Playbook PM: McCarthy’s parting words for Cheney at the GOP retreat

From: POLITICO Playbook - Tuesday Apr 27,2021 05:35 pm

Apr 27, 2021

By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

Presented by

BREATHING EASIER: One of the disincentives to getting vaccinated for many Americans has been a sense that little changes afterward. Even the fully vaccinated have been told they have to wear masks outside and socially distance everywhere and abide by all the restrictions of pandemic life that the vaccine is supposed to help put in the past.

So the CDC’s announcement today that vaccinated Americans “no longer need to wear masks outdoors if they’re walking, running, hiking or biking alone, with members of their household, or if they attend small outdoor gatherings,” per the NYT, is very welcome news. And not just for those of us who are vaccinated and found the outdoor mandates to be overkill, but hopefully for vaccine skeptics who may now be encouraged to make an appointment. The new guidelines won’t satisfy the TUCKER CARLSONS of the world, but they are a small sign of normalcy returning.

Look how much happier the vaccinated people are in this handy CDC chart detailing all the things that you can do after you get your vaccine! (OK, maybe the un-vaxxed are smiling under those masks, but we doubt it.) Either way, please get vaccinated.

More from the NYT: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped short of telling those people that they could shed their masks altogether in outdoor settings — citing the worrying risk that remains for transmitting the coronavirus, unknown vaccination levels among people in crowds and the still high-caseloads in some regions of the country. …

“But the C.D.C. is maintaining advice on other safety measures, saying vaccinated adults should continue wearing masks and staying six feet apart in large public spaces, like outdoor performance or sports events, indoor shopping malls and movie theaters, where the vaccination and health status of others would be unknown. And they still should avoid medium and large gatherings, crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, officials said.” President JOE BIDEN will speak about the new guidelines momentarily.

BEGINNING OF THE END? — ANDY SLAVITT said this afternoon that the White House Covid-19 briefings will drop from thrice a week to twice.

RETREAT INTRIGUE — Sources tell our Melanie Zanona, who is in Orlando covering the House GOP’s annual policy retreat, that House Republicans have been buzzing about LIZ CHENEY over the past three days. The GOP Conference chair has been generating headline after headline since she touched down in the Sunshine State, from breaking with House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY over the scope of a Jan. 6 commission to telling the New York Post she isn’t ruling out a presidential run.

“She’s the topic of every private conversation,” said one GOP lawmaker.

To be fair, the news-making from Cheney came in response to questions from reporters. But the spectacle, whether intentional or not, is an unwelcome distraction for Republicans. And Cheney and McCarthy’s relationship is only getting more frosty — despite the 82-degree temps in Orlando.

McCarthy, who had some choice words for Cheney in an interview with Mel on Monday, was also asked by Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News today whether the Wyoming Republican is still a good fit for his leadership team.

Initially, McCarthy said it’s a question for the House GOP Conference, which recently voted to keep in her place (at McCarthy’s own urging). But when pressed a little more, McCarthy offered up the following to the room full of reporters: “I think from a perspective of, if you’re sitting here at a retreat that’s focused on policy, focused on the future of making America next century, and you’re talking about something else, you’re not being productive.” Ouch. Cheney has addressed policy during her time in the Sunshine State but not shied away from questions about DONALD TRUMP.

AMTRAK JOE ON THE GO — “Biden is coming to Philly to celebrate Amtrak’s 50th anniversary,” Philadelphia Inquirer: “President Joe Biden is coming to Philadelphia on Friday … Biden will visit 30th Street Station in the city.”

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Good Tuesday afternoon.

THE PAY-FORS — “Biden aims to recoup over $700 billion in unpaid taxes by beefing up the I.R.S.,” NYT: “President Biden is expected to propose giving the Internal Revenue Service an extra $80 billion and more authority over the next 10 years as he looks for ways to raise money to pay for his economic agenda, according to two people familiar with the plan.

“Mr. Biden is expected to propose beefing up the I.R.S. to crack down on individuals and corporations that evade paying federal taxes. He will use the recouped tax funds to help pay for the cost of his American Families Plan, which he will detail before addressing a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.”

THE POLITICS OF THE POLICY — “Biden Aims for Trump Voters, Suburbs With Jobs-Plus-Kids Pitch,” Bloomberg: “The so-called American Jobs Plan Biden released last month features spending on traditional infrastructure like highways and airports to better compete with China, a pitch his advisers think will resonate with Republican men and blue-collar workers.

