The Hill’s 12:30 Report

by Cate Martel - 01/10/17 12:29 PM ET

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The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Protesters disrupt Sessions hearing | Sessions to recuse himself from Clinton probes | Obama farewell address tonight | Schumer trolls McConnell | Dem re-hangs cop painting in Capitol

BREAKING — I’M STAYING OUT OF THIS ONE, GUYS. YOU FIGURE IT OUT: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said Tuesday he would recuse himself from any possible investigations related to Hillary Clinton if he is confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general. Why: Sessions said his politically charged comments about the Clintons during the presidential campaign would give the appearance he is not impartial in potential probes of the private email server she used while secretary of State or the Clinton Foundation. http://bit.ly/2icrBLr

It’s a busy Tuesday as Senate confirmation hearings have begun. Plus, we’re all exhausted from last night’s insane college football championship, so that’s definitely not helping. 😉 I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com, @CateMartel and on Facebook.

A SESSION FOR SESSIONS:

SESSIONS’S CONFIRMATION HEARING — WHAT TO EXPECT TODAY AND TOMORROW: Here are five things we’re watching today and tomorrow in Sen. Jeff Sessions’s (R-Ala.) confirmation hearing: http://bit.ly/2j12IXk

Does he detail Trump’s plans on immigration?
What tone will the senators strike?
How does he address voting rights and policing?
How long does it dwell on his 1986 hearings?
How vigorous will the protests be?

WHERE SESSIONS IS LIKELY TO BUTT HEADS WITH REPUBLICANS: Criminal justice reform. How they’ll handle it: Look over there! See that shiny object?? Well, or this: “Somebody will bring it up,” a GOP aide predicted. http://bit.ly/2jeioEj

NOW FOR THE LIVE ACTION: WHAT’S GOING ON?: Here are the latest updates from The Hill’s Jonathan Easley and Lydia Wheeler: http://bit.ly/2jqz5eR First, let’s set the scene for you:

It’s quite noisy: As Brian Williams worded it on MSNBC: “Some of the grandchild variety, some of the protest variety.”

Lotsa protesters: I’m seeing some Code Pink protesters and some who are wearing “Great Americans Use Cannabis” T-shirts. Photos: http://bit.ly/2jqikQV

Interruptions were like a slow dripping sink: Protesters were removed pretty consistently every few minutes. Here’s video of a Code Pink protester being escorted out screaming about “Jim Sessions.” Lol. Damn it, Jim, whoever you are! http://bit.ly/2ieLAwi

Oh great, and there are some protesters dressed as KKK members: They mocked Sessions over allegations he made racist comments in the past and made sarcastic remarks. Here’s what one KKK-dressed man yelled as he was removed: “You can’t arrest me, I’m white. White people don’t get arrested.” Photo: http://bit.ly/2je4t0H

Video of their removal: http://bit.ly/2j0SXbA

Capitol Hill Police — “Be. Pre. Paaared.”: “Capitol Police came prepared for significant protests of Sessions today: Bags with bullhorns, plastic cuffs” (From NBC’s Kasie Hunt) Photo of their supplies: http://bit.ly/2jzceBU

What great optics: “Sessions sitting with a child on his lap as opponents try to paint him as cold” http://bit.ly/2ich035

Laying the groundwork for the press: “Press provided [with] list of people who have endorsed Sessions. Includes Condoleezza Rice and former U.S. AGs William Barr and Alberto Gonzales.” (From The Hill’s Lydia Wheeler) http://bit.ly/2ieNUmT

Spotted: Khizr Khan: He said Democrats invited him, but he won’t be testifying; http://bit.ly/2ic5pRK Also spotted: Al Sharpton: http://bit.ly/2i9u9Pn

Interesting factoid: “So the room [for] Sessions’ confirmation hearing was first used for hearing on Titanic sinking…” Photo evidence: http://bit.ly/2i9xbmD Cue Dem opposition puns…

Now, here are the most notable moments:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.): Sessions as a colleague “makes this very difficult for me.” http://bit.ly/2iYcV4G

Sessions’s full opening statement: http://bit.ly/2jecT8j

On the KKK: “Accusation he had sympathies for KKK are ‘false charges,’ Sessions says. ‘I abhor the Klan and what it represents and its hateful ideology.'” (From Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs) http://bit.ly/2j3TkCs

On same-sex marriage: Sessions says he would follow same-sex marriage ruling.

On abortion: Sessions says he would follow the ruling in Roe v. Wade. “It’s the law of the land, established and settled for a long time. It deserves respect and I would follow it.” (From The Hill’s Jonathan Easley) http://bit.ly/2jqHOOi

IN OTHER NEWS…:

BREAKING — JUST A LIL SWITCHEROO — THAT’S ALL: Via The Hill’s Scott Wong and Peter Sullivan, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said just now that some elements required to replace ObamaCare could be included in the earlier process to repeal the healthcare law. Specifics?: Ryan, however, didn’t identify specific elements or get into other details of how that process would work. “We’re going to use every tool at our disposal through legislation, through regulation, to bring replace concurrent along with repeal, so that we can save people from this mess,” Ryan told reporters. http://bit.ly/2jr17H9

TIP: AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH THE TEAM AND IT’LL BE LESS AWKWARD: A group of GOP senators wants to extend the deadline for hashing out an ObamaCare repeal plan, arguing the move would also give lawmakers more time to work on a replacement. Naming names: GOP Sens. Bob Corker (Tenn.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Susan Collins (Maine), Bill Cassidy (La.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). http://bit.ly/2j1mbqN

