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Presented by The American Beverage Association: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Tara Palmeri, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | | | THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW — House Majority Leader STENY HOYER joined Rachael for a Playbook Interview this afternoon, and projected optimism on both the Build Back Better agenda and voting rights. Here are some of the top takeaways: — On BBB: Hoyer pushed back against suggestions that BBB is toast, arguing that the legislative process takes time, that there are 50 Senate votes for some kind of BBB package, and that it’s only been a month since the party hit a roadblock. “I’m of the belief that Build Back Better will pass,” Hoyer said. “It will be changed, but that’s the legislative process.” He further said that Dems would try to address anything that gets left out in future legislation. Notably, Hoyer seemed cool to the idea of having an up-or-down vote in the Senate on the House’s original BBB package, even if it fails — an idea that has been floated by Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER. Rather, he wants the party to focus on a package that will get all Democrats to yes. — On voting rights: Despite last week’s failed Senate vote on voting rights, Hoyer pushed back on the suggestion that the legislation is dead, pointing to ongoing negotiations for a differently structured bill. “We have to look at what we can get, not what we would like to get,” Hoyer said. Hoyer also appeared to agree with President JOE BIDEN’s suggestion last week that the 2022 election results may not be valid without the passage of voting rights legislation. Worth noting: Hoyer indicated that he was open to Electoral Count Act reforms, which comes as bipartisan talks in the Senate heat up . That stands in contrast to other Democratic leaders, who have mostly downplayed the reform by saying it isn’t a substitute for action on voting rights — a position Hoyer also reiterated. — On the ‘moderates vs. progressives’ divide: Hoyer said he believes that Democrats are “overwhelmingly” united on most issues despite the “focus on one or two people,” referencing Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.). “Feelings get bruised, elbows get deployed from time to time in this process, but one thing everyone should remember is: there’s tomorrow. It’s not final and a lot of it is not personal,” Hoyer said of the ongoing infighting. — On inflation: While President JOE BIDEN yesterday cursed at a reporter for asking about inflation, Hoyer made clear that he believes rising prices and empty shelves at the grocery store are a major problem. He said House Democrats plan to soon turn to their own version of a Senate-passed bill, the U.S. Competition and Investment Act, to help address supply-side problems. The remark will be welcome news for frontliners eager to address an issue that’s at the top of voters’ minds. — On the midterms: Hoyer predicted Democrats will keep the House, but didn’t answer a question about whether frontliners should run as “Biden Democrats” and campaign with the president. In August, the DCCC suggested they should, but Biden’s poll numbers have fallen drastically since then. “I want every Democrat to run as ‘Democrats who deliver,’” said Hoyer. “Point to the record. Point to what was done.” Hoyer also predicted that the pandemic and inflation will be in better shape by the summer, which could boost Democrats right before the midterms. Good Tuesday afternoon.
| | | | A message from The American Beverage Association: At America’s beverage companies our plastic bottles are made to be remade. We’re carefully designing them to be 100% recyclable, including the caps—so every bottle can become a new one. That means less plastic waste in our environment. Please help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST — The world is anxiously awaiting the next move along the Russian-Ukrainian border as the Kremlin shows signs of preparing for an invasion of some degree. — Ukraine’s leaders say that an invasion is not imminent, AP’s Yuras Karmanau reports from Kyiv. Defense Minister OLEKSII REZNIKOV told parliament on Tuesday that “‘as of today, there are no grounds to believe’ that Russia is preparing to invade imminently, noting that its troops have not formed what he called a battle group that could force its way through the border.” — Military analysts don’t seem to share that view. “[H]ow, exactly, military action might start has become an anxious guessing game for military analysts, for Western and Ukrainian officials — and not least for Ukrainian soldiers, who are likely to be the first to find out,” NYT’s Andrew Kramer reports in Svitlodarsk . “For soldiers in the East, where Ukraine has been fighting Russian-backed separatists for nearly eight years, the lack of clarity has made for a nerve-racking time.” — Russia accused the U.S. of “escalating tensions” after the Pentagon placed thousands of troops on heightened alert to potentially deploy to Eastern Europe, writes Quint Forgey . “We are watching these U.S. actions with great concern,” said Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV. — Meanwhile, Russia has launched a battery of new military exercises “involving thousands of troops, warplanes, naval ships, tanks and short-range ballistic missiles,” throughout the country, WaPo’s Robyn Dixon, Rachel Pannett and David Stern report. — What to expect from the U.S.: “The Pentagon is expected to announce Tuesday that elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division are among the 8,500 