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Presented by Amazon: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | CAPITOL HILL IS POPPING TODAY. See if you can keep up. PROGRESSIVES ARE REBELLING — Sen. ED MARKEY (D-Mass.) joined Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) in saying he’s ready to move on from bipartisan talks. “It’s time for us to go our own way,” he told reporters about talks with the GOP. “We need to move forward with 50 Democratic votes.” But he’s not the only one. Burgess Everett and Sarah Ferris report that defections from the left could torpedo the infrastructure talks: “Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and ED MARKEY (D-Mass.) gave a press conference Tuesday vowing to oppose any infrastructure accord that lacks major policies to tackle climate change. Rep. PRAMILA JAYAPAL, who leads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, says her members will oppose unless Democrats also commit to a broader, separate bill. “An even bigger number of left-leaning members are criticizing an emerging bipartisan Senate agreement to spend nearly $1 trillion, $579 billion of it new spending, on physical infrastructure. Senate Banking Committee Chair SHERROD BROWN (D-Ohio), who oversees transit policy on transportation bills, said he looks at anything with GOP support ‘with skepticism that MITCH MCCONNELL’S earned.’” — Across the Capitol, STEVE RICCHETTI told House Dems this morning that they’re giving the bipartisan talks between a week and 10 days to figure out if there’s a path. JAN. 6 LATEST — Speaker NANCY PELOSI is meeting with her chairs to iron out next steps now that the bipartisan Jan. 6 commission proposal died in the Senate. This comes as the House Oversight Committee has released new documents showing Capitol Police asking the National Guard for help a dozen or so times that day. Read the documents here — Rep. ADAM SMITH (D-Wash.) told CNN’s Manu Raju this morning that House Dems will try to push the Senate to get to 60 votes on a bipartisan commission. Assuming that fails, they’d then look at creating a select committee to investigate. But Pelosi then said she hasn’t made a decision yet. ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THINGS … GOP CONSIDERS BACKING OFF ON OMAR, FOR NOW. Some Republicans want to keep the focus on Democratic infighting instead of moving to try to censure Rep. ILHAN OMAR (D-Minn.). BUT, BUT, BUT — House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY said on Fox News today that Republicans would unseat her from House Foreign Affairs if they retake the chamber next year: “I will promise you this: If we are fortunate enough to have the majority, Omar would not be serving on Foreign Affairs, or anybody that has an antisemitic, anti-American view.” | | A message from Amazon: Amazon starting wage: $15
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Amazon has seen the impact $15 can make. Learn more. | | | BIG POLITICO NEWS — Our esteemed newsroom editor CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN is leaving POLITICO to take a new role overseeing the “Meet the Press” franchise at NBC. As ROBERT ALLBRITTON wrote in his note to the newsroom this morning, “we at POLITICO can count ourselves lucky that we have had this exceptional journalist by our sides for the birth of our publication and critical phases of its growth in the United States and Europe.” A personal note from Rachael: CBB has long been one of the greatest parts of POLITICO. Not just as a boss, but as a friend and mentor. She’s been an inspiration to female reporters, a fellow woman with a family and a badass journalist to boot. It’s a huge loss for us at POLITICO, but we wish her well! Good Tuesday afternoon. DONALD TRUMP has a new spokesperson: RNC alum LIZ HARRINGTON is replacing JASON MILLER. AS LONG A WAIT AS THE CICADAS! — “U.S. and EU resolve 17-year Boeing-Airbus trade dispute,” CNBC: “The United States and European Union said Tuesday they have resolved a 17-year-long fight over aircraft subsidies, agreeing to suspend tariffs for five years stemming from the Boeing-Airbus dispute. … “As part of the deal, the EU and the U.S. agreed to provide research and development funding through an open and transparent process as well as to not give specific support, such as tax breaks, to their own producers that would harm the other side. The idea is also to collaborate in addressing non-market practices conducted by other countries, including China.” — This is a big breakthrough that President JOE BIDEN can now tout as a tangible deal from his first trip abroad. UP NEXT IN EUROPE: “Biden and Putin expected to make headway on nuclear talks,” by Bryan Bender: “Washington and Moscow have publicly expressed a desire to use the summit to reestablish formal talks on an exigent issue they have traditionally sought to shield from their many disputes. … No one is banking