|
Presented by Google: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | Presented by |  | | | BREAKING: The JAMAL KHASHOGGI report is out. The summary: “We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.” Subsequent new policy from the administration is expected later. POLITICO breaks it down ... More from CBS WHERE DO DEMS GO FROM HERE ON THE MINIMUM WAGE? National Economic Council Director BRIAN DEESE said on “Morning Joe” this morning that President JOE BIDEN “believes in the $15 minimum wage, he’s committed to getting it done.” Deese said the White House would be talking to congressional leadership today to figure out next steps, though overruling the parliamentarian is out. — ALL EYES ON MANCHIN/SINEMA … @burgessev: “Schumer is considering adding language to Dems’ covid bill that would penalize big companies that don’t pay workers at least $15 an hour, per senior Democratic aide. Similar concept to what Bernie proposed last night after minimum wage was tossed from reconciliation.” Senate Finance Chair RON WYDEN’S (D-Ore.) office released his proposed Plan B this morning: Wyden wants to slap a 5% penalty on corporations’ payrolls if their workers earn less than a certain threshold. “At the same time, I want to incentivize the smallest of small businesses—those with middle-class owners—to raise their workers’ wages. My plan would provide an income tax credit equal to 25 percent of wages, up to $10,000 per year per employer, to small businesses that pay their workers higher wages,” Wyden said in a statement. HAPPENING TONIGHT — “House set to pass Biden’s $1.9T pandemic relief package,” by Caitlin Emma and Sarah Ferris SOUNDING THE ALARM — We’re likely to get a third vaccine approved later today, but CDC Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY said at the Covid-19 briefing this morning that the recent case number declines turning into plateaus/slight increases over the past few days constitute a “very concerning shift” at “still a very high number.” She said we may be starting to see the impact of more transmissible variants, and states/localities should not be lifting restrictions. — MORE FROM THE BRIEFING … The administration announced it will partner with business leaders like the Chamber of Commerce for a call to action, asking businesses to require masks/social distancing, make plans/incentivize employees to get vaccinated and amplify CDC messaging about safety measures. Many big companies will help out with mask distribution, transport to vaccine sites and more. ANDY SLAVITT also announced two new federal vaccine sites in North Carolina and Illinois. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — MUST WATCH! Intelligence Squared U.S., a nonpartisan debate series, is posting an Oxford-style debate today on the future of the GOP. Over the course of more than an hour, JEFF FLAKE and CARLOS CURBELO argue that the party has lost its way; BEN DOMENECH and KIMBERLEY STRASSEL argue it hasn’t. And spoiler alert: Domenech and Strassel win. They manage to convince 5% of viewers in the private audience who initially believed the GOP has lost its way to change their minds, compared to 3% who change their minds in favor of Flake and Curbelo. The full debate | | A message from Google: Google helps Black-owned businesses get found online. In the past year, U.S. searches for “black owned businesses” have increased 600%. To make it easier for these businesses to be found by customers, owners can add the new Black-owned business attribute to their Business Profile on Google. Learn more. | | | A RISING REPUBLICAN — It’s no coincidence that when House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY takes the stage Saturday at CPAC, he’ll be joined by Rep. JIM BANKS (R-Ind.). Keep an eye on Banks, the Republican Study Committee chair, in the coming months. As the leader of the House’s largest conservative coalition, Banks is flexing right now behind the scenes and in front of the camera. He’s been inviting 2024 hopefuls to speak to his group, including MIKE POMPEO, NIKKI HALEY and Sens. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) and TOM COTTON (R-Ark.). He and his members sat down with former VP MIKE PENCE last week as well. Earlier this week, the left-leaning group Media Matters noted that Fox News was using talking points from a memo Banks drafted attacking Biden’s Covid relief plan. (Banks recently hosted Fox host TUCKER CARLSON to speak to his group, too.) Sources tell us McCarthy is looking to lean on Banks to help get out the House GOP’s message — particularly now that Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.), its official head of messaging, has become a Trump critic. That move creates an opening for Banks to play a larger role within a conference that still very much considers its fate intertwined with the former president. (Banks tweeted out his unequivocal support of Trump this week and told us in a statement he wants the RSC to fill a “void” in the House GOP messaging apparatus.) Another thing to watch: We asked Banks’ office if he’s considering a run for conference chair, which we’ve been hearing rumblings about. They wouldn’t rule it out. The Examiner has a new story up on Banks. MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GOP IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM … ‘THE GOP NEEDS TO ATTRACT THE BROWNS’ — Huddle’s OLIVIA BEAVERS got the inside scoop on Rep. MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR’S (R-Fla.) exchange with STEPHEN MILLER this week. Salazar is the daughter of Cuban exiles and flipped a Democratic district in Florida because of her deep ties to the Hispanic community there. Now she’s bringing her unique perspective to an increasingly white GOP. Olivia writes: “Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) has a message for her party: ‘I am a brown girl from the ’hood, who is a Republican, who is coming to tell my party that it’s time to wake up and smell the votes.’ … ‘I told him that the GOP needs to attract the browns,’ said Salazar, a Cuban American. ‘We, for the last 30 years since Ronald Reagan, have not sent the right message to the browns … It’s time for us to do the same thing that Reagan did.’ … “Salazar’s focus, she said, is on the undocumented immigrants who have been living in the U.S. for more than five years, have American children and have been paying taxes. ‘That’s what I’m concentrating on. We got to give them dignity — and I’m talking about legality. I am not talking about citizenship right now.’ … As for Biden’s bill: ‘My concern is that this immigration bill that was presented by the Biden administration may never become law, and then once again the browns will be left hanging. And that is what we need to avoid.’” GOP DECRIES ‘PET PROJECT’ SPENDING IN COVID BILL — INCLUDING FOR STEFANIK? Congressional Republicans over the past few days have been lambasting Biden’s rather popular $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill for devoting a chunk of money to infrastructure projects. One problem: Funding set for New York is actually going to a district repped by rising GOP star, Rep. ELISE STEFANIK. Republicans have been decrying the $1.5 million for the Seaway International Bridge linking New York and Canada as “pork” for Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, though it was requested under the Trump administration last year. We reached out to Stefanik, a key messenger for the party these days, to get her take on this a few times this week. We didn’t get a reply. But sources tell us privately, back home she’s telling her voters she actually supports this money and it’s good for the district. Quick, someone tell GOP leaders! | | | | NEW - “THE RECAST” NEWSLETTER: Power dynamics are changing. “Influence” is changing. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. “The Recast” is our new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. And POLITICO is recasting how we report on this crucial intersection, bringing you fresh insights, scoops, dispatches from across the country and new voices that challenge “business as usual.” Don’t miss out on this important new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | MEANWHILE, AT CPAC — “CPAC hosts booed for asking attendees to wear masks,” by Quint Forgey CRUZ TAKES THE STAGE … WSJ’S JOSH JAMERSON (@joshjame): “Ted Cruz at CPAC: ‘Orlando is awesome. It’s not as nice as Cancun — but it is nice!’” Clip — NBC: “Ted Cruz mocks mask rules, AOC’s Capitol riot response in CPAC speech” — VICE’S ELIZABETH LANDERS (@ElizLanders): “.@tedcruz to the CPAC crowd on the fencing around the Capitol complex where he works: ‘Let’s be clear, this is not about security at this point. This is about political theater.’” — NYT’S @elainaplott: “Ted Cruz wraps with a guttural, growl-like yell: ‘In the immortal words of William Wallace: FREEDOM!!!’” Clip … Live updates, via the Orlando Sentinel THE WORLD’S GREATEST DELIBERATIVE PRANKSTER — “Cruz received a special ‘welcome back’ message in Senate gym,” NBC: “When senators arrived at the Senate gym on Wednesday morning, they found that one of them had taped memes on the lockers welcoming Cruz home and showing him in the short-sleeve polo shirt, jeans and Texas-flag mask that he had at the airport, according to two people familiar with the prank. ‘Bienvenido de Nuevo, Ted!’ was the ‘welcome back’ message typed at the top of the color printouts … “The rendering featured a manipulated photo of Cruz from his well-documented trip to Mexico, dragging his luggage across an arctic landscape while holding a tropical cocktail garnished with a slice of fruit in his other hand. He is shown walking toward an image of a masked Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. with his arms crossed and wearing striped, knitted gloves — a pose famously captured during January’s inauguration. … The Senate gym is only used by current and former senators.” — Please email us if this was you! NEW — “Biden administration preparing another tent facility to cope with border influx,” WaPo HAPPENING NEXT WEEK — VP KAMALA HARRIS will be the keynote speaker at this year’s virtual CityLab summit, which will take place Monday through Wednesday. Also on the docket as keynote speakers: MIKE BLOOMBERG and Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG. ABOUT LAST NIGHT — “With Strikes in Syria, Biden Confronts Iran’s Militant Network,” NYT: “On Thursday, the world got its first glimpse of how Mr. Biden is likely to approach one of the greatest security concerns of American partners in the region: the network of militias that are backed by Iran … A Kataib Hezbollah official said that one of his group’s fighters had been killed in the airstrikes. But Iranian state television and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a conflict monitor based in Britain, reported that 17 fighters had been killed … “While the exact death toll remained unclear, Mr. Biden appears to have calibrated the strikes, hoping they would cause enough damage to show that the United States would not allow rocket attacks like that on the Erbil airport in northern Iraq on Feb. 15, but not so much as to risk setting off a wider conflagration.” — “Biden ordered airstrike after determining Iran supported rocket attacks,” by Lara Seligman: “President Joe Biden’s decision to order a U.S. airstrike on a border crossing used by Iran-backed militia groups in eastern Syria on Thursday came after U.S. officials determined Tehran facilitated a series of recent attacks endangering Americans in Iraq, according to defense officials.” — @NatashaBertrand: “ New: NSC says DOD briefed Congressional leadership before strikes in Syria last night, and the administration has been briefing the Hill at the member and staff level today. ‘There will be a full classified briefing early next week, and sooner if Congress wants it.’” — @barbarastarrcnn: “#SyriaStrikes The original target list would have had @CENTCOM strike two targets last night but there were last minute concerns/indications civilians could be nearby so the target was scrapped and only one overall site struck: US official.” — REUTERS’ @jeffmason1: “.