Playbook PM: Biden celebrates, Cuomo abdicates

From: POLITICO Playbook - Tuesday Aug 10,2021 05:07 pm

Aug 10, 2021

By Ryan Lizza, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun

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BREAKING — New York Gov. ANDREW CUOMO is resigning. Amid a torrent of sexual harassment allegations, Cuomo said he would step down from his office in 14 days, at which time Lt. Gov. KATHY HOCHUL will become the first female governor of the state.

“Given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said at a news conference announcing the decision. “And therefore, that’s what I’ll do.” More from POLITICO’s New York team … And from Bill Mahoney: “The Democrats who could run to replace Cuomo”

THE NEWS CUOMO STEPPED ON — Just before noon today, the Senate passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in a 69-30 vote and immediately moved to a debate on the $3.5 trillion partisan budget resolution. Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine with the behind-the-scenes tick-tock of how we got here

Nineteen Republicans joined all 50 members of the Democratic caucus to support the infrastructure bill, while the budget vote divided the Senate along partisan lines, 50-49.

The abrupt switch from BIF to the budget was augured by the arrival of Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, who made the trip up Pennsylvania Avenue in case she was needed to cast a tie-breaking vote to advance the budget resolution.

Biden and Harris are scheduled to make remarks about the passage of the infrastructure bill at 1:30. The Senate is starting its marathon vote-a-rama.

There were a few notable developments as the infrastructure bill moved from framework to final passage:

— Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL, as expected, voted yes, but most of his leadership team — Sens. JOHN THUNE (R-S.D.), JOHN BARRASSO (R-Wyo.), JOHN CORNYN (R-Tex.), JONI ERNST (R-Iowa), RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) — all voted no. Thune was supportive of the bipartisan process — at one point he said he hoped that it might help torpedo the partisan reconciliation bill — and while he never voted to advance the infrastructure bill, he had repeatedly told reporters that he was open to voting yes on final passage. One other member of Senate GOP leadership who joined McConnell in supporting the bill: ROY BLUNT (R-Mo.), who is retiring.

As WaPo’s Paul Kane noted, the “no” votes from Barrasso, Cornyn and Thune are likely about all three “playing [a] long game to try to succeed McConnell” atop the Senate GOP.

— Former President DONALD TRUMP scared some Republicans who’d previously backed the bill into the “no” column. Sens. MIKE ROUNDS (R-S.D.), TODD YOUNG (R-Ind.), and JERRY MORAN (R-Kan.) all came out against the bill over the last two days. (Rounds made his announcement just before the vote today, but was not in Washington to actually vote.) Moran and Young are both running for reelection next year. More on that from Marianne

— On the other hand, the bill picked up some GOP support from non-members of the original group of 21 senators. ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.), MIKE CRAPO (R-Idaho), JIM RISCH (R-Idaho) and JOHN HOEVEN (R-N.D.) all supported it.

— The bill had universal support on the left, which will make it awkward for progressives to oppose it in the House, as some have threatened to do. If the bill was good enough for BERNIE SANDERS, why wouldn’t it be good enough for AOC?

Good Tuesday afternoon.

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DEBT CEILING CHICKEN

A good point from our colleague Ben White this morning regarding the politics of raising the debt cap:

“Are Dems really that freaked out by raising the debt limit along partisan lines? If so … why? If you are going to spend an absolutely enormous amount of money over the next decade to reshape big parts of the American economy, tucking in a debt limit hike seems like a total afterthought.

“The political calculus on the reconciliation package is [that] Democrats are ready to GO BIG on long-delayed party priorities, no matter the cost. So, can there really be that much fear of midterm attack ads from the right on the … debt limit? I mean maybe.”

There will be a lot of needless drama over this, but at the end of the day, as Ben notes, “the U.S. is not going to default on its debt.”

PANDEMIC

WHERE DELTA IS SURGING — “‘We’re in trouble’: Rural America can’t escape Delta,” by Erin Banco in Evanston, Wyo.: “In Uinta County — twice the size of Rhode Island, but home to only 20,000 people — cases have spiked from six to almost 70 in just a few weeks. While small, the numbers highlight how Delta can permeate even the tiniest, most remote enclaves. … The question now is whether enough people in Uinta and other rural counties across America will get vaccinated before virus spread in their communities becomes uncontrollable, and small local hospitals are overwhelmed.

“Senior Biden health officials have for weeks worried internally about the low vaccine uptake in rural, conservative counties across the country. Federal experts have predicted those communities would experience large increases in Covid-19 cases where access to sufficient health care is limited. … With Delta spreading rapidly nationwide, fears about hard-hit rural areas are becoming realities in many states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama — and now Wyoming.”

