Playbook PM: ‘The new Mitch McConnell’?

From: POLITICO Playbook - Monday Jun 07,2021 05:49 pm

Jun 07, 2021

By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Rachael Bade

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D.C. NORMALCY MILESTONE: The White House briefing room returned to full capacity today.

National security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN briefed reporters on President JOE BIDEN’S European trip, which begins Wednesday. Most questions focused on the end-of-trip meeting with Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN in Geneva on June 16.

Sullivan came to the podium from the Oval Office with some news to preempt one line of criticism: Biden had just talked to Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, who has been publicly agitating for a meeting before the Biden-Putin summit. While there won’t be a sit down with Biden in Europe, Biden invited Zelensky to the White House this summer (date TBD).

Sullivan repeated the White House’s familiar case for the Putin meeting:

— Biden “will go into this meeting with the wind at his back” because it will take place after his G-7, EU and NATO meetings.

— The meeting isn’t a “reward” to Putin but is taking place “because of our country’s differences.”

— Biden is keeping expectations low. The meeting is not about “deliverables” but a way to exchange views from both sides on “intentions and capabilities.”

— Doing it in person is key for Biden, according to Sullivan, because Putin has a “highly personalized style of decision-making.”

PRE-EUROPE READING — “Biden’s foreign policy: Reverse the Trump agenda but hit one similar note,” by Anita Kumar

INFRASTRUCTURE YEAR: In other White House news, while Biden and Sen. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO (R-W.Va.) were scheduled to talk today, press secretary JEN PSAKI said it will happen “today or tomorrow.” The two sides remain about $700 billion apart on an infrastructure deal with no agreement on how to pay for any of it.

— Glass-half-full view: They started out over $2 trillion apart, so they’re inching closer.

— Glass-half-empty view: Republicans have moved up only about $100 billion in new spending since their first offer.

Psaki also said that the White House is eager to hear from other bipartisan groups that have infrastructure ideas, seemingly a nod to a group of eight senators — ROB PORTMAN, MITT ROMNEY, SUSAN COLLINS, BILL CASSIDY, JOE MANCHIN, KYRSTEN SINEMA, JON TESTER and JEANNE SHAHEEN — that has said they have a backup plan if the Capito talks fail.

Psaki: Biden wants to see “what conversation we can have with them.”

Good Monday afternoon.

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LEFT KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE ON MANCHIN — Progressives in the House are doubling down on their criticisms of Manchin, the highest-profile (though not the only) impediment to their agenda within the party. This morning on CNN, Rep. JAMAAL BOWMAN (D-N.Y.) tagged Manchin as “the new MITCH MCCONNELL. ” Watch the clip

At WaPo, Greg Sargent has this nugget from a former ROBERT BYRD staffer arguing that Manchin should support lowering the filibuster threshold to 55 votes: “ IRA SHAPIRO, a former counsel for Sen. Robert Byrd of Manchin’s home state and author of two books on the Senate, says this would be consistent with Byrd’s legacy. Byrd, who staged one of history’s most notorious filibusters, ultimately supported lowering that threshold from 67 to 60.

“‘His nightmare scenario was a paralyzed Senate,’ Shapiro told me, speaking of Byrd. ‘He would have explored any possibility that allowed the Senate to get the work of the nation done. Lowering the threshold is consistent with what he’s supported in the past.’”

Sen. JON TESTER (D-Mont.), who along with Manchin was one of Democrats’ most important electoral victories in 2018, is a fellow moderate in disposition but has toed the party line much more often. The WSJ’s Eliza Collins has a new profile of him this morning from Butte in which she pulls out plenty of tea leaves to read:

“Mr. Tester has split with many Democratic lawmakers and activists by declining to back efforts to end the filibuster … Mr. Tester has indicated flexibility on the matter. Asked if the recent GOP filibuster blocking a bipartisan commission to look at the Jan. 6 Capitol riot would influence his stance, he responded, ‘I don’t think we’re there yet but it certainly has its effect.’ He added: ‘It depends what the future holds and my crystal ball is not that clear.’ …

“Mr. Tester has joined other centrists in saying he wants any infrastructure package to have bipartisan support, but he has signaled he would support a Democrat-only approach if negotiations fail. … Mr. Tester has raised objections to Mr. Biden’s proposal to impose capital-gains taxes on unrealized asset appreciation upon a person’s death … Mr. Tester, like other rural Democrats, said the proposal would hurt farmers and called it a nonstarter.”

