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Presented by the American Investment Council: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | BREAKING — “Biden admin expected to let migrant families separated under Trump reunite inside U.S.,” NBC: “The Biden administration’s task force for reuniting migrant families separated by the Trump administration will allow separated families ‘the option of being reunified either in the United States or their [country] of origin,’ Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to announce Monday, according to a DHS spokesperson. … “Other benefits and protections the task force will give the separated families include transportation, healthcare and mental health services as well as legal, career and educational services, with no costs being passed down to families. Mayorkas is also expected to announce that the task force will consider siblings of children separated for reunification.” — Mayorkas announced at the White House briefing that 105 families have recently been reunited. — “It takes time to build out of the depths of cruelty that the administration before us established,” Mayorkas said. He blamed the situation at the border — which he declined to term a “crisis” — on Trump administration policies and said it would take time to rebuild systems they dismantled. — The message to migrants: “We are not saying ‘Don’t come.’ We are saying, ‘Don’t come now’ because we will be able to deliver a safe and orderly process to them as quickly as possible.” White House press secretary JEN PSAKI said Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN and Mayorkas will join President JOE BIDEN for the virtual bilateral meeting with Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR today. She also said Biden is not considering sharing vaccine supply with Mexico. Biden is also scheduled to meet virtually this afternoon with Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). SANCTIONS LATEST — “Biden administration preparing to sanction Russia over Navalny treatment this week,” CNN: “The rollout of the sanctions will happen in coordination with the European Union … The measures and the exact timing will be fleshed out by US and EU officials in the coming days. These sanctions would be the first costs imposed on Russia by the Biden administration and will set the tone for their policy towards Moscow going forward. … “The Biden administration is seeking to send a ‘strong message’ on human rights and the importance of acting alongside allies with these sanctions, and there are plans to tackle a broader set of challenges posed by Russia in the coming weeks … One option being discussed is an executive order focused on Russia which would trigger sanctions on the country for multiple assaults on US democracy and American personnel -- including the SolarWinds hack and the bounties put on US soldiers in Afghanistan -- in one package.” MORE ON BOUNTYGATE — “Duckworth urges Biden admin to release intel on Russian bounties,” by Lara Seligman | | A message from the American Investment Council: Private equity plays a critical role in supporting quality, affordable health care in the United States. For decades, PE-funded innovations have delivered more effective treatments and saved lives — and, importantly, helped lower health care costs for millions of Americans. investmentcouncil.org/healthcare | | | HOT ON THE LEFT — “Warren Revives Wealth Tax, Citing Pandemic Inequalities,” NYT: “Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, plans to introduce legislation on Monday that would tax the net worth of the wealthiest people in America, a proposal aimed at persuading President Biden and other Democrats to fund sweeping new federal spending programs by taxing the richest Americans. “Ms. Warren’s wealth tax would apply a 2 percent tax to individual net worth — including the value of stocks, houses, boats and anything else a person owns, after subtracting out any debts — above $50 million. It would add an additional 1 percent surcharge for net worth above $1 billion.” HOW THE GOP IS MESSAGING H.R. 1 — “Pro-GOP group takes aim at House Democrats over massive election H.R. 1 reform bill,” Fox News: “An outside group that backs Republican causes is going up in 15 congressional districts controlled by House Democrats with ads spotlighting H.R. 1 … The American Action Network (AAN) on Monday is unveiling a new issue advocacy campaign targeting ‘the corrupt liberal campaign finance bill.’ … “The AAN digital ads argue that the measure would give every member of Congress up to $5 million in public funding for their campaigns. ‘Alert. Liberals want public money for their campaigns,’ the ads read. … [A]ll 15 representatives, along with an additional 36 House Democrats, will be targeted by a phone call campaign. … AAN tells Fox News it is spending in the mid-five figures on the digital ads, which it says will run on platforms like Google.” SCOTUS WATCH — “Voting Rights in Spotlight as Supreme Court Considers Arizona Election Rules,” WSJ: “Democrats who sued Arizona said there were state-specific historical and societal reasons why the measures discriminated against Native American, Latino and Black voters. The state, supported by Republicans who intervened in the case, said the rules were neutral, reasonable approaches for running fair and secure elections. … “The justices will hear oral arguments in the case Tuesday. It is attracting widespread attention not for Arizona’s particular policies but because it sets the stage for the court to interpret a key Voting Rights Act provision—known as Section 2—that says states can’t impose any rule ‘which results in a denial or abridgment’ of the right to vote on the basis of race.” NEW DURBIN INTERVIEW — “Durbin, New Judiciary Chair, Warns Republicans on Blocking Judges,” NYT: “Offering a warning to Republicans on judges, Mr. Durbin said he would reserve the right to end their ability to block district court nominees through the arcane ‘blue slip’ process — which allows senators to bless or blackball nominees from their home states — if he concluded that they were obstructing nominations without legitimate grounds. … “Mr. Durbin said he was hunting daily for Republican supporters for an immigration overhaul and offered his ideas on expanding the courts and addressing domestic terrorism, the types of judicial nominees he would favor and the appearance of Mr. Garland before the panel.” Biden has a reflection up on Medium today: “South Carolina: A Year Later”: “[I]t’s amazing how much can change in a day, never mind a whole year. My hope is that a year from now, Americans are able to look back and marvel at how much has changed — in their lives and in our economy — for the better.” NOT SO FAST — “Biden Administration’s Plan to Rescind States’ Medicaid Work Rules Faces Temporary Hitch,” WSJ | | | | DON'T MISS "THE RECAST": 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 and 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. | | | | | SOUNDS FAMILIAR … “Biden won’t release White House visitor logs,” by Anita Kumar: “[F]ive weeks into office, Biden has fallen short of his former boss, Barack Obama, in several areas [of transparency], and is under pressure to do more to restore confidence in the federal government following Trump’s chaotic term in the White House. “Among the critiques: The schedules for the president and vice president aren’t posted online. The White House comment line is shut down. There are no citizen petitions on the White House’s website. The White House has committed to releasing visitor logs. But it doesn’t plan to divulge the names of attendees of virtual meetings, which are the primary mode of interaction until the coronavirus pandemic eases.” WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — “White House aide with close progressive ties leaving to join nascent outside group,” CNN: “Rosemary Boeglin, who has been handling the economic portfolio in the White House press shop, is expected to play a role in the outside efforts that are still coming together, particularly as the administration works to maintain ties with progressives as their policy agenda takes shape. … “A nonprofit advocacy group, named Building Back Together, will launch next month with the White House's blessing and is expected to air ads and coordinate pro-Biden messaging with other supportive outside groups, sources told CNN earlier this month.” WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Maju Varghese is now deputy assistant to the president and director of the White House Military Office. He previously was COO of the Biden campaign and executive director of the inaugural committee. IT’S OFFICIAL — “Chris Meagher joins White House press office,” WaPo THE DISTRIBUTION CHALLENGE — “Senators urge White House to use second vaccine doses as first doses instead,” WaPo: “‘Based on conversations with health officials, we believe this approach is worthy of serious consideration,’ Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) to Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator on Monday, in a letter shared with The Washington Post.” The letter — “Johnson & Johnson vaccine deepens concerns over racial and geographic inequities,” WaPo: “Decisions to send the shots to harder-to-reach communities make practical sense, because Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine is easier to store and use. But they could drive perceptions of a two-tiered vaccine system, riven along racial or class lines — with marginalized communities getting what they think is an inferior product. “The issue came up on a recent call between governors and Biden administration officials coordinating the country’s coronavirus response.” — MARCELLA NUNEZ-SMITH said at the White House Covid-19 briefing this morning that all three vaccines should be distributed evenly across all types of communities. JEFF ZIENTS said the J&J vaccine will be delivered as early as Tuesday, with 3.9 million doses going out this week. Sixteen million more are expected by the end of March, mostly toward the end of the month. WALL STREET WORRIES — “Biden’s