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Presented by Meta: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | BREAKING — The House Jan. 6 committee is talking with former Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO about testifying behind closed doors, with potential plans for him to speak in the coming days, ABC’s Jonathan Karl and Katherine Faulders scooped .
|  Former VP Mike Pence was the focus in Washington this morning. | Nathan Howard/Getty Images | PARTY LIKE IT’S 2017 — The gang is getting back together, of a sort, as former VP MIKE PENCE and former President DONALD TRUMP return to D.C. for inside-the-Beltway speeches today. The erstwhile running mates are, of course, now potential political rivals and quasi-combatants in a largely one-sided debate over the effort to overturn the 2020 election they lost. Pence was the focus this morning. — His speech: In an address at the Young America’s Foundation’s National Conservative Student Conference, he continued his now-familiar dance of hugging the Trump administration as tightly as possible while distancing himself from Trump’s election fraud conspiracy theories. “I don’t know that our movement is that divided,” Pence maintained in a Q&A afterward. “I don’t know that the president and I differ on issues, but we may differ on focus,” he added. “I truly do believe that elections are about the future, and that it’s absolutely essential — at a time when so many Americans are hurting, so many families are struggling — that we don’t give way to the temptation to look back.” Mostly, Pence sounded like a full-throated conservative, decrying the “pernicious woke agenda,” celebrating the end of Roe v. Wade and warning that “American freedom is under attack.” More from the N.Y. Post — His book: Pence also announced that his memoir, “So Help Me God,” will publish Nov. 15 from Simon & Schuster. Interestingly, that’s the same day as former first lady MICHELLE OBAMA’s. ( h/t Garrett Graff ) The publisher’s description of the book epitomizes Pence’s tightrope act: “The most robust defense of the Trump record of anyone who served in the administration, SO HELP ME GOD also chronicles President Trump’s severing of their relationship on January 6, 2021 when Pence kept his oath to the Constitution.” Heads up: Trump’s speech at the America First Agenda Summit is scheduled for 3 p.m. CHIPS OFF THE BLOCK — The big $52 billion semiconductor chips and manufacturing legislation advanced on a 64-32 vote this morning in the Senate. Next up is the final vote in the upper chamber, where CHIPS-plus is now expected to pass, before it heads to the House. One semantic hurdle: Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said today he now wants the bill to be called “the Chips and Science Bill,” per WaPo’s Mike DeBonis , the latest of many renamings. PRESIDENTIAL HEALTH UPDATE — President JOE BIDEN’s Covid-19 symptoms are almost entirely gone, as he’s finished his course of Paxlovid and started exercising again, presidential doctor KEVIN O’CONNOR said in his latest memo today . Good Tuesday afternoon.
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Learn how Meta is helping build the metaverse. | | | BIG MEDIA MOVE — ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN will be the new permanent co-host of “The View,” filling MEGHAN MCCAIN’S old spot, The Daily Mail’s Claudia Aoraha scooped . JUDICIARY SQUARE THE SCOTUS STORY — The Supreme Court isn’t finished dribbling out details of its internal negotiations to the press. CNN’s Joan Biskupic this morning recounts how Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS tried and failed to stop his fellow conservatives from overturning Roe v. Wade. Justice BRETT KAVANAUGH was the main swing vote Roberts targeted, but Kavanaugh seemingly never came close to changing his mind — and when POLITICO published Justice SAMUEL ALITO’s draft opinion, Roberts’ task got even harder. Among the details:
- Though Roberts’ efforts to win over Kavanaugh “raised fears among conservatives and hope among liberals,” the draft publication led conservative justices to push to release the decision sooner, for fear that it might change. Roberts’ drive was “thwarted by the sudden public nature of the state of play,” which essentially locked in the majority’s votes.
- “The aggressive leak investigation worsened the existing strains among the justices, their law clerks and other employees in the nine chambers,” writes Biskupic.
