Playbook PM: Will Congress strike a deal on a Jan. 6 commission?

From: POLITICO Playbook - Friday May 14,2021 05:01 pm

May 14, 2021

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NEWS FROM CAPITOL HILL — House Democrats have unveiled a potential deal for a bipartisan commission into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Modeled after the 9/11 Commission, and forged in an agreement between House Homeland Security Committee Chair BENNIE THOMPSON (D-Miss.) and ranking member JOHN KATKO (R-N.Y.), the proposal includes key concessions to Republicans but has not yet received the formal support of House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY. Speaker NANCY PELOSI announced that the proposal could receive a floor vote “as soon as next week.” Read more from Nicholas Wu and Sarah Ferris

A look at the details:

— The proposed commission has 10 members, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats selected by the parties’ respective leaders, with Dems choosing the chair. All must be appointed within 10 days of the proposal’s passage.

— Sitting members of Congress are not eligible for the panel, and commissioners “must have significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence, and cybersecurity,” per a statement.

— Any subpoenas must have bipartisan support — issued only after a simple majority vote of the panel or by agreement between its chair and vice chair.

— Its focus will be limited to the Jan. 6 attack and factors leading up to it. That’s notable because McCarthy has previously insisted that any investigation also look into violence emanating from the political left during the summer of 2020.

Worth noting: Katko was one of the first House Republicans to come out in favor of impeaching DONALD TRUMP after the insurrection. He’s also an ally of McCarthy, who hasn’t signed off on this.

— NYT’S JONATHAN MARTIN (@jmartNYT): “The negotiation between McCarthy and [Senate Minority Leader MITCH] MCCONNELL — one who still talks to Trump regularly and the other who won't say his name — over the 5 GOP commissioners will be....interesting. NOTE: ‘Current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment.’”

MASK POLITICS BOIL OVER — The Hill’s @scottwongDC: “Another verbal altercation just happened in the House: [Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’S] spokesman NICK DYER told [Rep. ERIC SWALWELL]: ‘Biden says you can take off your mask.’ Swalwell confronted Dyer, got in his face and according to Dyer, said: ‘You don’t tell me what to fucking do!’”

— @RepSwalwell: “I had a mask on as I stepped off the Floor. An aide with @mtgreenee yelled at me to take my mask off. No one should be bullied for wearing a mask. So I told the bully what I thought of his order. Predictably, he went speechless. I regret I wasn’t more explicit.”

— Rock, meet hard place. While the CDC advised that fully vaccinated people can drop their mask-wearing indoors, the House Attending Physician’s office issued its own guidance on Thursday night that all members and staff must continue wearing masks on and around the House floor until all are vaccinated. Frankly, that’s unlikely to happen. House Speaker NANCY PELOSI said a couple weeks ago that an estimated 75% of members had been vaccinated, but they could not know who or require anyone to get a shot. And a number of Republicans have outright stated they will not get vaccinated. Meanwhile, a group of GOP House members, led by Rep. BOB GIBBS (R-Ohio), sent a letter to Pelosi today asking for the mask mandate to be dropped. The letter … More on the tensions from WaPo

IN WITH THE NEW — Rep. ELISE STEFANIK (R-N.Y.) was overwhelmingly voted in to replace Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) as House Republican Conference chair. The vote was held by secret ballot and Stefanik cruised by a margin of 134-46, after Rep. CHIP ROY (R-Texas) dropped his challenge.

“After the vote concluded, Stefanik walked to speak to reporters with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other members of the leadership team by her side,” Olivia Beavers and Melanie Zanona write. “Stefanik thanked Trump for his support and called him a ‘critical part of our Republican team.’” More from Olivia and Melanie

Happy Friday afternoon.

CAN’T QUIT YOU — “CDC director: Mask-wearing will ‘be hard to let go’ despite new guidance,” by Quint Forgey

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KFILE DIGS INTO MTG VS. AOC — “Since-deleted video shows Marjorie Taylor Greene harassing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's office during 2019 Capitol Hill visit,” CNN: “During a February 2019 visit to congressional offices at the US Capitol with associates who include a man who would later enter the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection, Greene — then a conservative activist — can be seen taunting [Rep. ALEXANDRIA] OCASIO-CORTEZ’s staff outside the congresswoman's locked office by talking through a mailbox slot urging her to come out.

