|
Presented by Facebook: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by Facebook | After months of disappointing jobs reports and attendant Republican attacks on Biden administration economic policies, President JOE BIDEN got a holiday weekend gift this morning: The U.S. added 850,000 jobs in June. That beat economists’ expectations and offered a fresh jolt of evidence that the country is emerging from its pandemic slumber — though the unemployment rate did tick up from 5.8% to 5.9%, a reminder that there’s still plenty of distance to travel. From the White House, Biden took a victory lap. “None of this happened by accident. Again, it’s a direct result of the American Rescue Plan,” he said. “And at the time, people questioned whether or not we should do that even though we didn’t have bipartisan support. Well, it worked.” He also tweaked Republicans, casting himself as the new Reagan: “The last time the economy grew at this rate was in 1984, and RONALD REAGAN was telling us, ‘It’s morning in America.’ Well, it’s getting close to afternoon here, and the sun is coming out.” — Ben White and Rebecca Rainey dive into the political and policy implications of the new jobs numbers: “The report is likely to ease some pressure on President Joe Biden over the labor market’s slower-than-expected recovery. The GOP has hammered Biden over generous federal jobless benefits, which governors and lawmakers say are among the reasons workers have been reluctant to reenter the market. “At the same time, the number is probably not strong enough to change the view of Federal Reserve Chair JEROME POWELL that the economy continues to require emergency assistance in the form of rock-bottom interest rates.” After Biden’s jobs remarks, reporters quickly peppered him with questions about the impending potential crisis in Afghanistan as the U.S. pulls out. The president said he believes Afghanistan has “the capacity to be able to sustain the government” — and then cut off the line of questioning after a few minutes. “I want to talk about happy things, man,” he said. But here’s what looms: “As the Taliban gain ground, how long can the U.S. Embassy in Kabul stand?” by Nahal Toosi and Lara Seligman BEST BITES from Ryan’s interview this morning with White House senior adviser ANITA DUNN: — What policy priorities left out of the bipartisan infrastructure deal are at the top of Biden’s list to include in reconciliation? Dunn highlighted clean energy tax credits, housing, the care economy and workforce development. — Dunn flexed a bit about the White House’s confidence in getting their infrastructure bills done. We enjoyed this exchange: Dunn: “Probably Playbook is going to announce [that] our agenda’s ‘dead’ a few more times before this is all over, but at the end of the day, Ryan, no matter how many times you say that’s true, it never happens, and these bills get passed.” Ryan: “I don’t think we ever said ‘dead.’ When the pulse gets a little faint, we often point it out.” Dunn: “But you’d be amazed at how many times you can bring that patient back.” — The best career advice she’s gotten: “It is better to make a decision and have it be wrong — to make a mistake — because you can fix it, than to make no decision.” | 
| — And Dunn said she’s leaving the White House soon (her position was always a temporary gig). More from Maeve Sheehey … Watch the full interview here Happy Friday afternoon. Playbook PM will be off Monday for the holiday weekend, but Playbook will still be in your inboxes every morning. | | A message from Facebook: The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too
It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations passed. See why we support updated regulations on key issues, including:
– Protecting people’s privacy
– Enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms
– Preventing election interference
– Reforming Section 230 | | | POLL OF THE DAY — “Concern over crime is growing — but Americans don’t just want more police, Post-ABC poll shows,” by WaPo’s Cleve Wootson Jr. and Scott Clement: “Concern over crime has reached the highest point in four years … and the percentage of Americans who say crime in the United States is ‘extremely serious’ has reached its highest point in two decades. “The poll also finds that a sizable majority believe racial discrimination still exists in the country and say they hope that communities can find solutions to crime beyond putting more police officers on American streets, such as providing economic opportunities to people in low-income communities.” The poll SCOTUS WATCH — “Supreme Court won’t hear case of florist who sought to deny service to same-sex wedding,” USA Today: “Three conservative associate justices, CLARENCE THOMAS, SAMUEL ALITO and NEIL GORSUCH, said they would have taken the case.” — “Supreme Court declines to hear dispute over private property taken for economic development,” NBC: “Three of the justices, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and BRETT KAVANAUGH, said the court should have taken the case.” — Also, the number of conservative justices calling for the court to revisit New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark First Amendment case that protects news outlets from many defamation lawsuits, ticked up this morning from one to two, as Gorsuch joined Thomas. WHAT KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND IS READING — “Biden backs major reform to military’s handling of sexual assault,” by Lara Seligman: “Biden made the announcement after [Defense Secretary LLOYD] AUSTIN accepted the recommendation of an independent review panel that the Pentagon take sexual assault and related crimes out of the chain of command, and instead let independent military lawyers handle them. “Austin’s recommendation does not, however, go as far as legislation gaining support in Congress that would make that change for all major crimes, not just sexual assault. … In a Friday memo, Austin directed senior Pentagon leaders to begin carrying out the panel’s recommendations.” INFRASTRUCTURE STATE OF PLAY — “Dems’ July Fourth is no vacation when it comes to infrastructure talks,” by Sarah Ferris: “The effort by Biden, Speaker NANCY PELOSI and Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER to please everyone in their caucuses gets tougher almost by the day. … [S]ome groups will still meet [next week], including Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee tasked with finalizing ways to pay for any infrastructure bill — possibly the toughest challenge of all. … “House Democrats hope to take their next big step on their infrastructure plans, approving a budget blueprint that will effectively unlock their filibuster-proof process, by the end of this month. But some moderate Democrats hope that is not the only big vote they’ll take this month, urging their leadership and the White House to hold a vote on Biden's bipartisan agreement as soon as the text is ready.” — PRESSURE FROM THE RIGHT: “Group led by former Pence aide launches ad campaign to pressure Moran on taxes,” by The Kansas City Star’s Bryan Lowry: “A dark money group founded by former Vice President MIKE PENCE’S ex-chief of staff will launch an ad campaign next week aimed at pressuring Kansas Sen. JERRY MORAN into dropping his support for a bipartisan infrastructure plan. … “[MARC] SHORT’S group [the Coalition to Protect American Workers] will launch a six-figure ad campaign Tuesday in Kansas focused on Moran in hopes of pushing the already wavering senator off of the plan. The ad features hundreds of faceless men in black suits marching in unison as a narrator ominously warns, ‘If Joe Biden gets his way, they’re coming: IRS agents.’ The bipartisan infrastructure plan doesn’t raise taxes, but it includes $40 billion for the Internal Revenue Service.” The ad | | | | 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. | | | | | WAPO’S BEN TERRIS takes on the pandemic: “‘Now we are trying to figure out how to live with it’: Inside Biden’s push to crush covid”: “The story of Biden’s Covid-19 Response Team is a success story. Even the Trump crowd doesn’t try to say it has failed, arguing instead that the former president deserves a lot of credit for that success. But it’s also a story about limits — about what the federal government can and cannot get done when it comes to bringing that story to an end. “If the first year of the pandemic showed the limits of an administration guided by incoherence, false assurances and magical thinking, perhaps what we’re seeing now is the limits of competence.” THE NEW GOP — “Capitol rioter accompanied members of Congress on trip to U.S.-Mexico border,” by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck and Drew Myers: “A conservative YouTuber who participated in the January 6 riot accompanied Republican members of Congress on a trip to the border Tuesday night, serving as a translator at times. “ANTHONY AGUERO, a close ally of Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE can be seen in videos and photos with Republican members of Congress who traveled to a route along the border frequented by migrants on Tuesday night. CNN’s KFile previously reported that Aguero went into the Capitol during the January 6 riot and cheered and justified the break-in.” IMMIGRATION FILES — “Biden Plans Border Overhaul, Starting With Lifting Covid-19 Order,” by WSJ’s Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti: “Once the [Title 42] order is lifted, families that requested asylum at the border will be permitted to remain in the U.S. for the duration of their cases, which can take years to complete. The change is expected to come in conjunction with a phased reopening this summer of nonessential travel at ports of entry along the Mexican and Canadian borders … “The administration plans eventually to end the emergency public-health order, but government officials for the next few months plan to continue using it to turn away single adults, who currently make up the majority of those attempting illegal border crossings … Administration officials are concerned that ending the pandemic policy for single adults would result in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement running out of jail space.” — “Biden unveils unprecedented government-wide strategy to encourage U.S. citizenship,” by CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez: “The effort stems from one of President Joe Biden’s early executive orders that called on federal agencies to develop ‘welcoming strategies that promote integration, inclusion, and citizenship.’ “That includes, for example, holding naturalization ceremonies at national parks to raise awareness, partnering with the U.S. Postal Service to display promotional posters at Postal Service facilities about becoming a US citizen, and engaging with the Department of Veterans Affairs and veteran service organizations to find ways to educate service members and veterans on citizenship, according to the [new USCIS] strategy.” | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WOMEN RULE : The Women Rule newsletter explores how women, in Washington and beyond, shape the world, and how the news — from the pandemic to the latest laws coming out of statehouses — impacts women. With expert policy analysis, incisive interviews and revelatory recommendations on what to read and whom to watch, this is a must-read for executives, professionals and rising leaders to understand how what happens today affects the future for women and girls. Subscribe to the Women Rule newsletter today. | | | | | CLIMATE FILES — “Climate scientists take swipe at Exxon Mobil, industry in leaked report,” by Zack Colman and Karl Mathiesen: “A recently leaked draft report written by some of the world’s top climate scientists blamed disinformation and lobbying campaigns — including by Exxon Mobil — for undermining government efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the dangers of global warming to society. … [It] is part of an upcoming review of climate science by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change … “Details from the leaked report began emerging last week, days before a British television broadcaster aired a video showing a top Exxon Mobil lobbyist admitting the company worked with ‘shadow groups’ that engaged in disinformation campaigns … The draft IPCC report blamed think tanks, foundations, trade associations and other third-party groups that represent fossil fuel companies for promoting ‘contrarian’ science that misleads the public and disrupts efforts.” THE 30,000-FOOT WEISSELBERG VIEW — “Company once cloaked Trump in gilded fame. Now it faces felonies, debt and toxic brand,” by WaPo’s Jonathan O’Connell, David Fahrenthold and Josh Dawsey: “[DONALD] TRUMP will remain a wealthy man regardless of whether his company is convicted of any of the charges. But the indictment adds to a growing pile of uncertainties about his company that experts say makes its future less clear than at any time since Trump’s much publicized collapse in Atlantic City and New York in the 1990s.” ICYMI — “CNN & NPR Commentators Sued For Defamation by Ed Henry, Fired Fox News Host,” Deadline TRANSITIONS/ENGAGEMENT — Mary Carpenter is now senior manager of content and digital strategy at the Nuclear Energy Institute. She previously was deputy chief of staff and comms director for Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.). Nick Schemmel is now director of federal affairs for Organon. He previously was legislative director for Carter. … And they just got engaged! Nick proposed to Mary last week in the Bahamas. Pic MORE TRANSITIONS — Three former Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) staffers — Jason Foster, Beth Levine and Dean Foster — have launched a 501(c)(3) to advocate for whistleblowing, Empower Oversight . The team also includes two of the whistleblowers who testified in the Operation Fast & Furious gun-running scandal, Peter Forcelli and John Dodson. … Anna Newton is now a professional staff member for the Senate Appropriations GOP. She previously was a legislative assistant for Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). | | | |   | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
