|
Presented by Climate Power: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | Presented by |  | | | SCOOP from ALEX ISENSTADT: “RNC chair McDaniel floated possible Michigan governor run”: “[RONNA] MCDANIEL’S remarks came during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday with RNC members in Dallas, where she was giving an after-action report on the 2020 election. … McDaniel also told the roughly 140 members in attendance that she’d given thought in recent months to running against [Gov. GRETCHEN] WHITMER in next year’s midterm elections. “How serious McDaniel is about running for governor is unclear. Several people familiar with her remarks say that, while she has given consideration to waging a 2022 campaign, she was speaking more out of frustration on Wednesday.” TODAY’S MAIN EVENT — “At Earth Day Climate Summit, Biden Pushes for Sharp Cut to Greenhouse-Gas Emissions,” WSJ: “[O]ther countries also promised climate action and some urged rich nations to shoulder more responsibility. ‘No nation can solve this crisis on our own,’ [President JOE] BIDEN said at the start of a two-day virtual climate summit at the White House. ‘All of us, and particularly those of us that represent the world’s largest economies, we have to step up.’ … “Chinese President XI JINPING said China will reduce coal consumption starting in 2025. … Indian Prime Minister NARENDRA MODI announced a new partnership with the U.S. to expand renewable energy. … Canadian Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU said his country would aim for a reduction in carbon output below 2005 levels of between 40% to 45% by the end of the decade.” BY THE NUMBERS — “The U.S. Has a New Climate Goal. How Does It Stack Up Globally?” NYT: “That’s one of the more aggressive near-term targets among wealthy industrialized nations, although the cuts are arguably not quite as large as what the European Union and Britain have already promised.” D.C. STATEHOOD passed in the House for the second year in a row, this time 216-208. YOUR MOVE, KEVIN & MITCH — Speaker NANCY PELOSI said at her weekly news conference that Democrats will “yield” to Republicans on the makeup and process for a potential 9/11-style commission to examine the events of Jan. 6. This is a big give for the California Democrat, who had wanted to have more Democrats than Republicans on the panel and who is now saying she’s open to an equal split. She’s also indicated equal subpoena power. Now the ball is in the GOP’s court. Republicans have said they want the commission to study the growth of extremism on “both sides,” but Democrats argue that’s not necessary when investigating what happened on Jan. 6. And there’s also this point: Pelosi gave a little here from what she wanted. Democratic leaders say it’s now time for Republicans to do the same. Strangely, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY said at his weekly presser that he didn’t know what she was talking about and hasn’t received a proposal. INFRASTRUCTURE LATEST — “Republicans roll out $568 billion infrastructure package that Dems have already rejected,” by Sam Mintz: “It’s also significantly more narrow, focused primarily on transportation infrastructure, along with some other items like broadband and water projects. And the plan the GOP released Thursday still is vague on one of the most important questions: how they propose to pay for the spending. It appears to lean heavily on unspecified user fees; ‘financing tools’ and induced spending from the private sector; and unused money from prior Covid relief bills.” The framework CLYBURN WANTS A GET-OUT-OF-FINE-FREE CARD: CNN’s Manu Raju asked House Majority Whip JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.) about our story Wednesday regarding him facing a possible fine for violating House rules to go through the metal detectors. Clyburn told Raju he will appeal the fine and has “no idea” why it would be imposed in the first place. “It’s just somebody on the other side trying to cause mischief,” he told Manu. This is going to be interesting. Clyburn would need to appeal to the evenly split House Ethics Committee to get out of this. But if he does, expect max squawking from Republicans who have had to pay fines for circumventing floor security protocols. | | A message from Climate Power: Let's build back with clean energy. Clean energy and jobs in your state, and in your community. This is our moment to build back better: to recover from COVID-19 and get millions of people back to work in new, clean energy union jobs. Our country needs builders, roofers, engineers, electricians, accountants, researchers and teachers to create a cleaner, safer, healthier, more just and prosperous America. | | | MORE DETAILS ON THE NEXT BIG BILL — “Biden Set to Raise Taxes on Rich to Fund Child Care and Education,” NYT: “[B]ut it will not take steps to expand health coverage or reduce prescription drug prices … Administration officials had planned to include a health care expansion of up to $700 billion, offset by efforts to reduce government spending on prescription drugs. But they have decided to instead pursue health care as a separate initiative … “It will spend hundreds of billions of dollars each on universal pre-kindergarten, expanded subsidies for child care, a national paid leave program for workers and free community college tuition for all. … All of the tax provisions would keep with Mr. Biden’s campaign promise not to raise taxes on individuals or households earning less than $400,000 a year.” Good Thursday afternoon. FRIDAY’S BIG DECISION — “Health officials lean toward resuming Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine — but with a warning,” WaPo: “Federal health authorities are