK, BABY — The House Administration Committee launched a new subcommittee on Thursday on the Modernization of Congress. The move was one of the select committee’s final recommendations at the end of last year, to keep the panel’s bipartisan efforts alive. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) will lead the panel with ranking member Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), who is a newcomer to House Admin, but chaired the ModCom select committee. Like its predecessor, the subcommittee will be equally divided between Republicans and Democrats. TBD if they hold their hearings in the round or eschew partisan seating arrangements.

SAMOA, STOPPED — Things got awkward Thursday as longtime Del. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen of American Samoa was stopped and questioned in the Crypt, at the top of the escalators to the Capitol Visitors’ Center, when tour guides and the contracted security staff doubted that she was a member of Congress. Radewagen, who has been in Congress since 2015, was wearing her green and gold member pin on the right hand side of her jacket. Nicholas snapped a photo of the interaction.

Eventually she was acknowledged as a lawmaker and was allowed to move freely through the Capitol. Capitol Police did not respond to a request for comment on the private security contractors and Radewagen’s office did not respond to inquiries from POLITICO.

RESPONSE REQUESTED — Freshman Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) will give a progressive response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next week, on behalf of the liberal Working Families Party. Nicholas has the story.

One of her goals is to “show working people how Democrats will deliver for them if they put us back in the majority. That’s our path to a working families majority in Congress.”

She’ll be rebutting Republican speeches from Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona.

BORDER VISIT — Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is leading a bicameral delegation to the U.S.-Mexico border and Mexico City this weekend. Ernst, along with Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Randy Finstra (R-Iowa) will tour Customs and Border Protection operations in San Diego and meet with members of both the U.S. and Mexican military. The trip will wrap up Sunday.

HUDDLE HOTDISH

Give the guy a stool… Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) didn’t love the height difference during his bipartisan Fox hit with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Some TV reporters stand on stools. Could guests ask to borrow one?

QUICK LINKS

House, Senate GOP To Start ‘DC Home Rule’ Vote To Block District’s New Crime Law, from Henry Rodgers at The Daily Caller

Congress gears up for another farm bill. Here’s what’s on the menu, from Ximena Bustillo at NPR

TRANSITIONS

Ricketts staffs up: Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) announced that Matt Miltenberger, who previously served in Ricketts’ governor’s office, will continue his role as chief of staff. Alyssa Burleson, previously with Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), will be deputy chief of staff for administration. Joanna Rodriguez, previously at the Republican Governors Association where Ricketts was co-chair, will be communications director. Paul Guaglianone, previously with the office of Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), will be legislative director. Ame McGraw, previously with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), will be director of scheduling.

Bradford Kane is now legislative director for Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.). He most recently was legislative director and senior adviser for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)

Matt Alpert is now director of legislative affairs for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. He most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.).

Sarah Trister is now a director on the international affairs team at FGS Global. She previously was senior foreign policy adviser for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

Angela Wiles is now senior director on Pfizer’s federal government relations team. She previously was health policy director for Senate HELP ranking member Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

Hope Derrick is retiring after 23 years of working for Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.). She most recently was comms director, a role that Brianna Frias will take over.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House is out.

The Senate convenes at 11 a.m. for a pro forma session

AROUND THE HILL

Cold and quiet.

TRIVIA

THURSDAY’S WINNER: Chris Armstrong correctly answered that Rep. Charles Coles Diggs Jr. was the first chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

TODAY’S QUESTION: The Army Balloon Corps was established during which war?

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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