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Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by Facebook | BREAKING — @CapitolPolice: “CRITICAL INCIDENT: USCP is responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers. A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital.” More from the AP After more than a year of pandemic, death and economic calamity, indicators of good news in the U.S. are arriving more quickly and more convincingly these days. But the positive headlines pose their own challenges — especially around communication — for the Biden White House, which finds itself walking a tricky tightrope between celebrating milestones and conveying urgency (or caution). Look no further than the CDC’s new travel guidelines this morning for fully vaccinated people. Erin Banco reports that “fully vaccinated Americans can resume domestic and overseas travel as long as they wear masks in public … The individuals do not need to get a Covid-19 test before or after traveling and do not need to self-quarantine on return, as long as they follow public health measures. “In addition, the CDC will say fully vaccinated Americans do not need a Covid-19 test for international travel unless it is required by the country they are traveling to, and they do not need to quarantine upon reentry to the U.S.” Read the full CDC guidelines Lest you get too excited, the administration is simultaneously messaging that … they’re not actually encouraging fully vaccinated Americans to travel yet. “I would advocate against general travel overall,” CDC Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY said at today’s Covid-19 briefing. That’s in recognition of the fact that case and hospitalization numbers are still rising. And even as more and more data confirm the incredible protection that the vaccines confer, a majority of the country remains un-jabbed. (As David Lim put it, “In some ways this is the story of the pandemic — what people CAN do is not necessarily what they SHOULD do.”) The White House has to pull off a similar dance on the economy and its forthcoming massive infrastructure bill. This morning’s March jobs report brought encouraging signs: “U.S. employers add 916,000 jobs in March as hiring accelerates,” AP: “The March increase — the most since August — was nearly double February’s gain of 468,000, the Labor Department said Friday. The unemployment rate declined from 6.2% to 6%. … [H]iring strengthened across the economy.” But Megan Cassella notes that the upswing could complicate the infrastructure sales pitch: “Biden’s spending plans collide with a resurgent U.S. economy”: “It’s the latest in a series of reports this week showing a resurgent economy, with consumer confidence jumping to levels not seen since the start of the pandemic and manufacturing activity surging to its highest peak in nearly four decades. … “Together, the numbers signal the U.S. is well on its way toward a revival, one that’s widely expected to reach record levels of growth later this year. And that in turn has blunted one of the central pillars of the Biden administration’s argument as to why the sprawling infrastructure plan is so sorely needed. … Most lawmakers in both parties agree, however, that a major investment in the country’s infrastructure would be well worth it.” | | A message from Facebook: It’s time to update internet regulations
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See how we’re making progress on key issues and why we support updated regulations to set clear rules for addressing today’s toughest challenges. | | | President JOE BIDEN summed up the contradictions neatly in his remarks this morning, touting the progress and hope but warning that the work is not done as the coronavirus surges in some parts of the country. “Too many Americans are acting like this fight is over. It is not. … Don’t give back the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve.” Biden also extended his pitch for a big infrastructure package, projecting that his eight-year plan would create 19 million jobs. “How many times have we heard ‘this is infrastructure week’ over the last four years? About every second week was infrastructure week, but no infrastructure was built.” The president said he would begin meeting with Congress on infrastructure after recess. “Debate is welcome. Compromise is inevitable. Changes in my plan are certain, but inaction is not an option.” Asked for his reaction to Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL saying he would fight the administration’s $2 trillion plan “every step of the way,” Biden said: “If the Republicans decide that we need it but they’re not going to pay for it … what do you think would happen if they found out all the lead pipes were up in the Capitol every time they turned on a water fountain? … I think the Republican voters are going to have a lot to say about whether we get a lot of this done.” Happy Friday afternoon. Press secretary JEN PSAKI announced at today’s briefing that Biden’s first in-person bilateral will take place April 16 when Japanese PM YOSHIHIDE SUGA visits Washington. INCHING