leaning toward recommending that use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine resume, possibly as soon as this weekend — a move that would include a new warning about a rare complication involving blood clots but probably not call for age restrictions. … “[T]he position could be affected if there were a sudden flood of reports of blood-clot cases, which appears unlikely, or if other surprises emerged connected to the vaccine. … [The CDC and FDA heads] offered encouraging news about the incidence of blood clots.” THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE — “U.S. jobless claims fall to 547,000, another pandemic low,” AP: “The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell last week to 547,000, the lowest point since the pandemic struck and an encouraging sign that layoffs are slowing on the strength of an improving job market. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications declined 39,000 from a revised 586,000 a week earlier.” AFTERNOON READ — “Liz Cheney vs. MAGA,” NYT Magazine: “The Wyoming congresswoman challenged Republicans to turn away from Trump after Jan. 6. Instead, they turned on her.” — The line that everyone’s talking about on the Hill: “Others argued that her announcement a day before the impeachment vote had given the Democrats a talking point to use against the rest of the Republican conference. … Likening the situation to a football game, MIKE KELLY of Pennsylvania lamented, ‘You look up into the stands and see your girlfriend on the opposition’s side — that’s one hell of a tough thing to swallow.’” He’s talking about the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress! Yikes! The story continues: “‘She’s not your girlfriend!’ a female colleague yelled out. Kelly’s remark was immediately disseminated among Republican women in professional Washington, according to BARBARA COMSTOCK, who served as a Republican congresswoman from Virginia until 2019. ‘We emailed that around, just horrified, commenting in real time,’ she told me.” DEBT CEILING TEA LEAVES — “White House signals cool reception to Senate Republicans’ calls to trade spending cuts for debt ceiling increase,” WaPo: “A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Biden ‘fully expects that Congress will meet its obligations as it did on a bipartisan basis three times during the Trump Administration and amend the debt limit law as needed.’ The early warning comes a day after Senate Republicans gathered to adopt their conference’s guiding rules for this session of Congress.” | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : The Biden administration is quickly approaching 100 days in office — has it delivered on its early promises? What tactics and strategies are being debated in West Wing offices? What’s really being talked about behind the scenes in negotiations with Congress on the infrastructure plan? Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads for details that you won’t find anywhere else that reveal what’s really happening inside the West Wing and across the executive branch. Track the people, policies and power centers of the Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | YOWZA — “Biden’s top scientist met twice with Jeffrey Epstein. It’s now complicating his confirmation,” by Alex Thompson, Theodoric Meyer and Marianne LeVine: “Biden’s nomination of ERIC LANDER to be his top science adviser has been delayed in part because of a Democratic senator’s concerns about meetings Lander and his colleagues had with JEFFREY EPSTEIN … “Sen. MARIA CANTWELL (D-Wash.), the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, has wanted more clarity on the extent of Lander’s associations with Epstein … Lander and several other professors met with Epstein in 2012 in the office of MARTIN NOWAK, a Harvard mathematical biologist, four years after Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution involving an underage girl. … There are also several photographs of the meeting showing Epstein with scientists, including two of Epstein and Lander.” A NEW TACK ON VOTING — “Black Democrats urge party to shift its voting rights push,” by Sarah Ferris, Laura Barrón-López and Nicholas Wu: “With that Senate logjam in mind, a group of Black Democrats is pressing to elevate a more targeted voting rights bill — named for and championed by the late Rep. JOHN LEWIS — that they believe could be a more successful sell on Capitol Hill. The reality for Democrats is that the Lewis legislation won’t be much easier to pass … “Their sense of urgency is in part because states will start receiving redistricting data over the summer from the Census Bureau to use for drafting new maps for House districts. If Democrats’ Lewis bill — which would restore key sections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act — is not passed by then, certain states will not have to get preapproval for their electoral maps affirming an absence of racial discrimination.” — IN THE STATES: “As the voting-rights fight moves to Texas, defiant Republicans test the resolve of corporations that oppose restrictions,” WaPo: “To many of the companies and voting-rights advocates, the message is clear: Some Republicans have no plans to back down, and businesses that continue to speak out could face retribution. … [S]o far just a few companies have spoken out publicly in opposition to the proposed bills moving through the Texas legislature, the next major voting-rights battleground.” SCOTUS WATCH — “U.S. Supreme Court rejects new curbs on juvenile sentences,” Reuters: “The justices in a 6-3 ruling rejected arguments by the inmate, BRETT JONES, that his sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole violated the Eighth Amendment because