News : McCarthy plots a big move

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

McCarthy plots a big move

Feb 03, 2021

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By Olivia Beavers

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With a big assist from Melanie Zanona.

DECISION DAY: It's a big moment for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and the future of the Republican conference. The GOP leader must decide the fates of two of his members: Does he remove Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene from her committees over her past incendiary remarks? And does Rep. Liz Cheney get to stay in leadership despite voting to impeach Donald Trump?

The question of Greene may already be decided — if a top Democrat accepts the plan McCarthy has come up with, Playbook's Rachael Bade scoops.

McCarthy is signaling he is willing to take action against Greene after House Republicans expressed to him that they do NOT want to be forced to condemn or condone Greene's dangerous rhetoric in an upcoming floor vote. But McCarthy needs House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to agree to his plan: if Hoyer backs off his threat to force a vote on removing her from both her committees, then McCarthy will strip her from one: Education and Labor.

Nothing is decided yet, but it shows just how much of a jam Republicans are in over the Georgia freshman, who has embraced violent conspiracy theories and refuses to bow to pushback from within her own party. Rachael also reports that during a Tuesday night meeting, McCarthy wanted Greene to agree to step down voluntarily. But she was defiant during their one-on-one interaction, forcing McCarthy to call an emergency GOP Steering Committee meeting to determine next steps.

The group also discussed assigning Greene to a different committee, but that's less likely to fly with Dems. Steering wrapped without making a final decision, but will likely resume deliberations today, we're told. Meanwhile, Greene has a growing money chest, touting that she has already raised $160,000 amid the backlash.

The new face of the Trump movement? Republicans are worried if McCarthy or Dems take action against Greene, she will grow more powerful -- in her home district and nationally. And on the other hand, the GOP will be viewed as accepting her behavior if they do nothing.

MEANWHILE ... the Cheney debate is much more of a wild card. McCarthy — who has been desperate to move on from his party's internal conflicts after the Jan. 6 attacks — has the option to trigger a vote on Cheney's future right away or punt it to an internal committee. But if and when the issue comes up for a vote, no one is quite certain what will happen. As one plugged in Republican put it: "It's going to be close."

Today's plan: House Republicans will huddle in person and via zoom at 4 p.m. Sources tell your Huddle host that those looking to oust Cheney have been whipping members to show up in person, so Cheney will have to face her critics face-to-face. And you better believe they'll bring up House Democrats' impeachment brief, which name-checks Cheney's support for impeachment.

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ALL the Greene news is piling on as Democrats push their midterm message: Republicans are the party of QAnon.

The DCCC on Tuesday launched its first TV ad campaign, spotlighting those who have embraced the fringe conspiracy theory — including the rioters who took part in last month's insurrection.

This quote: "If Kevin McCarthy wants to take his party to 'crazy town' and follow these dangerous ideas, he shouldn't expect to do well in the next election," DCCC chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney told my colleagues in an interview.

Our Ally Mutnick and Sarah have more on the Dem's strategy: http://politi.co/2O0zBoy

Related: Senate Republicans move against 'nutty' House member in widening GOP rift by WaPo's Mike DeBonis and Paul Kane: http://wapo.st/2NW3iqB | Liz Cheney chooses her own path, and it's a perilous one by NYT's Jeremy Peters: http://nyti.ms/3rgzp2B

BLAME IT ON THE ALC…Erm, WEATHER? Tuberville: No comment on Marjorie Taylor Greene because bad weather kept him from reading news: http://bit.ly/2YGFg56

THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO OFFICIAL WASHINGTON: Washington hasn't slowed down in 2021. A new administration and Congress are off and running, and our new Playbook team is two steps ahead of the pack to keep you up to speed. The new Playbook foursome of Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri is canvassing every corner of Washington, bringing you the big stories and scoops you need to know—and the insider nuggets that you want to know—about the new power centers and players. "This town" has changed. And no one covers this town like Playbook. Subscribe today.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill on this Feb. 3, where this cute street cat is clearly looking for a new home around the Capitol.

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The AJC's story on Atlanta-based Trump's impeachment lawyer who has experiences with big cases was the big winner.

