Worries balloon over Chinese spying

By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade

With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

HALEY TO N.H. — Former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. NIKKI HALEY is heading to New Hampshire after her expected presidential campaign launch in South Carolina on Feb. 15, per POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky. Haley is planning to hold town hall-style events in New Hampshire from Feb. 16-18, according to a person familiar with her schedule.

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. | Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP

TRIAL BALLOON — We have our first taste of how different conducting foreign policy will be for President JOE BIDEN now that Republicans control the House.

The Pentagon revealed Thursday afternoon that it has detected and is tracking a large Chinese spy balloon floating in the stratosphere above Montana, where it was surveilling a nuclear missile base. The balloon, which entered U.S. airspace on Tuesday, is well above the altitude at which commercial aircraft fly, and Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. PAT RYDER insisted that it “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”

Officials also noted that it’s not the first time one of these balloons has been spotted in American airspace in recent years — including during the Trump administration. But another official said the balloon has lingered longer than the others.

“It is appearing to hang out for a long period of time this time around, more persistent than in previous instances,” the official said. And, of course, tensions with China are already high.

Biden “was briefed and asked for military options,” according to a senior Defense official. He apparently wanted to know if he should blow it out of the sky.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Billings Logan International Airport was closed for two hours while F-22s were sent up and the airspace around the balloon was emptied.

Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN, who was traveling in the Philippines, convened top military officials. But they decided that the balloon does not pose a risk to any Americans on the ground, that it does not pose a risk to any civilian aircraft, and that it does not “pose a significantly enhanced threat on the intelligence side.”

On Wednesday, they strongly urged Biden “not to take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.”

“We had been looking at whether there was an option yesterday over some sparsely populated areas in Montana,” a senior Defense official said. “But we just couldn't buy down the risk enough to feel comfortable recommending shooting it down yesterday.”

That was not good enough for some Republicans. Sen. ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said for instance the Pentagon “failed to act with urgency” and that the balloon incursion “should be dealt with appropriately.”

Others were more direct. “Biden should shoot down the Chinese spy balloon immediately,” Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) tweeted. “Shoot. It. Down.,” tweeted Rep. RYAN ZINKE (R-Mont.).

House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY did not go that far. “China’s brazen disregard for U.S. sovereignty is a destabilizing action that must be addressed, and President Biden cannot be silent,” he tweeted. “I am requesting a Gang of Eight briefing.”

The Gang of Eight includes the top two leaders of the House and Senate, and the top two leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees. WaPo reports “that staffers in each of those offices were briefed earlier in the day and that additional meetings had been offered.”

Our Lara Seligman and Phelim Kline also note that the timing of the balloon incident could jeopardize Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN’s upcoming trip to China. They quote the leaders of the new House select committee on China — Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.) and Rep. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-Ill.) — calling the balloon incident “violation of American sovereignty” that exposes the hollowness of recent diplomatic overtures from Beijing.

It’s not as if McCarthy and his colleagues were previously shy about criticizing Biden’s foreign policy. But with control of the House, they now have much bigger megaphones — and the parliamentary apparatus to do more than just tweet.

As for the balloon, it’s still up there. “It will be over the U.S. for ‘potentially a few more days,’” a U.S. official told the WSJ. “A second official said it is moving southeast.” And Canada’s defense ministry announced late last night that they were tracking a possible second balloon.

THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: BEN HOWARD — A small group of longtime McCarthy aides who decamped downtown to lobby are suddenly some of the most influential and sought after people in Washington. They remain intensely loyal to the new speaker and serve as crucial sources of insight into his thinking and strategy.

Howard, now at the Duberstein Group, was McCarthy’s floor director. He was with him through all of the fraught moments of the JOHN BOEHNER era, including in 2015 when Boehner retired and McCarthy lost out on securing his job. Howard saw up close how driven McCarthy was to get a second shot at becoming speaker.

“I used to sit in the office with Kevin,” Howard told Playbook. “We would dream about this day. We would dream about it.”

But Howard has a bone to pick. He doesn’t like the way that everyone is talking about his old boss. The conventional wisdom about the new speaker is that he gave up everything to secure the job and that he’s one misstep away from losing it if he angers his restive Freedom Caucus colleagues.

That bit of Washington C.W. is wrong, Howard says.

For this week’s episode of the Playbook Deep Dive podcast, we talked to Howard in his Penn Quarter office to understand the view from McCarthy world. We had a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the House GOP, the impact of the rules changes McCarthy agreed to in order to win the gavel, the debt limit faceoff, and McCarthy’s relationship with President Biden.