U.S. military forces that could deploy in response to the crisis in Ukraine, two U.S. defense officials told The Washington Post.” An explainer that’s worth your time: “What are U.S. options for sanctions against Putin?” by AP’s Ellen Knickmeyer — WaPo’s @seungminkim: “Administration officials participating in the congressional staff-level briefing on Ukraine today, per sources: Rear Admiral OLIVER LEWIS (Joint Staff), CHRISTOPHER ROBINSON (State), LAURA COOPER (Pentagon).” GOP ACCUSES BIDEN ADMIN OF ANTI-WHITE RACISM — The FDA’s “recommendation that race and ethnicity be considered when deciding who gets the limited supply of new Covid drugs is the latest political cudgel with which Republicans are hammering Democrats, looking to energize their base ahead of the midterm elections,” report Alice Miranda Ollstein and Megan Messerly. “Democratic strategists say these attacks, while baseless, may prove effective, further hampering the party’s efforts to retain its slim congressional majorities.” — GOP sees the next CRT-type issue: “Some influential Republicans see a political opportunity and consider this fight — which they compare to ongoing crusades against affirmative action and Critical Race Theory — as advantageous for conservatives and a political liability for anyone supporting the racial equity push at the ballot box in November.” — The backstory on the policy: “The FDA’s December guidance on the use of sotrovimab — the only monoclonal antibody proven effective against Omicron — notes people of color may be at higher risk for severe Covid-19 and said it’s one factor among several that doctors can consider when doling out the drugs given that they remain in short supply.” — What the statistics say: “As recently as October, for example, Hispanic, Black and Asian people in the U.S. were twice as likely to die of Covid than white people when adjusted for age, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Recent CDC data also shows that white Americans are, if anything, at the front of the line for still-scarce Covid treatments.”
| | | | JOIN FRIDAY TO HEAR FROM GOVERNORS ACROSS AMERICA : As we head into the third year of the pandemic, state governors are taking varying approaches to public health measures including vaccine and mask mandates. "The Fifty: America's Governors" is a series of live conversations featuring various governors on the unique challenges they face as they take the lead and command the national spotlight in historic ways. Learn what is working and what is not from the governors on the front lines, REGISTER HERE. | | | | | CONGRESS MCCONNELL ON 2022 — Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL isn’t in former President DONALD TRUMP’s good graces. But in a new interview with CNN’s Manu Raju and Alex Rogers , “the GOP leader noted that he and Trump are on the same page in backing the same candidate in two of the hottest Senate races — Nevada and Georgia. He has stayed neutral in Alabama where Trump endorsed a primary contender. And the Kentucky Republican believes that no matter which GOP candidate emerges from intraparty battles in Pennsylvania, North Carolina or Ohio, his party will be well-positioned to hold the GOP seats there.” — Primaries where McConnell and Trump are not on the same page: (1) Alaska (Trump opposes Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI) and (2) Missouri (where Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate and “McConnell is closely watching the primary to determine if he needs to engage his super PAC to try to knock off a potentially weak general election candidate,” a reference to disgraced former Gov.ERIC GREITENS). — But also, potentially two others: McConnell is still trying to recruit (3) Gov. DOUG DUCEY in Arizona (whom Trump has slammed in speeches) and (4) Maryland Gov. LARRY HOGAN (who is critical of Trump ). “They’d both be ideal candidates,” says McConnell. — McConnell on Republicans who parrot Trump’s false election claims: “It’s important for candidates to remember we need to respect the results of our democratic process unless the court system demonstrates that some significant fraud occurred that would change the outcome.” MANCHIN VS. BERNIE — Following Sen. BERNIE SANDERS’ (I.Vt.) suggestion that he’d be open to supporting primary challengers against Manchinema over their support of the filibuster, Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) told Newsy’s Nathaniel Reed in an interview today: “Well, Senator Sanders is not a Democrat. … He’s a socialist … It’s not what I think the majority of Americans represent.” More from Nathaniel MEETING MERKLEY — Sen. JEFF MERKLEY (D-Ore.) has been at the forefront of the push to overhaul the filibuster. He believes in the mission. Asked if he would support a future Republican majority’s ability to take advantage of the hypothetically weakened rules, he gave an emphatic “Yes!” Last week’s failure on the Senate floor? Fuel to the fire. “It’s rare that a devastating loss on the Senate floor is a zenith. But for Merkley, the 48-52 failure on a drizzly Wednesday night amounts to a high point in his 13-year career,” Burgess Everett reports . “There’s no one else in the Capitol as focused on changing the way the Senate operates than Merkley, nor more directly tied to a series of rules changes the chamber has undergone over the past decade.” THE PANDEMIC VAX FILES — Pfizer has “started a trial evaluating an adapted version of their Covid-19 vaccine that targets the Omicron variant,” WSJ’s Jared Hopkins writes . “Initial study results are expected in the first half of the year, Pfizer said. The drugmaker could ask U.S. regulators for authorization and begin distribution in March, should the Omicron-targeted shot prove to work safely.