An 'incredibly critical' infrastructure week

Presented by Altria: A play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news

Jun 02, 2021 View in browser   By Olivia Beavers Presented by Altria Marianne contributed. DOWN TO THE WIRE: Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and President Joe Biden are expected to meet this afternoon in what is likely one of their last chances to strike a deal on a plan to rebuild the nation's crumbling infrastructure. No pressure, right? White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One that this coming week is "incredibly critical" for the infrastructure plan. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Biden administration needs a "clear direction" next Monday, June 7. But Biden is being pulled in two directions. His allies say he wants a bipartisan deal — he did, after all, campaign on being able to reach across the aisle with Republicans — but Democrats are amping up the pressure for him to ditch negotiations and start the budget reconciliation process. Democrats could use reconciliation to pass both Biden's infrastructure proposal and his families plan in one bill, with a whopping $4 trillion price tag. Though, it's TBD if moderate Democrats would be on board with this approach. One key question: As WaPo's Seung Min Kim put it: "What precisely Biden agreed to in the Oval Office has become a key factor in the ongoing negotiations." Multiple Senate Republicans say Biden agreed in a recent meeting at the White House that he would support a bill framework where they'd spend $1 trillion over eight years instead of five years. That's a big drop from Biden's original $2.3 trillion proposal. Another big factor that has to be ironed out: How Republicans will propose paying for the infrastructure plan — using unspent Covid relief funds is a nonstarter among Dems. Related: Infrastructure negotiations enter make-or-break week, by The Hill's Morgan Chalfant and Alex Gangitano: https://bit.ly/3wKb6wI   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.     BIDEN SINGLES OUT SINEMA AND MANCHIN: While delivering remarks on voting rights in Tulsa, Okla., Biden responded to criticism he's not getting enough done in Congress, noting that he "only has a majority of four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate — with two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends." Biden didn't name Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out to whom he was referring. Manchin has yet to sign on to Democrats' signature election and ethics reform package known as S.1. Sinema, however, is a co-sponsor. While Manchin and Sinema have both said they will not nix the 60-vote threshold for legislation, it's worth noting that they still vote with Democrats the vast majority of the time. Biden also personally met with both senators last month to discuss infrastructure. Manchin's and Sinema's offices declined to comment on Biden's remarks, but there's reason to believe Biden's speech may not nudge Manchin in the direction he wants on S.1. Earlier this year, Manchin criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for making an appearance on a local West Virginia television station to discuss Biden's coronavirus relief bill. "I saw [the interview]. I couldn't believe it. No one called me," Manchin told WSAZ. "That's not a way of working together." THROWING THE BOOK ON POLICE REFORM: Sen. Cory Booker said he had his own share of experiences with the police growing up in suburban New Jersey, but it wasn't until his college years in the wealthy and mostly white California city of Palo Alto that he had a police officer draw a gun on him, accusing him of stealing his own car — a moment he remembers vividly. "It seemed like half the police force came out, and they kept me, sitting in my car, screaming at me commands," the New Jersey Democrat told Marianne in a recent interview. "And ultimately the only excuse they gave me was that I fit the description of somebody that they were looking for." Booker said the "incidents just started racking up" after his parents bought him a car when he was a Stanford University sophomore, characterizing it as a period when "the fear was at its highest in my life." One wrong move, he feared, could mean it's all over. Per Marianne: "Thirty years later, the Democrat has those memories in mind as he leads police reform negotiations alongside Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.). It's a daunting task that, if it ends in a workable deal, could help deter police brutality toward people of color after years of tragic killings. It's also a new chapter for the genial 52-year-old, whose presidential run on a message of love and unity ran aground but who now finds himself positioned to wield power with a new audience — his own colleagues." More here from Marianne: https://politi.co/3uJOhYA Related: In Tulsa and beyond, Biden tasks Black women with fighting the legacy of inequity, by 19th News' Errin Haines: https://bit.ly/3uFVpoZ A message from Altria: Moving beyond smoking. Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes – by taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. We are investing in a diverse mix of businesses to broaden options beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. See how we're moving.   HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this June 2, where your Huddle host is still very much enjoying these feel good Memorial Day stories. TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The Hill's story on how Democrats aim to make Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) their foil ahead of midterms was the big winner. NEW DEM-XICO: Democrat Melanie Stansbury cruised to victory last night in the contested New Mexico special election, garnering 63 percent of the vote to her GOP opponent's 33 percent. Democrats hailed that big margin of victory against Republican Mark Moores as a rebuttal to claims that their base's enthusiasm had waned and that the GOP was making inroads with its "defund the police" attacks. More here from our Ally Mutnick: https://politi.co/3pjOnp2 Related: Democrat wins New Mexico special election for U.S. House, overcoming a Republican emphasis on rising crime, by WaPo's Dave Weigel: https://wapo.st/3ib7dNB THE VEEP TREATMENT: Biden tasked Harris yesterday with leading the administration's push for voting rights legislation, adding another daunting responsibility on the former California attorney general's plate. "With her leadership and your support, we're going to overcome again, I promise you, but it's going to take a hell of a lot of work," Biden said in a speech Tuesday in Tulsa as he commemorated the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. He warned that the right to vote is "under assault" at a level he had never seen before, while Democrats have been pushing the White House to be more aggressive on this front. More here from Ben Leonard and Christopher Cadelago: https://politi.co/3uHp29q Related: Here's where GOP lawmakers have passed new voting restrictions around the country, by WaPo's Elise Viebeck: https://wapo.st/3pbvSTD | Biden promises Tulsa massacre survivors their story will be 'known in full view,' by NYT's Katie Rogers and Michael Shear: https://nyti.ms/2SNyjj1 MEANWHILE: Democrats' 2020 defeats haunt them in voting rights fight, by our Zach Montellaro: https://politi.co/3c80znu   DON'T MISS OUT ON OUR NEW PLAYBOOK DEEP DIVE PODCAST: Washington is full of whispers, colorful characters and little-known back stories that even D.C. insiders might not know. Playbook Deep Dive is a new, weekly podcast that pulls back the curtain on the stories behind the power. From Congress and the White House to bar stools and backrooms, POLITICO's top reporters and Playbook authors bring you the most compelling and confounding stories that explain what's really going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     WORKING HIS OSSOFF ON CLIMATE CHANGE: "Sen. Jon Ossoff isn't letting his narrow victory in January's Georgia runoff election dampen his support for the Biden administration's clean energy agenda, a contrast to how lawmakers in some closely divided states have sought to navigate the thorny issue of climate change," our Anthony Adragna reports. Ossoff and fellow Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock may have helped Democrats win the Senate majority just by the hair of their chinny chin chins, and Ossoff says he isn't ruling out possible climate policies like carbon taxes or clean energy standards. "It's thanks to Georgia voters that we have a majority that gives us the opportunity to do something big on infrastructure and clean energy," Ossoff told Anthony in an interview. "And we have to seize this moment to get it done." More here from Anthony: https://politi.co/2S1AhMJ QUICK CLICK: 32 years old and making $31,000: Capitol Hill staffers vent about unlivable pay and how they survive in one of the nation's most expensive cities, by Insider's Kayla Epstein: https://bit.ly/2TBBRp2 PATHWAYS FORWARD: Democrats are looking for ways to probe Jan. 6, even if it means without the majority of GOP support. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi listed out on a call with Democrats yesterday just how they can proceed. Per CNN's Manu Raju, the options presented are threefold: 1) Democrats could attempt another vote in the Senate on the Jan. 6 commission bill. This could either be done by forcing another vote on the same legislation or amending it to incorporate the proposed changes put forth by Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the hopes that doing so would draw in more GOP support. 2) Pelosi could establish a select committee to examine the deadly attack. 