Oh, and also about that time Howard was chewed out by GOP members for ruining the most famous episode of “Game of Thrones.”Listen here … And subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

JUST POSTED — “The Powerful Lobbyist Behind Kevin McCarthy,” by NYT’s Ken Vogel: “Rarely has a lobbyist enjoyed the access to a House speaker that Mr. [JEFF MILLER] has with Mr. McCarthy, a California Republican. As Mr. McCarthy has gained power, Mr. Miller’s prominent place in his orbit has drawn increased scrutiny from watchdog groups that track political influence as well as from conservatives who see him as an unaccountable power behind the throne whose presence is starkly at odds with their increasingly populist, anti-corporate message.”

Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.

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TALKER — Michael Schaffer’s newest Capital City column: “Pompeo vs. the Post: The Politics of Jamal Khashoggi”

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK —Three GOP congressmen are calling for Al Jazeera Media Network’s Capitol Hill media credentials to be suspended until the organization registers as a foreign agent.

Yesterday, Reps. JACK BERGMAN (R-Mich.), ALEX MOONEY (R-W.Va.) and MICHAEL WALTZ (R-Fla.) sent a letter to McCarthy,House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES and leaders of House Administration Committee, urging the immediate suspension of credentials for the network. If implemented, the pause could affect more than 100 editorial employees across Al Jazeera International and Al Jazeera English.

The congressmen argue that Al Jazeera should register under theForeign Agents Registration Act as an agent of the state of Qatar, noting the country’s “alarming penchant for spying on journalists, its supposed ‘enemies’ in the soccer world, and U.S. political leaders.” They claim that without registering, Qatar could use the network to plant intelligence operatives in the Capitol. “We have no reason to doubt that most of Al Jazeera’s credentialed journalists in the Congressional galleries are legitimate reporters, but that is not the issue,” the trio writes. Read the letter here

This isn’t entirely uncharted territory: Russia’s RT America registered as a foreign agent in 2017 — in that case triggering the withdrawal of its congressional press credentials — and China’s Xinhua did so in 2021. Other outlets like China Daily and NHK have, too. And in 2020, the Justice Department ordered Al Jazeera’s AJ+, though not its other platforms, to register as a foreign agent. Over the past few years, several congressional letters have raised concerns about Al Jazeera and argued it should be required to file under FARA.

But Bergman, Mooney and Waltz are going a step further by advocating immediate punishment for Al Jazeera unless and until it registers. They are also suggesting that McCarthy intervene in the reporter credentialing process on Capitol Hill, which has long been under the auspices of journalists, not politicians.

Currently, credentialing decisions for TV journalists are in the hands of the executive committee of the Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association. The House rules state, however, that the authority for admitting “[r]eputable reporters and correspondents” to the chamber’s media galleries is vested ultimately in the speaker — though a person familiar with credentialing process said the House might still need to change its rules to give McCarthy the power to summarily boot journalists (which, even then, wouldn’t apply to the Senate).

Spokespeople for Al Jazeera, McCarthy and leaders of the RTCA didn’t respond to requests for comment. Al Jazeera’s leaders have previously acknowledged Qatari government funding but insisted the network maintains editorial independence.

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JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) speaks to reporters with other CBC members after a meeting on police reform at the White House on Thursday, Feb. 2. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo

ALL POLITICS

RISING LIKE A PHOENIX — David Siders reports from Phoenix in the first of a new “Road Trip” series ahead of the 2024 election. “Denialism and its attendant conspiracies animate a large swath of the Republican Party — still. And if Arizona is any example, it suggests that a not-insignificant percentage of the national electorate is determined to run the same doomed experiment again in 2024.”

CARDIN GAMES — “Old Bay melee: Maryland Dems circle as Cardin weighs reelection,” by Ally Mutnick, Burgess Everett and Sarah Ferris: “At least three politicians are looking at potential runs to succeed the 79-year-old [Sen. BEN] CARDIN. ANGELA ALSOBROOKS, the Prince George’s County executive, is staffing up for a potential bid, according to four people familiar with her planning. And two House Democrats with very different profiles could take the leap: Rep. JAMIE RASKIN, a progressive leader on the Jan. 6 investigation, and moderate Rep. DAVID TRONE, a wealthy wine magnate who represents Western Maryland. None would challenge Cardin — but Democrats think his retirement is a real possibility.”

