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Presented by PhRMA: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | | 
“I never expected the ultra-MAGA Republicans who seemed to control the Republican Party now. … I never anticipated that happening,” President Joe Biden said in remarks on Tuesday. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo | President JOE BIDEN spoke at the White House this morning about inflation, calling it his “top domestic priority,” in an effort to convey his administration’s commitment to the issue as it continues to rage and threatens to derail Dems in the midterms later this year. — ON INFLATION: “I know you’ve got to be frustrated,” Biden said. “Frustrated by high prices, by gridlock in Congress, by the time it takes to get anything done.” Biden said his administration is taking steps to curb inflation, and lamented Congress’ lack of progress in enacting his agenda. “You justifiably are right, we control all three branches of government. We don't really,” Biden said. “I have been pushing the things I have been proposing here and you heard me speak to since I got in office. I need to get 60 votes to pass them.” — ON THE GOP: Perhaps the most notable comments came when Biden continued his recent trend of attacking his Republican opposition, again calling out by name Florida Sen. RICK SCOTT (who the president incorrectly said was from Wisconsin). Of Scott’s proposed GOP agenda, Biden said that “If I hadn’t seen it in writing, I’d think someone is making this up.” He also admitted that he has been surprised by the state of the Republican Party: “I never expected the ultra-MAGA Republicans who seemed to control the Republican Party now. … I never anticipated that happening.” Asked to respond to Scott’s prebuttal earlier today that Biden should resign and that he is “unfit” for office, the president said: “I think the man has a problem.” Scott also invited Biden to Florida for a debate on inflation. (Something tells us that won’t be happening.) TWO MORE INFLATION STORIES …
- On gas prices: “The average price for a gallon of gas nationwide on Tuesday hit $4.37, the highest price AAA has recorded since it started keeping track in 2000. And in California, it is a $1.54 higher than that. This is not the most expensive gas on record, when adjusted for inflation, but the increase comes despite Biden’s ordering the use of a million barrels per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve a little over a month ago. The administration’s move to allow more ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply hasn’t brought much relief to consumers, either,” WaPo’s Evan Halper, Jeff Stein and Rachel Siegel write.
- On the state-by-state response: State-level efforts to fight inflation are “blurring typical party lines when it comes to tax policy,” NYT’s Alan Rappeport reports. “In many cases, Democrats are joining Republicans in supporting permanently lower taxes or temporary cuts, including for high earners. But while the policies are aimed at helping Americans weather the fastest pace of inflation in 40 years, economists warn that, paradoxically, cutting taxes could exacerbate the very problem lawmakers are trying to address.”
ABORTION FALLOUT — On the Hill this morning, Sen. BOB CASEY (D-Pa.) made news announcing that he will officially vote for Dems’ bill to codify Roe v. Wade on Wednesday. It’s a big shift for Casey, who is one of the very few Senate Dems who have previously supported abortion limits. Anthony Adragana has more for Congress Minutes But the overall needle remains unmoved. Casey’s “yes” vote simply confirms the tally that Dems will get in their doomed gambit to affirm a statutory right to abortion. Though Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) has not yet indicated which way he will vote, no Republicans are expected to support the effort, which needs 60 votes to break a filibuster. — Then there’s this: Sen. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) told reporters this morning that she is working with Sen. TIM KAINE (D-Va.) on a different bill to codify Roe that could garner bipartisan support. — Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN told the Senate Banking Committee this morning that banning abortion would “have very damaging effects on the economy” by reducing the ability of women to balance their careers and their families, Victoria Guida reports. “Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) later in the hearing pressed her on her answer, arguing that framing the issue of abortion around labor force participation ‘feels callous to me.’” Yellen responded: “It means that children will grow up in poverty and do worse themselves. This is not harsh. This is the truth.” — Pressure on the White House: “Activists on the front lines are making a new plea to President Joe Biden: Get out of the White House and spotlight the fight that’s begun,” Laura Barrón-López and Alice Miranda Ollstein report. “Those working for clinics in states taking steps or poised to immediately outlaw abortion say a Biden visit would inform how the White House responds to the final high court ruling, which is expected to overturn 50 years of federal protection for abortion in the coming weeks.” REMINDER — There are primaries tonight! POLITICO will have you covered throughout the evening. Here’s what we’re watching Good Tuesday afternoon.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: ICYMI: A majority of Americans reject so-called government “negotiation” once they learn it could restrict access and choice and chill the innovation of new treatments and cures. The survey also shows a majority find health care coverage costs unreasonable and a top priority health care issue for policymakers to address today. | | | THE WAR IN UKRAINE — “Russian troops pounded the vital port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, an apparent effort to disrupt the supply lines and Western weapons shipments critical to Kyiv’s defense,” AP’s Elena Becatoros and Jon Gambrell report from Zaporizhzhia. ALL POLITICS THE CULTURE WARS — WaPo’s Annie Linskey examines the shifting of the spotlight to the divisive culture war issues that are already animating midterm races. “Republicans believe they’ve found an edge in the culture wars. On the campaign trail, they’re railing against critical race theory and gender identity discussions in schools. In state legislatures and via executive fiat, they are trying to limit medical procedures for transgender children and punishing large companies they view as overly politically correct. They’ve found success by weaponizing the left’s “defund the police” movement, which advocates for reallocating resources to limit police power.” And make no mistake, this isn’t going anywhere: “numerous GOP candidates in recent weeks have signaled that they will continue leaning hard into the culture wars this fall,” Linskey writes. STATE OF THE UNIONS — The DCCC this morning said it would voluntarily recognize the new union that was formed by its staff, Anthony Adragna writes for Congress Minutes . “The new union will be under Teamsters Local 238 and is considered the largest collective bargaining unit among Democrats. This all comes as the House is expected to vote this week on enabling its staff to unionize on their own. The exact timing is TBD but could come as soon as Wednesday, and the resolution would not require Senate approval.”
