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Presented by The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: The power players, latest policy developments, and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing. | | | | | |  | | By Daniel Lippman, Eli Stokols and Lauren Egan | | | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren A pair of JOE BIDEN alums is getting involved in the woke wars, seeing a giant opportunity in helping companies take a stand on socially liberal issues without paralyzing fear of the conservative backlash. ALEX YUDELSON, who was executive secretary to former Domestic Policy Council director SUSAN RICE, and THOMAS ISEN, who was a senior adviser for Cabinet Secretary EVAN RYAN, are launching a social impact consulting firm this week: Second Floor Advisors. The firm’s name comes from the duo’s time together working on the second floor of the West Wing. Its mission comes, in part, from watching corporations like Target and Anheuser-Busch experience immense retribution from the right after recently embracing LGBTQ causes or products. As Yudelson put it to West Wing Playbook, the key is “knowing when and when not to speak out are equally as important.” “Over the past couple administrations that we’ve been a part of, we saw a huge need for this type of work,” said Yudelson, who left the Biden administration last August to attend law school. “With the recent changes in what’s being expected of companies and influencers and celebrities and athletes, there is a greater expectation than there was before by employees, customers and fans for them to speak up on issues that matter to them.” Second Floor Advisors follows a long line of startup consultancies launched by political operatives riding the coattails of their White House service. But this one seems poised to capitalize on a unique moment in the culture wars: in which a wave of conservative anger has put corporations and, to an extent, Democrats on their heels. So far the firm, whose launch was shared exclusively with West Wing Playbook, has signed an NFL team — which they declined to disclose — to help navigate the battle against crime and gun violence around their stadium without alienating fans. They also have signed Tory Burch, helping the luxury fashion label respond to incidents of gun violence that have happened near stores, like the one last month outside of Dallas, as well as advocate for addressing the gender pay gap in the fashion industry. “Thomas and Alex are highly skilled at understanding the issues at the intersection of business, government, and social impact and I’m thrilled for their new venture,” TORY BURCH said in a statement to West Wing Playbook. Before joining the Biden White House, Yudelson served as chief of staff to the mayor of Rochester, New York, and worked as a policy adviser in the Obama White House, where he was also the liaison to the sports community for the last two years. For Biden, he worked on a whole range of issues including criminal justice, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, student loans and immigration. “Alex and Thomas were critical members of the White House team from day one,” Rice said in a statement. “Their passion for service, knowledge of the inner-workings of government, and drive to solve complex problems will enable their clients to make an impact on the world.” Isen left the administration in March. Prior to entering politics, he worked in marketing at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and for retail company Raden. Isen said he saw an opportunity to attract more clients in that sector. “If it’s in the beauty or fashion world, maybe you can’t be relying on the same person who is marketing a moisturizer to be the one telling you how to respond to a shooting in the store,” Isen said. Yudelson and Isen, who are both openly gay, said that they want to help companies speak up in a way that produces real social impact and not just in a performative way. But it wasn’t just about social change. Part of it, they conceded, was pure dollars and cents. “We have a very strongly held belief that doing good is good for the bottom line,” Isen said. “And not just the bottom line in terms of someone purchasing an item from a corporation, someone buying a ticket to a game, but also in terms of attracting and retaining the best talent.” MESSAGE US — Are you KENDALL JENNER? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: DCA is already at capacity, with no room to grow. It would be seriously overburdened should there be any changes to the slot and perimeter rules. Adding more flights would increase delays, congestion, and noise. It would create gridlock, threaten jobs and local businesses, and put direct and connecting flights for countless communities at risk. Changes to these rules are not in the interest of airline safety, promoting economic development, or increasing access to the Washington region. Learn more. | | | | | This one is from Allie. Under which presidency were the first tennis courts built on White House grounds? (Answer at bottom.)
| | ONCE AGAIN, FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK: Did you hear? The White House Gift Shop is selling a commemorative coin marking former President DONALD TRUMP’s indictment (a limited edition from the set of 7,500 yet-to-be minted coins can be yours for $100). Sen. BILL CASSIDY (R-La.) tweeted that it was “outrageous.” Religious readers of this newsletter might remind the good doctor of our coverage from last December when this online gift shop — with zero affiliation to the actual White House but a zealousness when it comes to protecting its trademarked name — filed a suit against a competitor hawking similar presidential paraphernalia online under a similar name. We’ll just say it one more time, for clarity: The White House Gift Shop is a private business and not affiliated with the real White House. FUTURE ADVOCATES: A group of immigrants with temporary legal status and their children met with BETSY LAWRENCE, deputy assistant to the president for immigration, SOL ORTEGA, senior adviser for public engagement, and other members of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House on Tuesday. During the hourlong meeting, the kids — ages 7 to 15 — gave White House staff friendship bracelets with beads that spelled out “TPS” and “fulfill your promise.” They delivered tearful testimonies, with 12-year-old ASHLEY ROSALES telling the room that she wants President Biden to remember her as he makes decisions about her mother’s future in the U.S. The meeting, organized by immigrant organization CASA, came as the Department of Homeland Security announced an 18-month extension of temporary protected status for more than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua, whose protections were threatened by the Trump administration. THE LATEST INTERNET MEME: Over the weekend, the president encouraged Americans to text him with “what's front of mind for you and your family this summer,” and the results did not disappoint.
