| | | | | |  | | By Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer | Presented by |  | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | SO HERE WE ARE, Thursday morning, the government shuts down Friday, and we haven't seen a word of the $1 trillion-plus in government spending and nearly $1 trillion in Covid relief. Both of these items will likely get a vote in the next few days. THESE TALKS ARE ALMOST DONE. The two sides are haggling over the wording of policies and the structures of programs -- big stuff, for sure, but standard in negotiations. Republicans launched a fight over a pot of FEMA money meant to help pay for Covid-related disasters -- the GOP said it was a backdoor way to get money to states, and Democrats shot back that they were cold-hearted dopes who were trying to find things to fight about. Republicans said Democrats kept "moving the goalposts" on policies that were long settled. Democrats, quite obviously, disagreed. This type of back and forth this late in negotiations is actually quite standard. SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, Washington's Most Eager Man Treasury Secretary STEVEN MNUCHIN and Senate Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER spoke around 10:30 on Wednesday night, per DREW HAMMILL, PELOSI'S deputy chief of staff. "All three emphasized the urgency to reaching an immediate agreement and will exchange additional paper and resume conversations in the morning," HAMMILL tweeted. THERE IS A LOT of optimism here. PELOSI said upon leaving the Capitol, "I think we're in good shape but a lot of writing goes into it." Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL said "we're still close and we're going to get there." Of course, nothing's done until it's done. YOU MAY BE ASKING why they started these talks Tuesday -- just a few days ahead of the deadline. House Majority Leader STENY HOYER -- a 40-year veteran of the House -- put it this way: "Why this takes so long is because we procrastinate, and we pretend, just one more day and we'll get a better deal. And it's frustrating for me, it's frustrating for everybody, but that's what happens." Indeed, Steny. Indeed. POLITICO's ledeall, by Burgess Everett, Heather Caygle and Jake DIANNE FEINSTEIN INTERVIEW … L.A. TIMES' GEORGE SKELTON: "Yes, Feinstein is the oldest U.S. senator. But she should be able to retire on her own terms": "'I don't feel my cognitive abilities have diminished,' she said in answer to my question about whether she felt they had. 'No, not really. Do I forget something sometimes? Quite possibly.' "That seems to be the main rap on her: short-term memory loss. During my roughly half-hour phone interview with Feinstein on Tuesday, she did repeat herself a couple of times after she'd moved on to talk about other things. That's normal for many people, especially as they get older. But I hadn't noticed it before in her." NYT, A1: KEN VOGEL and ERIC LIPTON: "Biden's Inaugural Will Be Mostly Virtual, but Money From Donors Will Be Real": "To create an air of celebration, Mr. Biden's inaugural committee said it was raising private funds to pay for virtual events that will echo the Democratic convention this year, which featured a 50-state roll call from spots around the nation. There are also plans for a 'virtual concert' with major performers whose names have not yet been released — and possibly for an in-person event later in the year. … "Mr. Biden's inaugural committee is promising corporations that give up to $1 million and individuals who contribute $500,000 -- the largest amounts the committee said it would accept -- some form of 'V.I.P. participation' in the virtual concert. "This special access is among the perks detailed on a one-page sponsorship menu from the committee that circulated among donors on Wednesday. Perks include 'event sponsorship opportunities,' as well as access to virtual briefings with leaders of the inaugural committee and campaign, and invitations to virtual events with Mr. Biden and Jill Biden, the future first lady, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. "Top donors will also get a fitting memento for the coronavirus era — 'virtual signed photos' with the president-elect and the first lady, as well as Ms. Harris and her husband, replacing the traditional in-person rope-line photo opportunities for which donors usually pay handsomely at fund-raisers and other political events." The sponsorship menu Good Thursday morning. HAPPENING THIS MORNING … California A.G. XAVIER BECERRA, Joe Biden's pick for HHS secretary, will join JOANNE KENEN for a POLITICO Live discussion at 10 a.m. as part of the event "Closing the Gap: Latinos, Health Care & Covid-19." Watch here | | A message from UnitedHealth