News : POLITICO Playbook: Paralyzed

Friday, December 11, 2020

POLITICO Playbook: Paralyzed

Dec 11, 2020

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By Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman

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DRIVING THE DAY

THE 116TH CONGRESS started with a government shutdown, and it's ending with the institution completely paralyzed by its efforts to put in place policies to help Americans rebound from the coronavirus. The same set of policies have been bedeviling the leadership -- self-described dealmakers all -- for more than six months. WaPo's Mike DeBonis and Jeff Stein on the stalemate

OH, and by the way, Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) has the nation on the brink of a government shutdown. Government funding needs to pass tonight, and PAUL is in the middle of a legislative blockade due to the annual defense policy bill. More details on the possible shutdown from Andrew Desiderio, Connor O'Brien and Burgess Everett

GREAT NEWS! … BREAKING OVERNIGHT: "U.S. panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine," by AP's Lauran Neergaard and Matthew Perrone: "A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine Thursday, putting the country just one step away from launching an epic vaccination campaign against the outbreak that has killed close to 300,000 Americans.

"Shots could begin within days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug Administration signs off, as expected, on the expert committee's recommendation. 'This is a light at the end of the long tunnel of this pandemic,' declared Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"In a 17-4 vote with one abstention, the government advisers concluded that the vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech appears safe and effective for emergency use in adults and teenagers 16 and over." AP

-- THIS COMES as America is in crisis. The pandemic is raging. 15.6 MILLION Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus. 292,179 Americans have died.

SIREN … NYT'S WILLIAM RASHBAUM, BEN PROTESS and DAVID ENRICH: "Manhattan D.A. Intensifies Investigation of Trump": "State prosecutors in Manhattan have interviewed several employees of President Trump's bank and insurance broker in recent weeks, according to people with knowledge of the matter, significantly escalating an investigation into the president that he is powerless to stop. The interviews with people who work for the lender, Deutsche Bank, and the insurance brokerage, Aon, are the latest indication that once Mr. Trump leaves office, he still faces the potential threat of criminal charges that would be beyond the reach of federal pardons."

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION'S GREG BLUESTEIN: "Biden's visit to Georgia next week highlights 'sea change' in Democratic strategy": "President-elect Joe Biden's plan to visit Georgia next week to campaign for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock is a sharp reminder of a seismic shift in the state's Democratic politics. Not long ago, state Democrats ran screaming from national figures. Now, they're embracing them.

"Of course, it makes sense for the Senate candidates to tie themselves to Biden, who became the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state since 1992. And the Jan. 5 runoffs will determine control of the U.S. Senate -- and the fate of Biden's legislative agenda.

"But the Georgia Democrats' embrace of national stars goes far beyond the former vice president, who defeated President Donald Trump in the state by about 12,000 votes. They've held fundraisers with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren -- liberal leaders whom Republicans eagerly frame as too extreme for Georgia."

YEP … NYT'S PETER BAKER: "Investigation of His Son Is Likely to Hang Over Biden as He Takes Office": "Unless President Trump's Justice Department clears Hunter Biden of wrongdoing before leaving office, the new president will confront the prospect of his own newly installed administration deciding how or whether to proceed with an inquiry that could expose his son to criminal prosecution. Already some Republicans are demanding a special counsel be appointed to insulate the case from political influence."

-- SIREN … WSJ: "Barr Worked to Keep Hunter Biden Probes From Public View During Election," by Sadie Gurman and Rebecca Davis O'Brien: "Attorney General William Barr has known about a disparate set of investigations involving Hunter Biden's business and financial dealings since at least this spring, a person familiar with the matter said, and worked to avoid their public disclosure during the heated election campaign.

"Republicans and President Trump have pressed Mr. Barr for months to pursue Mr. Biden, especially as his father, Joe Biden, gained momentum in his ultimately successful bid for president. Mr. Barr has staved off pressure from Republicans in Congress for information into the investigations, the person said, without elaborating on his actions."

-- "Barr Plans to Finish Term Despite Wanting to Leave Early," by NYT's Michael Schmidt

Happy Friday! President-elect JOE BIDEN and VP-elect KAMALA HARRIS were named as Time's 2020 "Person of the Year." While Biden follows many presidents bestowed the honor, Harris is the first VP.

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THE RACE IS ON … SARAH FERRIS, JOHN BRESNAHAN and HEATHER CAYGLE: "Pelosi looks to lock down speaker's vote in shadow of coronavirus": "Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a blunt message for her junior members: I need your vote on Jan. 3.

