| | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade and Tara Palmeri | Presented by Facebook | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | "It's a matter of timing." If there were a one-sentence takeaway from President JOE BIDEN'S first press conference, that may be it. Over and over in the East Room, the president made it clear Thursday that he's in control of the timing of his legislative priorities and that he would not allow events to overtake his plans. Guns, immigration, voting rights, filibuster reform — the big issues that have intervened recently and that dominated questioning by reporters — would have to wait. If Biden were an Italian grandmother, he would have been at the podium putting his hand up to the reporters and patiently repeating, "Aspetta!" Wait. "The other problems we're talking about, from immigration to guns and the other things you mentioned, are long-term problems," he said. "They've been around a long time. And what we're going to be able to do, God willing, is now begin one at a time to focus on those as well." Translation: They are not going to be the focus of legislative action in the near term. Biden made it crystal clear that his plan — hatched months ago during the campaign — for a one-two punch of a Covid relief bill followed by an infrastructure bill will not be derailed by events. He will detail his plans on a potentially $3-4 trillion infrastructure bill in a speech next Wednesday in Pittsburgh, and that will remain the top White House priority for weeks to come. "It's a matter of timing," he said when asked about gun control legislation. "As you've all observed, successful presidents — better than me — have been successful, in large part, because they know how to time what they're doing — order it, decide and prioritize what needs to be done." Biden made some news: He intends to have troops out of Afghanistan by year's end, he will likely run for reelection, and he may go "beyond" his current view on filibuster reform "if there's complete lockdown and chaos." But he did his best to tamp down expectations on the trio of issues that reporters and many activists are obsessed with this week because of recent events (guns, immigration and voting rights). Our questions are: 1) Will this work? 2) Is it a sound decision given the gravity of those three issues? On immigration — and specifically the crisis created by the annual border surge — Biden has kicked the problem to his VP, the same way BARACK OBAMA once kicked the problem to Biden. It's fair to say, as Biden did, that it's a long-term problem that can't be fixed overnight with new legislation, even if he could pass something through the Senate. On guns, the White House has decided that the crisis of gun violence is simply not as important as the massive public investment and social welfare agenda that Biden wants to pass next. On voting rights, this case is a lot harder to make, given the rollbacks happening in the states and the threat to democracy that Democrats argue the changes augur. | | A message from Facebook: It's time to update internet regulations
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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. | | | That brings to mind what may have been the most interesting and overlooked comment of the day Thursday. "I predict to you, your children or grandchildren are going to be doing their doctoral thesis on the issue of who succeeded: autocracy or democracy?" Biden said when discussing China. "Because that is what is at stake, not just with China." There is an increasingly dominant argument in Democratic circles that if one really believes that about democracy's fragile future, then bolstering it should start at home. And if you believe that, then there's nothing more urgent then both nuking the legislative filibuster and passing the Democrats' voting rights agenda. While Biden gave both issues more support yesterday, he's still telling Democrats the time isn't right. Aspetta. The press conference ledealls: — POLITICO's Anita Kumar highlights the absence of a major topic that reporters did not ask about — Covid-19: "Biden meets the press and the pandemic disappears" — AP leans into Biden's (possible?) openness to filibuster reform: "Biden leaves door open for Senate changes to advance agenda" — WSJ tries to cover the gamut: "Biden's First Press Conference Tackles Filibuster, Immigration, Afghanistan" — WaPo emphasizes priorities and timing: "Biden promises to tackle the nation's crises, but says some may wait" — NYT goes impressionistic: "Timing Is Everything, Biden Says, and 'Politics Is the Art of the Possible'" WATCH: Filibuster reform is necessary for Biden's agenda, explained | 
| The ongoing debate over filibuster reform took center stage in political news this week. TARA and EUGENE look back at Biden's response over eliminating the filibuster during his first official press conference on Thursday. They also discuss why the filibuster is the only way Democrats can pass legislation on gun control and voting rights. Happy Friday morning. Got a news tip? A document to share? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. | | | |   | | | SCOOP OF THE DAY — "'Alex Azar Anonymous': Trump health officials start a club to counter former HHS chief," by Adam Cancryn: "A small group of top Trump health officials recently held a series of discussions to coordinate their accounts of the administration's troubled Covid-19 response, worried they will be scapegoated by old colleagues – including their onetime boss, former health secretary Alex Azar, according to six people with knowledge of their interactions. "Much of the group – which includes former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, former CDC Director Robert Redfield, former Medicare chief Seema Verma and former White House Covid coordinator Deborah Birx – had fraught relationships with Azar, whose own accounts of the administration's pandemic efforts have often diverged from theirs. … In calls and text messages, members of the group have swapped notes, compared recollections and sent updates on media requests and interview opportunities, four people with knowledge of the matter said." BIDEN'S FRIDAY — The president and VP KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President's Daily Brief at 10:20 a.m. Biden will receive the weekly economic briefing at 2:10 p.m. He'll take part in a virtual fundraiser for Atlanta Mayor KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS at 3 p.m. And he'll leave the White House at 6:15 p.m., arriving in Wilmington, Del., at 7:10 p.m. — Harris will swear in XAVIER BECERRA as HHS secretary at 9:30 a.m. and SHALANDA YOUNG as deputy OMB director at 9:55 a.m. She'll leave Washington at 11:50 a.m. for New Haven, Conn. She'll have a listening session at the Boys & Girls Club at 2:35 p.m. on the stimulus bill's impact on child poverty and education. She'll deliver remarks at West Haven Child Development Center at 4:35 p.m. Harris will leave for D.C. at 6:45 p.m. — The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 10:15 a.m. Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:30 p.m. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION : Power dynamics are shifting in Washington and across the country, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy, and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops, and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: Democratic Georgia state Rep. Park Cannon is arrested at the Georgia State Capitol Building after she attempted to knock on the door of the Gov. Brian Kemp office during his remarks after he signed into law a sweeping Republican-sponsored overhaul of state elections in Atlanta, on Thursday, March 25. | Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP | POLITICS ROUNDUP ONCE A REALITY TV STAR … "Trump's secret sit-down with Ohio candidates turns into 'Hunger Games,'" by Alex Isenstadt: "Donald Trump was headlining a fundraiser on Wednesday night at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla. But before the dinner began, the former president had some business to take care of: He summoned four Republican Senate candidates vying for Ohio's open Senate seat for a backroom meeting. … "What ensued was a 15-minute backroom backbiting session reminiscent of Trump's reality TV show. [Josh] Mandel said he was 'crushing' [Jane] Timken in polling. Timken touted her support on the ground thanks to her time as state party chair. [Mike] Gibbons mentioned how he'd helped Trump's campaign financially. [Bernie] Moreno noted that his daughter had worked on Trump's 2020 campaign." YOUR MOVE, DEMOCRATS — "Sweeping changes to Georgia elections signed into law," Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Gov. Brian Kemp quickly signed a vast rewrite of Georgia's election rules into law Thursday, imposing voter ID requirements, limiting drop boxes and allowing state takeovers of local elections after last year's close presidential race. Kemp finalized the bill just over an hour after it cleared the General Assembly, leaving no doubt about its fate amid public pressure against voting restrictions. "Protesters outside the Capitol said the bill would disenfranchise voters, calling it 'Jim Crow 2.0.' State Rep. Park Cannon, D-Atlanta, was arrested by state Troopers after knocking on Kemp's office door to try to witness the bill signing. He briefly interrupted his prepared remarks as Cannon was forcibly removed from the building by officers." A NOT-SO-SWEET 16 AD — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Arkansans watching the Sweet 16 basketball game between their Razorbacks and Oral Roberts on Saturday will get a taste of politics during a break in play. The Human Rights Campaign is airing a 30-second ad attacking Gov. ASA HUTCHINSON for signing a bill that bans transgender girls and women from participating on teams consistent with their gender identity. "Trans kids are kids. They don't deserve this cruelty," the narrator says, adding that the law — and others like it being pursued by Republicans in other states — will force trans kids into isolation during the pandemic. The ad is the latest example of this issue becoming a bigger flashpoint in national politics. The HRC tells us they plan to continue hammering Hutchinson, who is term-limited in 2022, "in a variety of ways." CONGRESS A GUN VIOLENCE PROPOSAL WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT — "Boulder and Atlanta shootings rekindle debate over red-flag gun laws," WaPo: "On Capitol Hill, lawmakers discussed red-flag laws in a hearing this week on the gun violence epidemic, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she would soon introduce red-flag legislation. A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently floated a similar proposal, and several state legislatures are weighing whether to pass legislation or expand existing policies. "Connecticut passed the country's first red-flag law in 1999 , followed by Indiana and several other states. A flurry of similar legislation passed in the wake of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., where a gunman killed 17 people. Currently, red-flag laws are on the books in 19 states and the District of Columbia." RIP, 9/11-STYLE COMMISSION — "House launches wide-ranging review of federal handling of Jan. 6 insurrection," by Kyle Cheney: "In letters to 16 agencies across the Executive Branch and Congress, the panels asked for all communications sent between agency officials regarding Congress' Jan. 6 session, when lawmakers certified Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. The requests demand all relevant documents and messages from Dec. 1, 2020, to Jan. 20, 2021. "The unusually broad committee review comes as Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been unable to secure bipartisan cooperation to launch an independent commission to review the federal government's handling of the attack, which left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer. The Justice Department has since charged more than 300 people with breaching the Capitol, including dozens who they allege conspired to violently halt the Electoral College certification." ONLY TOOK TWO DECADES — "House panel votes to repeal 19-year-old Iraq war authorization," by Andrew Desiderio: "The panel's action, which sailed through with support from Democrats and Republicans alike, scraps the 2002 authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against Iraq, which at the time was led by Saddam Hussein. A similar push is already underway in the Senate, where Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) have proposed repealing the 2002 AUMF, in addition to a 1991 measure that also authorized military force in Iraq during the first Gulf War. … "In response, the White House said Biden supports getting rid of the outdated AUMFs and working with Congress on replacement measures, though talks are in the very early stages." GOP ESCALATING IN IA-02 — Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL and Sens. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.), JONI ERNST (R-Iowa) and CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-Iowa) put out a letter raising the stakes in the Iowa House seat where Democrats are weighing a serious challenge to the results. The senators called on businesses that stopped donating to or condemned Republicans who tried to overturn the presidential election to do the same for Dems on Iowa. The letter | | A message from Facebook: Facebook supports updated internet regulations
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See how we're taking action and why we support updated regulations to address today's challenges —protecting privacy, fighting misinformation, reforming Section 230, and more. | | | POLICY CORNER ANOTHER SIGN OF A BIG TECH CRACKDOWN — "Top Obama lawyer being vetted for antitrust post," by Leah Nylen and Betsy Woodruff Swan: "One possible job would be heading the Department of Justice's powerful Antitrust Division. [Jonathan] Sallet's name has been in the mix for that post for several weeks. … Sallet's selection for DOJ antitrust chief or FTC chair would signal the Biden administration intends to continue its aggressive pursuit of Google, Facebook and other tech giants." — "Biden Administration Ramps Up Debt Relief Program to Help Black Farmers," NYT: "At the center of this initiative is the Agriculture Department, an agency that has long been derided by Black farmers as the United States' 'last plantation.' Now the department is in the middle of a drastic overhaul, both of its personnel and of policies that it acknowledges have perpetuated inequality in rural America for years. On Thursday, President Biden's agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, said that he would work to root out the vestiges of racism at his agency and to redress 'systemic discrimination' that Black farmers had faced. "Mr. Vilsack said details on how the program would work would be coming soon. The department estimates that it could provide relief for as many as 15,000 loans. … [He added] that the pandemic relief money for the agriculture sector disproportionately benefited white-owned farms and that the provisions in the latest stimulus bill were intended to rebalance that." MEDIAWATCH OUTRAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE — Thursday was quite the night on Fox News, with no fewer than three eye-popping moments: — Trump on the Jan. 6 Capitol rioters, in a live interview with LAURA INGRAHAM: "It was zero threat. Right from the start, it was zero threat. Look, they went in, they shouldn't have done it. Some of them went in and they're hugging and kissing the police and the guards. … They're persecuting a lot of those people, and some of them should be — some things should happen to them. But when I look at antifa … and nothing happens to them whatsoever? Why aren't they going after antifa?" The clip — "Tucker & Guest Suggest Right Will Go Full Fascist Because Hunter Biden," Daily Beast: "During his primetime Fox News program on Thursday evening, Carlson brought up the recent Politico story about the bizarre 2018 case involving President Joe Biden's son Hunter and his missing gun. … "'At some point, people are going to say, "Why should I follow the rules? Why should I be a good citizen if they don't have to follow the rules?" I mean, things kind of break down at some point, don't they?' Carlson asked his guest. 'They will break down,' [conservative radio host Jesse] Kelly exclaimed. 