News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: POLICE COMMISSIONER SAGA continues — AUCHINCLOSS Q&A

Friday, February 5, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: POLICE COMMISSIONER SAGA continues — AUCHINCLOSS Q&A — Smooth sailing at WALSH hearing

Feb 05, 2021

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!

Q&A WITH REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS — Freshman Rep. Jake Auchincloss has been in office for just over a month, and has already served during an insurrection and voted to impeach a president. I caught up with the Newton Democrat to talk about where his first term is headed. This conversation was edited for length and clarity.

What has it been like for you as a first-term member during an unprecedented time?
There's an old saying in the Marine Corps that you don't rise to the occasion, you fall to your level of training. I feel like my experiences to date have been training for this moment that we're in as a country. I've worked in the military, in business and nonprofit and local government. Bringing people together and getting stuff done in moments of high stress and high stakes. While the environment that we're in right now is intense, I feel ready. I also feel optimistic.

What will your first piece of legislation be?
My focus right now is making sure that we pass the American Rescue Plan, because we need a whole government, industry-wide approach to tackling the coronavirus and providing relief to state and local governments, to working families, to school districts. That and my focus right now is Covid and the race between vaccinations and variants. If we don't win that race, we cannot beat this virus in 2021.

What route should Democrats take for a Covid relief deal: Come to a bipartisan agreement with Republican members, or use the budget reconciliation process to pass a larger package?
We should pass it big and pass it fast. If that requires reconciliation on partisan lines, so be it.

Has the Covid-19 vaccine rollout been successful in Massachusetts? What can you do to help?
I view this in two big buckets. The first is logistics, and the second is supply. On the logistics front, no, this has not been a smooth rollout. We need to be exploring and scaling not just mass vaccination sites but potentially also mobile neighborhood vaccination solutions. We should be testing and then scaling a whole array of ways to get shots in the arms. The supply side is actually what worries me even more, because I do have confidence that Massachusetts does have the bandwidth to distribute a huge number of vaccinations. We're only getting 100,000 more plus or minus, a week in February, in doses to Massachusetts. That number, if you just do back-of-the-napkin math, is just not enough for 2021. We need to be spiking that considerably. Johnson and Johnson's approval is going to help, but we should be using the Defense Production Act to scale up the manufacturing of the component parts of biologics, and we should be encouraging, regulating and funding the type of industry partnerships that scale manufacturing.

You won a pretty tight congressional primary in September. Are you concerned about facing a primary challenge in 2022?
I won re-election twice as a city councilor, and I did so by being a city councilor who communicated with my constituents, who represented their values, advanced their priorities, and served my district. And I'm going to do so again as a member of Congress. Right now I'm focused on Covid, on jobs and infrastructure. I do a good job. I'm confident. In the primary, I got painted as too moderate. In the general, I got painted as too progressive. It just goes to show you, you really can't rely on your opponents to depict you in an accurate light. I think what my constituents are going to see over the next two years is who I am, is someone who is going to deliver for the district by representing their values, and by delivering excellent constituent services and by advancing their priorities.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.

TODAY — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is a guest on GBH's "Boston Public Radio."

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.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "New COVID cases in Massachusetts dropped last week by 51% since peak; 2,602 new cases, 74 deaths reported on Thursday," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "The downward trend of new COVID cases continued as state health officials report 2,602 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the active statewide case count to 61,864."

– "153 Massachusetts cities and towns at high risk for coronavirus, continuing decline," by Lisa Kashinsky and Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The number of cities and towns at high risk for coronavirus transmission fell sharply this week as state and local leaders said cases and hospitalizations continue to show encouraging trends. There are 153 cities and towns in the 'red' zone this week."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Charlie Baker increases capacity limits at Massachusetts restaurants, businesses as state's coronavirus metrics improve," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts restaurants and businesses are feeling some love after Gov. Charlie Baker said he would increase capacity limits to 40% at most establishments just in time for Valentine's Day."