CLOSER — “In Potential Breakthrough, U.S. and Iran Agree to Resumption of Nuclear Talks,” WSJ: “Negotiations to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal will take place among all parties in Vienna next week, senior Western diplomats said Friday, the first serious effort to rescue the agreement since President Biden took office in January. “Senior officials from all participants in the accord, Iran, France, Germany, the U.K., Russia, China and the European Union, as well as top U.S. officials, will gather in the Austrian capital from Tuesday. However, there will be no direct discussions for now between U.S. and Iranian officials … The Vienna meeting will aim at drawing up two separate agreements.” U RANG — “Biden holds first call with Ukrainian president amid Russian buildup,” by Natasha Bertrand and Lara Seligman: “President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on Friday morning for the first time since Biden took office, amid reports of a Russian military buildup in eastern Ukraine that has alarmed U.S. and Ukrainian officials. “The leaders spoke for 30 to 40 minutes, according to a person with knowledge of the call. A White House readout of the conversation said Biden ‘reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea.’ The leaders also discussed Zelensky’s anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, which are ‘central to Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations,’ the readout says.” GAETZ-GATE — “These Text Messages Pointed the Feds to Matt Gaetz,” Daily Beast: “In late January 2020, U.S. Secret Service agents received information that Rep. Matt Gaetz had accompanied a Florida county tax official they were already investigating on an unusual nighttime visit to a government office—where the local official was allegedly making fake IDs, a source close to the investigation told The Daily Beast. … “The Daily Beast obtained images of additional text messages that purport to show [Joel] Greenberg helping Gaetz get duplicate IDs—outside of proper channels on a Sunday afternoon.” — @AdamWeinstein: “From NBC News: Luke Ball, the communications director for Rep. Matt Gaetz, has resigned, according to a person familiar with the situation.” | | | | 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 our latest newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | MORE ON INFRASTRUCTURE … Three different stories this morning delved into the state of infrastructure in America — and what Biden’s bill would do in response: — THE TROUBLE SPOTS: “Seven Infrastructure Problems in Urgent Need of Fixing,” NYT: “Deteriorating rail tunnels under the Hudson River … The creaky Brent Spence Bridge [between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Ky.] … Crumbling schools vulnerable to earthquakes [in Puerto Rico] … Hundreds of rural bridges, all closed … Water crisis in Mississippi … Dams increasingly battered by climate change … Levees that can no longer consistently hold.” — BURIED IN THE BILL: “Paper plates and school buses: What you might have missed in Biden’s infrastructure plan,” by Sam Mintz, with contributions from around the newsroom: “Electrify everything … Education nation … New federal offices … Broaden broadband … Computing power to boost the Pentagon … Tinkering with tax credits.” — “Biden jobs plan seeks $400 billion to expand caretaking services as U.S. faces surge in aging population,” WaPo: “President Biden’s jobs plan proposes a massive investment in home care for the elderly and people with disabilities … [It’s] roughly a fifth of the overall price tag of Biden’s plan … “The push to substantially expand in-home health-care services was one of the last major provisions added to the jobs plan, according to two people with knowledge of internal White House deliberations. … The inclusion of home care represents a significant commitment from the White House, which faced a large — and, at times, competing — set of policy demands from unions, advocates and congressional Democrats.” DIVE INTO THE DETAILS — “What Georgia’s Voting Law Really Does,” NYT: “Go page by page through Georgia’s new voting law, and one takeaway stands above all others: The Republican legislature and governor have made a breathtaking assertion of partisan power in elections … “The New York Times has examined and annotated the law, identifying 16 provisions that hamper the right to vote for some Georgians or strip power from state and local elections officials and give it to legislators.” — “Fact check: Biden and Kemp misleadingly describe parts of Georgia elections law,” CNN 2020 POST-MORTEM — “Fresh data reveal how Trump made inroads with Latinos,” Axios: “A new analysis of U.S. voters suggests — counterintuitively — that the coronavirus pandemic may have helped drive former President Donald Trump’s surprising increase in support from Latinos last November. … “By shifting Trump’s rhetoric from immigration to fears around the economic impact of shutdowns, the virus gave conservative and low-information Latino voters a permission structure to back Trump even if they shunned him in 2016, according to