3) The speaker could also task existing committees to probe Jan. 6. RELATED: Feds move to drop charges for Capitol riot defendant, by our Josh Gerstein: https://politi.co/3vJWfT8 | The organized far-right threat on Jan. 6 comes into sharper focus, by WaPo's Philip Bump: https://wapo.st/3wKqB7S IRONCLAD SUPPORT: A bipartisan group of dozens of House lawmakers are emphasizing in a new letter to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin that they want to continue the U.S. government's commitment to Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. The letter comes ahead of Austin's meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz this week and after the Israel-Hamas conflict that revealed some division in Washington about its support of Israel, with some progressives calling for the U.S. to adopt a more sympathetic approach to the Palestinians. "As Members of Congress who are deeply committed to Israel's security, we write to express our strong support for the Biden Administration's ironclad commitment to Israel's safety and security, including replenishing Israel's stock of interceptors for the Iron Dome missile defense system and other important matters. We ask that you continue urgently engaging with Israel on this request, and that you please report to Congress regarding Israel's needs as soon as possible," they wrote. They added: "If Israel requests additional assistance, as contemplated in the [memorandum of understanding], please work closely with Congress to expeditiously fulfill this request." The signees include Dem members like Reps. Josh Gottheimer, who is leading the letter; Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries; and Ritchie Torres, who has described himself as a "pro-Israel progressive." Moderate Dems: Tom Malinowski, Dean Phillips, Stephanie Murphy, Elaine Luria, Kathy Manning, Sharice Davids, Colin Allred, Haley Stevens, Conor Lamb, Chrissy Houlahan, Elissa Slotkin, Susan Wild, Andy Kim, Abigail Spanberger, Lucy McBath, and others. House Republicans: Reps. Tom Reed, Fred Upton, Brian Fitzpatrick, Anthony Gonzalez, Andrew Garbarino, Dave Joyce, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Dusty Johnson, Dan Meuser, Peter Meijer, and Bill Johnson. Read the full letter here: https://politi.co/34GalZS CAMPAIGN CORNER: -Georgia House Speaker David Ralston is considering a run for U.S. Senate, per AJC's Patricia Murphy: https://bit.ly/3vLc2Rp -Lauren Boebert is known for her far-right views. But Republicans alone didn't send her to Congress. By Colorado Sun's Jesse Paul: https://bit.ly/3ccqyKl -SALT Cap confounds doomsayers as fears of exodus prove overblown, by Bloomberg's Jonathan Levin: https://bloom.bg/3i8OmCL     TRANSITIONS Tyler Lewis is now correspondence director for Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.). He most recently was business development and marketing specialist at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Blaine Boyd also is now Stanton's judiciary LA. He most recently was law clerk to Maryland Circuit Judge Steven G. Salant. Emily Hardman Rodgers is now a policy specialist in the Office of Foreign Assistance at the State Department. She previously was staff assistant for Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). Veda Beltran is now a legislative aide for defense, homeland security and judiciary for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). She previously was a legislative correspondent for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Oriana Piña is joining AT&T to manage PR and comms for the diversity, equity and inclusion department. She most recently was director of Hispanic media for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Conor Sheehey is joining the Finance Committee staff of Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) as a health policy adviser. He previously was legislative director for Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Joe MacFarlane will be legislative assistant for Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.). He was previously legislative correspondent and body man for Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.). Marcus Frias is now comms director for Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). He was previously national press secretary for the House Financial Services Committee. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House is out. The Senate is out. AROUND THE HILL 2:45 p.m.: Capito-Biden meeting on infrastructure. TRIVIA TUESDAY'S WINNER: Greg Viau was the first person to guess that Herbert Hoover was the first president to hold a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. TODAY'S QUESTION: From Greg: What is the original name of the oldest continuous standing committee in the House of Representatives, and what year was it founded? 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. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @Olivia_Beavers A message from Altria: Moving beyond smoking. Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes. Today, we are taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. From cigarettes to innovative alternatives. By investing in a diverse mix of businesses, Altria is working to further broaden options. Our companies are encouraging adult smokers to transition to a range of choices that go beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. From tobacco company to tobacco harm reduction company. And while Altria is moving forward to reduce harm, we are not moving alone. We are working closely with FDA and other regulatory bodies, and will work strictly under their framework. See how we're moving.     Follow us

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