Meanwhile, Sen. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-R.I.) sounded the alarm on climate this morning on Twitter: “OK, I’m now officially very anxious about climate legislation. I’ll admit I’m sensitive from the Obama climate abandonment, but I sense trouble. Climate has fallen out of the infrastructure discussion, as it took its bipartisanship detour. It may not return. So then what? I don’t see the preparatory work for a close Senate climate vote taking place in the administration. Why not marshal business support?

“Corporate America is still completely AWOL if not worse on climate in Congress. All the major corporate trade associations suck — all of them. Groups and advocates are quarreling — My way! No, my way! We need everything, not ‘my thing.’ Oy. Oceans are a big part of climate and so far no significant oceans/coasts effort apparent in administration. Trying to repair that in Senate. We need planning, organizing and momentum. It’s not going to be easy. And it has to work. We are running out of time.”

BIPARTISANSHIP LIVES? — With the Senate on the verge this week of passing the Endless Frontier Act, the big bipartisan bill aimed squarely at China, the NYT’s David Sanger, Catie Edmondson, David McCabe and Thomas Kaplan took a step back this morning to get their arms around its landmark size: “[T]he Senate is poised to pass the most expansive industrial policy legislation in U.S. history.”

“The legislation, which could be voted on as early as Tuesday, is expected to pass by a large margin,” they write. “That alone is a testament to how commercial and military competition with Beijing has become one of the few issues that can unite both political parties. It is an especially striking shift for Republicans … Now, both parties are embracing an enormous investment in semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence research, robotics, quantum computing and a range of other technologies.”

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SCOTUS WATCH — “Supreme Court rules against immigrants with temporary status,” AP: “A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday that thousands of people living in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons are ineligible to apply to become permanent residents. Justice ELENA KAGAN wrote for the court that federal immigration law prohibits people who entered the country illegally and now have Temporary Protected Status from seeking ‘green cards’ to remain in the country permanently.”

— “Supreme Court to take up case on mosque surveillance,” by Josh Gerstein … “Supreme Court rejects battle over male-only military draft registration,” CBS

HEADS UP — “Iran Steps up Efforts to Sow Discord Inside the U.S.,” by Time’s Brian Bennett: “Iranian state actors are intensifying their disinformation campaign on social media to spread discord and anti-Semitic tropes inside the U.S., two U.S. intelligence officials say. Social media accounts tracked to troll farms run by the Iranian government have ramped up disinformation after several major events this year …

“[W]ithin days of the conflict beginning last month in Israel and Gaza Twitter accounts linked to Iran were amplifying anti-Semitic messages in English, including the phrases ‘hitler was right’ and ‘kill all jews’ at a rate of 175 times per minute, according to analysis by Network Contagion Research Institute.”

JAN. 6 FALLOUT — “No. 2 Capitol Police official resigns amid turmoil at department,” by Nicholas Wu and Kyle Cheney: “CHAD THOMAS, the No. 2 Capitol Police official overseeing most of its uniformed officers, resigned from his position Monday as the department attempts to chart a path forward after the Jan. 6 insurrection.”

IT’S NOT ALL TRUMPIFIED YET — “How 2 new Republicans want to reshape the GOP's immigration agenda,” by Olivia Beavers: “Florida Reps. MARÍA ELVIRA SALAZAR and CARLOS GIMÉNEZ are somewhat lonely voices in the GOP … But Salazar and Giménez are promoting separate frameworks to overhaul the nation’s flawed immigration system that could help their party build on the surprising inroads former President DONALD TRUMP made with Latino voters last fall.

“Both of them toppled Democratic incumbents on their way to winning last fall. And both freshmen want to see Republicans embrace a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. — albeit paths that are harder to walk than Biden and Democrats would want. … [T]op Republicans aren't exactly tuning out Salazar and Giménez as they look to court new Latino voters in their push to regain the majority next fall, but they aren't endorsing their plans either.”

MORE ON THE HILL — “Congressional Staff Are Organizing To Make The People Who Work On Capitol Hill Less White,” by BuzzFeed’s Addy Baird: “The Congressional Progressive Staff Association, which went public Monday morning, is recruiting current Hill staffers to strengthen progressive efforts on the Hill and, two organizers told BuzzFeed News, aiming to bring in more candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.”