“In the video, from a since-deleted Facebook Live of Greene's that was saved by CNN's KFile, Greene tells Ocasio-Cortez to ‘get rid of your diaper,’ referring to the congresswoman's office as a ‘day care.’ Greene repeatedly indicates throughout her stream that security has been called on them. ‘We’re going to go see, we're going to visit, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crazy eyes. Crazy eyes. Nutty. Cortez,’ Greene says to the camera on the way to the congresswoman's office, mispronouncing ‘Ocasio.’” 2:20 video

— @AOC: “The fact that Kevin McCarthy, the House @GOPLeader, stripped JUSTIN AMASH of all committee seats for criticizing Trump, but has worked to protect this person from consequences (including pretending he doesn’t see it) tells you this is happening with the support of GOP leadership.”

— Ocasio-Cortez told the Hill pool this morning that Greene is “deeply unwell and clearly needs some help. … And her kind of fixation has lasted for several years now. You know, it's at this point I think the depth of that unwellness has raised concerns for other members, as well.”

BEHIND THE SCENES AT 1600 PENN — “Beneath Joe Biden’s Folksy Demeanor, a Short Fuse and an Obsession With Details,” NYT: “Interviews with more than two dozen current and former Biden associates provide an early look into how Mr. Biden operates as president — how he deliberates, whom he consults for advice and what drives his decisions as he settles into the office he has chased for more than three decades.

“What emerges is a portrait of a president with a short fuse, who is obsessed with getting the details right — sometimes to a fault, including when he angered allies and adversaries alike by repeatedly delaying a decision on whether to allow more refugees into the United States. On policy issues, Mr. Biden, 78, takes days or weeks to make up his mind as he examines and second-guesses himself and others. It is a method of governing that can feel at odds with the urgency of a country still reeling from a pandemic and an economy struggling to recover.”

VACCINE REPORT CARD — “The Racial Gap in U.S. Vaccinations Is Shrinking, but Work Remains,” NYT: “Black and Hispanic people across the United States have received a disproportionately smaller share of vaccinations to date, according to a New York Times analysis of state-reported race and ethnicity information. And vaccine disparities have grown in some of the most socially vulnerable parts of the nation, leaving many low-income communities of color with vaccination rates well below the national average.

“However, state and federal data reveal that the country has made some progress toward vaccine parity. Since March, nearly every state reporting the race and ethnicity of vaccinated people has seen the Black share of the total vaccinated population increase, inching closer to the Black share of the general population.”

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THE EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE — “America's vanishing workforce,” by Megan Cassella and Rebecca Rainey: “At least 14 states, including North Dakota, Alabama and South Carolina, have moved to cut off enhanced federal jobless benefits that were supposed to last until September. Florida is among roughly 30 states reinstating a requirement that the unemployed prove they are looking for work to receive state benefits. Montana is offering return-to-work bonuses to unemployment recipients who accept a job offer. …

“The flurry of activity underscores the rising concern that the economic recovery could be jeopardized even as lockdown restrictions are lifted if restaurants, travel companies and other businesses are unable to hire enough staff to keep up with surging consumer demand.”

PIPELINE PROBLEMS — “Gas crunch from cyberattack intensifies in nation’s capital,” AP: “The tracking service GasBuddy.com on Friday showed that 86% of gas stations were out of fuel in Washington, D.C., more than half were out in Virginia and 42% of Maryland stations were dry. More than 70% of stations were without gas in North Carolina, and more than half were tapped out in Georgia and South Carolina.”

FORE! — “Dump Trump? Kicking him off NYC golf course may not be easy,” AP: “Donald Trump has a rich history of fighting back when he’s down and making others pay, and that’s exactly how he intends to deal with New York City over its plans to fire his company from running a windswept city golf course in the Bronx.

“That abrupt firing was part of the backlash against Trump’s businesses over his role in whipping up the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. But experts who have reviewed the city’s 566-page contract with the ex-president say kicking him off the course may not be so easy. Trump’s son Eric sees the fight as nothing less than a stand against ‘cancel culture,’ demanding a payout of more than $30 million from the city to get out of the deal in what could turn into a potentially costly legal battle dragging on for years.”

