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Presented by Emergent: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by Emergent | OMNIBUS HICCUP — A group of House Democrats threatened to delay the omnibus spending bill over its offsets for the $15 billion in Covid relief, which they say would disproportionately cause two dozen states to lose money from unspent funds. Democratic leadership suddenly didn’t have the votes today to pass the bill yet, as lawmakers reportedly poured into leadership offices to haggle over the issue. But upon emerging, they sounded more optimistic about reaching agreement, per CNN’s Manu Raju. — Speaker NANCY PELOSI in a new Dear Colleague letter blamed Republicans for pushing for cuts and defended the bill by noting that “we were able to ensure that all states receive at least 91 percent of the state funds that they expected to receive.” — Sarah Ferris, Nicholas Wu and Jennifer Scholtes break down the brouhaha, which hinges on which states got federal Covid dollars in one or two installments. “It’s really not fair because some states got the money all at once, some states didn’t,” Rep. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.) told them. Democrats say they’re confident they’ll ultimately be able to pass the omnibus. But as Sarah tweeted , “There’s now real discussion in House leadership about whether to pull the $15B covid aid from funding package entirely - at least for now. Would then do it at a later date.” WAR IN UKRAINE — Russian shelling hit one of its most heartbreaking targets yet — a children’s hospital and maternity ward (more on that below) — as the U.S. continued to grapple today with how much it can intervene short of joining the war. Here’s what you need to know: — MiG-29 update: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN today said the U.S. wanted to make sure fighter jets get to Ukraine “in the right way,” which could leave the door open to helping Poland supply them after the Pentagon rejected the Poles’ proposal Tuesday. “It’s simply not clear to us that there’s a substantive rationale for doing it in the way that was put forward yesterday,” he said. Press secretary JEN PSAKI said this afternoon that the military is working through the logistical challenges of getting planes to Ukraine in a “not escalatory” manner. — Nahal Toosi dives into the Biden administration’s difficult position, wanting to arm and support Ukraine but worried about getting drawn into the war directly. It’s a tough line to walk amid growing “questions about exactly what moves amount to being a combatant in a war under international law or — more importantly — as a matter of practical U.S. policy.” Disagreements within NATO offer Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN a rare wedge. But most experts agree that going as far as creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine would constitute direct involvement. (House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY joined some Democrats in echoing that view at his press conference this morning, saying it would require an act of Congress. But he criticized the Pentagon’s move on MiGs.) It’s worth reading Nahal’s whole story for details on the complex legal and reputational questions around what steps would really be — or be perceived as — war. LATEST IN EUROPE … — Ukraine warned that a power line at Chernobyl, the nuclear power plant captured by Russia, needed repairs to prevent a potential radiation leak. Electricity is out at the plant, and it’s using generators to keep operations going. Officials called for Russia to implement a ceasefire to make the fixes. More from Reuters — Russia bombed a children’s hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said, citing “colossal” damage, per the AP. (Video of the wreckage here.) Strikes also reportedly killed civilians in Sumy and Severodonetsk. Vadim Ghirda and Yuras Karmanau conclude their dispatch with this grim scene from elsewhere in Mariupol: “The city took advantage of a lull in the shelling Wednesday to hurriedly bury 70 people. Some were soldiers, but most were civilians. The work was conducted efficiently and without ceremony. No mourners were present, no families to say their goodbyes. One woman stood at the gates of the cemetery to ask whether her mother was among those being buried. She was.” — Russia touted “very important” upcoming negotiations Thursday, which will mark the first time since the invasion that the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers have met face to face. A top aide to Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY told Bloomberg TV that Ukraine was also open to discussing a declaration of neutrality, but it would need security guarantees, and it wouldn’t give up any territory. THE RAMIFICATIONS ELSEWHERE … — Restrictions on Russian oil will keep energy prices high globally for probably as long as the war lasts, warns NYT’s Clifford Krauss in Houston: “there are few alternatives to quickly replace Russia’s exports of roughly five million barrels a day.” The best hope for replacing Russian supplies is in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. — Right on cue: The UAE said today that it supported a production increase and would encourage OPEC to bolster supplies. Meanwhile, experts say that in the medium run, this market shock could help speed up the transition to clean energy, Ben Lefebvre reports. Good Wednesday afternoon.
