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Presented by the Freedom to Vote Alliance: The unofficial guide to official Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | INFLATION WATCH — The Consumer Price Index for December 2021 will be released at 8:30 a.m. November’s CPI came in at 6.8% for the previous 12 months, the biggest one-year increase since 1982. Most economists are predicting another increase today. But any sign that inflation has peaked and is now easing will be cheered, especially by President JOE BIDEN and congressional Democrats. NEW POLLING ON ELECTION REFORM — We have fresh numbers, via the latest POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, on how the public views the major voting rights and electoral reform proposals being considered in Congress. Crosstabs … Toplines Let’s start with the most interesting takeaway: the first data we’ve seen about reforming the Electoral Count Act, the 19th-century law that DONALD TRUMP tried to use to subvert the Electoral College on Jan. 6. 2021. Fifty-five percent of voters support ECA reform. Here’s the breakdown by party affiliation: | 
| However, electoral reform in general is not a top issue of concern for the public right now. We asked voters which of three voting reform ideas should be “the top priority” for Congress to pass: reforming Congress’ role in counting Electoral College votes, expanding voting access in federal elections or expanding oversight of states’ changes to voting practices. “None of the above” (32%) beat out all of them. This isn’t surprising. Political reform can be arcane and difficult to follow, and it is rarely as important to voters as bread-and-butter issues like the economy, national security and education. But when the core change being considered to the ECA is explained, you get a clearer picture of support. We asked: “As you may know, the Electoral Count Act of 1887 does not clarify whether or not the vice president’s role in certifying U.S. presidential election results is ceremonial, or if they have the power to reject state-certified electoral votes. Do you think the Electoral Count Act should be changed to clarify that the vice president cannot reject state-certified electoral votes in U.S. presidential elections?” There’s still a quarter of voters who don’t know what the heck we’re talking about, but the overwhelming majority of voters with an opinion favor reform: — “Yes, definitely”: 31%
— “Yes, probably”: 24%
— “No, probably not”: 10%
— “No, definitely not”: 10%
— “Don’t know / No opinion”: 25% What about the Democrats’ Freedom to Vote Act, which will be brought up this week in the Senate? Many of its core provisions receive majority support: — Expanding access to early voting: 65% support, 23% oppose
— Prohibiting partisan gerrymandering: 64% support, 19% oppose
— Making it illegal to prevent someone from registering to vote: 62% support, 24% oppose
— Making Election Day a federal holiday: 61% support, 26% oppose
— Expanding same-day voter registration: 56% support, 30% oppose
— Expanding access to voting by mail: 55% support, 35% oppose
— Allowing Americans with prior criminal convictions to vote: 54% support, 32% oppose
— Expanding automatic voter registration: 51% support, 33% oppose Finally — and these numbers are more surprising — our poll found an even split when voters were asked whether the Senate should require a majority or a supermajority to pass legislation: We asked: As you may know, the Senate has 100 members representing the 50 states. Which of the following comes closest to your opinion, even if neither is exactly right? — Bills in the Senate should be required to have at least 51/100 votes to pass: 40%
— Bills in the Senate should be required to have at least 60/100 votes to pass: 41%
— Don’t know/ No opinion: 19% | | | | A message from the Freedom to Vote Alliance: A strong economy depends on a strong democracy. But the cornerstone of our democratic system – the freedom to vote – is under attack. States nationwide are making it harder to cast ballots and easier for partisan officials to overturn election results.
