| | | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Rachael Bade, Tara Palmeri and Ryan Lizza | Presented by Facebook | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | For months, Sen. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Ill.) had been nudging the Biden administration to appoint more Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the Cabinet — to no avail. When she brought up the issue again on a conference call Monday night with White House officials, White House deputy chief of staff JEN O'MALLEY DILLON pointed to VP KAMALA HARRIS' South Asian American heritage, apparently as if to say that box was checked. The senator called the reply "incredibly insulting." "To be told that, 'Well you have Kamala Harris, we're very proud of her, you don't need anybody else' is insulting," Duckworth told reporters on the Hill on Tuesday, calling the words a "trigger" for her. "Multiple times I've heard that. And that is not something you would say to the Black caucus: 'Well, you have Kamala, we're not going to put any more African Americans in the Cabinet because you have Kamala.' Why would you say it to AAPI?" Damn. Duckworth vowed to reject any nominee who is white and straight. Then, late Tuesday night, the White House announced that a senior-level AAPI official would be named and promised more appointments and "policy proposals that are relevant and important to the community." Duckworth issued a statement and backed off. But a few points to highlight: 1) The episode, brief as it was, speaks to the continued precariousness of President JOE BIDEN'S agenda. In a 50-50 Senate, one member can credibly threaten to derail a nomination or legislation at any point. Until now, this has been the domain of Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.). Duckworth dipped her toes in the same water, and snapped the White House to attention. Will other senators follow suit? As one Dem strategist from the Obama administration put it: "This shows that Biden isn't feared on the Hill. He's no LBJ." 2) The Democratic infighting over diversity is manna for the GOP. Administration officials want to keep the focus on hitting their vaccine goals and throwing money into the pockets of millions of Americans. Republicans want to put them on the defensive over culture issues. 3) The ordeal surfaced something that's been bubbling for years. The Democratic Party holds up diversity as a key value and embraces intersectionality — but realizing that vision is much more complicated as more Americans (rightly) demand a seat at the table. See, once you're at the table, you're going to use your voice to advocate for your community. Whether the old guard likes it or not. And appeasing every group isn't easy, especially when one person can stymie your agenda if they're not satisfied. Good Wednesday morning. Got a news tip? A document to share? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. | | 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. | | | PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP — As migrants flow across the southern border, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows declining support for providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants — including among Democrats. Forty-three percent of voters overall believe that undocumented immigrants who are currently living in the U.S. should have a pathway to citizenship — down 14 points since January. Among Democrats, support for a pathway dropped from 72% to 57% over that period; just one in four Republicans backed the idea, down 10 percentage points. What's likely happening here is that the GOP's messaging on the border surge is starting to bleed into other aspects of the conversation on immigration. Still, giving undocumented immigrants a shot at citizenship has been popular for years, and this one poll probably isn't indicative of a long-term trend. It does show, however, the Biden administration and Democrats are currently losing the battle over public opinion. Toplines … Crosstabs WHEN A CRISIS IS YOUR MESSAGING — It's a tale of two immigration messages: The Biden administration continues to get flak for barring press access to detention facilities at the border; the Trump administration basically begged press to come to the border. The Biden administration has downplayed the influx of migrants, insisting it's a challenge, not a "crisis"; the Trump administration highlighted chaos at the border to build public support for its hard-line immigration policies. "It was a global policy, allowing and encouraging media access," STEPHEN MILLER, DONALD TRUMP'S top immigration adviser, told Playbook. "I used to call [Customs and Border Patrol] and say, 'Why can't you get more reporters to ride alongside?' … I want to turn on '60 Minutes' and see footage." While images of crowded, difficult conditions were helpful to the image Trump wanted to create, they run counter to the Biden administration's objective of projecting a