FOR YOUR RADAR — “Turner to lead House GOP push for military sexual assault overhaul,” by Lara Seligman: “Rep. MIKE TURNER is announcing plans on Friday to lead a new Republican effort in the House to overhaul how the military handles sexual assault and other serious crimes, amid a rise in cases in the ranks. Support from the Ohio Republican, an influential House Armed Services Committee member, could be a boon for the bill’s chances and may pave the way for skeptical House GOP members to support the measure.

“It also comes as Rep. JACKIE SPEIER (D-Calif.) has launched a similar bill with high-profile support as the overall effort to change the military's system reaches a critical mass in the House and Senate. Along with a Democratic co-sponsor, Turner plans to quickly introduce a companion bill in the House to bipartisan Senate legislation that would take a military commander’s authority to prosecute felony-level criminal cases, including sexual assault and harassment, and give it to specialized military prosecutors.”

SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that 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 in 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.

SPY GAMES — “Spy Agencies Seek New Afghan Allies as U.S. Withdraws,” NYT: “Western spy agencies are evaluating and courting regional leaders outside the Afghan government who might be able to provide intelligence about terrorist threats long after U.S. forces withdraw, according to current and former American, European and Afghan officials.

“The effort represents a turning point in the war. In place of one of the largest multinational military training missions ever is now a hunt for informants and intelligence assets. Despite the diplomats who say the Afghan government and its security forces will be able to stand on their own, the move signals that Western intelligence agencies are preparing for the possible — or even likely — collapse of the central government and an inevitable return to civil war.”

FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK — “Guantánamo Detainee Agrees to Drop Call for C.I.A. Testimony,” NYT: “The deal, negotiated by the Pentagon official who oversees the military commissions that serve as a court for some detainees, was reached in recent weeks, and comes as a number of those who have been charged at Guantánamo are seeking to cite their abuse at the hands of the C.I.A. as part of their defense.

“Under the deal, the prisoner, MAJID KHAN, 41, who has pleaded guilty to serving as a courier for Al Qaeda, would complete his prison sentence as early as next year and no later than 2025 and then could be released to another country, assuming one will take him, according to people who have seen the terms or are familiar with its details.

FIGHTING BACK — “U.S. joins global push against violent extremism online,” AP: “Tech giants and governments around the world — including the U.S. for the first time — are gathering virtually Friday and Saturday to find better ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online while also respecting freedom of expression.

“It’s part of a global effort started by New Zealand Prime Minister JACINDA ARDERN and French President EMMANUEL MACRON in 2019 after deadly attacks in their countries that were streamed or shared on social networks. The U.S. government and four other countries are joining the effort, known as the Christchurch Call, for the first time this year. It involves some 50 nations plus tech companies including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon.”

AFTERNOON READ … MEDIAWATCH — “‘These Blazing Stars … Just Disappeared’: The Missing Generation of Women at the Washington Post,” by Paul Volpe for POLITICO Mag: “Three of the four managing editors at the Post, where I worked for more than five years, are women—positions in charge of hiring and standards; digital; and diversity and inclusion—and there is a female deputy managing editor. Two of these were appointed in the past year, and none were in serious contention for the top position. (Three of the four editors declined to comment; the other did not respond to a request for comment.)

“Traditionally, the people considered for the executive editor position are those in charge of coverage desks. And considering that, the numbers are stark for women at the Post. Currently, the managing editor in charge of news and features is a man. And virtually every major coverage area for which the Post is known has a man at its helm, including national, politics, foreign, local, investigations, national security, sports, Outlook, and health and science. … The paper’s Washington editing corps is especially male. A reporter writing a story about Donald Trump’s White House would often be running it up a chain of five white men.”

WEDDING — Hurst Renner, senior manager for public policy and smart city partnerships at software platform Rubicon, and Lillie Belle Viebranz, who works in business development at Palantir, got married last weekend at Lillie’s family home in New Jersey. The couple both went to Sewanee but met in D.C. Pic ... Another pic

BONUS BIRTHDAY: Caleb Randall-Bodman, deputy comms director for the House Armed Services Committee

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