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | ALL POLITICS IS FLORIDA THE NEXT VIRGINIA? — As the gubernatorial race in the Sunshine State tightens, candidates are seeing similar dynamics on key issues, like education, as those that propelled Virginia Republican GLENN YOUNGKIN to victory, Matt Dixon reports from Tallahassee. And Dems are eager not to repeat their mistakes. “Democrat Rep.CHARLIE CRIST, fearing the new culture wars over education could strain his bid for Florida governor, is appealing directly to parents over an issue that has rattled Democrats across the county. ‘Parents for Crist,’ a group he unveiled last week, will shape his campaign in coming months. … Crist’s move is a clear attempt to boost his chances in the wake of Virginia’s big November upset, where Republican Glenn Youngkin trounced Democrat TERRY MCAULIFFE in part by tapping into parents’ anger with local school boards over issues like mask mandates and critical race theory.” CASH DASH — Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) has amassed a $37.3 million war chest for the 2022 election cycle, a sign that he has “quickly become one of the most prolific fundraisers among Senate Republicans,” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser writes . According to figures Scott shared with Fox News, he pulled in nearly $7 million in Q4. 2022 WATCH — BROCK PIERCE, the “Mighty Ducks” actor-turned-cryptocurrency billionaire, told guests at his northeast Washington home on Saturday night that he plans to make a decision in March about whether or not he’ll run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by PATRICK LEAHY (D-Vt.). — SPOTTED among the guests on Saturday Pierce’s 10,000-square foot D.C penthouse (which he purchased from NBA star Dwight Howard in 2020): actor Vince De Paul, Mark Neuman, Rakesh Gupta, Omar Dennis, John Arundel, Christine Warnke, Matt Smith and Tara Kelliher. POLICY CORNER CLIMATE FILES — EPA Administrator MICHAEL REGAN is “preparing to advance tougher regulations on power plants in coming months,” WSJ’s Timothy Puko reports . “The agency wants to impose stricter air-quality standards for mercury and other toxic pollutants, as well as new restrictions on wastewater generated by power plants,” and wants to use “the agency’s broad array of powers to oversee air and water pollution as well as wastewater disposal.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKCHAIN — There’s a new type of mayor coming into prominence across the country: the crypto mayor. “ERIC ADAMS, New York’s new mayor, accepted his first paycheck in Bitcoin and another cryptocurrency, Ether. FRANCIS SUAREZ, Miami’s mayor, headlines crypto conferences. Now even mayors of smaller towns are trying to incorporate crypto into municipal government, courting start-ups and experimenting with buzzy new technologies like nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, to raise money for public projects,” NYT’s David Yaffe-Bellany writes . “The mayors’ embrace of crypto is also a recognition that its underlying blockchain technology — essentially a distributed ledger system — may create new revenue streams for cities and reshape some basic functions of local government.” STATE OF THE UNIONS — The big names like Starbucks and Amazon that have been involved in union organizing efforts have obscured “the steady downward trend of union membership in the United States for more than four decades,” NYT’s Taylor Johnston writes . “In 1983, about 20 percent of employees belonged to a union; by 2021, that number had dropped to just over 10 percent, according to data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly all that decline has been in the private sector.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD WHAT’S GOING ON IN NOKO? — North Korea has fired six missiles since Jan. 5, including more today, which amounts to “almost as many missiles in one month as North Korea launched in all of last year,” NYT’s Choe Sang-Hun reports in Seoul . So what’s the deal? “Individually, the tests may not amount to much — they involved missiles that have already been tested or weapons that are still under development. But taken together, they signal that [KIM JONG-UN] plans to use 2022 to jolt the Biden administration out of its diplomatic slumber.” TRUMP CARDS WHO’S BACKING BANNON — WaPo’s Isaac Stanley-Becker digs into the relationship between media mogul ROBERT SIGG and STEVE BANNON . “More than two years later, the arrangement has paid off for both men. Sigg used ‘War Room’ as a springboard for an expanded network of conservative hosts — bringing him the commercial opportunity he sought. The network, Real America’s Voice, helped sustain Bannon despite his removal from YouTube, Spotify and other mainstream platforms. … The rise of Real America’s Voice, built around Bannon and distant from the traditional power structures of cable television and talk radio, reveals how the country’s fractured media landscape has empowered unconventional actors following market incentives toward more and more extreme content.” PLAYBOOKERS MEDIA MOVES — Sharon Weinberger is joining WSJ as national security editor. She previously was D.C. bureau chief at Yahoo. … Trei Brundrett is leaving Vox as COO. His tweet … Rachel Van Dongen has been named director of elections for WaPo. The announcement TRANSITION — Lara Shane is now VP of comms at Freedom House. She previously was managing director for marketing and comms at Cyber Defense Labs.
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