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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | | | DEPARTMENT OF CARTS AND HORSES — This morning we teased the White House comms plan to make August a “Month of Action.” JOE, JILL, KAMALA, DOUG and a host of cabinet officials are planning a daily barrage of events during the congressional recess to promote Biden’s agenda, including while he’s on vacation this month. Some additional details from a White House official: — 14 Cabinet secretaries are fanning out to more than two dozen cities in 13 states and D.C. — Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN is heading to Atlanta to talk “Build Back Better.” — Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG is going to New Jersey, Texas, and Nevada to talk BIF. (Editor's note: Who designed Pete’s itinerary, the vice president? Where are the Midwest swing states?) — Labor Secretary MARTY WALSH and Commerce Secretary GINA RAIMONDO will team up for an event in NYC next Wednesday. We’re always a tad skeptical of this sort of chest-thumping from government flaks, but FWIW the White House is also hyping the fact that the comms team has created “an internal war room” that will “lead this push, coordinate across departments and work closely with Cabinet agencies, Congressional leadership, and outside allies.” Of course, all of this may be putting the cart before the horse. Unless Congress actually acts on the infrastructure deal and reconciliation bill, and unless the White House fixes its messy response to the Delta surge and avoids any near-term economic setbacks, there won’t be much action to promote in the “Month of Action.” MORE FROM THE AP: “Pro-Biden groups to spend $100 million on August ad blitz,” by Jonathan Lemire: “An array of progressive and pro-White House groups plans to spend nearly $100 million to promote President Joe Biden’s agenda over the next month to pressure Congress while lawmakers are on their August recess. … “An outside coalition of progressive organizations launched a war room and is planning to host over 1,000 events and actions over the next six weeks, The Associated Press learned. The goal, officials said, was to bombard the home districts of members of Congress with ads — both televised and digital — to keep the pressure on to follow through on their votes as well as to underscore much of the agenda’s popularity with the public.” Good Monday afternoon. | | A message from Facebook: The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too
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– Reforming Section 230 | | | PANDEMIC THE GLOBAL EFFORT — “Where a Vast Global Vaccination Program Went Wrong,” by NYT’s Benjamin Mueller and Rebecca Robbins: “Known as Covax, the program was supposed to be a global powerhouse, a multibillion-dollar alliance of international health bodies and nonprofits that would ensure through sheer buying power that poor countries received vaccines as quickly as the rich. Instead, Covax has struggled to acquire doses: It stands half a billion short of its goal. Poor countries are dangerously unprotected as the Delta variant runs rampant, just the scenario that Covax was created to prevent. “The urgent need to vaccinate the world goes far beyond protecting people in poor nations. The longer the virus circulates, the more dangerous it can become, even for vaccinated people in wealthy countries. … Even as Covax officials scramble to fill that funding gap, the overriding question is whether the program can move beyond its mistakes, and beyond an imbalance of power that has left it at the mercy of wealthy countries and pharmaceutical companies.” — “Refugees pushed to back of the line amid vaccine shortages,” by AP’s Victoria Milko and Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi RIPPLE EFFECT — “Lack of Foreign Workers Has Seasonal Businesses Scrambling,” by NYT’s Patricia Cohen and Sydney Ember in Salt Lake City: “The Biden administration responded to frantic pleas from small businesses in the spring. It did not renew a pandemic-related suspension of the J-1 program, which provides short-term visas designed for foreign students who come to the United States to work and travel. “Soon after, it raised the quota on temporary visas under the H-2B program for temporary nonagricultural workers, which are issued through a lottery. But travel restrictions, backlogs and delays at foreign consulates in approving applicants have still left businesses from Maine to California in the lurch.” CONGRESS FOR YOUR RADAR — “3 congressional Democrats seemingly violated a federal transparency law by improperly disclosing financial trades,” by Insider’s Dave Levinthal, Warren Rojas and Camila DeChalus: “Three Democratic members of Congress appear to have violated a federal transparency law by disclosing their stock trades weeks or months late. Massachusetts Rep. LORI TRAHAN and Florida Reps. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ and KATHY CASTOR each signaled their tardiness on thousands of dollars worth of financial transactions via their own recently filed congressional records. “In Trahan's case, she sold up to $15,000 in the software company Stella Connect. … Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, purchased up to $15,000 in a telecommunications product company Westell Technologies in October 2020 but didn't disclose the trade until July 27, according to her report submitted to House officials. … Castor's latest congressional records show that she failed to disclose within the prescribed 45 days up to $45,000 worth of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock she acquired last summer.” | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | POLICY CORNER IMMIGRATION FILES — “Government watchdog launches review into troubled Fort Bliss facility for migrant children,” by CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez — “Biden administration sued by ACLU over migrant expulsions,” by Sabrina Rodríguez: “The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday announced it will resume a lawsuit against the Biden administration to force an end to the use of a provision of U.S. health code known as Title 42 to expel migrant families arriving at the border. … The move to go back to court comes after negotiations between the ACLU and the Biden administration fell apart.” HANDLE WITH CARE — “Biden’s child care plan faces a test: Building enough centers, hiring enough workers,” by Eleanor Mueller: “President Joe Biden’s proposal to help millions of more families afford child care must overcome a critical hurdle first: The nation currently lacks enough facilities and workers to staff them. While Biden's plan also includes money for new child care centers and hiring incentives, Democrats acknowledge that many families wouldn't immediately benefit from the infusion of resources. … “At the height of the pandemic, 60 percent of child care programs around the country had closed and one-third of the child care workforce had lost their jobs. More than 1 in 4 child care facilities were still shuttered as of December. A survey released Tuesday by the National Association for the Education of Young Children found that 4 in 5 child care providers said they had a staffing shortage. More than 1 in 3 child care workers said they were considering leaving their job this year, and an equal number of providers said they were considering shutting down their programs.” CENSUS WATCH — “Census Data Change to Protect Privacy Rattles Researchers, Minority Groups,” by WSJ’s Paul Overberg: “A plan to protect the confidentiality of Americans’ responses to the 2020 census by injecting small, calculated distortions into the results is raising concerns that it will erode their usability for research and distribution of state and federal funds. “The Census Bureau is due to release the first major results of the decennial count in mid-August. … The bureau will adjust most of those statistics to prevent someone from recombining them in a way that would disclose information about an individual respondent. Testing by the bureau shows that improvements in data science, computing power and commercial databases make that feasible.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD PULLOUT FALLOUT — “Thousands more Afghans can resettle in U.S. as refugees, says State Dept.,” Reuters: “Thousands more Afghans who may be targets of Taliban violence due to their U.S. affiliations will have the opportunity to resettle as refugees in the United States under a new program announced by the State Department on Monday. … “Those who worked as employees of contractors, locally employed staff and interpreters and translators for the U.S. government or armed forces are eligible for the new designation, as well as Afghans employed by a U.S.-based media organization or non-governmental organization (NGO), the State Department said. The new program for Afghans requires applicants to be referred by a U.S. agency or for the senior-most U.S. citizen employee of an NGO or media organization headquartered in the United States.” LOOKING FOR ANSWERS — “Havana Syndrome stokes fear and frustration among diplomats over response from State Department,” by CNN’s Kylie Atwood, Natasha Bertrand and Katie Bo Williams: “Of particular concern is a lack of information from leadership, including what some say has been a hands-off approach from Secretary of State Tony Blinken who has yet to meet with any of the State Department victims despite saying he would prioritize the incidents. “Fear of the mysterious illness is impacting diplomats’ career decisions, sources say, with some foreign service officers deciding against taking jobs that they worry could make them