on detailed agreements to emerge from Geneva; even the definition of strategic threats has only grown more complex … But both governments have been striking a similar tone in recent days on the nuclear front, at least rhetorically.” — WaPo’s John Hudson has a good look at the Biden administration’s internal Russia policy debates, which an official tells him have been “intense” with “strong feelings on different sides” — especially on Nord Stream 2. | | | | DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-24. | | | | | DRIP, DRIP, DRIP … The revelations about Trump’s political pressure on the Department of Justice during his presidency keep coming. The latest, via NYT’s Katie Benner: “Trump Pressed Official to Wield Justice Dept. to Back Election Claims”: “Mr. Trump sent an email via his assistant to JEFFREY A. ROSEN, the incoming acting attorney general, that contained documents purporting to show evidence of election fraud in northern Michigan — the same claims that a federal judge had thrown out a week earlier … “Another email from Mr. Trump to Mr. Rosen followed two weeks later, again via the president’s assistant, that included a draft of a brief that Mr. Trump wanted the Justice Department to file to the Supreme Court. … Mr. Rosen made clear to his top deputy in one message that he would have nothing to do with the Italy conspiracy theory, arrange a meeting between the F.B.I. and one of the proponents of the conspiracy, BRAD JOHNSON, or speak about it with RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI. ” Some pretty striking emails SCOTUS WATCH — “Death penalty should be reinstated for Tsarnaev in Boston Marathon bombings case, Biden administration tells U.S. Supreme Court,” Boston Globe: “In a 48-page brief, the Department of Justice said the jury’s verdict that [ DZHOKHAR] TSARNAEV’S role in the 2013 bombings ― he participated with his brother TAMERLAN TSARNAEV — warranted the death sentence and should be respected and reinstated. … The US Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in the case this fall.” WHAT COULD GO WRONG? — “‘Going to be a long winter’: Congress hits snooze on funding the government,” by Jennifer Scholtes and Caitlin Emma: “The next government shutdown threat is 15 weeks away, and already top lawmakers assume they won’t strike a deal in time to prevent another funding punt. Half a dozen senators on the influential Appropriations Committee interviewed by POLITICO seem to have resigned themselves to keeping the government functioning past September using a stopgap funding bill known as a continuing resolution … “Congress has failed for well over a decade to meet the Oct. 1 deadline for funding the government, resorting each year to temporary patches that spell budgetary turmoil … But seldom have lawmakers been so behind in that work as they are this year. And President Joe Biden shares in the blame for the funding stasis.” THE LAB-LEAK THEORY — “HHS watchdog announces review of NIH grants that likely includes money connected to Wuhan lab,” by CNN’s Kristen Holmes and Priscilla Alvarez: “Federal government investigators said Tuesday that they are launching a review into how the National Institutes of Health manages and monitors its grant program, which likely includes money connected to a Wuhan lab that GOP lawmakers have been scrutinizing. “Republicans have zeroed in on NIH’s relationship with EcoHealth Alliance, the global nonprofit that helped fund some research at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, to attack Dr. ANTHONY FAUCI and score political points. … One NIH official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the review openly, called it ‘political’ in nature but believed that ultimately it would be a good thing and would clear NIH of any wrongdoing.” | | A message from Amazon: Watch what happened when Amazon raised their starting wage to $15/hr in 2018. | | | THE THREAT WITHIN — “White House unveils strategy to combat domestic terrorism,” by Betsy Woodruff Swan and Myah Ward: “The effort is the culmination of a review, led by the National Security Council, of how the U.S. government has dealt with the growing threat. It reiterates that militia extremists and racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists — predominantly white supremacists — are the most lethal and persistent terrorism threat facing the U.S. … “But the review did not find a strong connection between domestic terrorism and foreign actors … The strategy document focuses on understanding and sharing information about the threat, preventing the mobilization and recruitment of domestic terrorists, disrupting domestic terrorism plots and combating social problems that contribute to the growth of domestic terrorism.” ANTITRUST THE PROCESS — “Dems are going after Big Tech. It’ll affect almost everything you do online,” by Leah Nylen: “House Democrats’ proposed antitrust overhaul