For businesses to prosper, our basic rights must be protected. The Freedom to Vote Alliance is calling on the Senate to reform its rules and give voting rights legislation a straight up or down vote. | | | ECA REFORM UPDATE — Since we reported last week that ECA reform was likely to emerge as a top issue this month, proposals have sprouted all over Capitol Hill. There are at least four different versions of reform being considered: — A bipartisan group, which includes Sens. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) and JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.), is looking at ECA reform and several other proposals to prevent election subversion. Some news: Staff for the senators involved in the effort met Tuesday. According to a Senate GOP aide, they are taking a close look at reauthorizing the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) , which was created in response to the problems uncovered in the 2000 presidential election to improve voting systems and assist states with election administration. (Yes, that’s right, to make this all as confusing as possible this gang is working on both ECA reform and EAC.) — WaPo’s Greg Sargent reported Tuesday that Sen. ANGUS KING (I-Maine) is leading an ECA reform effort and is close to having a finished bill. — Members of the Jan. 6 select committee are also working on an ECA reform bill. — Finally, Sophia Cai reports for Axios that the House Administration Committee will soon release its own ECA proposal. The big question: When will the White House and Democratic leadership start engaging on these efforts? “Dems may be squandering an opportunity to work on bipartisan anti-election subversion legislation,” said RICK HASEN, one of the leading reform advocates in the country. Good Wednesday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. ABOUT THAT SENATE LUNCH — As we reported Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER brought in STEVEN LEVITSKY and DANIEL ZIBLATT, authors of “How Democracies Die,” to brief Senate Democrats during their virtual lunch. We got a readout of the discussion, and here’s some of what the two professors said: — “The threats to democracy today differ from those of the past. Democracies used to die at the hands of men with guns. Today they die at the hands of men and women in suits — elected politicians who use the very institutions of democracy to subvert it.” — “When one defends [the] filibuster as it is today, one is NOT preserving an old practice. The old institution of the filibuster is dead. One is defending a NEW post 1990s practice, an instrument of gridlock. So, the historical record is clear: the filibuster CAN induce bipartisanship. But only in a context where polarization is low. In a context of high polarization, the filibuster becomes a tool of obstructionism and constitutional hardball.” This take on the filibuster from Levitsky and Ziblatt is notable because in their book they actually warned of what someone like Trump could do if the Senate got rid of the legislative filibuster. But not unlike several Democratic senators, as well as Biden, they changed their minds, and in 2020 they started advocating for filibuster reform. — Their conclusion: “The balance of the evidence is that the risks of not acting in response to the immediate threats facing our democracy far outweigh any potential risks of altering the filibuster’s status quo.” | | | | A message from the Freedom to Vote Alliance:   | | | BIDEN’S WEDNESDAY: — 10:20 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief. — 12:45 p.m.: Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN will attend the funeral of Gen. RAYMOND ODIERNO at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia, where the president will deliver remarks. VP KAMALA HARRIS’ WEDNESDAY — The VP and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will attend a congressional tribute ceremony for former Senate Majority Leader HARRY REID at 11 a.m. as he lies in state at the Capitol. The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 11 a.m. Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 3 p.m. The SENATE is in. The Foreign Relations Committee will hold a markup at 9 a.m. to vote on nominations including AMY GUTMANN as ambassador to Germany, and a hearing at 9:30 a.m. on nominations including ERIC GARCETTI as ambassador to India. The HELP Committee will hold a markup at 10 a.m. to vote on nominations including ROBERT CALIFF as FDA commissioner. The HOUSE is in. | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY | 