preliminary findings by research firm Equis. … Equis researchers say Democrats must commit to ongoing investment in Latino precincts rather than showing up every two or four years, or for a last-month advertising blitz.” The full analysis JAN. 6 FALLOUT — “White House tells Democratic investigators it no longer has Trump White House Capitol attack documents,” CNN ANTITRUST THE PROCESS — “Biden struggling to fill DOJ job that could rein in Silicon Valley,” by Leah Nylen: “President Joe Biden’s search for the Justice Department’s top trust-busting role is being bogged down by ethics concerns, both about candidates who have represented Silicon Valley’s giants and those who have represented critics of the big tech companies. The debate is now imperiling the prospects for the favorite candidate of progressives who are eager to rein in the power of Silicon Valley.” | | | | 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 BERNIE SANDERS IS READING — “No Federal Taxes for Dozens of Big, Profitable Companies,” NYT: “[D]ozens of Fortune 500 companies were able to further shrink their tax bill — sometimes to zero — thanks to a range of legal deductions and exemptions that have become staples of the tax code … “Salesforce, Archer-Daniels-Midland and Consolidated Edison were among those named in the report, which was done by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning research group in Washington. Twenty-six of the companies listed, including FedEx, Duke Energy and Nike, were able to avoid paying any federal income tax for the last three years even though they reported a combined income of $77 billion. Many also received millions of dollars in tax rebates.” The report IMMIGRATION FILES — “Border officials say more people are sneaking past them as crossings soar and agents are overwhelmed,” WaPo: “Nearly 1,000 people per day are sneaking into the United States without being identified or taken into custody because U.S. border agents are busy attending to migrant families and unaccompanied children while also trying to stop soaring numbers of male adults … “While CBP has never claimed to interdict every border crosser, the number of so-called got aways recorded in recent weeks is the highest in recent memory.” — FROM 30,000 FEET: “The reason many Guatemalans are coming to the border? A profound hunger crisis,” WaPo: “Guatemala now has the sixth-highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the world. The number of acute cases in children, according to one new Guatemalan government study, doubled between 2019 and 2020. The crisis was caused in part by failed harvests linked to climate change, a string of natural disasters and a nearly nonexistent official response. Supply-chain disruptions then led to a spike in prices.” A FOREIGN POLICY TEST FOR BIDEN — “U.S. policy toward Egypt sparks conflict between congressional Democrats and Biden,” WaPo: “President Biden’s aides had signaled a renewed focus on human rights in foreign policy, and while campaigning, Biden said there would be ‘no more blank checks for Trump’s “favorite dictator,”’ referring to Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi … “But Biden’s talk of a fresh start clashed with the State Department’s approval in February of a $197 million sale of missiles and related equipment to Egypt. The decision — and timing — raised concerns among some Democratic lawmakers who have oversight responsibilities of weapons transfers. … More potential conflicts over Egypt are looming between the Biden administration and Congress.” DEJA VU — “Republicans trod well-worn path to court to sue Biden,” AP: “These are busy days for Republican state attorneys general, filing repeated lawsuits that claim President Joe Biden and his administration are overstepping their authority on immigration, climate change, the environment and taxes. “Most of the action is in federal courts where former President Donald Trump was able to appoint conservative judges. The strategy harks back to what Democrats did during Trump’s presidency, heading to court in New York, California, Maryland and other states where they were likely to receive a friendly reception.” 2022 WATCH — “Rep. Brendan Boyle decides against Pennsylvania Senate bid,” The Hill FRIDAY LISTEN — TARA talks to Global Translations author RYAN HEATH on the latest episode of “Nerdcast” about his 68-hour travel journey to get Down Under, in which Ryan peers inside the hellish future of global travel and explains why it might be more expensive for travelers. Listen and subscribe PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION … AGE OF EXTINCTION — “Historic Board Says Transformer Sculptures Can’t Remain In Georgetown,” DCist: “Members of the federal board charged with reviewing any changes to the exterior of Georgetown’s historic homes hinted Thursday that two large Transformers sculptures placed outside a house on Prospect Street NW — one of Optimus Prime, the other of Bumblebee — will likely have to come down because they don’t comport with the neighborhood’s historic character.” | | | |   | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