@PressSec tells reporters on Air Force One the strikes in Syria were proportionate, declines to set a ‘red line’ for @POTUS on Syria.” … AP’S @ZekeJMiller: “On AF1, @PressSec doesn’t say Biden believes Assad must go: ‘he believes that there needs to be a diplomatic solution, a political path forward.’” — THE PUSHBACK: “Democrats renew push for war powers overhaul after Biden’s Syria strike,” by Connor O’Brien: “The Biden administration is taking heat from fellow Democrats as lawmakers pressure the White House to provide a legal justification for an airstrike launched Thursday against Iran-backed militia groups in Syria. “The White House is pledging to provide a classified briefing early next week and argued the airstrike was consistent with Biden’s constitutional authority to defend the U.S. But the attack has given new ammunition to lawmakers who want to roll back broad presidential war powers authorized two decades ago. Two Senate war powers critics — Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia and Chris Murphy of Connecticut — argued Friday that lawmakers need to know why President Joe Biden ordered the attack without first consulting them.” | | | | OUR NEW YORK PLAYBOOK IS EXPANDING TO 2X DAILY: Our Empire State must-read, New York Playbook, is expanding at the height of the legislative session and the New York City mayoral race. Now you can get all of the news you need to know from the Capitol in Albany to New York City Hall and everything in between twice per day in New York Playbook AM and our new New York Playbook PM edition. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | | ICYMI — “Federal judge rules eviction moratorium is unconstitutional,” CNN: “US District Judge John Barker, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump to the court in the Eastern District of Texas, stopped short of issuing a preliminary injunction, but said he expected the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respect his ruling and withdraw the moratorium.” COMING UP: SPECIAL ELECTIONS! — “How the left plans to shrink the Democratic establishment,” by Holly Otterbein: “Washington hasn’t paid much attention to the handful of upcoming special elections in deep-blue House districts. … But progressives are keeping close tabs. And they are aggressively contesting the races in an effort to stop establishment-oriented Democrats from claiming the offices. … “The most high-profile race is taking place in Ohio, where [Bernie] Sanders’ former campaign co-chair Nina Turner faces Cuyahoga County Democratic Party leader Shontel Brown. … Turner is seen as the left’s best shot to win one of the three seats. … [T]raditional Democrats such as Brown told POLITICO that their own victories would demonstrate support for Biden’s agenda and his first days in office.” Plus details on the Louisiana 2nd and New Mexico 1st KNOWING JANELLE JONES — “Biden’s 36-Year-Old Economist Has Her Eye on an Equal Recovery,” Bloomberg: “The first Black woman [to be Labor Department chief economist], Jones is the economist for America’s workers at a time when 10 million are jobless and entire industries are hollowed out by the pandemic recession. Raised in Ohio’s Rust Belt, graduating from college amid the 2008 financial crisis and now in Washington’s circle of power, she has intimate knowledge of the U.S. economy’s complex strata. … “For more than a decade in government and research organizations, Jones has focused on finding out why Black people were falling behind in the labor market. She coined the phrase ‘Black Women Best’ to drive home the idea that if policies are crafted to help this historically disadvantaged group, they would help all workers.” THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION — “Millions of low-income Americans to get up to $50 subsidies for their monthly Internet bills under newly finalized U.S. program,” WaPo BUT DID THEY INHALE? — “Past marijuana use won’t automatically disqualify Biden White House staff,” NBC: “The Biden administration is issuing new guidelines Friday meant to address an unexpected hurdle it faced as it aimed to quickly fill key White House positions: recreational marijuana use. … “After what one official described as ‘intensive consultation with security officials’ and the Personnel Security Division, the White House will now, on a case-by-case basis, waive a requirement that potential appointees in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) be eligible for a ‘Top Secret’ clearance. Officials said a waiver would only be granted to those who have used marijuana on a ‘limited’ basis and who are in positions that don’t ultimately require a security clearance.” HEADLINES FROM 2017 — “‘Repeal and replace’ is dead. Republicans can’t figure out what comes next,” by Joanne Kenen: “GOP lawmakers rarely mention Obamacare, and a GOP-backed challenge to the law at the Supreme Court doesn’t appear to be a major threat. Republican attacks on Democrats pursuing a ‘government takeover’ of health care through a single-payer system don’t quite sizzle when President Joe Biden has made clear he wants nothing to do with it. And long-favored Republican designs on shrinking the health care safety net [aren’t] great policy or politics in the middle of a pandemic and economic crisis. “Which leaves a big fat question mark about what vision of health care Republicans will offer to voters as the country emerges from the pandemic, after a decade in which implacable opposition to the Affordable Care Act was part of the GOP’s core identity.” | | | | A message from Google:   Grow with Google has partnered with the U.S. Black Chambers to provide free digital training for Black-owned businesses nationwide. Learn more. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