ANOTHER SCOTUS IMPACT — The conservative majority’s ruling in favor of a public high school coach who prayed with students during games has opened the door for more prayer in schools nationwide, WaPo’s Hannah Natanson reports . “In response, families, teachers and activists are preparing to push religious worship into public schools nationwide — working to blur the line dividing prayer and pedagogy and promising emotional, spiritual and educational benefits for students. Some school officials are listening.” CONGRESS THE MARRIAGE BILL — Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN (D-Wis.) said today she’s “very hopeful that we’ll get there pretty soon” on whipping the requisite 10 Senate GOP votes to support the bill codifying same-sex and interracial marriage rights, per HuffPost’s Igor Bobic . Asked if she was surprised that fellow Wisconsinite RON JOHNSON had gotten on board, she said, “I take each of my Senate colleagues one at a time.” — Sen. RICHARD BURR (R-N.C.) has shifted slightly from a no vote on the bill to “leaning in opposition,” per NBC’s Sahil Kapur . Sens. PAT TOOMEY (R-Pa.) and MIKE BRAUN (R-Ind.) said they won’t reveal their votes ahead of time, per Bobic . Sen. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-W.Va.) is “still looking at it,” per Kapur . RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES — Sen. RON WYDEN (D-Ore.) said today that he wants the reconciliation bill to include stepped-up IRS tax audits to help fund Obamacare subsidies, per Bloomberg’s Erik Wasson . A TAXING REALITY — WSJ’s Richard Rubin has a brutal story this morning on just how feckless Democrats have been on tax policy over the past year and a half, thanks to their narrow congressional margins. Republicans’ big 2017 tax reform looks here to stay, at least until parts of it expire at the end of 2025. The gist: “Almost none of the major tax ideas Democrats proposed as they won control of the federal government 18 months ago will get over the finish line.”
| | | | 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 2024 WATCH — New Hampshire Democrats are souring on Biden, who doesn’t even come in first in a new poll of a hypothetical contested primary in 2024. The University of New Hampshire survey finds Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG nudging out Biden as respondents’ top pick, 17% to 16%, followed by Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) and California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM tied at 10%. — The prospect of a looming showdown between Trump and Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS is roiling top Florida Republicans, “many of whom are torn over having to pick sides and would rather not see a clash arrive, though they expect one,” WSJ’s Alex Leary reports from Hollywood, Fla. “Some hope Mr. Trump, 76, won’t run and some want Mr. DeSantis, 43, to wait his turn. Others fantasize about a Trump-DeSantis ticket.” One person close to Trump tells the WSJ the former president isn’t worried about most 2024 contenders: “Only Ron matters.” UP FOR DEBATE — Public debates between Democratic Sen. RAPHAEL WARNOCK and GOP challenger HERSCHEL WALKER are becoming a point of contention in the Georgia race, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein reports . Walker vowed to debate Warnock, but he has yet to accept official invitations to the scheduled showdowns, “and some GOP political observers don’t think he will. Instead, he has made a sport of moving the goalposts for the events, drawing attention away from other issues that have dogged his Senate bid.” Now, Warnock is hitting Walker on the matter, releasing a new TV ad today titled “Scared.” RYAN ON THE HILL — Rep. TIM RYAN (D-Ohio) is pitching himself to voters in the Senate race as a pro-worker candidate — a stance underscored by his advocacy for Capitol Hill staffers, including the creation of the House Center for Well-Being, Katherine Tully-McManus reports . But “Ryan’s longtime quest to improve a workplace many voters brand ‘the swamp’ might prove too inside-baseball for constituents who would rather hear how he’s combating inflation and protecting their own jobs.” JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH THE INVESTIGATIONS — Two fake Trump electors in Georgia in 2020 are now under investigation by the State Bar of Georgia, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David Wickert . The probe comes after the 65 Project filed complaints against them, part of the watchdog’s effort to punish lawyers across the country who tried to overturn the election. POLICY CORNER THE NEW DRUG WAR — The Biden administration may be on the brink of supporting supervised drug consumption sites, which would mark “a radical shift in U.S. drug control policy” if the Justice Department signs off, NYT’s Noah Weiland reports from Manchester, N.H. Already, drug czar RAHUL GUPTA has shifted toward a progressive “harm reduction” approach, which seeks to tackle the opioid crisis and other drug addiction by lowering risks instead of going abstinence-only. “As fentanyl continues to pummel communities, Dr. Gupta says that the Biden administration has adopted a consider-everything attitude.” ON THE ADA ANNIVERSARY — The Biden administration today announced $343 million in funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law to improve accessibility for disabled people in train stations, per ABC’s Amanda Maile . The money “will be allotted to transit agencies across the country to retrofit rail and subway stations for wheelchair use.”