2024 SCHEMING — “Kari Lake meets with NRSC officials,” by Holly Otterbein and Burgess Everett: “The meeting comes as [KARI] LAKE is considering a run for the Senate in Arizona. CAROLINE WREN, a senior adviser to Lake, confirmed the meeting, saying it lasted about an hour and that the topics of discussion included the differences between running a Senate and a gubernatorial campaign. Asked if the meeting got Lake any closer to making a decision about a Senate run, Wren said: ‘I don’t think so. I think it was more listening.’”

More 2024 intrigue: Lake announced yesterday that she will be visiting Iowa next Friday for a meet and greet. 

— Related read: “Republicans rally around conservatives who lost their elections,” by WaPo’s Ashley Parker

STUCK ON YOU — “All shook up: Why Dems see sliver of opportunity in deep-red Mississippi,” by Zach Montellaro: “Democrats are coalescing around BRANDON PRESLEY, a public service commissioner and a distant cousin of ELVIS PRESLEY to challenge Republican Gov. TATE REEVES. Reeves has middling poll numbers and clashed with some other state Republicans, but he secured his party’s nomination since several potential primary challengers bowed out, after sniffing around Reeves’ campaign for weakness. Presley’s appeal for Democrats goes well beyond his connection to The King.”

FOLLOWING THE MONEY — “Sam Bankman Fried’s co-founder gave GOP govs group $500,000 right before bankruptcy,” by Hailey Fuchs

THE WHITE HOUSE

POLICE REFORM LATEST — As Washington again debates police reform, Democrats eager to see progress worry that the political ambitions of Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) could get in the way of real dealmaking, Nicholas Wu and Eugene report. Scott, the Senate’s lone Black Republican member, was a key figure in past police reform efforts, but his potential 2024 presidential ambitions could complicate that role this time around.

Related reads: “Biden, Black caucus agree on path forward on police reform,” by AP’s Chris Megerian, Farnoush Amiri and Seung Min Kim … “Former Vice President Mike Pence to meet with South Carolina law enforcement amid policing reform talks in Congress,” by CBS’ Fin Gómez and John Woolley

DOCU-DRAMA — “Biden’s handwritten notes part of classified docs probe,” by AP’s Zeke Miller, Colleen Long and Nomaan Merchant

TRUMP CARDS

LORDY, THERE’S TAPE — AP’s Scott Bauer got his hands on an audio recording that “offers a behind-the-scenes look at how former President Donald Trump’s campaign team in a pivotal battleground state knew they had been outflanked by Democrats in the 2020 presidential election.” The audio is from a recording taken in Wisconsin on Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the election, and “centers on ANDREW IVERSON, who was the head of Trump’s campaign in the state.”

What he said: “‘Here’s the deal: Comms is going to continue to fan the flame and get the word out about Democrats trying to steal this election. We’ll do whatever they need. Just be on standby if there’s any stunts we need to pull,’ Iverson said. Iverson is now the Midwest regional director for the Republican National Committee.”

TRACKING TRUMP’S TROUBLES — “Manhattan DA Pressing Ex-Trump Organization CFO to Flip on His Former Boss,” by Bloomberg’s Greg Farrell and Patricia Hurtado

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CONGRESS

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) departs from the U.S. Capitol Building on November 16, 2021 in Washington, DC. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

THE MAN WITH THE PLAN — “Meet the border-district Republican at the immigration fight’s ‘epicenter,’” by Sarah Ferris and Olivia Beavers: Rep. TONY GONZALES (R-Texas) “has long pushed the GOP to adopt a more nuanced view on its single most politically explosive issue. As he’s ferried over 100 fellow lawmakers to his district since 2018, the self-described border hawk has implored other Republicans to look beyond headlines and consider an immigration system that also ‘welcomes those through the front door.’

“One of Gonzales’ strategies: Set up meetings for his colleagues with tough-talking sheriffs whom he’ll later reveal are Democrats, or conservative ranchers whom he’ll point out later actually support loosening some immigration laws. After eking out perhaps the most shocking victory of the 2020 midterms, he’s warned other Republicans that if they want to hold onto their threadbare majority in two years, they need to protect battleground seats.”

THE NEW GOP — “Why House Republicans kicked off their ‘weaponization’ probe by interviewing a little-known retired FBI official,” by CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Sara Murray and Annie Grayer

POLICY CORNER

TRENDLINE — “Unlawful entries along U.S.-Mexico border plummeted in January after expansion of migrant expulsions,” by CBS’ Camilo Montoya Galvez: “Border Patrol agents recorded approximately 130,000 apprehensions of migrants who entered the U.S. between official ports of entry along the border with Mexico, compared to the near-record 221,000 apprehensions in December, the internal preliminary figures show.”

