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Presented by the American Beverage Association: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | BREAKING: HOYER SHOOTS DOWN MCCARTHY ON MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE — During a private phone call around lunch time, House Majority Leader STENY HOYER rejected Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY’S proposal to remove the QAnon supporter from only one of her two committee posts. As we first reported this morning, McCarthy was making a last-ditch attempt to stave off a floor vote that would force the GOP to go on record about the Georgia Republican’s fate. Still, the offer wasn’t exactly appealing: We hear that McCarthy insisted that if Democrats removed Greene from the Education and Labor panel, Republicans would want to put her on another committee. No wonder Hoyer said no. Republicans now face a choice: Do they just remove Greene from both her committees on their own — or let the Democrats do it for them? Given the fear we were hearing about in McCarthy’s steering panel meeting Tuesday night, you’d think the choice would be obvious. Members were going on and on, we were told, about how this vote would pit GOP members against a base that likes Greene because of her pro-Trump enthusiasm — and swing voters repelled by any vote suggesting they’re protecting a woman who endorsed violence and questioned the veracity of school shootings. If they were willing to take her off one panel, is it that much of a stretch to take her off a second? The clock is ticking. The vote is scheduled for Thursday. Republicans, our Democratic sources tell us, didn’t help their case when they started threatening retaliation against Democratic members. Rep. BRIAN BABIN (R-Texas) on Tuesday proposed removing Rep. ILHAN OMAR (D-Minn.) from the committee on foreign affairs, presumably because of her past statements about Israel and American Jews. This angered Democratic leaders. Here’s Hoyer’s statement: “I spoke to Leader McCarthy this morning, and it is clear there is no alternative to holding a floor vote on the resolution to remove Rep. Greene from her committee assignments.” BIDEN RALLIES HOUSE DEMOCRATS ON PANDEMIC PACKAGE — President JOE BIDEN signaled on a call with House Democrats today that he’s willing to compromise on stimulus checks, but also threw some shade at Republicans trying to negotiate with him. Our Sarah Ferris, Caitlin Emma and Heather Caygle got the skinny on the call, writing that “Biden said he’s open to refining key elements of his nearly $2 trillion coronavirus … but stressed the urgency of delivering the massive relief bill quickly to the pandemic-stricken nation.” Biden indicated to moderate Democrats who want more targeted stimulus checks that he’s open to the idea, even as he said he wants to keep them at $1,400. “I’m OK with that,” Biden told the group, our team reports. But the president also “made clear that he would not shrink the overall size of his package to meet GOP demands,” our team reports. “After a lengthy meeting Monday with GOP senators who pitched a $618 billion plan, Biden told Democrats that offer ‘was not even in the cards.’ Biden acknowledged that some lawmakers get ‘hung up’ on the price tag when the nation is already facing a ballooning federal deficit and skyrocketing debt.” | 
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EveryBottleBack.org | | | ART OF THE DEAL — “Schumer and McConnell agree to organizing resolution for 50-50 Senate,” by Marianne LeVine: “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have reached a deal on a power-sharing agreement for governing the upper chamber. “The final agreement on the so-called organizing resolution for the 50-50 Senate allows Democrats to take control of committees and comes after weeks of negotiation between the two leaders.” ON THE COVER … PEOPLE MAGAZINE: “In First White House Interview, Joe & Jill Biden Talk Marriage, Family, Prayer — and the Challenges Ahead: The new president and first lady open up about their initial days after returning to Washington, D.C., and starting the nation’s next chapter: ‘We have problems, but we also have enormous opportunities.’” With video COMING ATTRACTIONS — CBS’ NORAH O’DONNELL will have the first network TV interview with Biden since he took office, airing Sunday in the 4 p.m. hour ahead of the Super Bowl. BTW … WHAT IS UP WITH ANDREW CUOMO? Shannon Young, a POLITICO health care reporter based in Albany, sent us a dispatch Tuesday night distilling the New York governor’s recent troubles: Nearly a year after Cuomo emerged as a star early in the pandemic — leading to soaring approval ratings, an Emmy award and a book contract — his halo has begun to fade. The first blow came last week when state A.G. TISH JAMES — a Democrat who ran hand in hand with Cuomo — released a scathing report accusing his administration of undercounting nursing home deaths tied to the virus. (State health officials denied it.) Cuomo drew additional criticism Friday for suggesting that no