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Presented by the American Investment Council: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Mike Zapler, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | The midday must-read comes via WaPo’s Jeff Stein, Heather Long and Erica Werner, who inject a dose of common-sense skepticism into Democrats’ headlong rush to pass the $1.9 trillion Covid relief package. President JOE BIDEN and the party are up against the mid-March expiration of unemployment benefits, so from their vantage point there isn’t time to mess around. Still, it’s a staggering amount of government spending, and the proposal, as the WaPo trio point out, has remained largely intact for two months despite improving economic and pandemic conditions on the ground. Do state and local governments need all $350 billion? Is it really a good idea to expand child tax benefits for one year, only to have them vanish and leave low-income families in the lurch if Congress is unable to extend them? If the goal of progressives is to eventually reach universal health care coverage, is it wise to spend money on more generous Obamacare subsidies as opposed to further expanding Medicaid eligibility? In a less-harried legislative environment, the answer to all of those questions, according to various left-leaning or nonpartisan experts quoted in the piece, would be no. One example: “This is not a perfect bill. If an economist was designing it from scratch today, they would design it differently,” said JASON FURMAN, who served as a senior economist in the Obama administration. “But nothing Congress does is perfect, and as written the American Recovery Plan will be a major booster shot that will hopefully help close the remaining gaps in the economy.” Read the full story here MORE ON TODAY’S MAIN EVENT — “Senate braces for brutal debate on Biden’s Covid aid bill,” by Burgess Everett, Marianne LeVine and Caitlin Emma: “Early Thursday afternoon, Senate Democrats are expecting to rally their 50 senators to kick off debate … Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) will force the Senate clerk to read all 500-plus pages of the Senate substitute. Senate Democratic leaders estimate that it will take four to five hours to complete that task, though Johnson believes it may take longer. Then Republicans can use up to 20 hours of debate time, and then force unlimited amendments votes if they so choose. “The bill’s so-called vote-a-rama now may begin on Friday, instead of on Thursday, as a result of delays on Wednesday in getting a Congressional Budget Office score for the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion bill. … Johnson and other Republicans are vowing to make the vote-a-rama lengthy and uncomfortable for Democrats with what they view as tough votes. And timing is important: Enhanced unemployment benefits shut off on March 14.” — Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER speaking on the floor this afternoon: “The Senate is going to stay in session to finish the bill this week.” — AD WARS: “Biden’s COVID-19 relief package slammed by pro-GOP group,” Fox News: “A pro-GOP outside group closely aligned with the Republican Governors Association (RGA) is launching an effort in three states against Democratic governors … The new TV ads by State Solutions Inc., shared first with Fox News, will run in Maine, Minnesota and Wisconsin.” CONFIRMATION ROUNDUP — “Haaland’s nomination for Interior secretary advances to full Senate,” by Ben Lefebvre and Anthony Adragna … “Cotton to block Garland’s quick confirmation to lead Biden DOJ,” by Marianne LeVine … “Republicans rip Pentagon policy pick over past tweets, Middle East policies,” by Connor O’Brien THE LONG ARM OF JAN. 6 — “Police request 60-day extension of Guard at U.S. Capitol,” AP: “Defense officials confirmed that the request is under review at the Pentagon, and that the Guard has started checking states for availability of their troops.” AT THE WHITE HOUSE this afternoon for infrastructure talks, per pooler Joseph Morton of CQ Roll Call: House Transportation Chair Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and ranking member Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Reps. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). | | A message from the American Investment Council: Private equity firms make long-term investments in companies to help rescue, build or grow businesses, providing much-needed capital and management support to strengthen local companies and create jobs. We invest in industries that underpin the American economy, including manufacturing, healthcare, renewable energy, hospitality, and more. investmentcouncil.org/5yearplan | | | THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE — “U.S. jobless claims tick up to 745,000 as layoffs remain high,” AP BLAME GAME — “U.S. officials believe Iran-backed group responsible for latest rocket attack in Iraq,” by Lara Seligman: “While the investigation into the attack on Ain al-Asad air base in the western province of Anbar is still ongoing, officials believe that Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed paramilitary