the judge in his trial had not made a separate finding that he was permanently incorrigible. The court’s six conservatives were in the majority, with the three liberal members dissenting. Jones, now 31, was convicted of fatally stabbing his grandfather in 2004.” — “‘The Supreme Court ruled in favor of scam artists,’ FTC chief says after justices gut agency’s powers,” by Leah Nylen THE NEW GOP — “Kevin McCarthy’s Strategy to Rein In GOP Extremists: Don’t,” The Daily Beast: “Instead of ruling with an iron fist, McCarthy has preferred a softer touch. He has kept his party’s most controversial lawmakers in the fold, largely choosing to turn the focus around on Democrats instead of dwelling on the troubling views springing forth from his own ranks. … And that loose parenting style seems to have won over a particular contingent of the GOP conference.” Check out these quotes: “‘I can’t wait for Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker,’ Rep. LAUREN BOEBERT (R-CO) told The Daily Beast this week. … [Rep. MADISON] CAWTHORN gushed to The Daily Beast that McCarthy’s leadership had been ‘fantastic and exceptional.’ … Privately, some Republicans will acknowledge the reality of that mess. ‘Kevin McCarthy isn’t in control of the conference,’ a Republican lawmaker told The Daily Beast. ‘He’s just along for the ride, just like the rest of us.’ ‘At some point an adult needs to take over,’ said a senior GOP aide. ‘Being everyone’s best friend is not an effective leadership strategy.’” | | | | LAUNCHING THIS WEEK - A NEW PLAYBOOK PODCAST : Washington is full of whispers, colorful characters and hard to believe stories that are all too real. Playbook Deep Dive is a new, weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the political theater and dives deep into the most compelling, confounding and often shocking stories from the nation’s capital. Featuring the Playbook authors, reporters from across POLITICO’s newsroom, and larger than life personalities with stories that you need to hear for yourself to believe. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | MUCK READ — “Chevron Lobbies to Head Off New Sanctions on Myanmar,” NYT: “The Myanmar military’s coup and brutal crackdown on dissent has left it with few allies in the West. But one of the most sophisticated corporate lobbying operations in Washington has mobilized to head off intensifying pressure on the Biden administration to impose broad sanctions against the state-owned oil and gas company helping to finance the junta. “Chevron has dispatched lobbyists — including some former federal government officials, one of whom appears to have left the State Department just last month — to agencies including the State Department and key congressional offices to warn against any sanctions that might disrupt its operations in Myanmar.” A MAJOR QUESTION — “Can Biden Win Over the Latinos He Lost to Trump?” The Atlantic’s Ron Brownstein: “In the near term, some of the key factors that lifted Trump among Latinos could help Biden if he runs again in 2024. But a close examination of last year’s results suggests that neither party should be entirely confident about the direction of this huge, but still dimly understood, voting bloc. … “Yet even if Biden runs better with Latinos in a possible reelection campaign, that wouldn’t answer the big question of whether Republicans are positioned to improve their baseline with these voters over the long term. … Privately, some operatives in both parties believe that Trump’s improvement among Latinos means he achieved the best of both worlds in Republican messaging: He fired up white turnout with racist, nativist rhetoric but didn’t pay any apparent price in lost support among Latinos.” READY TO ROLL OUT — “U.S. troops in Afghanistan begin packing gear in pullout prep,” AP THE NEXT GENERATION — “What Teenagers Have Learned From a Tumultuous Time in Politics,” NYT/Upshot: “[A new Dynata/NYT] survey revealed a generation of soon-to-be voters who felt disillusioned by government and politics, and already hardened along political lines — something political scientists said was new for people this young. But it also revealed a significant share of teenagers who felt motivated to become involved themselves, whether out of inspiration or frustration. … “Their political attitudes differed significantly by gender and race. … Yet despite being unconvinced that government was meeting their needs, the majority of the teenagers, and roughly equal shares of girls and boys, said they were interested in following and discussing what happens in politics and government.” Plus: “They Believe in Ambitious Women. But They Also See the Costs,” NYT THE NEW COVER of BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK: “Biden Went Big in His First 100 Days, and Now Comes the Hard Part: The U.S. president has successfully tackled Covid, vaccinations, and the economy. But the biggest challenges lie ahead.” TRANSITIONS — Anthony Nerantzis is now an associate at the Herald Group. He previously was an aide to House Judiciary ranking member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). … Kaite Krell is now health LA for Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). She previously was correspondence director for Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and is a Mike Enzi alum. OUR BAD! This morning’s Playbook misidentified the lawmaker who criticized Biden on the House floor Wednesday night for reportedly not pushing to make the child tax credit expansion permanent — it was Rep. RITCHIE TORRES (D-N.Y.). | | | | A message from Climate Power:   We must meet this urgent moment and do what America does best — BUILD. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