bubble risk: A reckoning in markets as the economy recovers,” by Ben White: “Giant bubbles are once again inflating all over the financial world — creating a potential problem for Washington in the coming months. From meme stocks to cryptocurrencies, tech stocks and the rage for ‘Special Purpose Acquisition Companies,’ or SPACs, risks are clearly rising. “Wall Street pros and Washington policymakers know that some or all of these bubbles could explode in spectacular ways. But nobody really knows what to do about it. … The perfect ‘Goldilocks’ scenario could still arrive: faster economic growth with limited inflation, perhaps gently letting the air out of the biggest bubbles. But darker scenarios exist, including a big spike in inflation, a popping of all of the bubbles at once … and an economic recovery that hits turbulence.” | | | | JOIN WEDNESDAY FOR A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH NRCC CHAIR TOM EMMER : House Republicans surprised many observers in November flipping 15 seats and defeating several Democratic freshmen who delivered the House majority in 2018. Then the Jan. 6 insurrection set off an internal battle within the GOP, including among top House leaders. Join Playbook co-author Rachael Bade for a conversation with Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, to discuss his strategy for the 2022 midterm elections, President Donald Trump's role in the party, and the continued fallout from the assault on the Capitol. REGISTER HERE | | | | | MEDIAWATCH — DONALD MCNEIL is out with a four-part series on Medium about his departure from the NYT, concluding with this: “Obviously, I badly misjudged my audience in Peru that year. I thought I was generally arguing in favor of open-mindedness and tolerance — but it clearly didn’t come across that way. And my bristliness makes me an imperfect pedagogue for sensitive teenagers. Although the students liked me in 2018, some of those in 2019 clearly detested me. I do not see why their complaints should have ended my career at the Times two years later. But they did. “And now I’d like to put this behind me. I had hoped to be remembered as a good science reporter whose work saved lives. Not for this.” — FRED RYAN, publisher and CEO of WaPo, has penned an op-ed critical of the Biden administration’s response to the assessment of Saudi Crown Prince MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN’S involvement in the killing of JAMAL KHASHOGGI: “It appears as though under the Biden administration, despots who offer momentarily strategic value to the United States might be given a ‘one free murder’ pass.” — Liz Crampton is now covering state policy and legislative trends for POLITICO. She previously was an agriculture and food policy reporter for POLITICO Pro. Julia Arciga is now a Legislative Compass reporter for POLITICO Pro. She previously was a general assignment reporter for Law360. SPOTTED: Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Al Green (D-Texas), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Brian Babin (R-Texas) and Kevin Brady (R-Texas) on a United flight from Houston to D.C. today. Green, Garcia and Brady were in first class. TRUMP ALUMNI — Tim Murtaugh is now a visiting fellow for comms at the Heritage Foundation and a contributor for The Daily Signal. He previously was comms director for the Trump campaign. Announcement … Marisol Garibay is now VP of comms and media relations at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions. She most recently was chief comms officer at the CFPB, and is an OMB and Treasury alum. TRANSITIONS — Leslie Lake is now a VP at FleishmanHillard. She previously was director of media relations at the Consumer Brands Association. … Sarah Mars Bowie is joining Hill+Knowlton Strategies as a VP on the firm’s public affairs team. She previously was an assistant VP on the Finn Partners global public affairs and crisis team. … Brianna Howard is now director of digital media for the House Budget GOP. She previously was special assistant to former Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia. … … Remy Hart is joining Convergence Media as managing director for digital. She previously was VP at Siege Digital. … Julie Seger is joining the American Flood Coalition as senior government relations associate. She previously was senior government relations manager at the National Park Foundation. … John Eunice is now deputy director of the Environmental Protection Division in Atlanta for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. He previously was legislative director and general counsel for former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Jon Purves, senior media relations manager at the Aspen Institute, and Betsy Purves, director of development for the D.C. Youth Orchestra, welcomed Claire Miriam Purves on Sunday. | | | | A message from the American Investment Council:   Private equity is committed to improving access to affordable health care in the United States. investmentcouncil.org/healthcare | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