| | | | DON'T MISS DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | CONGRESS THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE — A House Intelligence subcommittee next week will hold the “first open congressional hearing on unidentified aerial vehicles in more than half a century, with testimony from two top defense intelligence officials,” write NYT’s Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal. The hearing is expected to “to focus on the work of a group within the Pentagon that is following up on the national security and flight-safety questions raised by” a report that was released last year detailing incidents of “unidentified aerial phenomena.” THE PANDEMIC PILL PUZZLER — Top U.S. health officials are “investigating why some people who appeared to recover from Covid-19 after taking Pfizer Inc.’s antiviral pill developed symptoms again soon after,” WSJ’s Jared Hopkins reports . “The rebound cases haven’t resulted in severe disease so far. Doctors and health authorities still encourage Paxlovid’s use among people at high risk of developing severe Covid-19. … The health experts said they aren’t sure if the relapsed patients are contagious. Nor are they sure what causes the rebounds, theorizing that patients may be taking Paxlovid too early or not long enough. The experts also don’t know how common the rebounds are, though Pfizer said its real-world data indicates the relapses occur in fewer than 1 in 3,000 patients.” HEADS UP — “The manufacturing and quality issues that led to the Biden administration canceling a $628 million Covid-19 vaccine contract with Emergent Biosolutions were more extensive than previously understood, according to an investigation by the key pandemic oversight congressional committees,” Erin Banco and Sarah Owermohle report . “Millions more AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines — 400 million in total — were destroyed as a result of the lack of standards at Emergent’s Bayview facility in Baltimore, the committees found. And the company allegedly hid batches with potential quality issues from federal regulators in February 2021 following months of internal communication about the substantial problems at the facility.”
| | | | 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. | | | | | THE WHITE HOUSE STAFFING UP — The White House is beefing up the Office of the National Cyber Director, a division that was set up last year to bolster the nation’s defense in the emerging cyber battleground. “ KEMBA ENEAS WALDEN, who led a Microsoft program to counter ransomware, will serve as principal deputy national cyber director, the administration is set to announce on Tuesday. Walden will be the ‘linchpin’ for the office and will work closely with National Cyber Director CHRIS INGLIS,” CNN’s Sean Lyngaas and Zachary Cohen report. “NEAL HIGGINS , who was most recently a senior CIA official focused on cybersecurity and open-source collection, and ROB KNAKE, a veteran of cyber policy teams in the Obama administration, have also joined the cyber office in senior roles, officials will announce.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD PULLOUT FALLOUT — AP’s Ben Fox, Jacquelyn Martin and Julie Watson have the latest on the struggle of Afghan refugees who are trying to settle in to the U.S.: “Afghan refugees, some of whom faced possible reprisals for working with their government or American forces during the war with the Taliban, say in interviews that they are grateful to the U.S. for rescuing them and family members. But they are often struggling to gain a foothold in a new land, straining to pay their bills as assistance from the government and resettlement agencies starts to run out, stuck in temporary housing, and trying to figure out how to apply for asylum because most of the Afghans came under a two-year emergency status known as humanitarian parole.” PLAYBOOKERS Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook (@nancook): “Spotted on the White House driveway: Paris Hilton.” She also made her way over to the Hill, where she met with Sen. Chuck Grassley. TRANSITIONS — Mariafernanda “Marifer” Zacarias is now senior adviser for Latino engagement at the DCCC. She is an Equis Institute Latino Talent Project, Wondros, For Our Future and Planned Parenthood alum. … Democratic mail firm Bouchard Gold Partners is adding three new partners: Clinton White House alum Amanda Crumley, longtime Ohio operative Malik Hubbard and Steve Israel alum Swati Marwah. … … KM Strategies Group is adding Logan Schmidt as associate director and Celine Nehme as a strategic adviser. Schmidt most recently led legislative engagement initiatives on the federal policy team at the Vera Institute of Justice. … Jeff Gary is joining Monument Advocacy’s technology practice. He most recently was a policy analyst for Microsoft and is a Ron Wyden, Maria Cantwell, FTC and State Department alum. … Kate Cusick is joining Brunswick Group as a partner and global head of marketing. She previously was a senior partner at Porter Novelli. WEDDINGS — Anna-Marie Laura, a director at Ocean Conservancy and Sheldon Whitehouse alum, and Jeffrey Leon, a chief technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, got married Saturday at Dumbarton House in Washington, D.C. Despite Capital Weather Gang calling out Friday as “wet, cool and dismal,” guests rallied around a gap in the raindrops for a beautiful outside ceremony and belted out Robyn lyrics on the dance floor. Jeff vowed to (continue) to take great care of their cat, Banks, and Anna-Maria may have referenced Taylor Swift lyrics in her vows (from the song “Daylight,” we’re told). Pic, via Kate Thompson … Another pic — Sopan Deb, an NYT writer and author of forthcoming novel “Keya Dad’s Second Act,” and Wesley Dietrich, an associate at Cooley LLP, got married on April 23 at the Mills House in Charleston, S.C., one of their favorite cities and where part of Wesley’s family is based. The couple met on Twitter (kind of): Sopan was rotating through the breaking news desk at NYT and the two connected about a story. The two realized they had a bunch of mutual friends and decided to get a drink, and the wedding was almost exactly five years later. Instapics
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