The House GOP frantically tries to defend Trump on impeachment, while Senate Republicans sidestep questions altogether Presented by

A TOTAL SCIF SHOW -- How are Republicans responding to what Democrats have called the most damning revelations in the Ukraine saga? Well, in the Senate, they’re largely sidestepping questions about impeachment ... And in the House, they frantically tried to defend the president by storming a secure facility in the basement of the Capitol, where the closed-door depositions with impeachment witnesses have been taking place. Only members of the three authorized committees are allowed inside (which does include over 45 Republicans.)

The scene: On what was expected to be an otherwise quiet morning in the Capitol, dozens of Republicans who are furious with Democrats’ closed-door impeachment process decided to barge into the Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) and refused to leave, prompting a standoff with Democrats that delayed Laura Cooper’s testimony by five hours. It was quite a scene: the Sergeant at Arms had to be called in to do a sweep after lawmakers violated cell phone use rules, and pizza was even wheeled in at one point. Much more from Andrew and your Huddle host: https://politi.co/31Me9EJ .

FLASHBACK … “Rep. Darrell Issa Escorted Out of Benghazi Panel,” via NBC News in 2015: http://bit.ly/2NbcVh8 .

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks to members of the media with other House Republicans after Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper arrived for a closed door meeting to testify as part of the House impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

The GOP-led stunt at the SCIF comes after Trump urged the GOP to “get tough” and fight for him. And Republicans – who are still more comfortable attacking Democrats on process than defending Trump on substance — were able to successfully change the conversation, at least for a day. But Republicans can’t hide forever: eventually, Democrats will be making these transcripts public and holding public hearings. In fact … Democrats may start opening up their impeachment probe by mid-November, reports the Washington Post. Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian with more: https://wapo.st/33XBmFx .

And across the Capitol ... Republicans have dodged questions on impeachment by citing their role as possible jurors in an impeachment trial, saying they shouldn't make any forgone conclusions. “It’s important not to prejudge until we have the entire picture,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). And Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee echoed a similar sentiment, saying jurors shouldn’t be “running around announcing their decision" until they’ve heard the arguments. "That’s what we will be if the House impeaches the president, we’ll be jurors. And we should act like jurors,” he said. Marianne and Burgess with the story: https://politi.co/360YODD .

Related reads: “Trump allies rush to plug White House hole on impeachment,” by Nancy Cook: https://politi.co/2N5jge2 ; and “Top Republicans demand Democrats call whistleblower to testify publicly," via Arden Farhi, Stefan Becket and Kathryn Watson of CBS News: https://cbsn.ws/2odnF6l

A message from Chevron: To reduce the carbon intensity of our operations, we’ve spent over $1 billion building one of the world’s largest integrated carbon capture and storage facilities, capable of capturing up to 4 million tons a year. Learn more.

DEPOSITIONS ON DECK -- Two more depositions with impeachment witnesses have been scheduled for next week: Former Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Charles Kupperman is expected to appear in a closed-door session on Monday, while Timothy Morrison, Trump's Russia adviser at the National Security Council, is expected to sit for a deposition on Thursday.

Morrison, as you’ll recall, was cited repeatedly by Bill Taylor in his opening statement and would be the first current White House official to testify. And Kupperman was a deputy to former national security adviser John Bolton and likely has further insight into what was going on inside the NSC. Meanwhile, don’t miss Kyle and Andrew’s dispatch from Laura Cooper’s deposition yesterday: https://politi.co/32KAbsV .

Related: “Sondland seeks to align himself with Taylor after bombshell testimony,” by Kyle and David M. Herszenhorn: https://politi.co/2N8Yuu1 ; and “Former Pete Sessions staffer to comply with subpoena in federal probe investigating Giuliani, associates,” by The Hill’s Olivia Beavers: http://bit.ly/33VHSg7 .

FUN READ … “The Woman In The Blue Dress In This Incredible Photo Actually Works For One Of Trump’s Biggest Supporters,” from BuzzFeed: http://bit.ly/2pa4XwS .

GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, October 24, where your host is wondering why some kid decided to dress up as Steven Mnuchin for Halloween...

WEDNESDAY’S MOST CLICKED: Bres and Heather’s report on Rep. Katie Hill denying a relationship with a staffer was the big winner.

IT’S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE -- The body of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) will lie in state in the Capitol today, followed by a funeral Friday in Baltimore where Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Nancy Pelosi will all speak. Sarah and Bres have a preview of today: "Congress on Thursday will bid goodbye to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the son of sharecroppers who rose to become one of the Democratic Party's most influential figures at a tumultuous time in American politics.