| | | | A message from Emergent: Emerging threats never stop and neither do we. Our protections help defend against things we hope will never happen – so we are prepared, in case they ever do. Learn how we’ve become a leader in protecting people against public health threats at www.emergentbiosolutions.com. | | | CONGRESS PALACE INTRIGUE — The early maneuvering has begun among House Republicans in what looks to be a heavily contested race for majority whip if the GOP retakes the chamber, Olivia Beavers reports. Among the possible contenders for the No. 3 spot in leadership: GOP Conference Chair ELISE STEFANIK (N.Y.), NRCC Chair TOM EMMER (Minn.) and Reps. PATRICK MCHENRY (N.C.) and DREW FERGUSON (Ga.). Some see McHenry as the frontrunner, but he could also opt to focus on leading the Financial Services Committee. The shadow jockeying is “an early signal of Kevin McCarthy’s firming grip on the speakership,” as current whip STEVE SCALISE (La.) would likely become majority leader uncontested. LATEST FROM MCCARTHY — The House minority leader said at his press conference this morning that he’d support both the omnibus spending piece that includes Ukraine aid and the Russian oil ban. — Also: McCarthy “gently” broke with DONALD TRUMP on Putin, writes Anthony Adragna. What McCarthy said: “I do not think anything savvy or genius about Putin. I think Putin is evil. I think he’s a dictator. I think he’s murdering people right now.” From Anthony: “Asked if he agreed there’s no room in the Republican Party for those that apologize for Putin, McCarthy replied: ‘Yeah.’” KNOWING RON JOHNSON — Burgess Everett profiles the lightning-rod Wisconsin Republican senator, who poses headaches for leadership as he aligns with RICK SCOTT over MITCH MCCONNELL and yet is essential to McConnell’s efforts to flip the chamber this fall. “I’m frustrated about everything about this place,” RonJohn told Burgess. He’s emblematic of the turn the Senate GOP is likely to take next year as it gets Trumpier and less manageable for leadership. Yet Burgess also lands fairly positive quotes from the likes of Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.), who says that “privately I’ve always been able to get into much more interesting, nuanced conversations than people might think are available with him.” FOR YOUR RADAR — House Judiciary Dems and Republicans are asking the Justice Department to look into whether Amazon criminally obstructed Congress regarding antitrust information it failed to provide, WSJ’s Dana Mattioli scooped . “There’s no factual basis for this,” an Amazon spokesperson said. JUDICIARY SQUARE SCOTUS WATCH — Four conservative Supreme Court justices this week signaled openness to the “independent legislature” theory that would give state legislatures massive control over election procedures at the expense of state courts. Zach Montellaro reports on the theory that’s increasingly gaining popularity among Republicans: If SCOTUS ultimately endorsed some form of it, legislators could get more control over redistricting and voting laws. Siren: “Taken to its extreme, some proponents of the theory argue it would give legislators power to override the choice of presidential electors after voting in their states.” Now all eyes are on Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS and Justice AMY CONEY BARRETT. — Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict): “Dems have thwarted GOP gerrymanders in NC, OH, PA and WI this cycle by winning key statewide contests (judicial/gov). If sole power rested w/ legislatures, there’d be almost no constraints b/c they could perpetuate their own rule via - you guessed it - gerrymandering.”
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today. | | | | | ALL POLITICS MIAMI READING — Biden administration officials’ travel to Venezuela to engage with President NICOLÁS MADURO may have already yielded results in the form of Americans getting released, but it’s also provoking an immediate political backlash in Florida, Sabrina Rodríguez reports . The move to open up discussions about oil imports, in light of the ban on Russian energy, prompted swift uproar from South Florida Republicans, who have successfully made inroads with Hispanics over concerns about socialist Latin American governments. Even Democrats joined in: Senate candidate Rep. VAL DEMINGS said she was “deeply skeptical.” ICYMI — Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) got a boost for her reelection bid Tuesday when Wyoming Republicans failed to pass a Trump-supported bill that would have prevented day-of crossover voting in primaries. (She’s expected to lean on independent and Democratic support to try to survive a challenge from the right.) More from the Casper Star-Tribune TRUMP CARDS YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH SOCIAL — Trump’s much-touted, finally launched Truth Social app has made little splash in MAGA world thus far, barely warranting mentions from the former president and other speakers at CPAC, Meridith McGraw and Rebecca Kern report . “It’s a lackluster rollout that threatens a long-held dream for some on the right: that an app bolstered by the former president’s star power could jumpstart a social media ecosystem with the same power to amplify conservative voices as AM talk radio or Fox News.” Part of the problem: “Their followers are eager to argue with the opposition, not necessarily to mingle among the like-minded.” ELITE STRIKE FORCE TEAM — The Texas State Bar has referred SIDNEY POWELL to a judge for discipline over her work to overturn the 2020 election. It’s “a major development in what has become a nationwide effort to punish pro-Trump lawyers who” took part in that effort, Reuters’ Jan Wolfe reports, though it’s “not a final finding of wrongdoing.” POLICY CORNER TALES FROM THE CRYPTO — President JOE BIDEN is signing a major, long-anticipated executive order on cryptocurrencies today, directing a comprehensive course for the government to oversee and regulate digital assets. Its components include pushing Treasury to protect consumers, coordinating moves to prevent illegal activity, getting a competitive edge over other countries and even researching the development of a central bank digital currency. Bitcoin prices jumped on apparent optimism about the order. Details from CNBC PAGING CHUCK SCHUMER — The Education Department this week told federal student loan managers to wait on notifying borrowers about payments starting, a possible indication that an extension of the student loan freeze is coming, Michael Stratford reports. THE ECONOMY THE GREAT RESIGNATION — 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in January, the lowest total in three months but still a historically very high level of turnover, per the latest data out today. The number of job openings dipped only slightly from 11.4 million to 11.3 million, “suggesting employers continued to have difficulty luring workers,” Bloomberg’s Jordan Yadoo writes.