targets of the unexplained phenomenon that has sickened hundreds of US officials over the past few years. … Diplomats and intelligence sources who spoke to CNN said they want basic information such as the number of people affected and locations of the incidents -- data that the State Department used to release publicly in press briefings about the incidents in Cuba and China.” | | | | Be a Policy Pro. POLITICO Pro has a free policy resource center filled with our best practices on building relationships with state and federal representatives, demonstrating ROI, and influencing policy through digital storytelling. Read our free guides today . | | | | | JAN. 6 FALLOUT BRINGING UP THE PAST — “CIA feud complicates Jan. 6 probe,” by Betsy Woodruff Swan: “ DAVID BUCKLEY is now the top Democratic staffer on the select committee investigating the insurrection. But 11 years ago, he was a CIA inspector general who made clear upon taking office that he wanted a cultural shift: Buckley sought a more aggressive approach to rooting out alleged wrongdoing in the agency, prioritizing probes that could lead to criminal prosecutions over inside-the-family resolutions, according to multiple people familiar with the dynamics there. “The shift Buckley imposed was risky. And a dust-up inside the cloistered spy agency during his tenure there — linked to a case involving $3 million and numerous meals at Hooters — shows what’s at stake when government watchdogs disagree over who counts as a whistleblower. It’s a question Buckley may be called on to judge as part of his role in the Jan. 6 probe, and whistleblower advocates warn that his reputation could deter potential witnesses from coming forward.” POLITICS ROUNDUP THE NEW MARCH ON WASHINGTON — “Dozens of legislators from other states to join Texas lawmakers in D.C. to lobby for voting bills,” by WaPo’s Vanessa Williams: “The lawmakers represent more than 20 states, including some in which Republican-led legislatures have passed or are considering new voting restrictions, and will urge senators to pass the For the People Act, or at least show progress on a federal voting law, before their summer recess. They are scheduled to rally outside the Capitol on Tuesday and press their case during other public events and private meetings.” RECALL ME MAYBE — “What election? California Democrats worry over recall apathy,” by AP’s Kathleen Ronayne and Michael Blood in Sacramento: “California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM has a simple way to beat back the recall election that could force him out of his job: Get Democrats to vote. But it may not be as easy as it sounds. … “Interviews with about 20 voters across Sacramento, Fresno and Los Angeles reveal the challenges Newsom faces just two weeks before ballots start arriving in voters’ mailboxes ahead of the Sept. 14 contest. While a handful of voters had decisive plans to vote for Newsom, many were aware of the recall but hadn’t yet formed an opinion, did not know when the election was scheduled, or were lukewarm on Newsom.” PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION GOING UP — “With uptick in enrollment, Howard University braces for housing shortage,” by WaPo’s Lauren Lumpkin PLAYBOOKERS TRANSITIONS — Sam Jammal is now chief of staff at Mosaic, a solar energy and home improvement financing company. He most recently was VP of regulatory affairs and assistant general counsel at Firefly, and is an Obama Commerce, Michael Bennet and Tony Cárdenas alum. … Erica Elliott Richardson is joining the Investment Company Institute as chief public comms officer. She most recently was a managing director at FTI Consulting. … Sarah Brown is now VP of biogas business development and external affairs at Nacelle Solutions. She previously was executive director of industry relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation. ENGAGED — Katelyn Williams, senior manager of political and external affairs at the Edison Electric Institute and a Cathy McMorris Rodgers alum, and Ryan Dierker, senior policy adviser for Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), got engaged Saturday at her family’s place in Pound Ridge, N.Y. Pic … Another pic WEEKEND WEDDING — Irene Lin, campaign manager for Wisconsin Senate candidate Tom Nelson, and Girma Parris, who teaches political science at Case Western Reserve, had a wedding party at Abigail DC on Saturday. The two met at an “Ideas and Politics” Ph.D. seminar at Johns Hopkins and got married Jan. 20 at the courthouse in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. SPOTTED at the party: Chantale Wong, Jennifer Van Der Heide, Antonia Pogacar, Namrata Mujumdar, Illy Jaffer, Dan Mauer, Diana Hwang, Anh Phan, Nisha Jain and Sirat Attapit. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) (7-0) | | | |   | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