President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris leave the stage together after delivering their voting rights speeches in Atlanta on Tuesday. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | THE WHITE HOUSE BIDEN’S BIG VOTING RIGHTS SPEECH — After days of buildup, Biden and Harris went to Georgia to issue a full-throated call for voting rights legislation — and for changing Senate rules to make it happen. But, not unexpectedly, the effort did not appear to move the needle in Washington. “It is far from clear that Mr. Biden’s words will succeed in convincing the most prominent opponent of a rule change among Senate Democrats — Joe Manchin III of West Virginia — to help break the Republican logjam on voting rights legislation. On Tuesday, Mr. Manchin said again that he opposed ‘getting rid’ of the filibuster, which allows the minority party to block legislation that fails to garner 60 votes,” NYT’s Michael Shear writes. “Some of Mr. Biden’s closest allies said they remained deeply frustrated by the president’s willingness to lead from behind on the issue of voting rights. “‘We had hoped he would have used his bully pulpit a long time ago for voting rights and we wouldn’t be at this critical junction,’ said HELEN BUTLER, a Black Democrat who was removed from a local election board in Morgan County, Ga., after a state law gave Republicans more power over such appointments.” — Laura Barrón-López and Maya King spoke with a dozen civil rights leaders, students, local organizers and politicians and found similar frustration. One activist, LATOSHA BROWN, said a year after turning out voters to help Biden win Georgia, “she and other Black voters are worse off when it comes to their ability to vote” and “voting rights still does not seem like a priority for the administration.” Said Brown: “What am I supposed to go back and tell people? … How do I convince them to turn out again?” THE GOP RESPONSE — Sen. MITT ROMNEY took umbrage at parts of Biden’s speech. In particular, the Utah senator, who opposes the voting rights legislation, criticized a passage in which Biden described voting rights restrictions passed by Republican-led legislatures as wanting to “turn the will of the voters into a mere suggestion.” “President Biden goes down the same tragic road taken by President Trump, casting doubt on the reliability of American elections,” Romney said from the Senate floor . “This is a sad, sad day. I expected more of President Biden, who came into office with the stated goal of bringing the country together." CONGRESS REMEMBERING REID — As Reid is set to lie in state today in the Rotunda, NYT’s Carl Hulse dives into his legacy. Reid, he writes, “was combative but also compassionate. He could pound an adversary but, in recognition that someone’s vote would be needed in the future, he left room for working together again. He knew how to cajole and bargain to win votes, but he could be ruthless as well,” a rare attribute in today’s political climate. “Mr. Reid was able to maintain friendships across the aisle despite occasional rifts. He was willing to mend fences with the equally fiery [Sen. JOHN] MCCAIN, for instance, after several clashes. … Even when he returned to Nevada full time after not running for re-election in 2016, and long after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Mr. Reid continued to play power politics until the end.” SUCCESSION PLANS — Burgess Everett has a (very early) look at the battle of the Johns — the three Senate Republicans who will be in the running to replace MITCH MCCONNELL atop the conference when the minority leader steps aside at some point. While JOHN THUNE (S.D.) has in some ways the clearest path to the top, JOHN CORNYN (Texas) and JOHN BARRASSO (Wyo.) are also in the mix. “Some senators think McConnell’s set to stay around as leader until the end of his Senate career, regardless of Trump’s relentless attacks on him and calls for new leadership.” | | | | A message from the Freedom to Vote Alliance:   | | | ALL POLITICS BREAKING THIS MORNING — The NRSC is raking in the cash, hauling in $104.8 million last year after raising $28.6 million in the final quarter. The overall total, the committee announced at 6 a.m. this morning, is an “off-year record for both the NRSC and DSCC.” “This NRSC team has smashed fundraising records all cycle, and we have Chuck Schumer and the radical Senate Democrats to thank,” NRSC Chair RICK SCOTT (Fla.) boasts in the press release. NO WAY, NO HOW? — In a WSJ op-ed, Doug Schoen and Andrew Stein conjure the unthinkable: a HILLARY CLINTON comeback in 2024. A “perfect storm” in Democratic politics — “doubts over [Biden’s] capacity to run for re-election at 82, Vice President Kamala Harris’ unpopularity” and a weak crop of alternatives — could open the door to a third presidential bid for Clinton (who's now 74), the pair writes. Clinton “is already in an