"That's the opening day of the 117th Congress, and Pelosi was making her pitch ahead of the crucial floor vote for speaker. No one on Capitol Hill believes Pelosi is really at risk of losing the gavel. But the vote has become much more complicated with a shrunken Democratic majority and the coronavirus pandemic shadowing the proceedings. 'If someone votes for Colin Powell, it counts for the GOP,' Pelosi warned the group at a virtual breakfast Wednesday, adding: 'We need people to vote with the nominee. That would be me.'

"Pelosi and her allies have been ratcheting up their lobbying campaign in recent weeks to ensure House Democrats are in the Capitol that first Sunday in January. Pelosi has had help from her top deputies, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), according to several sources familiar with the effort. She and her supporters have also deployed former Obama administration alumni and big donors to help squeeze undecided Democrats, in addition to influential politicians and labor leaders in lawmakers' home states."

NYT: "Pentagon Weighs Sharp Drawback in Support for C.I.A.," by Julian Barnes and Eric Schmitt: "The Trump administration is considering whether to pull back military support for the C.I.A., including potentially taking back much of the drone fleet the C.I.A. uses, according to current and former officials. The shift could sharply curtail the agency's counterterrorism efforts that were greatly expanded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"The administration is considering multiple options that could take effect as early as Jan. 5. One would reduce the number of Pentagon personnel sent to the agency — many of them Special Operation forces who work in the C.I.A.'s paramilitary branch. But other changes being considered would be far broader and more consequential, making it harder for the agency to work out of military bases, use the Defense Department's medical evacuation abilities or conduct covert drone strikes targeting terrorists in hot spots around the world."

-- LARA SELIGMAN: "The White House is making big changes at the Pentagon — but Biden can reverse them": "Troop drawdowns. Advisory board firings. Navy budget overhauls. The Trump administration is using its last weeks in office to carry out a slew of changes at the Pentagon. But they all have one thing in common: The new president can cancel them on Day One.

"Under acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, whom President Donald Trump appointed to the job after firing his predecessor, Mark Esper, in November, the Pentagon has announced plans to draw down troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, and has elevated the senior civilian overseeing special operations. Then the White House abruptly fired longtime members of the Defense Policy and Defense Business Boards, replacing them with Trump loyalists."

WAPO'S JOHN HUDSON: "After coming under fire from Pompeo, State Department watchdog to leave, citing vacancies act": "The State Department's acting inspector general is leaving his job Friday following an attack on his office by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's spokesperson concerning a report about official trips Pompeo took with his wife, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

"Inspector General Matthew Klimow told colleagues that he is leaving 'a little bit earlier than I anticipated,' noting that 'it was determined' that he must relinquish his duties in compliance with the Vacancies Reform Act, a law that allows acting officials to serve for 210 days after a vacancy is declared. The State Department declined to comment. When he first took the job, U.S. officials had said that Klimow would hold the position until late December."

LET THE 2024 JOCKEYING BEGIN -- "Biden's Cabinet picks give Kamala an edge in 2024," by Christopher Cadelago and Natasha Korecki: "Joe Biden hasn't picked any of the nearly two dozen Democrats who ran against him to serve in his administration — and that bodes quite well for the former rival he did elevate as his No. 2, Kamala Harris.

"Biden's decision to forgo a Cabinet of ambitious pols in favor of a group heavy on seasoned loyalists and technocrats contrasts with Donald Trump and Barack Obama's appointment of next-generation officials to top posts. And it could deny a springboard to potential Harris competitors in 2024 if Biden decides to retire after one term rather than running for reelection in his 80s.

"While several people around Biden and Harris were reluctant to speak publicly about a topic they view as taboo, they acknowledged Biden's choices for top positions reinforce Harris's status as president-in-waiting. Biden has built an administration free of political threats to Harris."

-- GABBY ORR: "America First super PAC fights for relevance as Trump takes fundraising reins": "America First Action, once one of the most prominent pro-Trump super PACs, is now fighting to stave off its potential irrelevance. As president, Donald Trump relied on groups like America First to collect the money he needed to buttress his campaign's finances.

"But now that he's leaving office, Trump and his allies are launching their own fundraising ventures, leaving America First hunting for new leadership to carry it into the future and potentially revamp its reputation among Republican critics who grew frustrated with the group toward the end of the 2020 cycle."

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TRUMP'S FRIDAY -- The president has nothing on his schedule.

BIDEN and HARRIS will separately receive the President's Daily Brief. The two will also introduce members of their administration in Wilmington, Del.

TV TONIGHT -- PBS' "Washington Week": Molly Ball, Phil Rucker and Errin Haines.

