Urgent: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Hill (Morning edition)
Per Pergram-Capitol Hill
The same as last night.
The short-hand.
· They failed to advance any potential deal to solve the fiscal cliff
· Failed to resolve the farm bill
· Failed to resolve the standoff over the emergency spending bill for Sandy.
Talks tontinued into the night between Biden and McConnell out of this fiscal cliff cul-de-sac.
House Republicans met in their conference meeting last evening, giving House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) a standing ovation. Emerging from the meeting, members, almost to a T, all turned the criticism on the Senate and said that they House cannot act until the Senate moves first.
Good take from members as they adjourn is in
DC and NY.
Also, three versions of a farm bill extension remain on revved up, ready to go. The biggest worry is the end of the dairy compact…which could send milk prices skyrocketing. But not for a while. An expiration of the farm bill means the U.S. returns to 1949 law…which could double the price of milk. However, implementing such an ancient law would take weeks. So don’t expect to pay double just to put milk on your Cheerios come Tuesday.
And none are on the schedule today.
The House will meet at 9 am et.
Full sked upcoming.
Also expect a GOP Conference meeting at some point tomorrow.
The Senate is in at 11 am. Look for remarks off the top from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and McConnell. We doubt they will have caucus/conference meetings before 11 am.
Also, as Ed Henry has reported…it is possible they could POSSIBLY dispatch Vice President Biden to the Hill if they seem like they are getting close to a fiscal cliff deal. But that is a long way away.
Finally, there has been some chatter about potentially crafting a narrow emergency spending bill for hurricane Sandy. The Senate completed its big bill on Friday. The House could always do something that covers just a few billion dollars…
Or…
If they ever get a deal on the fiscal cliff, that provision could be loaded onto that package.
Chad Pergram
FOX News
Senior Producer for Capitol Hill