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S INAUGURAL HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON 3/31: Join POLITICO for a discussion with health care providers, policymakers, federal regulators, patient representatives, and industry leaders to better understand the latest policy and industry solutions in place as we enter year three of the pandemic. Panelists will discuss the latest proposals to overcome long-standing health care challenges in the U.S., such as expanding access to care, affordability, and prescription drug prices. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | BEYOND THE BELTWAY BIG INVESTIGATION — WaPo’s Keith Alexander, Steven Rich and Hannah Thacker tallied all the money that the nation’s biggest police and sheriff’s department have paid out to resolve misconduct claims: more than $3.2 billion in the last 10 years. And more than $1.5 billion of that was for incidents involving officers whose conduct was repeatedly at issue. “Despite the repetition and cost, few cities or counties track claims by the names of the officers involved — meaning that officials may be unaware of officers whose alleged misconduct is repeatedly costing taxpayers.” SUCCESS STORY — The pandemic helped many states accelerate a transition to high-tech platforms that connect people with health and social services, Joanne Kenen reports . “Accountability. Transparency. Efficiency. Those are not the words typically associated with America’s frayed social safety net. But what worked in North Carolina is now spreading across the country, and leaders in many states are learning how to change the paradigm.” The services are helping refer people in need across agencies with much less red tape, despite logistical challenges. HISTORY LESSON — A new study shows the enduring impact of historical racism: In city neighborhoods that were redlined to segregate Black people and immigrants in the 1930s, air pollution is still higher today, report NYT’s Raymond Zhong and Nadja Popovich. THE PANDEMIC THE TREATMENT PICTURE — Pfizer announced it was beginning clinical trials of its antiviral Covid-19 treatment pill in children 6 and up. It’s currently authorized only for ages 12 and older. More from NBC PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — Jewish Insider and its new Mideast business publication The Circuit hosted a lunch event Monday at the UAE Embassy, featuring U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba and Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog and moderated by Gabby Deutch. The event also honored female diplomats from the three embassies. SPOTTED: Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Jill Deutch, Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, Egyptian Ambassador Motaz Mounir Zahran,Shaima Gargash,Sam Feist, Wolf Blitzer,Estee Portnoy, Hilary Smith Kapner, Norm Brownstein, David Krone, Mark Isakowitz, Alex Katz, William Daroff, Malcolm Hoenlein, Talal Alabsi, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Rabbi Hyim Shafner,Jarrod Bernstein and Tamara Wittes. HOT JOB — CGTN America, China’s state-owned media branch in the U.S., is hiring an anchor/correspondent in D.C. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Sahar Robertson is now managing director at Ridgely Walsh. She previously was chief comms officer for MoveOn, and is an SEIU alum. MEDIA MOVES — Bloomberg’s Kate Hunter is returning to D.C. to become deputy White House editor. … Zoë Richards has joined NBC News Digital’s politics team, covering breaking political news. She previously was a breaking news reporter at The Daily Beast, and is a Talking Points Memo alum. NEW NOMINEES — The White House announced several new nominees, including Shereef Elnahal as VA undersecretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration, Ray Jefferson as VA undersecretary for benefits at the Veterans Benefits Administration, Rita Landgraf as assistant HHS secretary for aging, and Roselyn Tso as director of the Indian Health Service at HHS. TRANSITIONS — Elliot Vice is now a director in Faegre Drinker Consulting’s D.C. office. He most recently was director of government affairs at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. … Brandon Shaw has been hired as a VP for Hulu’s publicity team, where he will manage Hulu originals PR. He currently is a VP for corporate comms at WME, and is an Obama White House alum. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.) and Pam Harder, director of strategy and operations at the Virginia Office of Education Economics, welcomed Lillian Gale Harder, their first child, on Tuesday. Announcement and family photo
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