advantageous position to become the 2024 Democratic nominee. She is an experienced national figure who is younger than Mr. Biden and can offer a different approach from the disorganized and unpopular one the party is currently taking. “If Democrats lose control of Congress in 2022, Mrs. Clinton can use the party’s loss as a basis to run for president again, enabling her to claim the title of ‘change candidate.’” — Sam Stein points out that in 2011, Schoen wrote that BARACK OBAMA shouldn’t seek reelection — and Hillary Clinton should step in to run instead. FRIEDMAN TO SCHOEN: HOLD MY BEER — Over at the NYT, meanwhile, Tom Friedman shows he has an equally fertile imagination, channeling AARON SORKIN. “Is that what America needs in 2024 — a ticket of Joe Biden and LIZ CHENEY ? Or Joe Biden and LISA MURKOWSKI, or Kamala Harris and Mitt Romney, or STACEY ABRAMS and Liz Cheney, or AMY KLOBUCHAR and Liz Cheney? Or any other such combination. Before you leap into the comments section, hear me out.” JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH SUBPOENAS ON SUBPOENAS — The House Jan. 6 committee subpoenaed a pair of advisers to DONALD TRUMP JR. — ANDREW SURABIAN and ARTHUR SCHWARTZ — as well as ROSS WORTHINGTON, who helped draft the president’s speech the day of the riot. The former president’s son “has been the source of recent revelations from the committee for pleading with his father amid the violence on Jan. 6 to issue a public denouncement of the rioters,” Kyle Cheney, Nicholas Wu and Betsy Woodruff Swan report. The subpoenas ask the men to submit documents by Jan. 24 and appear for depositions between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2. — And at a hearing Tuesday, “Democratic senators grilled top Justice Department and FBI officials for declining, so far, to declare Jan. 6 rioters’ crimes as ‘domestic terrorism’ as judges sentence those involved for their crimes,” Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney write. THE PANDEMIC A STRATEGY REFRESH — As the country sees a spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, a growing number of Democrats are calling on the Biden administration to revamp its plan to tackle the pandemic, “to prevent what they fear could mushroom into a crisis of trust in public health authorities,” Sarah Ferris, Alice Miranda Ollstein and Nicholas Wu write . Lawmakers say the confusing guidance from the CDC hasn’t helped, despite efforts to clarify, and the administration “needs to evolve in its response to keep up with a dramatically changing virus.” — But some changes may be coming soon, as some expect the president to provide more guidance Thursday when he speaks about the state of the pandemic. Three people with knowledge of the deliverbations tell David Lim and Adam Cancryn that the White House is considering “whether to offer high quality masks, which could include KN-95 or N-95s, to all Americans.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY N.C. GERRYMANDER UPHELD — In a defeat for Democrats, a state court upheld a North Carolina redistricting plan that challengers called “an extreme partisan gerrymander that violated the [state’s] constitution and unlawfully diluted the political power of voters of color,” CNN’s Tierney Sneed and Dianne Gallagher report. The court ruled that it did not have “a role to play in policing partisan gerrymanders,” and those challenging the plans did not establish that “race was the predominant motive behind,” the redistricting plans. An appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court is expected. TRUMP CARDS TRUMP’S INFLUENCE — Trump lost Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona — but some GOP candidates for statewide office in those states aren’t acting like it, Zach Montellaro and Holly Otterbein report. The former president “came up regularly throughout a raucous GOP primary debate in Nevada last week, as candidates laid out Trump-like policy platforms, including frequent warnings about voter fraud. Pennsylvania Republicans are racing to hire staff who may have Trump’s ear … “And Trump’s potential endorsement is looming over primaries — starting with Arizona, where he will appear on stage with his anointed gubernatorial candidate during his first rally of the midterm year this weekend.” | | | | 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. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Mitch McConnell sided with Mike Rounds in his war of words with Donald Trump. “I think Sen. Rounds told the truth about what happened in the 2020 election,” McConnell told CNN’s Manu Raju. “And I agree with him.” Richard Burr gave Tim Kaine a blanket, an orange and a can of Dr. Pepper to keep in his car just in case he finds himself stuck in another unexpected 27-hour-long traffic jam. Steve Inskeep, who knows how to build anticipation: “For about six years, I’ve been asking Donald Trump for an interview. It never happened until the former president came on the line today. [Wednesday] on @MorningEdition, we’ll hear what he said, up to the moment that he hung up on me.” The interview, just posted this morning Neil Gorsuch “did not wear a mask for a hearing Tuesday, even as all the other justices in attendance did so.” Anthony Fauci was caught on a hot mic calling Roger Marshall “a moron” after the senator asked about Fauci’s financial disclosures and investments at a hearing Tuesday. Marshall responded by calling Fauci “the least trusted bureaucrat in America.” Dan Kildee lowered the bar for Dems’ agenda to something a bit more achievable: “We’re gonna Build Back SOMETHING.” (h/t Arthur Delaney) Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) is hoping to visit Russia and meet with Vladimir Putin, an associate of Ye’s tells Billboard. Because … of course. Josh Barro launched a new substack Tuesday that he describes as a corrective to the “subcultural set” of left-wing views at places like the NYT, NPR and Twitter, and that he argues “has caused certain influential people to become badly misinformed in ways that have been damaging to the interests of both the press and the Democratic Party.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Peter Schweizer, whose “Clinton Cash” sparked major controversy, has a new book coming out Jan. 25. Titled “Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win,” the book, per HarperCollins, “exposes bad actors on both ends of the political spectrum and their willingness to do China’s bidding.” Schweizer is also the author of “Secret Empires” and “Profiles in Corruption.” Here’s the cover — Red Horse Strategies is announcing a slate of new hires: Katie Moore and Michael DeLoach are joining as a partner and president for issue advocacy, respectively. Moore previously was campaign manager for Eric Adams’ NYC mayoral campaign. DeLoach is currently deputy commissioner at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. In addition, Ryan Rudominer will be deputy director in the D.C. office and Matthew Rey is being promoted to partner. TRANSITION — Matt Brafman is now an account manager at the Herald Group. He previously was a public affairs and research associate at TDS Public Affairs. WEEKEND WEDDING — Catherine Edmonson, VP of government affairs at American Defense International and a Henry Cuellar alum, and Jack Hamilton, customer success manager at health care software company Phreesia, got married Saturday in Dallas at the historic Adolphus Hotel. The couple met playing pingpong at a bar in D.C. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) (7-0) … Jeff Bezos … Ryan Murphy of the House Budget GOP … Michael B. Williams of the American Suppressor Association … Pink Sheet’s Sarah Karlin-Smith … American Society of Landscape Architects’ Torey Carter-Conneen … CAP’s Sam Hananel … Danny O’Brien of Fox Corp. … Anne Mosle … Doug Thornell of SKDKnickerbocker … Stephanie Taylor of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Progressive Change Institute … Sarah Swanson of K&L Gates … Christiane Amanpour … Howard Stern … Chris Marston … AIPAC’s Jonathan Schulman … Madeline Osburn … WTOP’s Debra Feinstein … Stephanie Rigizadeh … Kate Noel … Cristina Brooks … Basil Smikle … author John Aloysius Farrell … Alex Weiss … POLITICO’s Wisam Qabbani … Robin Goodstein of Careerstone Group Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. | | | | A message from the Freedom to Vote Alliance: When democracy thrives, so does our economy. And when democracy falters, our economy suffers.
Indeed, research has found that higher rates of voter participation lead to healthier stock market returns, while low voter turnout shrinks the middle class and paralyzes economic growth. The bedrock stability of our democratic system gives companies the certainty they need to invest for the future, create good jobs, and spur innovation.
Unfortunately, the cornerstone of our democracy – the right to vote – is under unprecedented attack. States nationwide are passing laws making it harder to cast ballots and easier for partisan officials to overturn election results they don’t like.
For businesses to prosper, our basic rights must be protected. That’s why the Freedom to Vote Alliance is calling on the Senate to reform its rules and give critical voting rights legislation a straight up or down vote.
It’s time to make the Senate work again. | | | | | | | 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 | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