'I have said this before and I'm telling you I'm worried that I'm right. The right is going to pick a fascist within ten to 20 years!' Carlson interjected: 'Right. That's right.'" The clip … Tara and Ben Schreckinger's original story — And SEAN HANNITY on SETH MEYERS: "You're just another limousine liberal socialist hypocritical asshole who does nothing but spew anti-GOP hate and has virtually nothing positive or productive to add to any political dialogue." The clip DROWNING IN RED INK — "LA Times Reveals 'Catastrophic' $50 Million Revenue Loss in 2020," TheWrap: "The Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune lost 'north of $50 million' in revenue in 2020, company leadership told staffers at an all-hands meeting on Thursday. … The majority of the losses came from print advertising, though digital advertising and print circulation also sustained some losses. … "The 2020 revenue losses also came as the company hired 163 employees last year … Still, [Chris] Argentieri said the company was able to make a number of financial sacrifices to get through those losses 'far better.'" FRIDAY LISTEN — EUGENE guest-hosted the latest episode of "Nerdcast," talking to Playbook alum ZACH MONTELLARO about the filibuster and voting rights. Listen and subscribe TV TONIGHT — PBS' "Washington Week," guest-moderated by Peter Baker: Kaitlan Collins, Zolan Kannos-Young, Sahil Kapur and Ashley Parker. SUNDAY SO FAR … | CBS | "Face the Nation": Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) … Rep.-elect Julia Letlow (R-La.) … Anthony Capuano … Scott Gottlieb. | Gray TV | "Full Court Press": Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) … Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). | FOX | "Fox News Sunday": Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Panel: Josh Holmes, Shannon Bream and Harold Ford, Jr. Power Players: Taylor Gaussoin and Joe DiPietro. | ABC | "This Week": Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). Panel: Rahm Emanuel, Leah Wright Rigueur, Margaret Hoover and Ramesh Ponnuru. | CNN | "Inside Politics": Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) … Jeff Zeleny and Seung Min Kim … Ala Stanford. | MSNBC | "The Sunday Show": Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) … Brian Lemek … Daina Ramey Berry … Dan Balz … Connie Schultz … Eric Boehlert … Margaret Sullivan. | NBC | "Meet the Press": Panel: Peter Baker, Al Cardenas, Heather McGhee and Vicky Nguyen. | | | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : The Biden administration is more than halfway through its first 100 days and is now facing a growing crisis at the border and escalating violence against Asian Americans, while navigating the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges. Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads to find out what actions are being considered, as well the internal state of play inside the West Wing and across the administration. Track the people, policies, and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | IN MEMORIAM — "Bill Brock, former Tennessee U.S. Senator, Secretary of Labor and RNC chair, dies at 90," Tennessean: "A Chattanooga native who later moved to Annapolis, Maryland, Brock in recent years opposed the ascension of Donald Trump … He served in both chambers of Congress, entering the House in 1963 from Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District and serving four terms. Brock's election gave way to the rise of the GOP in the Volunteer State … "While Republicans reeled from the fallout of the Watergate scandal, Brock helped the RNC escape from debt and pushed for the GOP to win in local races … He spearheaded the United States' first trade agreement negotiations, beginning with Israel and later discussions with Canada and Mexico. … After leaving government in 1989, Brock eventually started the Brock Group, a Washington, D.C., trade consulting firm." — "Gail Slatter, Who Helped Make the Times Newsroom Run, Dies at 68," NYT: "For 40 years she was a guide and gatekeeper, working in 'the morgue' (the article and photo archive) and on the photo and culture desks. She died of Covid-19." TRUMP ALUMNI — Zach Swint is now policy adviser at the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee. He most recently was associate director at the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. TRANSITIONS — Mollie Timmons is now press secretary for Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). She previously was a DOJ spokesperson. … Julie Alderman is starting as director of research at the League of Conservation Voters. She previously was political research manager at Planned Parenthood Action Fund. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — James Quinn, chief of staff to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Shannon Quinn, a public school teacher in Arlington, welcomed Jack Lewis Quinn on March 19. He joins big sister Grace and pup Riley. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (81) … WaPo's Bob Woodward (78) … Center for American Restoration's Russ Vought (45) … CBS' Margaret Brennan … Jon Huntsman (61) … Matt Lira … former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) (54) … James Gelfand … FP1 Strategies' Chandler Hudson Bair … Caroline Darmody … Dan Caldwell of Concerned Veterans for America and Stand Together … Michael Waxman of Waxman Strategies … Breitbart's Amanda House … DCI Group's Miriam Warren … Caren Street … CBS' Kira Kleaveland … Kevin Zeithaml … Bloomberg's Chris Rovzar … Michael Kirby … FDIC's Edward Garnett III … Planned Parenthood's Melanie Roussell Newman … Lori D'Orazio … Stacy Rastauskas Bretherton ... Twitter's Lexi Neaman ... Melissa Toufanian ... Bill Lucey … Lisa Quigley … Carlos Mark Vera of Pay Our Interns … former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (91) … former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee (68) … Larry Page (48) Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. | | | | Sponsored Survey WE VALUE YOUR OPINION: Please take a 1-minute survey about one of our advertising partners. | | | | | | | 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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