“The late Oversight Committee chairman — who represented his majority-black Baltimore district in the House for two decades — will become the first African American lawmaker to lie in state in the Capitol, an honor bestowed to only a few dozen statesmen, presidents and military leaders throughout U.S. history.

"Thousands of visitors are expected to stream through the Capitol on Thursday to pay their final respects to Cummings, who died Oct. 17 at age 68. Earlier in the day, Cumming's casket will lie in state about 75 feet away from a statute of another civil rights icon, Rosa Parks, and just steps away from the bust of the former Confederate president Jefferson Davis — a reminder of Washington's troubled history on race relations, which Cummings himself battled throughout his life." The dispatch: https://politi.co/2BCDoik .

Related: “Cummings lies in repose at Morgan; visitors pay respects,” via WBAL: http://bit.ly/2JimIks .

SO MUCH FOR SANCTIONS -- Trump instructed the Treasury Department to lift the sanctions it imposed on Turkey last week in exchange for a permanent “cease-fire” agreement. But Democrats and defense hawks are pushing back, worried about whether Turkey will abide by its end of the bargain and fearful that the Trump administration is essentially giving a stamp of approval to Turkey’s bloody invasion of northern Syria, where there may have been war crimes, according to Trump’s own Defense Secretary.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are still pushing for sanctions, and want the U.S. to send a message that it won’t accept attacks on their allies. “"I think that it's a grave mistake to put our security in the hands of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Syrian President Bashar] Assad and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan,” Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) told The Hill. “I think our retreat from northern Syria clearly enables the rise of ISIS, and ISIS is a direct threat to the homeland. And I think Turkey ought to face consequences, including through sanctions, for invading Syria.” Juliegrace Brufke with more: http://bit.ly/2pRZVow .

Related: “Trump tries to claim a ‘great outcome’ in Syria,” from Quint Forgey: https://politi.co/31Ir3DV .

DRAMA ON THE HILL -- The House Ethics Committee has opened up an investigation into allegations that freshman Rep. Katie Hill had an improper sexual relationship with a congressional staffer, which would be a violation of House rules. The California Democrat, who serves as freshman representative in leadership and as vice chair of the Oversight Committee, denied the allegations in a statement to POLITICO on Tuesday, and blamed the controversy on an "abusive husband" whom she is in the midst of divorcing.

But in a letter to supporters yesterday, Hill admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a female campaign staffer prior to being elected to office. "During the final tumultuous years of my abusive marriage, I became involved in a relationship with someone on my campaign," Hill, 32, said in her letter. "I know that even a consensual relationship with a subordinate is inappropriate, but I still allowed it to happen despite my better judgment. For that I apologize. I wish nothing but the best for her and hope everyone respects her privacy in this difficult time." Bres with the story: https://politi.co/2NdVDjo .

WALKING AND CHEWING GUM -- The House passed an election security bill that has been a top priority for some of the Democrats’ most vulnerable members. The legislation would require campaigns to report illicit offers of campaign assistance from foreign governments and restrict campaign-related communication between candidates and foreign governments. But the legislation — touted during this summer's Mueller mania as a way to respond to Russian intrusions in the 2016 election — has been eclipsed by the impeachment inquiry involving an entirely new election scandal in Trump’s White House. Sarah with the story: https://politi.co/2Nm2IyL .

Related: “Ocasio-Cortez challenges Zuckerberg over ads that lie,” from The New York Post: http://bit.ly/2N6IVD6 ; and “McConnell slams election-security bill as 'transparent attack on the First Amendment,'” by Andrew Blake of the Washington Times: http://bit.ly/32Mugn6 .

TRANSITIONS

Anang Mittal has left Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) office as creative director to serve as strategic partner manager, civics at YouTube.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House is out. The Senate meets at 10 a.m.

AROUND THE HILL

The formal arrival ceremony of the casket of the late Representative Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), with a performance by the Morgan State University Choir and a wreath-laying by the top bipartisan, bicameral congressional leadership, begins at 11 a.m. in Statuary Hall.

TRIVIA

WEDNESDAY’S WINNER: Curtis Walter was the first person to correctly guess that Thomas Jefferson was the first president to have a VEEP who was older than him.

TODAY’S QUESTION: From Curtis: Which state did the then four-term congressman that led the 1910 “revolt” against Speaker of the House Joe Cannon represent? First person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: [email protected]

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.

A message from Chevron: It’s only human to protect the world we all live in. Through our $100 million Future Energy Fund, we’re investing in startup companies working to capture carbon. Learn more.

Follow us on Twitter Melanie Zanona @MZanona