SUNDAY SO FAR …

Sinclair	"America This Week": Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) … Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) … Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) … Angela Marsden … Ric Grenell … Austan Goolsbee … Rob Smith.
CNN	"State of the Union": Bill Gates … Stacey Abrams … Al Gore.
FOX	"Fox News Sunday": Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Panel: Karl Rove, Gillian Turner and Charles Lane. Power Player: John Matze.
NBC	"Meet the Press": Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). Panel: Matt Bai, Lanhee Chen and Kristen Welker.
ABC	"This Week": Panel: Chris Christie and Rahm Emanuel. Panel: Matthew Dowd, Cecilia Vega, Peter Baker and Susan Glasser.

JOIN TODAY - A PATH TO CLEANER SKIES: Before the pandemic, increased demand for air travel resulted in rising global emissions. Then, Covid-19 changed everything. As airlines start to recover from the resulting financial fallout, what is happening with the use of cleaner jet fuel, investments in technology, and international pacts to cut the airline industry's carbon footprint? Join POLITICO for a conversation on the future of air travel, climate change, and sustainability, as well as an executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. REGISTER HERE.

PLAYBOOK READS

VP Mike Pence and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.)

PHOTO DU JOUR: Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) wave to the crowd at the "Defend the Majority" rally at Augusta Regional Airport in Augusta, Ga., on Thursday, Dec. 10. | Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP

BLOOMBERG: "Chinese Authorities Detain Bloomberg News Beijing Staff Member," by Reto Gregori and Madeleine Lim: "Chinese authorities have detained Haze Fan, who works for the Bloomberg News bureau in Beijing, on suspicion of endangering national security.

"Fan was last in contact with one of her editors around 11:30 a.m. local time on Monday. Shortly after, she was seen being escorted from her apartment building by plain clothes security officials. Throughout the four days since her disappearance, Bloomberg has sought information on Fan's whereabouts from the Chinese government and the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC. Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News, on Thursday received confirmation that Fan is being held on suspicion of participating in activities endangering national security."

FOR YOUR RADAR -- "Mike Lee blocks legislation to create Smithsonian museums for Latinos and women," by Marianne LeVine: "Sen. Mike Lee blocked bipartisan legislation Thursday that would establish national museums dedicated to the histories of Latino Americans and American women, arguing that they would create further division.

"In an exchange with Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who sought to pass the National Museum of the American Latino Act by voice vote, Lee said that the history of Latino Americans and women should be a part of the National Museum of American History, rather than in a separate museum.

"'The last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation within an array of separate but equal museums of hyphenated identity groups,' Lee said. 'At this moment, in the history of our diverse nation, we need our federal government and the Smithsonian Institution itself to pull us closer together and not further apart.'"

CASH CRUNCH -- "FTC suffering a cash crunch as it prepares to battle Facebook," by Leah Nylen: "The agency that just launched a landmark antitrust suit to break up Facebook is so strapped for cash that its leaders have discussed shrinking their staff and warned against taking on more cases. In a series of emails to all Federal Trade Commission staff, obtained by POLITICO, Executive Director David Robbins said the agency would face a period of 'belt tightening' to cut costs — and that filing fewer cases and trimming litigation expenses must be on the table.

"'[W]e will either need to bring fewer expert intensive cases or significantly decrease our litigation costs (e.g. experts, transcripts, litigation support contractors, etc.),' Robbins said in an Oct. 29 email.

"The emails offer an increasingly dire portrait of the money woes facing the FTC, which has launched a record amount of litigation in the past year even as the pandemic has caused a sharp reduction in the corporate merger filing fees that normally supply about half its budget. The crunch also raises the possibility that the FTC may not have the cash it needs to win its case against Facebook, which is gearing up for an expensive fight, or to take on additional companies like Amazon. The agency released the emails in response to a Freedom of Information Act request."

IN CHINA -- "China's Xi Ramps Up Control of Private Sector. 'We Have No Choice but to Follow the Party,'" by WSJ's Lingling Wei

BUSINESS BURST -- "Airbnb's Stock Price More Than Doubles in Market Debut," by WSJ's Preetika Rana, Maureen Farrell and Micah Maidenberg: "Airbnb Inc.'s shares more than doubled in their trading debut on Thursday, reflecting a soaring market for new stock listings and the home-sharing company's ability to navigate the coronavirus-induced downturn in travel this year. The stock began trading at $146 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, higher than its initial-public-offering price of $68 a share. It closed slightly lower than its opening price at $144.71. ...

"The company ended the day worth $100.7 billion, based on a fully diluted share count, greater than the combined market value of Marriott International Inc., Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Hyatt Hotels Corp."