MENTAL HEALTH: As many are still reeling from the trauma of Jan. 6, Congressional leaders — directly targeted themselves by the riot — are pushing long-term changes to security in the Capitol complex. Here are some of the healing efforts and other reactions happening on campus.

-The House Veterans Affairs Committee started deploying Mobile Vet Centers to the Capitol complex to offer assistance and mental health care to Capitol Police, National Guard, and Congressional staff in crisis, the panel announced Monday, the latest effort to offer access to counseling. And there is clearly a need. Two Capitol police officers have died by suicide following the attack and many others are struggling to make sense personally and more broadly what happened.

-Lawmakers big on social media are going live with their stories and encouraging others to speak out. On Monday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Instagram live video helped highlight the importance of talking about trauma.

-Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, is setting up Zoom calls with groups of House staffers to ensure they are able to share their experiences. The most recent one took place on Monday.

Davis, who was also on the baseball field when a gunman opened fire in 2017, said that experience taught him that lawmakers have a platform to share their stories, but staffers don't always. "My biggest concern back then was that the staffers had a chance to tell their story because we get asked about our story," Davis said in a hallway interview with your Huddle host.

-Some members, staffers and reporters have separately formed their own little informal support groups, texting and communicating with one another about how the trauma is impacting them individually.

These measures come as the Capitol is revamping security. The House on Tuesday night took the unprecedented step of voting to punish those who bypass metal detectors outside the House chamber: $5,000 for the first violation, $10,000 for the next.

Lawmakers are also seeking a full autopsy of how rioters breached the Capitol, with a task force conducting an immediate security review of that is slated to wrap up by March 5. Pelosi and some Republicans have also expressed interest in an 9/11-style commission.

A lot more here by the House team's Heather, Mel and Sarah: http://politi.co/2YCX9C3

A SAD FAREWELL: Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was lying in honor in the Rotunda last night, becoming the fifth person ever to do so, as dozens of his colleagues, lawmakers and others paid their respects to the officer who died from injuries he sustained while defending the Capitol last month.

"The tragedy of the loss of his life, the two officers who took their own lives, and the scores of those injured remind us of the horror wrought on our Capitol at the hands of a violent mob," tweeted Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), who noted the "trauma is real." More here from the AP: http://politi.co/39HXauP

Photo from NBC's Haley Talbot: https://bit.ly/2Mu19lK

SOME OTHER BIG THINGS:

IMPEACHMENT PREVIEW: Tuesday offered a glimpse into how Democrats and Trump's defense team are going to make their respective cases before the Senate, with House managers arguing that the former president bears "unmistakable" responsibility for his role in the Capitol attack, while and Trump's team chose to keep pushing the baseless claims that the election results were "suspect."

Trump's lawyers are also arguing that Trump was simply using his First Amendment right to express his views. More here from Andrew and Heather: http://politi.co/3tpeTPd

Related: McConnell lies low ahead of Trump trial, from Burgess and Mel: http://politi.co/3ti0c0B

CORON-ALONE: Senate Democrats took the first step toward bypassing a Republican filibuster as they move to push through Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill through the budget reconciliation process. Marianne and Burgess report: http://politi.co/39FOu88

Explainer: Comparing the Biden and GOP stimulus plans by CNN's Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco: http://cnn.it/3cFRYcz

Related Reads: 'Let them take you to court': Biden dares GOP to obstruct him by Natasha Korecki and Marc Captuo: http://politi.co/36EnWSH | Manchin warns against Democratic-only coronavirus relief bill by The Hill's Jordain Carney: http://bit.ly/3rgkN3f

IN CAMPAIGN NEWS:

-Former Rep. Doug Collins is considering a Georgia Senate run against newly elected Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022, Fox News' Paul Steinhauser reports: http://fxn.ws/2MlAWG8

-Rep. Adam Schiff wants to be named California's next attorney general — and he has Pelosi's blessing, four Dem sources tell Natasha Bertrand, Heather, and Chris Cadelgo: http://politi.co/3pW7Prv

-Rep. Steve Stivers is telling people he's taking a look at running for the soon-to-be open Ohio Senate seat, POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt reports. (Stivers was also seen leaving the House floor Tuesday night with fellow Ohioan Rep. Brad Wenstrup. When your Huddle host asked if they are both weighing Senate bids, the two looked at each other playfully and then Wenstrup replied: "Not a no.")