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — In a new report, Sen. ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio) charges that China has been targeting the Fed for years, trying to infiltrate and recruit people from the central bank, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Andrew Tobias . FOR YOUR RADAR — “‘She’s a Human Being Who Was Killed in Cold Blood’: Shireen Abu Akleh’s Family Demands U.S. Action,” by Joseph Gedeon: “In an exclusive statement and interview, they argue the White House has not taken their concerns seriously and has been reluctant to meet with them. … After this interview took place, the Abu Akleh family says they were granted a Tuesday afternoon meeting with [Secretary of State ANTONY] BLINKEN.” THE ECONOMY RECESSION WATCH — “Gloomy and More Uncertain” is how the IMF headlines its latest worldwide economic outlook report, which drops its prediction for global growth this year down to 3.2%. “The outlook has darkened significantly since April,” writes Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas . “The world may soon be teetering on the edge of a global recession, only two years after the last one.” THE NEW NORMAL — Experts warn that the high gas prices afflicting the Biden White House — and Biden’s America — are likely to rear their heads quite a bit under future administrations, too, Ben Lefebvre reports . “The reason: The United States’ capacity for refining oil into gasoline is declining, a trend that appears irreversible — for reasons that include climate change. But the nation’s appetite for fuel is holding firm.” TRUMP CARDS SPORTS BLINK — Trump isn’t backing down from hosting the Saudi-backed LIV Golf event in Bedminster this week, despite protests from 9/11 victims’ families. “I don’t know much about the 9/11 families, I don’t know what is the relationship to this, and their very strong feelings, and I can understand their feelings,” he tells WSJ’s Andrew Beaton . “I can’t really comment on that because I don’t know exactly what they’re saying, and what they’re saying who did what.” As for the controversy around the murder of JAMAL KHASHOGGI, “that has died down so much,” he adds. Meanwhile, a vivid new ad from the families blasts the golfers and Bedminster (though not Trump by name): “How much money to turn your back on your own country?” Watch, via NYT’s Maggie Haberman WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE HELSINKI — Axios’ Mike Allen has this wild nugget from Jonathan Lemire’s new book , “The Big Lie,” about Trump’s 2018 press conference in Finland with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN: “ FIONA HILL, the senior Russia expert on the National Security Council, who was sitting one row in front of me, later told me that she considered doing something, anything — including faking a heart attack — to disrupt the proceedings and get Trump to stop talking.”
| | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY . | | | | | WAR IN UKRAINE AD ASTRA — Russia’s new space chief, YURI BORISOV , announced today the country would drop out of the International Space Station project after 2024 to focus on building its own orbital space station, per the AP . Russia’s withdrawal marks the end of one of the last areas of cooperation between Moscow and the U.S. KNOWING OLENA ZELENSKA — The Ukrainian first lady is on the digital cover of Vogue, with a profile by Rachel Donadio and photos by Annie Leibovitz. PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — Values Partnerships hosted a private screening at the Navy Memorial Burke Theater of the new film “Till,” telling the story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s pursuit of justice for her son Emmett Till. SPOTTED: director Chinonye Chukwu, producer Keith Beauchamp, Adriene Bowles, Roslyn Brock, Phyllis Dickerson, Deborah Watts, Barbara Broccoli, Kamau Marshall, Joshua and Michelle DuBois, Charmion Kinder and April Ryan. — SPOTTED at the retirement party for Toni Bush, outgoing head of government affairs for News Corp, on the roof at the Hay-Adams: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Andrea Mitchell, Donna Brazile, Steve Elmendorf, Danny O’Brien, Susan Fox, Melinda Lewis, Todd Thorpe, DeDe Lea, Fred Humphries, Tammy Haddad and Frank Raines. WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — Michael LaRosa will be a managing director at Hamilton Place Strategies, CNN’s Kate Bennett scooped . He most recently has been press secretary for first lady Jill Biden and special assistant to the president. TRANSITIONS — Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien is now a distinguished senior fellow at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy. The announcement … Blair Kiser is now senior director of government relations at Social Current. They most recently were director of government relations and advocacy at NephCure Kidney International. … Sarah Harris is joining Stand Up America as deputy comms director. She previously was at Everytown for Gun Safety. Correction: Monday’s Playbook PM misstated the level of support in a new poll for federal legislation protecting abortion access. Fifty-seven percent of voters support such a proposal.
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