Playbook PM: Louie Gohmert tries to memory-hole Jan. 6

From: POLITICO Playbook - Wednesday Mar 17,2021 05:24 pm

Mar 17, 2021

By Mike Zapler, Rachael Bade, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

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We noticed the right track/wrong track numbers hit 50-50 last week in our running POLITICO/Morning Consult tracker, a high-water mark for the past year. This week, it crept up even further to 55% saying the country is on the right track, 45% on the wrong track. The previous high was 43-57 in the March 8, 2020, poll, before the pandemic sent everyone home. The national mood bottomed out over the summer, ticked up a bit in the fall, then plummeted to 18-82 after the Jan. 6 riot. It’s been on the upswing since President JOE BIDEN’S inauguration and growing optimism that a return to normal life is not far off.

The poll question: “Now, generally speaking, would you say that things in the country are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?”

Morning Consult/POLITICO polling data

TRUMP HILL ALLIES TRY TO SCRUB MEMORY OF JAN. 6 — Call this what it is: totally bonkers and extremely dangerous. But our Mel Zanona this afternoon scooped that some Donald Trump allies are trying to scrub references to the insurrection in a resolution to give congressional gold medals to U.S. Capitol Police officers who put their lives on the line that day.

The House is supposed to be voting on the resolution, like, yesterday. And you would think it’d be noncontroversial. But per Mel, Rep. LOUIE GOHMERT (R-Texas) is circulating a competing resolution this morning that takes out a reference to what happened on Jan. 6.

It also appears to downplay the sacrifice of Officers Brian Sicknick and Jeffrey Smith, merely stating that they “passed in January 2021.” Sicknick died in the insurrection, and Smith died by suicide after he struggled with what happened that day.

It’s just the latest effort by some of Trump’s most hardcore backers to rewrite history. It comes after Huddle this morning scooped that some Republicans may vote against this resolution honoring USCP because the bill refers to the Capitol as “the temple of our American Democracy” and calls the Jan. 6 attackers as “a mob of insurrectionists.”

NEW ON THE W.H. SCHEDULE: President JOE BIDEN was briefed this morning over the phone by A.G. MERRICK GARLAND and FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY on the shootings in Georgia.

— “Cops: Shooting suspect says he targeted spas because of sexual addiction,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Robert Aaron Long, accused in three shootings about an hour apart Tuesday in Cherokee County and northeast Atlanta, told investigators he frequented the types of businesses he allegedly targeted: massage parlors. And though six of those killed were Asian, investigators said it’s too early to call the shootings hate crimes. …

“But Long did take responsibility for the shootings, Capt. Jay Baker with the Cherokee sheriff’s office said. Long, according to Baker, said the massage parlors represented a ‘temptation he wanted to eliminate.’ … Long also told investigators his plan was to drive to Florida and commit similar crimes.”

— Elise Hu notes that multiple Korean-language outlets are reporting he shouted he wanted to kill all Asians.

— VP KAMALA HARRIS this morning, per pooler Nikki Schwab of the Daily Mail: “It is tragic. Our country, the president and I and all of us, we grieve for those lost. … This speaks to a larger issue, which is the issue of violence in our country and what we must do to never tolerate it and to always speak out against it. … I do want to say to our Asian American community that we stand with you and understand how this has frightened and shocked and outraged all people.”

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VOTING RIGHTS LATEST — Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said this morning that he’ll put the For the People Act, Democrats’ election reform bill, on the Senate floor. And he slammed GOP efforts to reduce voting access in statehouses around the country: “Shame on them. Shame! It’s infuriating. … When you lose an election, you’re supposed to win over the people you lost, not stop them from voting.”

BUT, BUT, BUT … As some Democrats talk about creating an exception to pass election reform with 51 votes, Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) threw cold water on the idea today. @burgessev: “Manchin on a filibuster carve out for a specific bill like HR 1: ‘No. No. No. That’s like being a little bit pregnant maybe.’”

— AND ANOTHER SKEPTIC … NBC’S @sahilkapur: “Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) tells Capitol Hill pool she’s not yet sold on nixing the filibuster, fretting that it could backfire on Democrats when GOP regains power. ‘I am concerned. That is a factor,’ she says. ‘One of the reasons why I’m hesitant.’”

Good Wednesday afternoon.

THEY’RE BACK — “House GOP votes to embrace the return of earmarks,” by Melanie Zanona and Caitlin Emma: “The secret-ballot vote was 102-84, according to sources familiar with the count.