pitches itself as a fight for a fairer internet, less riven by special dealing and conflicts of interest — through provisions aimed surgically at the practices of just a handful of the largest U.S. companies. “The proposal for the biggest change to U.S. antitrust law in decades would almost exclusively target Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and potentially Microsoft … The narrow focus could make the House bill more palatable to Republicans … The results could bring big changes to some of the industry’s best-known products, from Amazon Prime and Google’s search results to Apple’s App Store and Facebook’s Messenger and Instagram. LinkedIn and Microsoft Office could even feel the bite.” IT’S THE INTERNET, STUPID — “Poll shows where to find swing voters: Online,” by Steven Shepard: “For years, digital strategists in both parties have urged candidates and outside groups to move some of the resources they spend on TV to digital outlets as a way to reach younger voters. But the new poll suggests digital is also necessary to reach older swing voters.” The poll COMING ATTRACTIONS — “White House to host July 4 ‘independence from virus’ bash,” by AP’s Zeke Miller: “The holiday will see the largest event yet of Biden’s presidency: He plans to host first responders, essential workers and military servicemembers and their families on the South Lawn for a cookout and to watch the fireworks over the National Mall. Well more than 1,000 guests are expected, officials said, with final arrangements still to be sorted out. “The plan shows the dramatic shift in thinking since Biden just three months ago cautiously held out hope that people might be able to hold small cookouts by the Fourth, an idea that seems quaint now given the swift pace of reopening. … [T]he National Mall will host the traditional fireworks ceremony.” | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | MYPILLOW TALK — “Why Mike Lindell Can’t Stop,” by David Siders in Chaska, Minn., for POLITICO Magazine: “The MyPillow tycoon has lost business pumping up Trump conspiracy theories, and probably lost his chance at a political future. But he believes he’s on a divine mission to overturn the election—and he’s not alone.” YIKES — “U.S. military guns keep vanishing, some used in street crimes,” by AP’s Kristin Hall, James LaPorta, Justin Pritchard and Justin Myers: “In the first public accounting of its kind in decades, an Associated Press investigation has found that at least 1,900 U.S. military firearms were lost or stolen during the 2010s, with some resurfacing in violent crimes. Because some armed services have suppressed the release of basic information, AP’s total is a certain undercount.” — BEHIND THE BYLINE … @JPritchardAP: “Ten years it took to report this @AP investigation from start to finish. Yes, 10 years. It was so long because 1) armed forces suppressed the release of info and 2) @kmhall is a boss who didn’t stop at ‘No’ or even ‘Still no’ and definitely not at ‘Go away.’” BOOK CLUB — “New Book Publisher Caters to Conservative Voices It Says Are Being Silenced,” by WSJ’s Jeffrey Trachtenberg: “Two veteran book-publishing executives have teamed up to launch a conservative publishing house called All Seasons Press LLC … LOUISE BURKE, the former president and publisher of Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books Group, and KATE HARTSON, whom Hachette Book Group dismissed as editorial director of its Center Street imprint earlier this year, said conservative authors are finding it harder to get published in the post-Trump era. … “All Seasons Press expects to release four books this fall, including works by Mark Meadows, the former Trump administration chief of staff; former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro ; and James Golden, who worked as a producer for years with the late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. The publisher said it is targeting 10 new titles in 2022.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Jessica Nigro will be head of Lucid Motors’ global public policy group. She currently is general manager and head of technology and innovation policy at Daimler/Mercedes-Benz. TRANSITION — The White House announced it will nominate Michael D. Smith as CEO of AmeriCorps. He currently is executive director of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and director of youth opportunity programs at the Obama Foundation. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Matt Shapanka, chief counsel for Senate Rules Chair Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Megan Shapanka, senior community engagement specialist at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, welcomed Benjamin “Ben” Shapanka on May 24. | | | | Sponsored Survey WE VALUE YOUR OPINION: Please take a 1-minute survey about one of our advertising partners. | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
