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Presented by the American Beverage Association: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Rachael Bade, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | BREAKING … Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.), the lead House impeachment manager, sent a letter to former President DONALD TRUMP “requesting that he provide testimony under oath, either before or during the Senate impeachment trial, about his conduct on January 6.” Raskin writes, “Two days ago, you filed an Answer in which you denied many factual allegations set forth in the article of impeachment. You have thus attempted to put critical facts at issue notwithstanding the clear and overwhelming evidence of your constitutional offense. … If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021.” The full letter Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.), who will face a vote this afternoon over whether to strip her of her committee assignments, spoke on the House floor shortly before 1 pm. Here’s some of what she said: On school shootings: “absolutely real.”
On 9/11: “absolutely happened … I do not believe that it’s fake.”
On cancel culture: “a very real thing.”
On abortion: “worst thing this country has ever committed.”
On the media: “just as guilty as QAnon of presenting truth and lies to divide us.”
On the human condition: “None of us are perfect.” DEVELOPING — ATTEMPTED PERIMETER BREACH AT CAPITOL: U.S. Capitol Police sent around a warning at 9:55 a.m. about an attempted security breach by “a female driving a silver sedan” who was unlawfully trying to enter the Capitol perimeter. Police stopped her at the corner of New Jersey Avenue and D Street SE to ask for credentials, but “she proceeded forward endangering a USCP officer.” “We are still trying to ascertain if the officer was injured,” reads an email from USCP that was obtained by our Huddle author, Olivia Beavers. “The female has been taken into custody, arrested and is currently in prisoner processing.” A Playbook tipster who walked by at the time of the incident wrote in with his account: “A car was stopped there when I walked up this morning, all the doors and the trunk were open. [A] cop told me it was a ‘crime scene’ and then directed me to enter” through another door. PSAKI STIMULUS TEA LEAVES: The White House has been dropping some hints about what are and are not JOE BIDEN must-haves in the Covid relief bill. At her briefing today, press secretary JEN PSAKI seemed to summarize the red lines: — $1,400 checks. The White House is flexible on reducing the total number of Americans who receive these but seems insistent on the size of the check itself, which was a core campaign promise in the Georgia runoffs. Biden “feels strongly” and is “firm” about this, Psaki noted. — Minimum wage. The White House has been much less insistent here. Today Psaki noted that the measure might not even make it through the complicated rules of the congressional budget process. “Whether it can be done through the reconciliation process will be determined according to the House and Senate,” she noted. Speaker NANCY PELOSI indicated at her weekly news conference that the House will look for other bills to take up the minimum wage if it doesn’t make it in this go-round. Notably, Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) has already announced his opposition to a $15 federal minimum wage. Given the White House’s lack of insistence on including it, the process concerns and Manchin’s preference, minimum wage seems headed for the cutting-room floor, absent a strong pushback from its fiercest advocates. — $1.9 trillion. The White House has made it clear that the total size of the bill could drop, and several prominent left-leaning policy wonks have noted that a smaller bill — in the $1.3 trillion range — might make better economic sense. Psaki and Pelosi noted something we’ve previously reported: This is not the only bite of the apple on these issues this year. There will be a follow-on bill under the banner of Biden’s “Build Back Better” program that could be another vehicle for anything that doesn’t make it into the stimulus. “It is a first step,” Psaki said. | | A message from the American Beverage Association: At America’s beverage companies our plastic bottles are made to be remade. We’re carefully designing them to be 100% recyclable, including the caps—so every bottle can become a new one. That means less plastic waste in our environment. Please help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | MORE ON GREENE — “House readies vote to punish Marjorie Taylor Greene,” by Heather Caygle — Starting around 1 p.m., lawmakers will vote on the rule governing debate for the resolution to strip Greene from her committees. Watch this as a test vote that should indicate how many Republicans might ultimately side with Democrats on this. The actual vote will happen later this afternoon. NEW — Biden “will announce an end to American support for offensive operations in Yemen,” national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN said at the White House briefing this morning. Our Lara Seligman is skeptical that this “is anything more than a symbolic move.” TO THAT END — “Exclusive: Tim Lenderking to be U.S. envoy for Yemen,” The National: “A soft-spoken and seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in the broader Middle East since 1993, Mr Lenderking will be the first US envoy for Yemen since the country descended into war in 2014. … The appointment of an envoy itself reflects heightened interest from the Biden administration in resolving the Yemen conflict.” MORE FROM SULLIVAN … The U.S. is freezing the Trump administration’s decision to pull troops from Germany. … The administration wants to work with Congress to craft a bipartisan package of sanctions on Myanmar after the coup. … Biden will announce today a presidential memorandum on protecting LGBTQ rights around the world. … And Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN will lead a review of U.S. global force posture. More from Nahal Toosi, Lara and Natasha Bertrand JOIN US! The GOP is figuring out its post-Trump future. The Jan. 6 insurrection has exposed divisions over the party’s direction and the power balance among different factions. Join EUGENE DANIELS on Friday at 9 a.m. for a conversation with former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) to get his take on the party’s future and where moderate Republicans fit in. Register here to watch live and submit questions HERE’S HUNTER — “Hunter Biden’s memoir ‘Beautiful Things’ out in April,” AP: “The book … will center on the younger Biden’s well publicized struggles with substance abuse, according to Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster … “‘Beautiful Things’ was circulated among several authors and includes advance praise from Stephen King, Dave Eggers and Anne Lamott . ‘In his harrowing and compulsively readable memoir, Hunter Biden proves again that anybody — even the son of a United States President — can take a ride on the pink horse down nightmare alley,’ King writes in his blurb. ‘Biden remembers it all and tells it all with a bravery that is both heartbreaking and quite gorgeous. He starts with a question: Where’s Hunter? The answer is he’s in this book, the good, the bad, and the beautiful.’” Psaki: “This is a personal book about his own personal journey.” She declined to answer a question about whether the book was subject to the government clearance process. | | | | 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. | | | | | WHOA — “Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over ‘disinformation campaign,’” CNN PENCE’S PIVOT — “Pence to join Heritage Foundation as distinguished fellow,” by Daniel Lippman and Gabby Orr: “The move comes a day after the former vice president launched his transition office and announced plans to relocate to his home state of Indiana this summer. Pence is expected to announce additional plans related to his future in the coming weeks, beyond his efforts to boost House and Senate Republicans ahead of the 2022 midterms. He reportedly plans to also launch a fundraising committee related to policy.” YOU’LL WANT TO BOOKMARK THIS — “Joe Biden’s Cabinet: Who’s in, and who voted against them,” by Beatrice Jin, Allan James Vestal, Emily Cadei and Andrew McGill. The most dissenting senator? JOSH HAWLEY, who has voted against all six Biden nominees who have been brought up for a vote. THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE — “Another 779,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week,” CNN: “For yet another week, claims were nearly four times the level of the same period last year … It was also the 46th straight week that initial claims were higher than they were in the worst week of the Great Recession … Still, it was a sizable decrease in claims from the prior week and the first drop below the 800,000 mark since the start of the month.” VOTE-A-RAMA LATEST — “Mitt Romney unveils plan to provide $3,000 per child, giving bipartisan support to President Biden’s effort,” WaPo: “Romney’s proposal would provide $4,200 per year for every child up to the age of 6, as well as $3,000 per year for every child age 6 to 17. Senior Democrats are currently drafting legislation as part of their $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal that would provide $3,600 per year for every child up to the age of 6, as well as $3,000 for every child aged 6 to 17. “The emergence of Romney’s child benefits plan as Democrats prepare a similar effort could give the White House an opportunity to incorporate policies with bipartisan support into its relief package.” — Chief of staff RON KLAIN tweeted in response: “Really looking forward to see what @SenatorRomney will propose here -- an encouraging sign that bipartisan action to reduce child poverty IS possible.” KNOWING BRIAN DEESE — “Biden Aide Deese Draws On Obama-Era Rescues for Stimulus Fight,” Bloomberg. BIDEN’S COVID PLAN — “Biden administration weighs plan to directly send masks to all Americans,” NBC: “The Covid-19 