– "A GameStop Evangelist's Videos Draw a Regulator's Attention," by Matthew Goldstein, The New York Times: "Moonlighting under the name Roaring Kitty, Keith Gill became something of an online folk hero for his dedication to GameStop, the struggling video-game retailer at the center of a trading frenzy that sent its share price into the stratosphere. But now a regulator in Massachusetts wants to know more about Mr. Gill."

– "Mass. to get $13.2m from McKinsey opioid settlement," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Massachusetts will get $13.2 million from a national settlement with consultant McKinsey & Company over the company's role working for opioid companies. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who has been a leader in the opioid-related litigation, called the settlement 'an important moment for accountability' for families who have been devastated by opioid addiction ."

– "Mass. gets hundreds of COVID-19 complaints," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Health officials logged hundreds of complaints about violations of the state's reopening rules last year, ranging from allegations of employees and customers not wearing face coverings to a lack of social distancing."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Massachusetts has administered 681,472 COVID vaccine doses since the rollout began, an increase of 149,030 over the last week," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts has administered 681,472 doses of the COVID vaccine to date, including 149,030 over the last seven days, according to the latest vaccine data released by the Department of Public Health."

– "New Massachusetts bill would create mobile vaccination program, multilingual campaign to increase access," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Democratic Sens. Becca Rausch of Needham, Sonia Chang-Diaz of Boston and Jo Comerford of Northampton on Thursday filed a bill, SD. 699, which aims to bring vaccines to communities of color that have not had access to appointments, as well as to Western Massachusetts and other parts of the state that haven't been prioritized in the rollout."

– "Baker vows teachers will get vaccine after current eligible groups are given shots," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker reiterated Thursday that school teachers across the state will be given the COVID-19 vaccine 'right after' the current eligibility groups being inoculated, and stressed that schools are safe spaces amid the pandemic, if proper precautions are taken."

– "Mass vaccination site opens in Danvers," by Erin Nolan, The Salem News: "Matloff was among the first to receive the vaccine at the DoubleTree, the first mass vaccination site north of Boston. The site, run by a Los Angeles-based start-up called Curative, opened on Wednesday and has the capacity to vaccinate up to 3,000 people per day, seven days a week."

– "Vaccination supersite will be at Worcester State University," by Steven H. Foskett Jr., Telegram & Gazette: "Starting Feb. 16, the city will be home to the state's next mass COVID-19 vaccination supersite. City officials and local health care partners met Thursday at the Wellness Center at Worcester State University, where in fewer than two weeks the operation could be administering up to 1,000 vaccines daily."

FROM THE HUB

– "Walsh's swift, behind-closed-doors police commissioner appointment a departure from how other cities handle major move," by Dugan Arnett and Andrew Ryan, Boston Globe: "The news came in a press release issued last week by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. His police commissioner, William Gross, was out, abruptly retiring after two-plus years atop the department. And Dennis White — a veteran officer largely unknown outside the agency — was in, tapped as Gross's permanent replacement."

– "1999 Court Records Detail A Messy Divorce, Abuse Allegations For New BPD Commissioner," by Deborah Becker and Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "The city of Boston has hired an outside lawyer to investigate domestic violence allegations against Dennis White, who was sworn in as Boston police commissioner just days ago ."

– NATIONAL ANGLE: "New Boston Police Leader Put on Leave as Domestic Abuse Allegations Surface," by Jacey Fortin, The New York Times. Link.

– "'A total game changer': Restaurateurs cautiously celebrate increased capacity limits," by Diti Kohli, Boston Globe: "Because of a statewide increase in capacity limits for select businesses, restaurants across Massachusetts will be allowed to fill 40 percent — rather than 25 percent — of their seats this Valentine's Day. And some restaurant owners are saying that modest boost will go a long way toward helping them make it through the winter."