“And the ‘American Families Plan’ he’ll outline this week seeks to broadly increase the availability of child care and improve working conditions for people caring for children and seniors -- a top priority for suburban women, pollsters say. Taken together, support from the two groups could form a potentially powerful bloc for Democrats ahead of the midterms.”

STOP US IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS BEFORE — “The refugee cap the Biden administration touted — then ditched — is back on the table,” WaPo: “The White House is again considering setting the number of refugees who can enter the United States through September at about 62,500.”

2022 WATCH — “Democrats’ surprising 2-man team to hold the Senate,” by Burgess Everett and James Arkin: “MARK KELLY and RAPHAEL WARNOCK don’t have much in common and approach their first jobs in politics from dramatically different perspectives. But together the two Democratic senators are the bellwethers for the durability of CHUCK SCHUMER’S majority — and much of President Joe Biden’s agenda. …

“The pair is already looking like sturdy incumbents, raising money at eye-popping rates and avoiding top-tier challengers early on. … Republican senators said in interviews that their task now is landing someone to compete with well-funded senators who could see their fortunes soar along with the economy.”

— KFILE STRIKES AGAIN: “Murkowski challenger wrote in support of ‘ex-gay’ organization and posts on evils of ‘addictive’ witchcraft and 'Twilight,’” CNN: “ KELLY TSHIBAKA, a Republican Senate candidate seeking to challenge Alaska Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI in 2022, once wrote in support of an ‘ex-gay’ Christian organization that promoted discredited ‘conversion therapy’ and said that homosexuality was caused by ‘sexual molestation during childhood.’”

JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST": Power is shifting in Washington and across the country. 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 twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy across America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

THE VACCINE SUPPLY CHALLENGE — “The most promising coronavirus vaccine you’ve never heard of,” by Sarah Owermohle and Carmen Paun: “Hopes are growing that a dark-horse coronavirus vaccine from a tiny U.S. drugmaker can shore up supplies in the U.S. and globally as safety concerns and production problems shadow shots from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.

“The vaccine’s developer, Novavax, has never brought a product to market. … But the Novavax vaccine proved just as potent as those mRNA shots in a U.K. trial, and the company is now preparing to file for U.S. authorization in a matter of weeks — potentially leapfrogging AstraZeneca, a former frontrunner. … The next few months will determine whether Novavax can overcome its bumpy start and deliver on those increasingly high expectations.”

VOX GOES DEEP ON THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE — “Joe Manchin wants to save Democrats from themselves: But is his love for the filibuster dooming the country to dysfunction?”

BLIP OF BIPARTISANSHIP — “After Failures to Curb Sexual Assault, a Move Toward a Major Shift in Military Law,” NYT: “A bill championed by Senator KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, Democrat of New York, would remove military commanders from a role in prosecuting service members for sexual assault and has gained support from scores of key members of Congress. Among them is Senator JONI ERNST, Republican of Iowa and a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, who said her own experience with assault and her daughter’s stories from West Point helped shift her views on the issue. …

“Ms. Ernst’s nod on a new bipartisan measure is likely to attract several other key lawmakers, whose combined support could usher in the biggest change to military rules since the repeal of the ban on service by gays and lesbians in 2010. Other senators — many of whom voted against the measure in the past — said in interviews that they had waited long enough for the military to solve the problem and agreed that Congress should step in.”

WHAT JAIME HARRISON IS READING — “Why Iowa Has Become Such a Heartbreaker for Democrats,” NYT: “The 2020 carnage for Iowa Democrats was wide and deep. The party lost a Senate race, gave up two congressional seats and lost half a dozen seats in the state legislature. … Many Democrats now believe that Iowa is all but lost to the party, and that it is time to let go, a view driving a fierce debate over whether to drop the state’s presidential caucuses from their leadoff role in 2024 and beyond.

“Iowa is small and unrepresentative, more than 90 percent white, and the 2020 election showed that Democrats’ future is in the Sun Belt, with its racially diverse electorate and college-educated suburbanites. Other party strategists are quick to note that Mr. Biden barely won his two Sun Belt pickup states last year, Georgia and Arizona, and that the party can’t afford to bleed more of its traditional voters while making only tenuous inroads with a new constituency. What’s the matter with Iowa, and by extension much of the northern Midwest, for Democrats?”

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.