one, including “the ‘experts,’” knows what’s coming next with Covid-19. A report this week by the NYT suggesting that “Cuomo has all but declared war on his own public health bureaucracy” further compounded that criticism. It’s unclear what all this amounts to for Cuomo politically. He’s tried to steer the conversation toward the state’s efforts to secure and deploy more vaccine doses, but the recent headlines upended his strategy. Mother Nature did deliver a bit of a respite for the embattled governor this week: a massive snowstorm that allowed him to show he’s in charge. ON THE WORLD STAGE — “U.S. approves five-year extension of nuclear weapon treaty with Russia,” by Anna Kambhampaty: “The State Department on Wednesday announced a five-year extension of the New START ballistic missile treaty, cementing limits on U.S. and Russian nuclear weapon delivery mechanisms through 2026. “The treaty, which had been set to expire later this week, secures limits on both land and submarine-based ballistic missiles as well as heavy bombers. It allows for monitoring of Russian compliance while providing ‘greater insight into Russia’s nuclear posture, including through data exchanges and onsite inspections that allow U.S. inspectors to have eyes on Russian nuclear forces and facilities,’ according to a statement from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.” | | | | TRACK FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: The Biden administration hit the ground running with a series of executive orders his first week in office and continues to outline priorities on key issues. What's coming down the pike? Find out in Transition Playbook, our scoop-filled newsletter tracking the policies, people and emerging power centers of the first 100 days of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | IMPEACHMENT LATEST — CASTOR INTERVIEW: “Former Montco DA leading impeachment defense says Trump blameless for supporters’ riot at Capitol,” KYW Newsradio: “‘There are statutes that deal with incitement to riot, and it’s not even close that the president engaged in what would be considered criminal conduct,’ he said. ‘Then there’s a test called the Brandenburg test set down by the Supreme Court. I analyzed that at length, and that isn’t even close to met. I don’t believe there’s a chance in the world they’re going to be able to demonstrate he committed those crimes, or even anything approaching them.’” IMMIGRATION FILES — “Trump Loyalists Across Homeland Security Could Vex Biden’s Immigration Policies,” NYT: “Biden and his secretary of homeland security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, are already encountering their own pockets of internal resistance, especially at the agencies charged with enforcing the nation’s immigration laws, where the gung-ho culture has long favored the get-tough policies that Mr. Trump embraced. … “The day before Mr. Biden’s inauguration, union leaders signed a labor agreement with Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, an immigration hard-liner and the acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, that requires ICE’s political leadership to consult with the union on policy decisions. If the agreement stands, it could undercut Mr. Biden’s directives to the enforcement agency, including guidance that took effect on Monday requiring ICE officers to focus arrests on violent offenders.” — “Biden Administration Faces Backlog of 380,000 Waiting to Immigrate,” NYT: “Immigration experts said it would take up to a year under normal circumstances to work through that many applications. … [V]isa issuance data and the State Department’s recent assessments of consular operations suggest that consulates remain ill-equipped to process visas.” VACCINE LATEST — “AstraZeneca vaccine shows strong effect against coronavirus with just one dose,” WaPo: “Researchers at Oxford University released new results from their vaccine, which is being manufactured by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca, showing it gives 76 percent protection for three months after just one dose. Testing also reveals that those vaccinated are much less likely to transmit the disease.” JEFF ZIENTS announced this morning the federal government and California will launch community vaccination centers in East Oakland and the Eastside of Los Angeles. TESTING TROUBLES — “Burned by Low Reimbursements, Some Doctors Stop Testing for Covid,” NYT MYANMAR LATEST — “Myanmar charges Suu Kyi, giving legal basis to detain her,” AP THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION — “Biden’s China Policy to Be Steered by Team of Rivals,” WSJ: “Former Secretary of State John Kerry, now the White House’s climate envoy, is pursuing an international climate deal that requires the cooperation of China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, to be effective. The White House’s China coordinator, Kurt Campbell, meanwhile wants to push back hard on China. … “[Jake] Sullivan now needs to weave together their views along with those of the heads of the