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| Presented By Facebook |
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| Axios Sneak Peek |
| By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Mar 23, 2021 |
| Welcome back to Sneak. Another somber, post-shooting day in America. ⚡ Situational Awareness: Former President Clinton will interview Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday as part of the annual CGI U, being held virtually from Howard University. - President Biden was asked if he believed he had the political capital to make gun control changes. He replied, "I hope so. I don't know. I haven't done any counting yet."
- Axios Latino, a collaboration with Noticias Telemundo, launches Thursday. Sign up here to keep tabs on stories on both sides of the border affecting the U.S. Latino community.
Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 670 words, a 2.5-minute read. |
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| 1 big thing: A "nuclear winter" foretold |
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| Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios |
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| A Senate operating in the "nuclear winter" Minority Leader Mitch McConnell promises if the filibuster is eliminated is one in which lawmakers face incessant roll calls and other inconveniences turning their comfortable lives into a living hell, Axios' Alayna Treene writes. Why it matters: In employing apocalyptic language to warn about a "scorched-earth" response, the Kentucky Republican is trying to scare Democrats away from the tool they're considering to break through the GOP's own political obstinance. Some tools at McConnell's disposal: - Demanding roll call votes on procedural points of order, forcing Democratic senators and Vice President Kamala Harris — the tie-breaking 51st vote — to live on standby at the Capitol.
- Unnecessary quorum calls, pausing Senate business while the secretary issues a roll call vote to ensure all 100 senators are present on the floor. It only takes one member to call for it.
- Rotating Republicans onto the floor for hours-long debate about motions and bills — reminiscent of the technique illustrated in the 1939 movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
The other side: Democrats insist they've heard it before, and their supporters are sick of McConnell's rhetoric — especially after he changed the filibuster rule to let President Trump fill three Supreme Court seats. - "We're not going to be deterred," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last week. "We're going to go forward because we know the American people demand, need, want bold change."
Go deeper. |
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| 2. Scoop: Inside the Senate GOP's private debate about earmarks |
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| Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios |
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| Sen. Lindsey Graham has been using Donald Trump to sell skeptical fellow Senate Republicans on bringing back earmarks, Alayna and Axios' Jonathan Swan report. Why it matters: Both parties swore off member-directed spending a decade ago, saying it too often led to corruption. Democrats are bringing it back this year, House Republicans agree — yet Senate Republicans remain the final holdouts. - A source said Graham (R-S.C.) told colleagues during a closed-door meeting in the Capitol last week "the top Republican in the country, meaning Trump, supports earmarks, and why shouldn't we?"
In a telephone interview with Axios on Monday evening, Graham confirmed he'd invoked the former president and Republican leader-in-exile as he made a forceful case to his colleagues. - "Democrats do it; if we don't do it, we're stupid," Graham said he argued.
Go deeper. Worthy of your time: "Senate plots its own earmark return." |
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| 3. A somber national tradition |
 Data: Federal Register; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios President Biden announced today that flags on all federal buildings would be lowered to half-staff until sundown Saturday to honor the victims of Monday's mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, Axios' Stef Kight writes. - The flag over the White House had just be returned to its normal position Monday night, after being lowered last week to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Atlanta.
The big picture: In recent years, the sitting president has always called for flags to be lowered on certain occasions such as Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. - Other proclamations in the last two decades represent dark moments for the nation, including 9/11, the death of former presidents and, more often in recent years, mass shootings.
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| A message from Facebook |
| It's time to update internet regulations |
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| The internet has changed a lot in the 25 years since lawmakers last passed comprehensive internet regulations. It's time for an update. See how we're making progress on key issues and why we support updated regulations to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges. |
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| 4. Former aides to new Biden Cabinet members cash in |
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| Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios |
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| A handful of former aides to Biden Cabinet members have picked up new lobbying businesses in recent weeks as their former bosses approached or secured Senate confirmation, Axios' Lachlan Markay writes based on a records review. Why it matters: New presidential administrations mean a new crop of Washington professionals who have the personal relationships to navigate and influence high-level policymaking. That can be lucrative for the firms employing them, and corporate clients looking for an edge in D.C. What's new: On Tuesday, within days of Xavier Becerra's confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services, lobbying firm Ferox Strategies announced it had hired his former chief of staff. - Debra Dixon, who led Becerra's House office, registered to represent three new clients for the firm, including pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
- Eulice Brandon Garrett, a former legislative director for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, registered to represent the Managed Funds Association, a trade group for the hedge fund industry.
- Yvesner Zamar, a former senior legislative aide to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, will lobby for Hilcorp Energy, an oil and gas exploration firm that does extensive business on federal lands.
- Karla Thieman, who was Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's chief of staff when he led the same agency under President Obama, is working with two new clients: the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance and the agriculture firm Alltech.
Go deeper. |
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| 5. Pic du jour |
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| Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images |
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| President Biden departs from the State Dining Room after delivering remarks about the shooting in Boulder, Colorado. |
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| A message from Facebook |
| Facebook supports updated internet regulations |
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| It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations passed. But a lot has changed since 1996. See how we're taking action and why we support updated regulations to address today's toughest challenges — protecting privacy, fighting misinformation, reforming Section 230, and more. |
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| This newsletter is written in Smart Brevity®. Learn how your team can communicate in the same smart, clear style with Axios HQ. |
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