AROUND THE HOUSE: House Ethics panel closes investigation of Watkins after LaTurner takes office by Kansas City Star's Bryan Lowry: http://bit.ly/2MQxdQJ | Top House Republican demands Psaki apologize over 'disgraceful' Space Force quip by Politico's Jacqueline Feldscher: http://politi.co/2YI93dE | Rep. Rice's SC GOP colleagues offer limited support after impeachment vote by the Post & Courier's Jamie Lovegrove: http://bit.ly/3pKMReZ

CABINET CORNER:

Coming Up Today:

-9:30 a.m.: The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will vote on the nomination of Gina Raimondo to be Commerce secretary.

-10 a.m. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will have a markup to vote on the nomination of Jennifer Granholm to be Energy secretary, while the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will separately have a hearing on the nomination of Miguel Cardona to be Education secretary.

-10:30 a.m.: The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee will have a hearing on the nomination of Isabella Guzman to be administrator of the SBA.

-2 p.m.: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will have a hearing on the nomination of Michael Regan to be administrator of the EPA.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is now having its hearing on Biden's U.N. nominee, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Thursday rather than Wednesday.

Updates: The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced the nomination of Tom Vilsack for Agriculture secretary in a voice vote AND the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee also advanced the nomination of Denis McDonough to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Confirmed: Alejandro Mayorkas was confirmed yesterday to serve as DHS secretary in a 56-43 vote, the tightest confirmation vote for a Biden nominee so far. Pete Buttigieg was also confirmed Tuesday to head the Transportation Department in a 86-13 vote.

TUNE IN TO NEW EPISODE OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now.

TRANSITIONS

Yemisi Egbewole is joining the White House's legislative affairs team as a Legislative Assistant, which comes after she spent the last three and a half years as a staffer for Sens. Klobuchar and Warner.

Naz Durakoğlu has been named principal deputy assistant secretary for legislative affairs at State. She most recently was senior national security adviser to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and served in the State Department during the Obama administration as well.

Biden's USTR nominee Katherine Tai chooses Senate staffer Greta Peisch for general counsel role, Bloomberg reports.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House will meet at 1:00 p.m. for legislative business, with the first and last votes predicted between roughly 5-6 p.m.

The Senate will meet at 9 a.m. to resume consideration of the Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the US Government this Fiscal Year.

AROUND THE HILL

10 a.m.: The Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing examining the ongoing domestic terrorism threat after the Capitol attack.

10:30 a.m.: Sicknick is lying in Honor, with the departure ceremony expected to start an hour later.

12:15 p.m. Dem Caucus Chair Rep. Jeffries and Vice Chair Rep. Aguilar will hold a press conference.

2 p.m.: Hoyer holds pen and pad via conference call.

3 p.m.: The House Rules Committee will have a virtual hearing on the resolution to remove Greene from certain standing committees.

4 p.m.: The House Republican conference meeting on Cheney's spot in GOP leadership.

TRIVIA

TUESDAY'S WINNER: Marshal Shemtob was the first person to correctly guess that Satan was the name of John Adams' other dog in addition to Juno. (P.S. It certainly was interesting to see my inbox filled with so many subject lines that read: "Satan." Best email response: "He was one hell of a dog.")

TODAY'S QUESTION: From your Huddle Host: How many presidents have died in office? Then tell me: Who were they and how did they die?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to obeavers@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.

A message from the Independent Community Bankers of America:

Community bankers and ICBA offer a bipartisan agenda: Community bankers welcome the 117th Congress at a time of historic challenge and opportunity. While the new Congress is closely divided, it need not be gridlocked. Employing more than 700,000 Americans across nearly 50,000 locations with a presence in every congressional district, community banks have a track record of working with both parties to craft pragmatic solutions grounded in consensus. ICBA's bipartisan legislative agenda for the 117^th Congress offers common-sense policy reforms that will continue our economic recovery in urban, suburban, and rural communities nationwide. Learn more