CLIMATE FILES — “Despite pandemic, level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hits historic levels,” by WaPo’s Brady Dennis and Steven Mufson: “Scientists from Scripps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Monday that levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide peaked in May, reaching a monthly average of nearly 419 parts per million. … Pieter Tans, a senior scientist with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory, said in an interview, ‘It’s significant in that it shows we are still fully on the wrong track.’”

CLICKER — “What Happened When Trump Was Banned on Social Media,” by NYT’s Davey Alba, Ella Koeze and Jacob Silver: “Before the ban, the social media post with the median engagement generated 272,000 likes and shares. After the ban, that dropped to 36,000 likes and shares. Yet 11 of his 89 statements after the ban attracted as many likes or shares as the median post before the ban, if not more.

“How does that happen? … [O]ther popular social media accounts often picked up his messages and posted them themselves. … One topic from Mr. Trump that has not spread far: claims of widespread election fraud.”

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.

AFTERNOON READ — “‘The unparalleled champion’: Bob Dole’s forgotten fight to get Washington to recognize the Armenian genocide,” by WaPo’s Manuel Roig-Franzia: “74 years had passed since that summer when a wounded soldier met the doctor who changed his life and handed him a cause that became whittled into his soul. ‘It’s been a long time coming,’ Dole said after Biden’s announcement. The unimaginable was made real. Bob Dole lived to see it.”

DESSERT — NBC’S @GarrettHaake: “Rare Capitol Hill news that will bring bipartisan joy: Cups reopens next Monday at 7am.”

IN MEMORIAM — “Donald Will Moran, long-time Washingtonian and titan of federal health care policy, passed away on May 11, 2021, after an extended illness. Don spent nearly 50 years as a vital part of the health policy community and 22 years as the head of his firm, The Moran Company. … [Ronald Reagan] appointed Don to serve as executive associate [OMB] director for budget and legislation, responsible for managing the budget process and analysis for the Executive Branch. The New York Times described Don at the time as ‘one of the most important, but invisible, bureaucrats in Washington.’” Full obituary

MEDIAWATCH — The Atlantic’s union drive, first reported by POLITICO’s Tara Palmeri and Olivia Reingold, went public this morning: “As a unionized newsroom, we can better secure the intellectual diversity essential to The Atlantic, ensure that staffers are fairly compensated and protected, and make certain that our voices are heard when big decisions that affect us are made. We believe that a union is the best way to give The Atlantic—and the employees who are writing its next chapter—the brightest future possible. We look forward to doing just that.” Their mission statement

And … that was fast! Editor-in-chief JEFFREY GOLDBERG emailed staff this morning to announce that “we have decided to work with the organizers of this effort on an agreement to voluntarily recognize the Atlantic editorial bargaining unit. We look forward to meeting together to chart a path forward.”

— Teddy Schleifer, who’s covered money and influence at Recode and CNN, is leaving Vox to join a new startup media company launching this summer where he’ll cover “America’s super elite — the power they wield, the trouble they make, and the stories they tell us about themselves.” In the meantime, he’s creating his own email newsletter, The Stratosphere.

— Choire Sicha is joining N.Y. Mag as an editor-at-large, acting as “a roving observer, critic and reporter, finding opportunities to narrate this country’s swiftly changing cultural landscape … [and] an editor focusing on special projects.” He previously headed the NYT’s Styles section and then worked on the paper’s newsletter strategy. Announcement

— Zach Everson is now a staff writer at Forbes covering money and politics. He previously wrote the 1100 Pennsylvania newsletter. Announcement

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Leah Wong is now deputy associate counsel at the White House. She most recently was an associate at Latham and Watkins.

USTR ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Sam Michel is now director of speechwriting at USTR. He previously was Minnesota press secretary for the Biden campaign and a director at SKDKnickerbocker.

TRANSITIONS — Sayee Srinivasan has been named chief economist and head of research at the American Bankers Association. He most recently was deputy director of risk surveillance for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Clearing and Risk. … Chris Moore, Paul Moore, Paula Hunker and Tom Bourne have formed Ceartas Advisors, a new consulting firm in D.C. working with nonprofits, foundations and associations. …

… Melissa Mannino is now a partner at BakerHostetler. She most recently was at Wilson Sonsini, and is a Commerce Department alum. … Tyler Brown will be associate director of government affairs at Sammons Financial Group. He most recently was a legislative assistant for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). … Davis Pace is now president and CEO at the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology at Stennis Space Center. He previously was a professional staff member for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, covering tech.

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