With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team

UKRAINE AID ON ICE AS ZELENSKYY COMES TO WASHINGTON

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is headed to the Capitol Tuesday to make his last-ditch pitch for aid. Republicans don’t expect it to move them.

In fact, the planned closed-door morning meeting is putting some senators further off, as they say Ukraine aid can’t pass unless it’s connected to significant changes to border policy (and the lead GOP negotiator just told Burgess that “there’s no time” to finish any deal this week).

“I think the whole thing is kind of grotesque. We’re in the middle of a domestic political argument about how to weigh border security versus some of the foreign policies in the supplemental package,” said Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). “It’s a debate for Americans to have amongst ourselves. And the idea of flying this guy in here at the last minute and effectively to badger and guilt trip us I just find grotesque.”

As one Senate GOP aide puts it, the majority of Senate Republicans are supportive of helping Ukraine but feel they cannot ignore what’s happening at the southern border. And they know this is their main hand to play if they want border policy changes.

“I don’t understand why it is Republicans who have to change their mind as opposed to Democrats,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told reporters. “All Zelenskyy has to do is convince Democrats to have at our border the same protections that we had under the three prior presidents.”

What Zelenskyy will say: He will remind lawmakers that Ukraine will run out of money by the end of the year. He’s also slated to speak with Speaker Mike Johnson after the all-senators meeting.

But: Lawmakers have heard this before; Ukraine officials have said the country could lose the war without more money. Unless he leans in pretty far and can convince either side to drop their border demands, it likely won’t make much difference.

Democrats opposing border: First it was Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.) and Rep. Nanette Barragán (Calif.), two leading Democratic advocates for changes to immigration policy, who slammed the latest GOP proposal on border security measures — then New Jersey Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, who have also come out against linking the measures.

Those Democratic lawmakers don’t want to see changes to the country’s asylum and parole measures, something Republicans are insisting has to be part of the package if they’re going to greenlight more Ukraine aid.

Democrats share Zelenskyy’s urgency: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) emphasized Monday that Ukraine is running out of time — and that Congress should do something on this before the end of the week. Reminder: Congress is scheduled to go on recess until the new year after this week.

“We seem to characterize most political issues as pro or con, yes or no. His issue is a life-and-death issue,” Durbin told reporters. “And when the man says things like that, I believe him. I’ve seen what’s going on over there and the desperation he must feel to think that he’s prepared to die for his cause, a cause which America encouraged him to press on.”

— Daniella Diaz and Anthony Adragna

GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, Dec. 11, where we can’t wait to watch this Ziwe interview with George Santos.

INTERNAL FREEDOM CAUCUS DRAMA

The House Freedom Caucus is poised to pick its new leader Tuesday night, as the MAGA-aligned group plots its next steps heading into an election year.

The conservative group is typically quiet about internal procedural matters, but pushback against Rep. Bob Good’s (R-Va.) campaign to lead the influential conservative group means the plans spilled into public view.

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) sent a letter to the HFC, saying he won’t seek reelection to the group’s board over its decision to recommend Good as the next chair. It’s unclear if any other Freedom Caucus member is currently in the race.

“I ask that we consider how to best increase our influence while preserving our power to move policy in the right direction. I strongly feel that Bob Good as Chairman will impair that objective,” Davidson wrote in a letter reported by Axios Monday.

His problems: Good has not been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, unlike most members of the group. He has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and recently was caught on tape criticizing Trump’s conservative bonafides compared to DeSantis. He was also among the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy — a fact that upset some members of the Freedom Caucus.

— Olivia Beavers

CRAMMING IN LAST-MINUTE BUSINESS BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS

Lawmakers want to leave town by the end of the week. Before they go, they’re facing quite the to-do list.

As we noted above, both senators and Johnson will hear separately from Zelenskyy on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday:

• The House is expected to vote on two competing proposals from the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees to reauthorize Section 702, a controversial surveillance authority that’s meant to target foreigners abroad but has the ability to sweep in Americans. Conservatives are balking at Johnson’s approach, and it expires at the end of the year.
• The Rules Committee is set to advance a measure to formally open the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

Wednesday:

• The full House could vote as soon as Wednesday on opening that impeachment inquiry, and this time, centrist Republicans are on board.
• House Republicans have demanded that Hunter Biden appear for a closed-door deposition Wednesday. There’s still no indication that he plans to honor that, after his lawyer tried to push to make it public and GOP lawmakers said no. If he doesn’t appear, the House Oversight Committee has already said it would begin contempt of Congress proceedings.

Meanwhile, in the Senate: Any votes on the supplemental funding package may get punted this week after negotiators have indicated they can’t reach a deal on border security measures. The Senate instead will take up passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which is expected to pass with bipartisan support. And the House will take up for passage Thursday.

Both chambers aren’t expected to come back from the holiday recess until the second week of January. And while some senators have called for staying in session until they can pass Ukraine aid, there’s not much reason for it if border talks are frozen.

— Daniella Diaz

Shout out to Steve Cohen supporting local D.C. restaurants — even if we’re not sure this sign was about soda.

Mike Collins really went all out with the Christmas decorations. And we liked this meme too.

QUICK LINKS

The Patriots are so bad it’s finally OK to campaign in New Hampshire during games, from Lisa Kashinsky

House GOP chips away at centrist resistance on Biden impeachment inquiry, from Jordain Carney, Olivia Beavers and Anthony Adragna

TRANSITIONS

Taylor Hulsey is now communications director for Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.). He most recently led comms for Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and is a Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) alum.

Jackson Still is joining Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-Pa.) office as tax, trade and labor legislative correspondent. He previously was a legislative correspondent/staff assistant for Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas).

Abby Turner is the policy adviser and director of operations for Polaris National Security. She previously worked for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on his national security team, focusing mainly on the Middle East.

TOMORROW IN CONGRESS

The House is in session.

The Senate is in session.

TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL

9:30 a.m. Reps. Norma Torres, Joaquin Castro and Delia Ramirez will hold a press conference to call for the peaceful transfer of power in Guatemala. (House Triangle)

11 a.m. Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Dingell will hold a press conference on domestic violence and intimate partner abuse. (House Triangle)

3 p.m. Reps. Danny K. Davis, Jimmy Gomez and Jimmy Panetta, as well as Sen. Gary Peters will hold a conference call on Congress to pass the Rent Relief Act of 2023. (House Triangle)

FRIDAY’S ANSWER: Eric Bazail-Eimil correctly answered that Nita Lowey and Rosa DeLauro Nancy were two close allies for Nancy Pelosi on the Appropriations committee, who together they called themselves “Delosi”.

TODAY’S QUESTION from Eric: This man, the first delegate to represent the territory of Florida in Congress, also has the distinction of being the nation’s first Hispanic member of Congress. Who is he?

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

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each evening.

Follow Daniella on X at @DaniellaMicaela.