force, or an affiliated group was responsible … “One U.S. contractor suffered a fatal cardiac episode while sheltering during the attack, which was the latest in a series of tit-for-tat attacks … The Biden administration has yet to publicly blame Tehran for the latest attack.” TIT-FOR-TAT TICK-TOCK — “A Military Strike in Syria Shows Biden Team at Work,” WSJ: “After 10 days of deliberations, President Biden had ordered the Pentagon to conduct airstrikes on two targets inside Syria Feb. 26 when an aide delivered an urgent warning about 30 minutes before the bombs were scheduled to fall. “A woman and a couple of children were in the courtyard at one of the sites, according to battlefield reconnaissance. With the F-15Es in flight to the targets, Mr. Biden scratched the second target but ordered the strike on the first objective to proceed. The previously undisclosed episode involving Mr. Biden’s first known use of force as commander in chief was an unexpected coda to a methodical decision-making approach in which the Biden administration sought to balance competing interests in the Middle East tinderbox.” SCOTUS WATCH — “Barrett Rejects Sierra Club in First Opinion for Supreme Court,” Bloomberg: “[The] ruling … limits the ability of environmental groups to use the Freedom of Information Act to get government documents. The 7-2 decision is a defeat for the Sierra Club in a clash stemming from a proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule governing structures that use water to cool industrial equipment.” — “Supreme Court rules against immigrant who was denied chance to make his case against deportation,” USA Today | | | | 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. | | | | | WHO’S ON FIRST — “WHO Investigators to Scrap Interim Report on Probe of Covid-19 Origins, Amid U.S.-China Tensions,” WSJ: “The group of two dozen scientists is calling in an open letter on Thursday for a new international inquiry. They say the WHO team that last month completed a mission to Wuhan — the Chinese city where the first known cases were found — had insufficient access to adequately investigate possible sources of the new coronavirus, including whether it slipped from a laboratory. “Their appeal comes as the U.S. … lobbies for greater transparency in the investigation, saying it is waiting to scrutinize the report on the Wuhan mission, and urging China to release all relevant data … Beijing, meanwhile, is pressing for similar WHO-led missions to other countries, including the U.S., to investigate whether the virus could have originated outside China and spread to Wuhan via frozen food packaging.” HOW WE GOT HERE … “How covid hastened the decline and fall of the U.S.-China relationship,” excerpted from WaPo’s Josh Rogin’s forthcoming “Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the Twenty-First Century” ($25.91 on Amazon ): “Privately but explicitly, Chinese diplomats told U.S. officials they would cut off exports of medical supplies to the United States if Washington wasn’t careful in this war of words. Beijing was seeking to snuff out any discussion of the virus, along with any criticism of its domestic response and any allegation that it was hiding or misrepresenting information about the virus. “The staff set up another call between Trump and Xi for March 26. In this call, Xi told Trump that infections in China were now on the other side of the peak and case numbers were dropping significantly. He claimed that new cases in China were only from people who imported the virus from other countries. Xi didn’t directly threaten to hold back personal protective equipment if Trump continued to criticize China, but he said it obliquely, telling the U.S. president there was a cause and effect between the tone of U.S. statements and Chinese cooperation.” — “Americans’ Negative Views on China Rises, Polls Show,” WSJ: “Nine of 10 Americans view China as a competitor or enemy and nearly half believe the U.S. should seek to limit China’s power, according to a Pew Research Center poll published on Thursday. A Gallup poll, also released this week, put China’s unfavorable view among Americans at 79%, by far the worst reading since its polling began in 1979. Only Iran and North Korea scored worse.” LIKE A BONNIE RAITT SONG — “Rick Scott gets no love from the MAGA-verse,” by Matt Dixon and Gary Fineout: “The billionaire-turned-politician is trying to build his own national brand ahead of a potential run for president, but some early stumbles — including a recent pivot away from Trump — aren’t endearing him with the base. … “Trump’s GOP is largely foreign to Scott, a former health care executive who embraces focus groups and adheres to the talking points of the day, not the off-the-cuff brashness Trump embraces. That, along with his well-known lack of charisma, could spell early trouble for Scott’s White House ambitions.” 2024 WATCH — “Idea Man Rubio Envisions a ‘Common Good’ GOP,” RealClearPolitics: “[A]t this moment, when Republicans are struggling with their post-Trump identity, Rubio has an answer. It is called ‘common good’ conservatism, an agenda to make the GOP ‘the party of common-sense wisdom and working-class values.’ If he runs for president again, the country will decide what to make of the renewed Rubio, the populist ideas man on the right. … “Rubio’s idea certainly has an academic quality, but it is also deeply personal in that it challenges the free-market fundamentalism long embedded in the DNA of modern conservatism.” BUT, BUT, BUT … GOP FALLS SHORT ON ECONOMIC POPULISM — “Republicans Won Blue-Collar Votes. They’re Not Offering Much in Return,” NYT: “As the election returns rolled in showing President Donald J. Trump winning strong support from blue-collar voters in November while suffering historic losses in suburbs across the country, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a Republican, declared on Twitter: ‘We are a working class party now. That’s the future.’ … “But since then, Republicans have offered very little to advance the economic interests of blue-collar workers. … Inside and outside the party, critics see a familiar pattern: Republican officials, following Mr. Trump’s own example, are exploiting the cultural anger and racial resentment of a sizable segment of the white working class, but have not made a concerted effort to help these Americans economically.” | | | | FIND OUT THE LATEST WHISPERS FROM THE WEST WING : What's happening inside the West Wing, and what are the real conversations taking place behind-the-scenes in the halls of power? Who really has the ear of the president? What's going to happen across the executive branch next, and why? Transition Playbook chronicles the people, policies and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | | TWO SIDES, SAME COIN — “Volatility Is the New Normal,” Cook Political Report … “How Much Longer Can This Era Of Political Gridlock Last?” FiveThirtyEight WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — “Exclusive: New Biden economic hires point toward infrastructure, manufacturing emphasis,” Reuters: “Biden’s National Economic Council (NEC) has hired Massachusetts Institute of Technology manufacturing and economic development researcher Elisabeth Reynolds as well as a former top administrator at the transit authority that serves the greater Boston area, Samantha Silverberg, according to a White House official who declined to be named ahead of an official announcement. They join former top Consumer Financial Protection Bureau administrator Leandra English, who is now the NEC’s chief of staff.” THE VIEW FROM INDEPENDENCE AVE — “Vilsack is back at USDA after 4 years of Trump. The world has changed,” by Helena Bottemiller Evich, Liz Crampton and Ryan McCrimmon: “Vilsack’s first big projects as Agriculture secretary for his second time around will be sharply scaling up conservation efforts and exploring the creation of a carbon bank to help pay farmers to adopt climate-friendly farm practices, he said in an interview. It’s a big leap from the smaller steps he took when he last held the office … “The demands for major overhauls at USDA are loudest on racial equity in agriculture. Vilsack’s early moves show he’s tuned in on those criticisms. Jewel Bronaugh, the administration’s nominee for the department’s No. 2 job, would be the first woman of color to serve as deputy secretary if confirmed. Vilsack recently named top advisers on antitrust and racial equity — both firsts for the department.” HISTORY LESSON — “Will Merrick Garland follow the Janet Reno model?” by Josh Gerstein: “His approach will not only determine his success in calming a department roiled under President Donald Trump, but will also influence a series of politically sensitive questions Garland faces, including deciding how aggressively to investigate Trump and overseeing the resolution of an ongoing probe into President Joe Biden’s son Hunter. … “[Reno] was fiercely independent, but — in part for that reason — for many of those years she had a frosty relationship with Clinton, who saw Reno as adding to his administration’s political baggage. And during those times of Justice Department-White House tensions, Garland played a major role.” FALLING DOWN ON THE JOB — “OSHA’s Job Is Workplace Safety. In the Covid-19 Pandemic, It Often Struggled: Federal and state agencies conducted fewer inspections than in the past and often handled coronavirus complaints through no more than an exchange of letters, a Wall Street Journal investigation shows.” SPOTTED, via @burgessev: “Sean Spicer just showed up to the Dirksen Senate Office Building with a large amount of balloons and then hopped onto an elevator.” — Per Fox News’ @kellyfphares, the balloons were for Sen. James Lankford’s (R-Okla.) birthday. MEDIAWATCH — Averi Harper is moving up to become deputy political director at ABC. She previously covered the 2020 campaign and racial disparities in the pandemic. TRANSITION — Habiba Mohamed is joining Pay Our Interns as federal affairs lead. She previously was an aide for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. | | | | A message from the American Investment Council:   Private equity firms help American companies big and small with their five-year plans. investmentcouncil.org/5yearplan | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