ONE-WAY TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS — “Europe Reopened to Americans. Why, It Asks, Hasn’t the U.S. Reciprocated?” by NYT’s Nicholas Casey in Madrid: “That the United States remains largely closed has dismayed Europeans and frustrated their leaders, who are demanding that Europe’s decision to open its borders be reciprocated. … For some European families, the continued ban has compounded one of the deepest sorrows of the pandemic — separation itself — as loved ones become ill across closed borders and family elders grow fearful they may never see their loved ones again.”

WE’VE ALL BEEN THINKING IT — “The Vaccine Cards Are the Wrong Size,” by The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull: “Seriously, why can I not fit this thing in my wallet?”

THE WHITE HOUSE

ADMINISTRATION ANALYSIS — “Biden races to hire senior staff at drained agencies,” by Alex Zhao and Daniel Lippman: “In the first three months of 2021, the Biden administration hired more than twice as many senior government executives than Donald Trump did in the same timeframe, a staffing spree aimed at rebuilding agencies rocked by turmoil during Trump’s war on the so-called ‘deep state.’

“All told, Biden hired at least 319 senior executives in his first three months. The biggest beneficiaries? The Department of Housing and Urban Development tops the list, with Biden increasing senior staffing by 6 percent from Trump’s September 2020 levels. That’s followed by the Social Security Administration and the Treasury Department, with 4 percent and 3 percent bumps respectively.”

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

INFLATION WATCH — “Inflation wiped out America’s pay raises,” by CNN’s Tami Luhby: “Companies big and small are raising wages to attract workers and hold onto employees as the economy revs back into gear. But those fatter paychecks aren't going as far, thanks to rising inflation.

“In fact, compensation is now lower than it was in December 2019, when adjusted for inflation, according to an analysis by JASON FURMAN , an economics professor at Harvard University. The Employment Cost Index — which measures wages and salaries, along with health, retirement and other benefits — fell in the last quarter and is 2% below its pre-pandemic trend, when taking inflation into account.”

POWELL BECOMES PROGRESSIVE PREY — “Progressive Opposition to Jerome Powell Clouds His Chances for Second Term as Fed Chairman,” by WSJ’s Nick Timiraos: “Members of President Biden’s economic team generally support nominating Federal Reserve Chairman JEROME POWELL to a second term, but growing resistance from prominent Democrats including Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (D., Mass.) could lead to his replacement, according to people familiar with the matter. …

“[S]ome progressives are unhappy with his bent toward easing financial regulations that were put in place after the 2008 crisis and think the central bank should have someone more in sync with Democratic politics in charge. … Critics of Mr. Powell, including former Senate Democratic policy aides, have reached out to Ms. Warren, [Sen. SHERROD] BROWN and other influential advocates in recent weeks to press the case that the White House should seek new Fed leadership.”

CONGRESS

MTG GETS A TWITTER TIMEOUT — “Twitter suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene – again – for ‘misleading’ COVID-19 tweet,” by USA Today’s Brett Molina: “In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Twitter said [Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR] GREENE’S account will stay in a read-only mode for one week due to repeated violations of Twitter rules. In a tweet Monday night, Greene said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should not approve vaccines for COVID because they are ‘failing.’ The tweet has been labeled by Twitter as ‘misleading,’ and cannot be replied to, shared or liked.”

POLITICS ROUNDUP

CENSUS WATCH — “All population growth in U.S. driven by minorities, upcoming census data likely to reveal,” by WaPo’s Tara Bahrampour and Ted Mellnik: “For the first time in the history of the country’s census taking, the number of White people in the United States is widely expected to show a decline when the first racial breakdowns from the 2020 Census are reported this week. … The United States is also expected to have passed two other milestones on its way to becoming a majority-minority society in a few decades: For the first time ever, the portion of White people could dip below 60 percent and the under-18 population is likely to be majority non-White. …

“The largest and most steady gains were among Hispanics, who have doubled their population share over the past three decades to almost 20 percent and who are believed to account for half of the nation’s growth since 2010. … Asian people, who made up about 3 percent of the population in 1990, could double that in the 2020 Census, while the Black population’s share is likely to hold steady at around 12.5 percent.”

REDISTRICTING READ — “Republican Congressional-Redistricting Edge Stops at West Virginia’s Borders,” by WSJ’s Joshua Jamerson in Beckley, W.Va.: “West Virginia’s congressional delegation will shrink from three seats—all currently held by the GOP—to two after the 2022 midterm elections because of the once-a-decade reapportionment of House districts required by the Constitution. The state will also lose one vote in the Electoral College beginning in 2024.