Response Team is evaluating the logistics of mailing out millions of face coverings, but no decision has been made, and the proposal hasn't yet reached President Joe Biden for final approval, a White House official said. “The idea has been raised in several meetings among Biden’s top health experts in recent days, particularly as Biden continues to urge Americans to use masks as a primary defense against the spread of the coronavirus.” — MEANWHILE … “Millions of Counterfeit Masks Flooded U.S. Customs Facilities Last Year,” WSJ: “U.S. Customs agents seized nearly 13 million counterfeit face masks in the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, according to a report set for release Thursday … Agents also confiscated 177,000 test kits prohibited by the Food and Drug Administration and 38,000 chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine tablets that were barred by the FDA.” | | | | KEEP UP WITH CONGRESS IN 2021: Get the inside scoop on the Schumer/McConnell dynamic, the debate over the filibuster and increasing tensions in the House. From Schumer to McConnell, Pelosi to McCarthy and everyone in between, new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings the latest from Capitol Hill with assists from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the indispensable guide to Congress. | | | | | VACCINE TALES — “How is Alaska leading the nation in vaccinating residents? With boats, ferries, planes and snowmobiles,” WaPo THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION — “Frontrunner emerges for Biden’s Medicare and Medicaid chief,” by Rachel Roubein, Susannah Luthi and Adam Cancryn: “Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, a longtime Democratic health policy expert, has emerged as the leading candidate…” — AMERICA, 2021: “Militia alliance in Georgia signals new phase for extremist paramilitaries,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “The leader of a private paramilitary group that provided security for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said he has formed alliances with other far-right groups to advocate for Georgia’s secession from the union, following the arrests of participants in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.” JAIME HARRISON INTERVIEW — “Democrats Need to Invest In State Parties, Not Just Rock Star Candidates,” GEN: “Harrison said he plans on helping Democrats build a strategy similar to the famed 50-state strategy that Howard Dean implemented when he became party chairman in 2005, in which the DNC sought to invest in every locality, regardless of how red or blue it was.” FOR YOUR RADAR — “Klobuchar to Introduce Antitrust Bill Raising Bar for Technology Deals,” WSJ MEGATREND — “U.S. Satisfaction Sinks With Many Aspects of Public Life,” Gallup: “This includes satisfaction with the overall quality of life in the U.S., assessments of government, corporate and religious influence, and perceptions of the economic and moral climates. The average percentage satisfied with these seven dimensions has plunged to 39% at the start of 2021. That compares with 53% a year ago.” IN MEMORIAM — Rep. Jim Cooper’s (D-Tenn.) wife, Martha, died this morning after a battle with Alzheimer’s. His tribute to a woman whose “charm and optimism were heroic” MEDIAWATCH — “CNN chief Jeff Zucker will stay with the network through 2021,” L.A. Times — David Kihara will be Florida editor at POLITICO. He currently is deputy Congress editor. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK I — PRESSURE FROM THE LEFT … A new progressive coalition called ProsperUS, launched by the Groundwork Collaborative, is sending a letter to Democratic Hill leaders urging them to hold firm on a $1.9 trillion relief package — and view it as only “an initial down payment.” The letter … List of signers FIRST IN PLAYBOOK II — Stacey Daniels is now comms director for Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.). She most recently was assistant director for public affairs at ICE. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK III — Benjamin Kenney is now director of government and public affairs at Coherus BioSciences. He most recently was director of external affairs and strategic comms for the Covid-19 Joint Information Center at HHS. TRANSITIONS — Don Baer is now a senior partner at the Brunswick Group. He previously was worldwide chair and CEO of Burson-Marsteller, and is a Clinton White House alum. … Eric Dreiband is returning to Jones Day as a partner. He previously was assistant A.G. of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. … … Adam Bingman is now national press secretary for the Sierra Club. He previously was director of comms and outreach for Michigan’s Children. … Joseph Rubin will be head of public affairs and regulatory policy at OppLoans. He most recently was principal at the Bockorny Group. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Shantanu Tata | | | | 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. Ameribev.org | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