THE WRATH OF KHAN — “FTC Denies Meta’s Bid to Disqualify Chair Lina Khan From Antitrust Lawsuit,” by WSJ’s Dave Michaels

WAR IN UKRAINE

QUITE THE JUXTAPOSITION — “As Russia Strikes Ukrainian Civilians, Putin Tells His People the War Is Just,” by NYT’s Michael Schwirtz and Anton Troianovski in Kramatorsk, Ukraine

MORE AID ON THE WAY — “U.S. to send Ukraine longer-range bombs in latest turnaround,” by AP’s Tara Copp, Matthew Lee and Lolita Baldor

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — “How the U.S. is boosting military alliances to counter China,” by AP’s Lolita Baldor

THE LATEST IN BRAZIL — “Ally claims Bolsonaro plotted coup to block Lula presidency,” by AP’s Eléonore Hughes and Mauricio Savarese in Rio de Janeiro

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

GUT-WRENCHING READ — “At Nichols’ funeral, Black America’s grief on public display,” by AP’s Aaron Morrison in Memphis, Tenn.

DEEP IN THE HEART — “Frustrated Texans endure winter storm with no power, heat,” by AP’s Paul Weber and Ken Miller in Austin, Texas … “For many Central Texans, latest bout of cold weather and outages reopens old wounds,” by Texas Tribune’s Stephen Simpson, Samantha Aguilar, Brian Lopez and Kate McGee

SUNDAY SO FAR …

CBS “Face the Nation”: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) … Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Panel: Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).

FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) … Willie Joyner. Panel: Reince Priebus, Gianno Caldwell, Gillian Turner and Juan Williams.

MSNBC “The Sunday Show”: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) … Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) … Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).

DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.

Bill Clinton “seemed a little rusty at first” while at the White House to promote paid family leave policies, per the AP.

Clarence Thomas could get a statue at the Georgia Capitol.

OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a media happy hour last night for D.C.-based Black journalists and communication professionals at Barcode, hosted by Geoff Bennett and Don Calloway: Abby Phillip, Paul Butler, Wesley Lowery, Elliot Williams, Anthony Coley, Skyler Henry, Cameron Trimble, Amara Omeokwe, Ayanna Martinez, Alaina Beverly, Christian Bryant, Kadia Goba, Richard Fowler, Gerren Gaynor, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Joel Payne, Willie James Inman, Errin Haines, Mario Parker, Rachel Scott and Dillon Donolds.

— SPOTTED at a party for Eric Holder’s book, “Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past And Imperiled Future Of The Vote,” ($28)hosted by Raj and Maria Teresa Kumar at their home yesterday evening: Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Katie Benner, Afsaneh Mashayekhi and Michael Beschloss, John Bisognano, Emily Cain, Kristen Clarke, Steve Clemons, Rosario Dawson, E.J. Dionne, Brian Fallon, Karen Finney, Adam Green, Neal Katyal, Andrea Mitchell and Norm Orstein. Pic… Another pic 

TRANSITIONS — Bradford Kane is now legislative director for Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.). He most recently was legislative director and senior adviser for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). … Hannah Hardin is now a legislative affairs manager at NRECA. She previously was a project coordinator at BPC Action. … Heather Philpot is now EVP at Moore, a constituent experience management company. She previously was VP at Tunnl. …

… Matt Alpert is now director of legislative affairs for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. He most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.). … Samuel Erickson is now press secretary for Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska). He most recently was comms and policy manager at Strategies 360. … Katie Fitzgerald has been named president and CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities. She most recently was president and COO of Feeding America.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) … Matt Rhoades … Douglas Holtz-Eakin … Jose Antonio Vargas … DoD’s Mieke Eoyang and Claudia Borovina … Amy Chapman … Virginia Boney … Eric Lander … former Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) … Markus Batchelor … Andrew McIndoe … Wisconsin Dem Chair Ben Wikler … Josh Lipsky … James Holm … MaryAlice Parks … Neal Carruth … Kyle Tharp … Kathryn Lyons … Zaida Ricker of Ridge Policy Group … Claritza Jimenez … Lisa Boothe … Mike Ryan … Justine Turner of iHeartMedia … John Hendren … Steve Weiss … Arthur Levitt … Fred Hochberg … POLITICO’s Benjamin Berg … DHS’ Steve Feder … Dana Thomas … Lauren Bosler of the Templar Baker Group …AM LLC’s Dan Gabriel 

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Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.

Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook misstated Rep. Mike Quigley’s (D-Ill.) party affiliation.

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