IF ANYONE COULD TALK FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, IT’S A SENATOR: Democrats protested the Republican plan to nix ObamaCare with a 5-hour protest last night. http://bit.ly/2iYnZ1T

A LIKELY WHITE HOUSE ADDITION: Via The Wall Street Journal’s Dave Michaels and Lisa Beilfuss, “Wall Street’s hedge-fund showman is ready to leave investing behind for a new act in Washington. Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of SkyBridge Capital and an extravagant hedge-fund conference known as SALT, is likely to take a job advising Donald Trump that could be announced as soon as Thursday.” What his job could be: Liaison to the business community. http://on.wsj.com/2j4ubaV

{mosads}

LOL, THE PARTISAN PENDULUM SWINGS BACK ONCE AGAIN: Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is using Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell‘s (R-Ky.) own words against him in a looming confirmation fight. How: Schumer said he sent McConnell the exact letter McConnell sent to then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in February 2009 about President Obama’s nominees. Except for changing a few names, the letter remained pretty much the same. Photo of the letter: http://bit.ly/2i9fYKk

I HEAR A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PITCH COMING SOON: In a New York Times op-ed, Hillary Clinton’s former campaign manager, Robby Mook, compared the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to the Watergate scandal and pushed for reforms to safeguard the country’s democratic institutions.

“I saw it firsthand in July, when I was asked about the first wave … I thought it was a bombshell — Russians hacked into the Democratic National Committee! — but my alarm was dismissed by the news media and our opponents as merely campaign spin.” http://nyti.ms/2jzmcmQ

HAHA, THIS STORY’S PHOTO IS TOO PERFECT: A Russian town wants to name a street for President-elect Donald Trump. The petition already has 300 signatures. http://bit.ly/2iYgKXz

NOTABLE TWEETS:

CNN’s Betsy Klein (Here’s the back story if you haven’t been following it.)
CANNON TUNNEL — 1)Rep Clay hangs winning artwork
2)Rep Hunter removes, returns to Clay
3)Clay threatens police report, about to re-hang art http://bit.ly/2jyYlUy

Don’t forget all the cameras: Here are all the cameras covering the re-hanging: http://bit.ly/2ieApUo

The painting — It’s baaaaaaaack: http://bit.ly/2jqBczl

ON TAP:

The House and Senate are in.

1:30 p.m. EST: First votes in the House.

2:30 p.m. EST: The Senate votes on an amendment to the budget resolution on repealing ObamaCare.

3:55 p.m. EST: President Obama leaves the White House for Chicago to deliver his farewell address.

5 p.m. EST: Last votes in the House.

7 p.m. EST: Robert Raben, Mindy Fletcher Tucker, Kevin Madden and Tim Hagle talk about the first day for Sen. Jeff Sessions’s (R-Ala.) confirmation hearing on the Sidewire app. http://bit.ly/2fx7sC5

2 p.m. EST Wednesday: The Brookings Institution is holding an event on the state of voting rights in America. http://brook.gs/2iXiQJt

WHAT TO WATCH:

9 p.m. EST: President Obama gives his farewell address in Chicago. Live-stream: http://bit.ly/2i5UFcs

11 a.m. EST Wednesday: President-elect Donald Trump gives a news conference in New York.

11:35 p.m. EST Wednesday: First lady Michelle Obama will appear on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. http://bit.ly/2iXYPjX

CONFIRMATION HEARING SCHEDULE:

9:30 a.m. EST today and Wednesday: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general. http://bit.ly/2ivpRxM

3:30 p.m. EST Tuesday: Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly for secretary of Homeland Security. http://bit.ly/2iZxDDC

9:15 a.m. EST Wednesday and Thursday: Rex Tillerson for secretary of State. http://n.pr/2i8QDuX

10:15 a.m. EST Wednesday: Elaine Chao for Transportation secretary. http://bit.ly/2juFV7i

9:30 a.m. EST Thursday: Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for Defense secretary. http://bit.ly/2iUGh3W

10 a.m. EST Thursday: Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) for CIA director. Note: The hearing was pushed back 24 hours. http://bit.ly/2i9NT5l

10 a.m. EST Thursday: Wilbur Ross for Commerce secretary. http://bit.ly/2jkPOQD

10 a.m. EST Thursday: Ben Carson for secretary of Housing and Urban Development. http://bit.ly/2juFMAL

Jan. 17: Betsy DeVos for Education secretary. http://bit.ly/2iZGOnN Note: This was scheduled for Wednesday, but Democrats sought a delay to review her ethics paperwork. http://bit.ly/2j19QmA

Jan. 17: Andy Puzder for Labor secretary.

Jan. 18: Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) for secretary of Health and Human Services.

Jan. 18: Gov. Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) for United Nations ambassador.

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF…:

Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate Day!

BRADY IS THE NEXT BURR: Via The Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones, actor Wayne Brady is joining the Chicago cast of “Hamilton” to play the role of Aaron Burr. http://trib.in/2iY5I4H

ALRIGHT, NOW LET’S GET TO THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF A NEW ADMINISTRATION — PETS! Vice President-elect Mike Pence‘s pets arrived in Washington yesterday, getting off the plane before the VP-elect! He has a rabbit named “Marlon Bundo” and two cats named “Oreo” and “Pickle.” CNN montage of presidential pets: http://cnn.it/2iB4cnV

And because I kept you this long, here’s a cat and a cow that are the best of friends: http://bit.ly/2if0h2l

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