Group: UnitedHealth Group is committed to leading in the development of a next-generation health system in a socially conscious way. Learn more here. | | | THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO RAGE … 16.9 MILLION Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus. … 307,501 Americans have died. BREAKING … FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON has tested positive for the coronavirus. (h/t CNBC's JULIANNA TATELBAUM) -- "Biden to Get Covid-19 Vaccine in Public Next Week, Pence on Friday," by WSJ's Ken Thomas and Alex Leary: "President-elect Joe Biden intends to publicly receive the coronavirus vaccine as soon as next week, his transition team said Wednesday, as health officials seek to overcome any doubts about its safety. "Vice President Mike Pence will get vaccinated on Friday, the White House said. His wife, Karen Pence, and Surgeon General Jerome Adams will also get the shot in what the White House said was an effort to 'promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people.' Mr. Biden has said he would follow the recommendations of Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases." WSJ -- "Interior's Bernhardt tests positive for Covid-19," by Anthony Adragna -- SCOOP: SARAH OWERMOHLE: "FDA says Pfizer vaccine vials hold extra doses, expanding supply": "Pharmacists have found a way to squeeze extra doses out of vials of Pfizer's vaccine, potentially expanding the nation's scarce supply by up to 40 percent. The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday that those extra doses could be used, clearing up confusion that had caused some pharmacists to throw away leftover vaccine for fear of violating the rules the agency set last week. "'Given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable,' an agency spokesperson told POLITICO, mirroring language that a federal health official sent to state vaccine providers Wednesday morning. The federal government has not publicly announced the guidance; Pfizer learned of the change this afternoon." WAPO'S ANNIE LINSKEY: "Biden launches a quiet effort to tame the Senate, a mission critical to his presidency": "In public, President-elect Joe Biden is spending most of his time announcing Cabinet appointments, meeting with health experts and giving speeches on unity. Behind the scenes, though, he's grappling with a grittier challenge that could be critical to his presidency — dealing with an unruly Senate. "Biden's strategy, displayed in private conversations and some public actions, features two goals, both exceedingly difficult: winning the two Senate runoffs in Georgia to seize a razor-thin Democratic majority, while forging alliances with key Republican senators." WaPo PENCE TO TRUMP: COOL, SEE YA LATER … GABBY ORR and NAHAL TOOSI: "Pence prepares to confirm Trump's loss — and then leave town": "On Jan. 6, Vice President Mike Pence will oversee final confirmation of President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Then he'll likely skip town. "As vice president, Pence has the awkward but unavoidable duty of presiding over the session of Congress that will formalize Biden's Electoral College victory — a development that is likely to expose him and other Republicans to the wrath of GOP voters who believe President Donald Trump's false claim that the election was stolen from him. "But Pence could dodge their ire by leaving Washington immediately for the Middle East and Europe. According to three U.S. officials familiar with the planning, the vice president is eyeing a foreign trip that would take him overseas for nearly a week, starting on Jan. 6. "Though Pence aides declined to confirm details of the trip, which remains tentative, a U.S. government document seen by POLITICO shows the vice president is due to travel to Bahrain, Israel and Poland, with the possibility of more stops being added. A pre-advance team of Pence aides and other U.S. officials left earlier this week to visit the planned stops in preparation for the multicountry tour, which would be Pence's first trip abroad since last January, when he traveled to Rome and Jerusalem on a whirlwind two-day sojourn." POLITICO REMEMBER THE POST-2012 AUTOPSY? -- "'Everything's great': GOP ditches election post-mortems," by David Siders: "Democrats in Texas and New Hampshire are forming committees to examine the party's failings in last month's election. Less formal autopsies are underway in states across the country. "But the party that lost the presidential election isn't soul-searching at all. For the final act of his showman-like presidency, Donald Trump has convinced the Republican Party that despite losing the White House by 7 million votes — and despite seeing five states flip in 2020 — things could hardly be better inside the GOP. "Even as the Electoral College this week confirmed Joe Biden's victory, interviews with more than two dozen GOP state and local chairs and Republican National Committee members reflect a party that, far from reassessing its embrace of Trumpism, is hell-bent on more of the same." THE TRUMP LEGACY … "Lara Trump's potential Senate candidacy does little to scare away Republican challengers in North Carolina," by CNN's Alex Rogers and Manu Raju: "The 2022 US Senate race in North Carolina could provide an early test of whether the Republican Party will continue to embrace President Donald Trump after his loss, potentially featuring Lara Trump, the President's daughter-in-law, against a field of current and former Republican officials unwilling to step aside. "Her public interest in the seat has not scared off a number of Senate Republican aspirants, who are driven in part by the alluring prospect of running for an open seat in the first midterm election of a Democratic president, which usually favors the opposing party. "But Republican operatives warn that the family will still hold great political power over the party despite its patriarch's devastating loss, saying Lara Trump could be a formidable candidate in a primary election for the seat that could determine the control of the Senate. THE MONEY TRAIN STOPS … LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ and HOLLY OTTERBEIN: "Never-Trump movement splinters as its villain heads for the exit" | | | | A message from UnitedHealth Group:   UnitedHealth Group is committed to a future where every person has access to high-quality, affordable health care. | | | TRUMP'S THURSDAY -- The president and first lady Melania Trump will participate in a signing ceremony authorizing a women's suffrage monument in Washington, D.C., at 2:15 p.m. in the Oval Office. VP MIKE PENCE will travel to Georgia and speak at political rallies for the Senate races in Columbus and Macon at noon and 2:15 p.m., respectively. Afterward, he will return to Washington. More from Marc Caputo on the battle in Georgia BIDEN and VP-elect KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President's Daily Brief. They will also meet with transition advisers. | | | | HAPPENING TODAY - ENERGY POLICY IN THE BIDEN ERA : President-elect Joe Biden has made energy and climate a priority for the incoming administration, but his agenda is bound to run into some challenges in a divided Congress. What will be the most viable energy policies during the Biden era? Join POLITICO for an engaging conversation on Biden's energy agenda, including fossil fuel production, renewable and clean energy, and climate policies. The virtual program will feature an executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and API CEO Mike Sommers. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO DU JOUR: The season's first real snowstorm hits Washington on Wednesday. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | NATASHA BERTRAND and ANDREW DESIDERIO: "How suspected Russian hackers outed their massive cyberattack": "Foreign hackers who pulled off a stealthy breach of at least a dozen federal agencies got caught after successfully logging in to a top cybersecurity firm's network, tipping the company off to a broader hacking campaign targeting the U.S. government, according to officials from the firm and congressional aides briefed on the issue. "The suspicious log-in prompted the firm, FireEye , to begin investigating what it ultimately determined to be a highly damaging vulnerability in software used across the government and by many Fortune 500 companies." SOMETHING TO WATCH -- "House intends to continue pursuing McGahn testimony in 2021," by Kyle Cheney BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- "States grapple with next steps on evictions as crisis grows," by AP's Sara Cline in Corvallis, Ore. | | | | A message from UnitedHealth Group:   Learn about UnitedHealth Group's ideas to lower out-of-pocket health care costs for consumers. | | | VALLEY TALK -- "Ten States Sue Google, Alleging Deal With Facebook to Rig Online Ad Market," by WSJ's John McKinnon and Ryan Tracy: "Ten states sued Google Wednesday, accusing the search giant of running an illegal digital-advertising monopoly and enlisting rival Facebook Inc. in an alleged deal to rig ad auctions that was code-named after 'Star Wars' characters. "The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Texas, alleges that Facebook emerged in 2017 as a powerful new rival to Google, challenging the Alphabet Inc. unit's established dominance in online advertising. Google responded by initiating an agreement in which Facebook would curtail its competitive