FIRST THINGS FIRST
👋🏾 Hi, hey, hello! Welcome to the new Once Upon a Hill Daily!
Whether you work in Washington or just want to understand it as well as the people who do, my goal is to make this newsletter an essential part of your morning—in the ways many of you have made it part of your evening routine—with high-impact scoops, news and notes from Capitol Hill, and a look at the people and decisions shaping the day ahead. Think of it as catching up with a friend who happens to spend an unreasonable amount of time roaming the Capitol.
And yes, things look a little different around here. Our new orangish-red brand color is bright, warm and full of personality—a reflection of what Once Upon a Hill has always set out to do: make serious political journalism more approachable without making it any less serious. You can read more about the relaunch in last night’s announcement.
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I was glad to learn on Friday that Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital after making significant progress in his recovery since he suffered a stroke on Halloween. Murphy said he will spend several weeks at a rehabilitation center and miss the next several weeks of Senate votes, although he plans to continue working remotely. His doctor said he is expected to make a full recovery.
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The Senate is back for its first vote in 40 days and it’s a major one. Senators will decide this evening whether to advance the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act to a floor debate.