“Democrats have already announced similar reforms in their plan to bring back earmarks. But with the majority party planning to soon bring back the spending practice, many Republicans felt like they would be at a huge disadvantage if they decided not to participate while Democrats reaped the rewards of the spending practice.”

A UNANIMOUS VOTE! — The Senate confirmed KATHERINE TAI to be U.S. trade representative, 98-0. More from Gavin Bade … But XAVIER BECERRA’S nomination to be HHS secretary advanced by just a 50-49 vote.

WEDNESDAY WATCH: What’s Harris been up to?

GAG ORDER AT THE BORDER — “Biden administration limits what Border Patrol can share with media about migrant surge at border,” NBC: “Border Patrol officials have been told to deny all media requests for ‘ride-alongs’ with agents along the southern land border; local press officers are instructed to send all information queries, even from local media, to the press office in Washington for approval; and those responsible for cultivating data about the number of migrants in custody have been reminded not to share the information with anyone to prevent leaks, the officials said.

“Multiple news organizations, including NBC News, have requested access to or photos from inside overcrowded border processing facilities holding unaccompanied migrant children; they have been denied. The new restrictions have been passed down verbally, not through an official memo, the officials said. The unofficial policy has led some agents at the border to release videos that show mass arrests and surges of migrants without permission from Washington, two officials said.”

— ON THE HILL: “Mayorkas defends Biden administration’s handling of border situation,” by Sabrina Rodríguez: “Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday made clear the Biden administration will not back off of efforts to create its promised ‘fair and humane’ immigration system amid the influx of unaccompanied minors at the U.S.-Mexico border and mounting criticism from Republicans.”

TV TONIGHT — Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA will give an interview to Lester Holt on “NBC Nightly News,” airing tonight at 6:30 p.m.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO “THE RECAST”: Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. “The Recast” is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don’t miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

BLOOMBERG: “Biden Considers Expanding Obamacare Enrollment Window Past May”

HOW TO REOPEN — “Biden admin unveils $10B school testing plan for Covid-19,” by David Lim: “The CDC and state and local health departments will provide technical assistance to schools to help set up and implement the new screening programs in schools. The idea is to repeatedly test students and teachers for Covid-19 to detect those who are infected but without symptoms to limit the spread of the virus.”

THE BRAVE NEW WORLD — “Vaccine passports pose ethical thicket for Biden administration,” by Darius Tahir: “States, airlines and tech companies are pressuring the Biden administration to develop a federal standard for vaccine passports — a policy that could speed the economic recovery but might also discriminate against disadvantaged groups and jeopardize privacy. …

“But without White House involvement, industry leaders say they’ll be left with a confusing patchwork of unregulated and unreliable tracking tools that could invite fraud and raise troubling questions about risk and fairness. … The White House says the government shouldn’t issue the credentials or store the data. But it’s held discussions with tech firms on how a passport system might work, asking for details about whether pharmacies and other establishments might provide the necessary data.”

THE SHARING QUESTION — “Mexico and Canada Top Biden’s List for Eventual Vaccine Exports,” Bloomberg: “But Biden and administration officials have said the U.S. will not share its vaccines until after it has enough for its own people, leaving timing for any exports unclear. … Mexico this week made its second public request for the U.S. to share doses, specifically asking for shots from the as-yet untapped AstraZeneca supply.”

HONG KONG LATEST — “U.S. sanctions 24 Hong Kong and Chinese officials ahead of Blinken meeting with Beijing,” CNN: “The sanctions were introduced under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act (HKAA), which was passed by the United States last year … Among those sanctioned are Wang Chen, a member of the 25-person Politburo, one of China’s top decision-making bodies, and Tam Yiu-chung, the only Hong Konger on the committee that drafted the national security law.”

— “Bipartisanship in a divided Senate? On China, perhaps,” by Andrew Desiderio and Marianne LeVine: “The Senate majority leader is vowing to put a bill on the floor this spring aimed at curbing Beijing’s growing economic influence, human-rights abuses and threats to U.S. national security. Schumer, a longtime China hawk, knows he needs Republicans to get his bill done.

“And while Senate Republicans were livid after Schumer pushed forward on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package without GOP votes, they’re not closing the door to working with the New York Democrat on China.”