HERE COMES JAMES CARVILLE — “‘Wokeness is a problem and we all know it,’” Vox: “The longtime Democratic strategist is mostly pleased with Biden, but it’s where much of the party seems to be going that has him worried. … According to Carville, Democrats are in power for now, but they also only narrowly defeated Donald Trump, ‘a world-historical buffoon,’ and they lost congressional seats and failed to pick up state legislatures. The reason is simple: They’ve got a ‘messaging problem.’”

OPIOID FILES — “U.S. lifts barriers to prescribing addiction treatment drug,” AP: “New guidelines announced Tuesday mean doctors and other health workers will no longer need extra hours of training to prescribe buprenorphine, a gold standard medicine that helps with cravings. And they no longer have to refer patients to counseling services.

“Under the loosened guidelines, prescribers will be able to treat up to 30 patients at a time with the drug. It comes in a pill or film that dissolves under the tongue. It costs about $100 a month. A common version of buprenorphine is Suboxone.”

LATEST ON AUSTIN TICE — “Biden Administration Hopes to Learn Fate of U.S. Hostage in Syria,” NYT: “Now the disappearance of Mr. Tice presents a test for Biden administration officials, whose willingness to resolve the case could run up against their reluctance to wade into the sort of unorthodox diplomacy conducted by Trump national security officials.”

FED FILES — “The Fed helped fuel a stock market boom that benefited wealthy Americans — and left behind everyone else,” WaPo/ProPublica: “Ever since the covid-19 pandemic struck, the Federal Reserve has gotten plenty of kudos for moves that have helped stabilize the economy, kept house prices from tanking and supported the stock market. But those successes have obscured another effect: the inadvertent impact the Fed’s ultralow interest rates and bond-buying sprees are having on economic inequality.

“Long-standing inequality in the United States has been exacerbated by the Fed’s role in touching off a multitrillion-dollar boom in stock markets — and stock ownership is heavily skewed toward the wealthiest Americans.”

DISCLOSURE DUMP — “Cass Sunstein’s Financial Disclosure Shows $580K Harvard Salary, Consulting Fees,” The National Law Journal

AFTERNOON SNACK — “Who said it, Joe Biden or Lady Gaga? See how well you know the president,” Delaware News Journal: “Did Delaware’s longtime politician say this? Or was it a Real Housewife of New Jersey? Or CARDI B? Or former President Donald Trump? Play along to see how well you know Joe Biden, and how you rank as defined by the First Family’s pets.”

MEDIAWATCH — “‘Don’t use my skin for your diversity’: Labor union blasts newsrooms for underpaying women and people of color,” CNN: “[T]he NewsGuild, a labor union that represents thousands of journalists, [published] a small study of 14 unionized newsrooms owned by media conglomerate Gannett … [W]omen at Gannett earned $9,845 less than the median salary of men, which comes in at $57,235. That gap grows to $15,727 for non-White women as compared to White men, who make $58,386, according to the study.” The study

— Craig Silverman will join ProPublica to cover voting, platforms, disinformation and online manipulation. He most recently was media editor at BuzzFeed, where he won a Polk Award for Facebook reporting. Announcement … Perry Bacon Jr. will join WaPo as a columnist, returning to his former professional home. He has most recently been a senior writer at FiveThirtyEight. Announcement

STAFFING UP — “Biden to nominate Frank Kendall as Air Force secretary,” Defense News: “At the same time, the White House will announce the nomination of Gina Ortiz Jones for undersecretary of the Air Force … Kendall is best known as the Pentagon’s top acquisition official during the Obama administration from 2012 to 2016. … Jones ran for Congress in 2018 and 2020.”

— Keo Chea and Aisha Johnson are joining the SEC as director of public engagement and director of media relations. Chea previously led the Office of Public Engagement and Community Liaison at the CFPB. Johnson currently is national press secretary for Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

— HHS announced several new staff appointments this morning: Cynthia Palafox, Karuna Seshasai, Alia Schechter, Carrie Pugh, Tericka Lambert, Rose Sullivan, Arsenio Mataka, Kathryn “Kate” Wolff, Hannah Katch and Erica Jefferson. The announcement

TRUMP ALUMNI — Alex Gray is joining Ballard Partners as strategic counselor. He previously was deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff at the NSC. He’ll remain managing partner of American Global Strategies LLC.

TRANSITION — Ted Serafini is now a senior director at Patomak. He most recently was a director in the office of global government relations at the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, and is a CFTC and USTR alum.

BONUS BIRTHDAY: House Oversight GOP’s Austin Hacker

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