“It is the only state where the GOP is guaranteed to lose a seat in the next Congress, though both remaining seats are ultimately favored to be retained by Republicans. … The state is indicative of a broader trend of America’s slowing population growth, and how depopulation can erode communities. West Virginia is the only state to have both more people die than were born and more people move out than move in during the past 10 years, according to 2020 Census estimates. State officials and residents are now bracing for the resulting loss of political power.”

BUCKEYE BATTLE — “Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley officially launches bid for Ohio governor,” by Cincinnati Enquirer’s Jessie Balmert: “[JOHN] CRANLEY, 47, launched a gubernatorial bid Tuesday, setting up a Democratic primary with fellow Gen X mayor and friend NAN WHALEY of Dayton. The battle of the Southwest Ohio mayors is on.”

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MEDIAWATCH

FOR YOUR RADAR — “Dominion Sues Newsmax, One America News Network, Others Over Election Claims,” by WSJ’s Alexa Corse: “Dominion Voting Systems filed suits against Newsmax Media Inc. and Herring Networks Inc.’s One America News Network. Dominion also sued PATRICK BYRNE, the former chief executive of Overstock.com Inc., an online seller of furniture and other goods.

“Dominion accused the two networks of defaming the company and its products by airing false reports that its machines switched votes from President Donald Trump to Mr. Biden. The company also said Mr. Byrne repeatedly and falsely alleged that Dominion rigged vote tallies to steal the 2020 presidential election for Mr. Biden. In each of the three lawsuits, Dominion is seeking more than $1.6 billion in damages, citing lost profit and other costs.”

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

WARNING SHOT — “U.S. vows to isolate Taliban if they take power by force,” by AP’s Kathy Gannon and Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan: “A U.S. peace envoy brought a warning to the Taliban on Tuesday that any government that comes to power through force in Afghanistan won’t be recognized internationally after a series of cities fell to the insurgent group in stunningly quick succession.

“ZALMAY KHALILZAD, the U.S. envoy, traveled to Doha, Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office, to tell the group that there was no point in pursuing victory on the battlefield because a military takeover of the capital of Kabul would guarantee they will be global pariahs. He and others hope to persuade Taliban leaders to return to peace talks with the Afghan government as American and NATO forces finish their pullout from the country.”

AFTERNOON READ — “Deceptions and lies: What really happened in Afghanistan,” excerpted from Craig Whitlock’s forthcoming book, “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War” for WaPo

CLIMATE FILES

HIGH COST — “An inconvenient truth (about weed),” by Natalie Fertig and Gavin Bade: “Marijuana has never been more popular in the U.S. — and its carbon emissions have never posed a bigger threat to the climate. America’s patchwork approach to legalizing weed has helped make cannabis cultivation one of the most energy-intensive crops in the nation.

“And as states increasingly embrace marijuana, a growing source of greenhouse gases is going essentially unnoticed by climate hawks on Capitol Hill. … Despite piecemeal attempts by states and some growers to reduce their power consumption, at least one expert estimates the industry’s footprint already accounts for more than 1 percent of U.S. electricity consumption and continues to rise. Complicating matters further, federal laws also bar the flow of weed over state lines.”

PLAYBOOKERS

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — ROBERT DRAPER, a writer-at-large for the NYT Magazine and a contributor to National Geographic, is writing a book about the challenges currently facing the GOP in the wake of Trump’s presidency and the Jan. 6 insurrection. It’s due in September 2022 from Penguin Press. Draper’s last book was “To Start a War: How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq.”

OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL — “Kasie Hunt Joins CNN as National Affairs Analyst, CNN+ Anchor,” by THR’s Alex Weprin: “Hunt will cover national and breaking news stories for CNN and CNN+ (when it launches in 2022) and also anchor a daily political news show for the streaming service. Hunt, who starts at CNN Sept. 7, is the first new talent hire for CNN+.”

TRANSITIONS — Charlotte McDonough is now an associate at the Oorbeek Memmott Group. She previously was a legislative correspondent for Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.). … Mia Keeys has returned to the office of Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), where she is now COS. She most recently was the inaugural director of health equity and policy for the American Medical Association’s Center for Health Equity. … Jay Lim is now a director of public affairs at UPS. He most recently was in-house counsel for CLO Virtual Fashion.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Kevin Gluba, a VP at Park&K Public Affairs and an Obama Commerce alum, and Katriona Gluba, an occupational therapist with Virginia Sports Medicine Institute, welcomed Josephine Patricia Gluba on July 31.

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