moves, in return for guaranteed special treatment in Google-run ad auctions, the lawsuit claims. "Google's internal code name for the alleged Facebook deal referenced characters from Star Wars, according to the suit, which redacted specifics. A person familiar with the matter said the code name was 'Jedi Blue,' after the sci-fi franchise's Jedi knights." | | | | NOT TRAVELING? NO PROBLEM KEEP UP WITH THE WORLD FROM HOME: Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, layers international news, trends and decisions with contextual analysis from the world's sharpest minds. When traveling is a challenge, we can bring information from around the world to you. For news, insight and a unique perspective that you cannot find anywhere else, SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com. TRANSITIONS -- Molly Jenkins will be comms director for Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.). She currently is comms director for Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and press secretary for the Energy and Commerce GOP. … Tyler Lindholm will be state policy director for Sen.-elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo). He most recently was a Wyoming state representative. WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Jamie Weinstein, founding partner of JMW Strategies and host of the "Jamie Weinstein Show" podcast, and Michelle Fields, founding partner of JMW Strategies, on Sunday welcomed Theodore "Teddy" James Weinstein, who joins big brother Harry. Instapic BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Eli Pariser, co-director of Civic Signals, is 4-0. A fun fact about him: "My grandfather was a food scientist who helped develop a cheap, easy way to solve malnutrition: turn junk fish into a tasteless but essential amino-full powder called 'Fish Protein Concentrate.' He worked on this for many years, but by his telling the project started to fall apart at a Senate subcommittee hearing in which my grandmother had secretly baked brownies that contained enough powder for a full day's nutrients. The senators were very intrigued, but when the big reveal about what they had consumed came, they were disgusted to learn that they had eaten fish brownies and nearly threw him out." Playbook Q&A BIRTHDAYS: Pope Francis is 84 … Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is 47 … Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) is 62 … Rep.-elect Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) is 44 … RNC co-chair Tommy Hicks Jr. … Chelsea Manning is 33 … Randall Gerard, managing director at Cogent Strategies … Kelli Arena, chief of strategic comms at the NSA … Carol Thompson O'Connell … Shannon Russell, federal strategy adviser for government affairs at AARP … POLITICO's Sabrina Rodríguez and Allan James Vestal … Jessica Stone … Olivia Hnat, deputy COS for Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) … Scott Sadler … Emma Brereton, deputy creative director at the RNC … Adam Finkel, legislative director for Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-Ariz.) … Elaine Povich … Noah Rothman, associate editor at Commentary and an MSNBC/NBC contributor, is 39 … Taylor Foy … … Shane Smith, senior adviser for member services for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is 3-0 … Holly Harris, president and executive director of the Justice Action Network (h/t Jon Reinish) … Chris Matthews is 75 … former Rep. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) is 54 … former Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.) is 77 … Cyrus Krohn … Danny Ayalon is 75 … Daniel Ensign … Patrick Paolini, SVP and general manager of WTTG FOX 5 DC … Carlson Teboh … Venable's Tom Quinn … Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is 78 … Sarah Doolin Roy … Emma Vaughn … Aryeh Bourkoff is 48 ... Kevin Wardally … Sheppie and Mike Abramowitz ... Michelle Morgan ... Edwena Johnson ... Judy Weiss ... Maja Suslin ... Doug Landry ... Bob Witeck ... Bailey Childers … Clare Gannon ... Shirley Abrahamson is 87 … Jessica Lovejoy … John Smallwood … Denise Cardinal (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) | | A message from UnitedHealth Group: UnitedHealth Group supports actionable, impactful policy solutions to make health care more affordable.
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· Spend 28% less on prescription drugs by transitioning to value-based arrangements.
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· Receive rewards for choosing more effective and efficient sites of care. | | | | | | | 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 political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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