firm-but-compassionate response to border crossings. The upshot: This is one instance where the media-bashing Trump was on the side of the press — and Biden, despite his supposed respect for the role of journalism, is not. COMING TODAY: SENATE GOP BORDER PROTEST — A well-positioned GOP source says to expect some "fireworks" in the chamber today over immigration. Republicans will try to bring up a series of bills related to the border crisis — and Democrats more than likely will object. | | | |   | | | GUN CONTROL REALITY CHECK — A day after Biden called for an assault weapon ban in the wake of 18 people dying in a pair of back-to-back mass shootings, the political needle on guns hasn't moved on Capitol Hill. Here's what you should know about this week's debate in Congress: — An assault weapons ban is out. Biden might be pushing for this, but no one is talking about it on the Hill right now — at least not seriously. — Even background checks are a long shot. Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER will bring the pair of House-passed universal background check bills to the Senate floor soon. But as our colleague Marianne LeVine notes in a story up today, three critical swing votes — Manchin, SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) and PAT TOOMEY (R-Pa.) — have voiced opposition. — Could there be a compromise? Possible but unlikely due to political pressures on both sides. On Tuesday, Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.), a top gun control advocate, panned the framework of 2013 compromise legislation written by Toomey and Manchin, which many folks thought would be a starting point. He said Democrats shouldn't settle for less than universal background checks: "I'm a bit loath to compromise on a bill that is so wildly popular." Also: Democrats and Republicans are talking about formal negotiations on a number of key policies right now, including the minimum wage, voting rights, immigration and infrastructure. Gun talks will be competing for finite time. — What's more likely: executive action. Biden promised he would take executive action to reduce gun violence. According to WaPo's Sean Sullivan, Paul Kane and Seung Min Kim, the White House "has been privately exploring various executive orders related to firearms, such as strengthening background checks and community anti-violence funding … They declined to provide a timeline." OTHER GUN READS: "Boulder shooting suspect's gun would've been illegal under city's now-void assault-weapon ban," Denver Post… "Biden wants quick action on gun violence, even as he moves slowly," by Laura Barrón-López and Anita Kumar … "Where Will the Gun Control Debate Go Now (If Anywhere)?" NYT. WE PLAN, GOD LAUGHS — The AP's Zeke Miller and Jonathan Lemire have a perceptive piece about how reality keeps intruding on Biden's best-laid plans — namely his plan to celebrate his Covid relief bill triumph. "In less than a week, two mass shootings have overshadowed President Joe Biden's 'Help is Here' tour at which he planned to herald the ways his administration is helping Americans recovering from the pandemic. The White House has also struggled to respond to the growth in unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border or blunt a nationwide effort by Republican legislatures to tighten election laws." |  | BIDEN'S WEDNESDAY — The president and VP will receive the President's Daily Brief at 10 a.m. and have lunch together at 12:30 p.m. They'll meet at 2 p.m. with HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA, DHS Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS and immigration advisers. — It's Equal Pay Day, which the White House will mark in several days. Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:30 p.m. with Council of Economic Advisers Chair CECILIA ROUSE and member HEATHER BOUSHEY. Harris, Rouse and Boushey will lead a roundtable discussion with advocates at 3:30 p.m. And at 4:15 p.m. the Bidens will host MARGARET PURCE, MEGAN RAPINOE and members of the women's national soccer team for an Equal Pay Day event. — The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 10:30 a.m. TV TODAY — Harris will be on "CBS This Morning" to discuss violence against Asian Americans, immigration and more. THE SENATE is in session. Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN and Fed Chair JEROME POWELL will be back on the Hill to testify before the Banking Committee at 10 a.m. The Rules Committee will hold a hearing on the For the People Act, the election reform bill, at 10 a.m. THE HOUSE is not in session. HAPPENING THIS WEEK — The 13th annual Clinton Global Initiative University kicks off this afternoon. Highlights include BILL CLINTON talking with STACEY ABRAMS at 3 p.m. today about repairing democracy, and Clinton talking with Harris at 3:25 p.m. Friday about empowering women and girls. The full schedule | | | | 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: Samantha Power tucks in the shirt of her son prior to testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be USAID administrator on Tuesday, March 23. | CONGRESS MINIMUM WAGE LATEST — "Senate Democratic moderates push for minimum wage compromise," by Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine: "Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer convened a meeting on the topic Tuesday afternoon that includes the eight Democratic caucus members who opposed Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) $15 hourly wage plan … Sanders requested the meeting … [A]ttendees expected a collision between the uncompromising liberal wing of the party and the centrist wing that recently voted down one of the party's longtime goals. "But the meeting was promising, Democrats said. Manchin described it as a 'wonderful conversation, and I don't think anyone will talk to you, it was so good.' In the meeting, Manchin seemed steadfast about his support for an increase to $11 an hour, according to one attendee. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) suggested that if the wage was raised to $11 now and was indexed at a rate faster than inflation, it wouldn't be far off from Sanders's goal of $15 an hour by 2024." MANCHIN IN THE MIDDLE — "Joe Manchin Faces Home State Pressure to Oppose Fellow Democrats' Voting Bill," WSJ: "West Virginia election officials are lobbying Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin to oppose his party's voting-rights legislation, again underscoring his pivotal role as the Senate's most prominent centrist." "Mr. Manchin is the only senator on the Democratic side of the chamber who isn't listed as a co-sponsor of the legislation. Last week he told reporters he was still reviewing it. All 49 other Senate Democrats back the bill, which would loosen state voter-identification requirements, expand mail-in voting and mandate online and same-day voter registration as well as early voting, among other steps." COUNT LINDSEY IN — "Scoop: Inside the Senate GOP's private debate about earmarks," Axios: "Graham told colleagues last week 'the top Republican in the country, meaning Trump, supports earmarks, and why shouldn't we?' … A source inside the room in the Capitol paraphrased Graham's argument. … In a telephone interview with Axios on Monday evening, Graham confirmed he'd made a forceful case to his colleagues. 'Democrats do it; if we don't do it, we're stupid,' Graham said he argued." POLITICS ROUNDUP HE'S BA-ACK — "Steyer polls the Newsom recall — offering himself as an alternative," by Christopher Cadelago, Sam Stein and Carla Marinucci: "Tom Steyer is polling the California recall. And the billionaire environmental activist and erstwhile presidential hopeful has included his own name among the list of possible contenders to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to three people familiar with the recent survey." ONE AND THE SAME — "G.O.P. and Allies Draft 'Best Practices' for Restricting Voting," NYT: "Of the 68 bills pertaining to voting, at least 23 had similar language or were firmly rooted in the principles laid out in the Heritage group's letter and in an extensive report it published two days later, according to a review of the bills by The New York Times. "The alignment was not coincidental. As Republican legislatures across the country seek to usher in a raft of new restrictions on voting, they are being prodded by an array of party leaders and outside groups working to establish a set of guiding principles to the efforts to claw back access to voting." BUT, BUT, BUT … "Why Republican voter restrictions are a race against time," by Ron Brownstein for CNN: "In each of those states — and others such as North Carolina, South Carolina and, in a slightly different way, Florida — the GOP still holds a statewide advantage primarily because of its strong performance among older, non-college-educated and non-urban White voters. But in almost all those states, the Republican edge is ebbing amid two powerful demographic currents: an improving Democratic performance among white-collar voters in and around the states' rapidly growing major cities, and the aging into the electorate of younger generations defined by kaleidoscopic racial diversity. "That latter shift, in particular, represents an existential long-term danger to Republican control of Sun Belt states where they have held the upper hand for years: Kids of color now compose a clear majority of the under 18 population in Arizona, Texas, Georgia and Florida, and nearly half in the Carolinas." | | 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. | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD TROUBLE AHEAD? — "North Korea fires short-range missiles in challenge to Biden administration," WaPo: "The missile tests, which had not previously been reported, represent North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's first challenge to President Biden, whose aides have not yet outlined their approach to the regime's nuclear threat amid an ongoing review of U.S.