– "Boston coronavirus vaccine rollout: The city's plan to put shots in arms," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The city's 'four-prong' vaccination approach involves as many as 20 vaccination sites around Boston as more inoculations become available, the city's health chief says as case counts improve — but local shots data remains scarce."

– "Marty Walsh appoints East Boston health care exec Ernani DeAraujo to school committee," by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald: "In some of his final days as mayor, Martin Walsh appointed East Boston resident and Boston Public Schools graduate Ernani DeAraujo to the school committee, filling a vacant seat left by former chair Michael Loconto."

– "The Truth Behind The Coronavirus Poop Panic," by Tori Bedford, GBH News: "When the amount of coronavirus found in samples of Massachusetts wastewater spiked two times last month — one peak was roughly three times the biggest peak seen in the spring — it set off alarm bells."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

FOR YOUR RADAR: SANTIAGO PREPPING MAYORAL BID — State Rep. Jon Santiago is quietly calling allies and others to inform them he's decided to run for mayor, according to two sources who spoke with the lawmaker.

Santiago, a second-term state representative and emergency room doctor, has been open about considering a campaign. But Santiago is telling people he's made up his mind, per the two sources. A little more detail on Santiago's operation-in-waiting: David Stone of 3-Street, Inc. is among the consultants encouraging Santiago and helping him plan a campaign, per a source familiar with the situation.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "As service cuts take effect, MBTA won't detail the savings," by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "When the MBTA first broached the topic of service cuts last summer, officials suggested they had little choice, given the collapse of revenue during the coronavirus pandemic. But with the first set of cuts now in effect, the agency won't say how much savings they will yield ."

DAY IN COURT

– "What to know about Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone's lawsuit against Barstool Sports," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: "How exactly the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court should interpret what 'secretly' means is a driving force behind a lawsuit filed by Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone against podcaster Kirk Minihane and Barstool Sports over a 2019 phone call ."

– "A Massachusetts man thinks Market Basket's coffee is grounds for a lawsuit," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Nearly 80 cups of coffee for less than $3? Market Basket's 11.5-ounce house brand ground coffee cans seemed like a deal too good to be true. According to a Massachusetts man's lawsuit, that's because it was."

FROM THE DELEGATION

– "'This is the time to reconstruct': Here are 4 ways Ayanna Pressley says the country can recover from the pandemic, and work toward equality," by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: "As lawmakers look to rebuild the economy, and the country continues to put a critical eye on racial injustice and the inequality between white Americans and people of color, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley says there are ways to recover from the pandemic's economic losses, and also move toward equality for all Americans."

– "A New Era for Women: The Biden Administration's Vision on Health Care and Reproductive Rights," by Carrie N. Baker, Ms. Magazine: "We [had] a president who centered his work on denial, division and denigration: denial of the pandemic, of climate change and of racism; division between red and blue, white and Black, us versus them politics; and denigration of women, immigrants and the LGBTQ community," Rep. Katherine Clark (D- Mass.), the newly elected assistant speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, told Ms."

– "Rep. McGovern On Marjorie Taylor Greene, COVID Relief," by Tiziana Dearing and Chris Citorik, WBUR. Link.

– "Lawmakers seek more money to keep sewage out of Merrimack River," by Mike LaBella, Eagle-Tribune: "Four members of Congress from both sides of the border — Reps. Seth Moulton and Lori Trahan of Massachusetts and Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire — are pushing for additional federal money to protect the Merrimack River."

– "Mass. congressional delegation confronts VA about vets sent long distances for appointments," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts congressional delegation on Thursday sent a letter to the US Department of Veterans Affairs expressing concern about reports of veterans being sent to medical appointments at facilities far from their homes and across New England state lines."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Card-carrying union member Walsh, Biden's Labor nominee, wins businesses' respect," by Eleanor Mueller, POLITICO: "When Marty Walsh leaped straight from the top of a trade union federation to Boston City Hall in 2014, local businesses braced for the impact of a labor leader and his progressive policies. They had little to fear from the new mayor."