| The number provided is a “Delaware phone number that routes to a text-moderation platform called Community, which was apparently co-founded by Ashton Kutcher and the guy who manages Madonna,” according to Washingtonian’s SYLVIE MCNAMARA. “Many people have already been quote-Tweeting their notes to Uncle Joe. These texts — a snapshot of our deranged American psyche midway through the year of our Lord 2023 — are about music, green cards, pedophilia, Baby Gronk, and the SEC’s alleged plot to destroy the video game industry, among other subjects.”
| WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This story by The Hill’s TOBIAS BURNS highlighting the administration’s investments in manufacturing. “A surge in manufacturing construction across the country is grabbing the attention of economists and workers on the ground as legislative efforts to reinvigorate the U.S. industrial base are bearing fruit,” Burns writes. White House deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES and deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND tweeted out the piece Tuesday. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by POLITICO’s SAM SUTTON about how even though debt crisis was averted, “the battle that pushed the U.S. to the brink of default could still result in a credit downgrade that would inject new uncertainty into a fragile economy. Fitch Ratings, one of three major credit agencies, has already put the U.S. on notice that its top-tier rating could be dented even after President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a deal to suspend the debt limit until 2025.” HOW TO NOT GET INVITED BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE: The White House on Tuesday said that a social media video posted by transgender model ROSE MONTOYA showing her topless during a widely attended Pride Month event at the White House was “inappropriate and disrespectful,” The Messenger’s LUKE FUNK reports. “It is not reflective of the event we hosted to celebrate LGBTQI+ families or the other hundreds of guests who were in attendance,” the statement read. “Individuals in the video will not be invited to future events.” Following online criticism, Montoya posted a video on Monday defending her actions. “Going topless in Washington, D.C., is legal, and I fully support the movement to free the nipples,” she said.
| | | | LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today. | | | | | | | | | FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: SEJAL HATHI left her post as senior adviser for public health on the Domestic Policy Council, our MEGAN R. WILSON has learned. Hathi is going to serve as New Jersey's state health officer and deputy commissioner of health, overseeing public health services in the state. — LOGAN KAPIL is now scheduling and advance coordinator for the Office of the Vice President. He most recently was a chief of staff to a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. — JACOB FREEDMAN started on Monday as senior adviser for strategic communications to Secretary of the Army CHRISTINE WORMUTH, Daniel Lippman has learned. He was previously chief of staff to former Secretary of State MADELEINE ALBRIGHT and a vice president at Albright Stonebridge Group. He also has worked as a speechwriter for former Defense Secretaries CHUCK HAGEL, LEON PANETTA, and ROBERT GATES.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:   | | | | | THE BERNSTEIN BLOCK: JARED BERNSTEIN, Biden’s pick to lead the Council of Economic Advisers, was looking at a rocky path to confirmation Tuesday, after Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) vowed to vote against his nomination. But his nomination moved ahead after Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.) was a no-show and moderate Sens. JON TESTER (D-Mont.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-Ariz.) voted yes, our ELEANOR MUELLER and SAM SUTTON report. Tuberville was en route to a Donald Trump speech at the former president's club in New Jersey. His absence meant that Vice President KAMALA HARRIS did not have to show up at the Senate to cast a tie-breaking vote.
| | TO REAUTHORIZE OR NOT TO REAUTHORIZE: The Biden administration declassified materials Tuesday to show how Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a controversial spy tool, “has been used to mitigate three pressing national security challenges: fentanyl trafficking, foreign cyberattacks and Beijing’s persecution of dissidents,” our JOHN SAKELLARIADIS reports. The move is the White House’s latest argument in favor of its reauthorization. The administration’s efforts didn’t exactly land with lawmakers, as senators from both sides of the aisle expressed reservations about the measure in a hearing Tuesday. Senate Judiciary Chair DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) said he would only support the reauthorization “if there are significant reforms,” while Sen. MIKE LEE (R-Utah) reiterated that he has “raised significant concerns in hearing after hearing after hearing about FISA and its shocking disregard for Americans’ constitutional rights and civil liberties.” Sakellariadis has more on that hearing here.
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | | The GOP ‘bribery’ allegations against Biden remain transparently thin (WaPo’s Philip Bump) Hunter Biden's drug use back in public eye as criminal charges could be around the corner (USA Today’s Michael Collins) U.S. Lawmakers Ask White House to Punish South Africa for Supporting Russia (NYT’s John Eligon)
| | | “Tennis courts were first installed in the Theodore Roosevelt years on the near south side of the West Wing,” according to the White House Museum. “The court was moved further south around 1910, to where the swimming pool is today, and were enjoyed by the Wilson daughters and Coolidge sons, among others.” A CALL OUT — Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents with a citation and we may feature it. Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: The Coalition to Protect America’s Regional Airports supports regional connectivity to our nation’s capital and international destinations. The slot and perimeter rules at Reagan National Airport (DCA) ensure convenient travel options with fewer delays, while Dulles International (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) can handle more passengers, larger planes, and international flights. Any changes to DCA’s slot and perimeter rules would significantly impact our region’s airports and increase delays, congestion, noise, and traffic. Take action now. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