-North Korea policy. For weeks, U.S. defense officials warned that intelligence indicated that North Korea might carry out missile tests. The regime elevated its complaints about U.S. military exercises last week, with Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, warning that if the Biden administration "wants to sleep in peace for the coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink." — NATASHA BERTRAND: "North Korea launches missiles, but U.S. still wants to talk" MEDIAWATCH (BILLIONAIRE-OWNED) LAT ON THE DOLE — "Los Angeles Times receives $10-million PPP loan," L.A. Times: "The news organization was dealt a significant financial blow last March, when businesses abruptly pulled their advertising spending amid government-mandated shutdowns intended to slow the coronavirus spread. The pandemic upended the company's finances, which were already strained following an unprecedented rebuilding effort and hiring spree that began in 2018 after billionaire biotech entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his wife, Michele, purchased The Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune for $500 million from Chicago-based Tribune Publishing. … "This is The Times' first federal loan during the COVID-19 pandemic; the news outlet did not qualify for the PPP program last year. Congress initially tailored the program to target small businesses, which meant that businesses with more than 500 employees, including California Times, did not qualify. The two newspapers together employ about 1,400 people." JOURNO-LESS-M — "Medium Tells Journalists to Feel Free to Quit After Busting Union Drive," Vice: "On Tuesday night, billionaire Medium CEO and Twitter co-founder Ev Williams sent an email to the entire Medium staff announcing that the company would like employees charged with doing journalism to feel free to quit and that the company would in fact be shifting away from professional journalism altogether. … "The move comes less than one month after all Medium employees — including the editorial unit — attempted to unionize and lost by one vote. Employees at the company say that journalists who work at Medium's nine publications were not the initial driving force behind the union, but were some of the most vocal supporters of it."
| | | | 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 | | CHEDDAR'S @meganpratz: "SCOOPLET: According to a source, Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy is spending his House recess in Palm Beach, Florida. This marks at least his second trip to the area since late January, when he met with former President Donald Trump." Pics of McCarthy at the Colony Hotel, via J.D. Durkin TRANSITIONS — Ricky Le is now chief of staff for Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.). He most recently worked for VMware government relations, and is an Eric Swalwell and Zoe Lofgren alum. … Brianna Ehley is joining Finsbury Glover Hering as a director on their health comms team. She previously was a health care reporter at POLITICO. … Danny Abbas is joining American Bridge 21st Century as Senate research director. He previously was due diligence lead on the Biden campaign and was a member of the transition's comms and research team. … … Senate Agriculture ranking member John Boozman (R-Ark.) announced the committee's GOP staff, most notably John Newton joining as chief economist from the Farm Bureau. … Kolby Lee is joining New Deal Strategies' comms team. He most recently was at The Appeal, and is a Bernie Sanders and Beto O'Rourke campaign alum. The progressive consulting firm also recently added Sarafina Chitika and Jordana Narin. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Martha Laco, VP of corporate engagement at Sentinel Strategic Advisors, and Marek Laco, legislative director for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), welcomed Miles Thomas Laco on Thursday. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) (67) … Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) (56) … Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) (71) … Su-Lin Nichols … Chandler Goule of the National Wheat Growers Association … Matt Gorman of Targeted Victory … CNN's Donie O'Sullivan … Molly Wilkinson of American Airlines … Ted Chiodo of SKDKnickerbocker … Eugene Kang … Rod O'Connor … NBC News' Dareh Gregorian … Sarah Gilmore of Airlines for America … Vu Ritchie, senior adviser for domestic policy for Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) … Robert Hoffman … Mark Spengler … Caroline Campbell … Patrick Hallahan … Oren Adam … Mary Ann Akers … Evan Feinberg of Stand Together … Kaley Rector … Marcus Navarro … Navy JAG Hannah Sherman … Aharon Friedman … Jeffrey Herbst … Staci Maiers … Elise Sidamon-Eristoff … The Raw Story's John Byrne … Bloomberg's Aaron Rutkoff … Jeanette Manfra … Steve Ballmer … Fred Menachem 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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