Treasury, State Department, Commerce Department and U.S. Trade Representative’s office, which often have diverging perspectives.” JAN. 6 FALLOUT — “When Reporting Becomes a Defense for Rioting,” The New Yorker: “John Sullivan claims that he was at the Capitol insurrection as a neutral journalist. Others say he was a riot chaser who urged the mob to ‘burn this shit down.’” — “She was stunned by Biden’s inauguration. How this South Carolina mom escaped QAnon,” CNN TRUDEAU GOES THERE … “Canadian government to list Proud Boys as a terrorist group,” Toronto Star | | | | JOIN THURSDAY - BUILDING PUBLIC TRUST AROUND THE VACCINE: How do we overcome the trust gap around the Covid-19 vaccines? How do we craft and deliver messages to break through fear and misinformation, especially in diverse and underserved communities that are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus? Join for a conversation with policymakers and public health experts about the urgent need to soothe fears and get Americans vaccinated. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | YALE OFF THE HOOK? — “Justice Department Drops Yale University Admissions Lawsuit,” WSJ: “The Justice Department on Wednesday withdrew a lawsuit that alleged Yale University violated federal civil-rights law by discriminating against white and Asian-American undergraduate applicants, a sign the Biden administration may be shifting the federal government’s stance more broadly on civil-rights enforcement. “The Justice Department’s underlying investigation into whether Yale is complying with federal law, launched in 2018, remains open.” HOT ON THE RIGHT — “John Kerry took private jet to Iceland for environmental award, called it ‘only choice for somebody like me,’” Fox News AFTERNOON READ — ONE YEAR LATER … “The Iowa Caucus Is Supposed to Tell the Story About America. This Is the Story About Disaster , Heartbreak , Failure , Expectations , Outrage , Troy Price , Tom Perez , The DNC , State Parties , Shadow , The Media , Outrage , Politics , 2020,” BuzzFeed: “Troy Price devoted years of his life to the Iowa caucus, hoping to make it successful, transparent, and inclusive. But in a year when everything fell apart, the 2020 Iowa caucus was the first institution to collapse.” TALKER — “The Lousy Tippers of the Trump Administration,” by Moe Tkacik in Slate: “One chilly morning early in the Trump administration, a guy with an unnervingly unpleasant countenance sat down in my section, ordered a green tea, and immediately started interrogating me about the caviar. … [H]e wanted to know exactly which bodies of water had produced the caviar and how precisely it had been extracted from its mother. … Then the manager on duty beckoned me over to look at a New York Times story he’d called up on the host-stand iPad. ‘This is table 60,’ he said. ‘Stephen Miller.’ … “Sen. Ted Cruz, for his part, had been an impeccable regular … That’s how you knew he wasn’t a real Trumpist … The perma-scowling almost-billionaire Wilbur Ross … ordered the cheapest wine on the by-the-glass list and didn’t tip more than 14 percent, no matter how often you topped him off without charging. His fellow near-billionaire Gary Cohn, Trump’s first chief economic adviser, was a bigger spender who still couldn’t bring himself to tip more than 18 percent.” Plus Paul Manafort, Louise Linton and more MEDIAWATCH — Henry Gomez is joining NBC as a national political reporter. He previously reported for BuzzFeed. TRANSITIONS — Josh Schwerin has launched Saratoga Strategies, a strategic comms consulting firm. He most recently was senior strategist and comms director at Priorities USA, and is a Hillary Clinton, Terry McAuliffe and DCCC alum. … Priscilla Aybar is now SVP of digital and innovation at Converging Media. She previously was digital director for the DCCC’s independent expenditure. … Brandon Van Grack is joining Morrison & Foerster as a partner. He previously was a DOJ Foreign Agents Registration Act unit chief and lead prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller. NEXT STEPS FOR TRUMP ALUMNI — Roger Severino is joining the Ethics and Public Policy Center as a senior fellow, heading a new “HHS Accountability Project.” He previously was director of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights. … Finch Fulton is joining Locomation as VP of policy and strategy. He previously was deputy assistant secretary of policy at the Department of Transportation. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Daniel Libit, a reporter at Sportico and a POLITICO alum, and Ashley Libit on Sunday welcomed Justin Samuel Libit, their second child. Pic — Alex Lezama and Julie Henninger, Foreign Service Officers for the State Department, recently welcomed Sylvie Monroe Lezama. Pic ... Another pic | | | | A message from the American Beverage Association:   Every Bottle Back is one way we’re driving solutions together. Starting another 100 years with a new look, American Beverage will continue with our shared leadership. 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