IRAN SO FAR AWAY — Negar Mortazavi has a Q&A with Iranian Foreign Minister JAVAD ZARIF in POLITICO this morning, including this exchange: “And how long are you, Iran, prepared to wait for the U.S. to make this return? JZ: As long as it takes for the U.S. to return.” The full interview

— “U.N. atomic watchdog confirms details of new Iran centrifuges,” AP

DEEP DIVE — “Biden faces Trump’s deadline on Afghanistan troop withdrawal: ‘Any way you cut it, we are headed for a messy outcome,’” USA Today: “U.S. troops have been in Afghanistan two decades. Will they be out by May 1?”

CLICKER — “A Close-Up Picture of Partisan Segregation, Among 180 Million Voters,” NYT: “Democrats and Republicans live apart from each other, down to the neighborhood, to a degree that raises provocative questions about how closely lifestyle preferences have become aligned with politics and how even neighbors may influence one another. … Democrats and Republicans can live in very different places, even within the same city, in ways that go beyond the urban-suburban-rural patterns visible in aggregated election results.”

TUNE IN TO GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe and start listening today.

WHAT SCHUMER IS EYEING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE — “Chuck Schumer Wants To Replace Every Gas Car In America With An Electric Vehicle,” The Verge: “With the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill signed into law, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is ready to tackle the next major challenge: President Joe Biden’s call for a massive infrastructure bill. As part of that package, Schumer said he plans to include his ambitious proposal to get every American to swap their gas-guzzling car for an electric one.

“‘It’s a bold new plan designed to accelerate America’s transition to all electric vehicles on the road, to developing a charging infrastructure, and to grow American jobs through clean manufacturing,’ Schumer told The Verge in a brief interview this week. ‘And the ultimate goal is to have every car manufactured in America be electric by 2030, and every car on the road be clean by 2040.’”

RECALL ME MAYBE — “Get ready for California recall to break the bank in 2021,” by Jeremy White: “Limitless money, a slew of candidates and undivided national attention are about to converge in a battle for California’s future.

“An effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom is highly likely to qualify after supporters submit their last signatures this week. The ensuing campaign will be a melee free from the constraints that inhibit other statewide contests in California. Donation caps don’t apply. Hundreds of millions of dollars are likely to inundate the state as the full might of California’s Democratic establishment vies with a concerted Republican effort to oust a humbled blue state leader.”

REPORT CARD — “White supremacist propaganda surged in 2020, report says,” AP: “White supremacist propaganda reached alarming levels across the U.S. in 2020, according to a new report that the Anti-Defamation League provided to The Associated Press.

“There were 5,125 cases of racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ and other hateful messages spread through physical flyers, stickers, banners and posters, according to Wednesday’s report. That’s nearly double the 2,724 instances reported in 2019. Online propaganda is much harder to quantify, and it’s likely those cases reached into the millions, the anti-hate organization said.”

LOOK WHO’S BARK — “A good boy again: Biden’s dog will return to the White House,” AP: “Biden, in an interview that aired Wednesday, said that his dog Major, who had been involved in a biting incident at the White House, was ‘a sweet dog.’ He explained the biting by saying that the dog had ‘turned a corner, there’s two people he doesn’t know at all, you know, and they move and moves to protect.’”

TRUMP INC. — “Trump’s Florida resort touted as potential gambling destination,” WaPo: “Former president Donald Trump’s son Eric, who runs the family’s private company, touted the potential of transforming their Doral golf resort into a gambling destination amid a quiet push among Florida Republicans to legalize casinos in areas of the state that have long opposed them.”

— “Trump’s Ailing Empire,” Bloomberg: “Trump’s net worth is down to $2.3 billion from $3 billion when he became president, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The pandemic he promised would disappear is walloping his company, and the riot that got him impeached for a second time is wounding his brand.”

AFTERNOON READ — “The Libya Allergy,” Foreign Policy: “Libya’s unraveling has become a symbol for many Americans of the limits of U.S. power and the folly of military intervention in distant countries. It has undercut the case for humanitarian intervention globally and continues to haunt key former and current U.S. officials, some of whose careers have been marred by Libya.

“It has also emerged as a test of the Biden administration’s will to assert American diplomatic leadership in a crisis that many of his top advisers help set in motion a decade ago. … Experts fret that Libya’s unraveling has led policymakers in Washington to steer clear of the country, right when it could benefit from U.S. support for a delicate political transition.”

TRANSITION — Chris Hodgson is returning to Cornerstone Government Affairs’ federal government relations team. He most recently was director of legislative affairs for VP Mike Pence.

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