BOOK CLUB -- AP: "CBS White House reporter Weijia Jiang is writing a memoir": "One Signal Publishers, a Simon & Schuster imprint, announced Thursday that Jiang's 'Other' would come out in Spring 2022. 'In rural West Virginia where I grew up, most residents had never laid eyes on Chinese people until they saw my parents and me,' Jiang, 37, said in a statement. 'In China where I was born, I'm the foreign relative who married a White guy. In various newsrooms where I have worked, no one looked like me. And in the Trump White House, I stood out as the only Chinese American reporter regularly interacting with the president.'"

TRACK THE TRANSITION & NEW ADMINISTRATION HEADING INTO 2021: President-elect Biden is pushing full steam ahead on putting together his Cabinet and White House staff. These appointments and staffing decisions send clear-cut signals about Biden's priorities. What do these signals foretell? Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, it tracks the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today.

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.

SPOTTED at America Abroad Media's virtual annual awards gala, which honored the casts and crews of "Contagion" and "Um Haroun" on Thursday: Kathleen Sebelius, UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, Saudi Ambassador Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Margaret Brennan, Dina Powell McCormick, Ali and Josh Rogin, Aaron Lobel, Juan Zarate, Gen. Michael Hayden, Jim Glassman, Martin Indyk, Margot Pritzker, Jennifer Ehle, Scott Z. Burns, Larry Brilliant, Ian Lipkin, Jennifer Maguire Isham and David Linde.

MAZEL TOV -- U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Babcock-Lumish is retiring today after 24 years in an Army uniform. He's worked for three four-star generals, taught at West Point as an international relations professor and deployed twice to Iraq. He and his wife, Terry, will be moving back to D.C.

TRANSITIONS -- Stephanie Schriock will step down as president of EMILY's List at the end of March. The organization will conduct a search for her successor. … Jennifer Cox is now chief of staff to Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). She previously was his campaign manager. Katie Campbell is now legislative director for Kelly. She most recently was deputy legislative director for Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.). Jacob Peters is now comms director for Kelly; he previously had that same job on the campaign. … John Byers will be chief of staff to Rep.-elect August Pfluger (R-Texas). He most recently was chief of staff to Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas).

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Ted Prettyman, director at Sims Strategies, and Amanda Prettyman, editor at PAI Consulting, welcomed Ryan Prettyman on Wednesday.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Kara Swisher, contributing NYT opinion writer and host of the "Sway" and "Pivot" podcasts. A trend she thinks doesn't get enough attention: "The way the pandemic has benefited big tech companies, as well as entrenched interests and the rich, and those who cannot imagine that there is a larger society around them. Once again, we are willing to sacrifice the public good for the selfishness of the individual." Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: John Kerry, incoming special presidential envoy for climate, is 77 … Ashley Spillane … Seth Johnson (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … John Feehery, partner at EFB Advocacy, is 57 … Claudia Slacik … POLITICO's Marianne LeVine and Sam Mintz … Helen Robins … Emily Buchanan, EVP of the Susan B. Anthony List … Joe Greeley … DOJ's Perry Rosen (h/t Jon Haber) … Josh Brown … Michael Allen, managing director at Beacon Global Strategies … Elizabeth Spiers … Gideon Resnick, co-host of Crooked Media's "What A Day" podcast … Rebecca Brocato … Jessica Seale, digital director at the Small Business Administration … Abby Bacak … William Wechsler, director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs at the Atlantic Council (h/t Sam Treiman) … Maya Krishna-Rogers (h/t Doug Farrar) …

… Margaret Hoover, host of PBS' "Firing Line" … State Department's Len Khodorkovsky … Julie Mason, host of SiriusXM's "Press Pool" … Haydn Welch … Megan Capiak (h/t Niki Christoff) … former U.S. Ambassador to China and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is 79 … ESPN's Kelly Cohen … Bruce Thomas … WaPo's Elizabeth Dwoskin ... Quartz's Annabelle Timsit … Shira Efron … Tyler Daniel ... Alex von Tunzelmann ... Hannah Lankford ... Allison Fleming ... Kirstie Fleger … Gabe Amo ... Phillip Escoriaza … Gordon Peterson … Tim McClellan ... Erika Dimmler ... Peter True, deputy comms director for the Senate Commerce Committee … POLITICO Europe's Lili Bayer … Steve Gillon ... Chris Stenrud ... Brian Reich is 43 ... Mark Ashworth is 61 ... Fran Boyd ... Benjamin Tribbett is 41 ... Bob Corn ... Pam Womack

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