– "Smooth sailing for Walsh in confirmation hearing,' by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a former union leader who said organized labor provided his immigrant parents a pathway into the American middle class, seemed well on his way to becoming the next US labor secretary after more than two hours of largely friendly questioning."

BIDEN TIME

– "How Scott Brown figures into Joe Biden's first 100 days in office," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "By the time Scott Brown drove across Massachusetts in his barn jacket and pick up truck all the way to his stunning victory as a Republican taking over the US Senate seat of the recently departed Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama had already been in office for a full year ."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

– "State pressured to wipe away pot arrests," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "Voters legalized marijuana in 2016, but people previously arrested with the drug are still being haunted by past convictions. Advocates say those with misdemeanor pot charges on their records from pre-legalization days still face restricted access to jobs, housing and education."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "TARNISHED BADGES," — Globe: "Other cities cast wide net in chief search," "Enrollment plunges for students of color," "For Walsh, a new stage."

CAPITOL FALLOUT

MAN CONNECTED TO INSURRECTION PLANNED TO CHALLENGE NEAL — A North Adams man who was arrested on Thursday in connection to the riot at the U.S. Capitol had planned to challenge Rep. Richard Neal in the 2020 election. According to court documents, Brian McCreary, 33, confirmed to the FBI that he went inside the Capitol during the election. He can also be seen in photos and footage from the episode.

Last spring, McCreary had tried to run against Neal for Congress, according to a post on his business Facebook page "McZawa LLC." Citing challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, McCreary did not collect enough signatures to get on the ballot, he wrote.

– "Capitol Protesters And Rioters From Mass. Vow To Increase Ranks," by Saurabh Datar and Shannon Dooling, WBUR: "Weeks after the Capitol Hill insurrection, a WBUR investigation has found two Massachusetts-based organizations — a fringe conservative group and a neo-Nazi hate group — are gaining membership and plotting a future without Trump in the White House."

FROM THE 413

– "Layoffs loom for Amherst-Pelham schools in new academic year," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "At least 16 staff positions in the Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools could be eliminated in the next school year based on the initial version of the fiscal year 2022 budget."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Fall River, Boston dioceses defend participation in federal PPP," by Tom Reilly, Sun Chronicle: "The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River was among those that took part in the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program, one of hundreds of entities to do so. And the leader of the diocese — which encompasses several towns covered by The Sun Chronicle — continues to maintain taking the funds was a necessity."

– "Fall River teacher who was fired last summer over Facebook post sues city, teachers' union," by Jo C. Goode, The Herald News: "A former Kuss Middle School special education teacher fired last summer by the school district for allegedly posting a politically and racially charged comment on social media is suing the city and her teachers' union in federal court."

– "Many Cape Codders lack computer access to book vaccine shots," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "State Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, said hundreds of older Cape Codders do not have access to the internet or computer services that are currently required to book vaccination appointments on the state's scheduling system."

– "Lowell School Committee seeks to prioritize coronavirus vaccinations for school staff," by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: "The School Committee on Wednesday approved two motions focused on prioritizing coronavirus vaccinations for teachers and other school staff, both locally and at the state level."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: TRANSITIONS – Rev. Art Gordon joins Rep. Ayanna Pressley's office as senior adviser in her district office.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to former state Rep. John Businger , Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, Trevor Kincaid and Matt Bonaccorsi, comms director for Rep. Jim McGovern, who turns 3-0.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Saturday birthday-ers Webster state Rep. Joseph McKenna and Pamela Esler. And to Sunday birthday-ers former Uxbridge state Rep. Kevin Kuros, Keri Rodrigues, Mike Cummings, Mark Townsend and Beth Robbins.

NEW EPISODE: LUCK OF THE DRAW – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray discuss the vaccine rollout, redistricting and new polling on remote, hybrid and in-person learning. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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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.