| | | | | | | Presented By Facebook | | | | Axios Sneak Peek | | By Alayna Treene and Hans Nichols ·Jun 08, 2021 | | Welcome back to Sneak. One infrastructure deal may be replaced by another. 📅 Join Axios' Hans Nichols and Mike Allen at 12:30pm ET tomorrow for a virtual event about the Biden administration's infrastructure proposal. Guests include National Economic Council director Brian Deese, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. Register here. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,234 words ... 4.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson. | | | | | | 1 big thing: Scoop — Biden pressed to renominate failed Obama ambassador pick |  | | | George Tsunis. Photo: Senate.gov | | | | Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has asked President Biden to nominate George Tsunis, a New York hotel executive and major Democratic donor, for an ambassadorship, people familiar with the matter tell Axios' Hans Nichols. Why it matters: As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez has the ability to slow-walk any ambassadorial nominee, giving the White House plenty of reasons to placate him on one specific candidate. Tsunis has a checkered political history, though. - During his 2013 confirmation hearing to be ambassador to Norway, Tsunis acknowledged he had not visited the country and mistakenly referred to the country's head of government as "president," not "prime minister."
- Tsunis's performance was lambasted by then-Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), lampooned in comedy sketches and ultimately languished in the Senate.
- Tsunis pulled himself out of contention in 2014.
What they're saying: "I have a longstanding policy on not commenting on anyone who may, or may not, become a nominee," Menendez told Axios. - The White House also declined to comment.
The intrigue: Tsunis is the founder and CEO of Chartwell Hotels. He has long been a Biden donor and even indicated he'd support him in 2016, when the then-vice president ultimately decided not to run. - During President Obama's 2012 reelection effort, Tsunis bundled $1.3 million for his campaign.
- Tsunis also has been a staunch supporter of Menendez and linked his interest in helping Sen. Cory Booker's (D-N.J.) 2020 presidential bid — before Biden got in the race — to Menendez.
- "This is George helping Sen. Menendez help Cory Booker," Tsunis said on CNBC in March of 2019.
Between the lines: Biden plans to draw mostly on political allies and former aides for his first slate of political ambassadors, and it's unclear how many pure donors will make the initial cut. - Even though he has had a list of potential ambassadors in hand since March, the president has delayed announcing his first political group and likely will do it later in June, after he returns from his first trip abroad.
- Some advisers had wanted Biden to name ambassadors for NATO and the European Union before meeting with leaders in the UK and then Brussels over the next week.
Be smart: After his disastrous hearing, Tsunis made inroads with some senators, who appreciated his willingness to listen and learn. |     | | | | | | 2. First look: 90 groups urge Biden to pass infrastructure through reconciliation |  | | | Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), during a break in bipartisan infrastructure talks today. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | | | Some 90 advocacy groups want Biden and Democratic leaders to abandon bipartisan infrastructure negotiations and instead use the partisan reconciliation process to enact a more progressive package, Axios' Alayna Treene has learned. Why it matters: An open letter being released by the group tomorrow morning comes immediately after Biden decided to end talks with Republican senators, led by Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), and turn his attention toward striking a deal with a separate, bipartisan group. - Republicans' "unreasonable demands" have left the White House and Democratic leadership "with no choice but to move forward without them," the letter states.
- The signees say the letter is "even more timely" now that the talks between Biden and Capito have ended, noting Republicans in the bipartisan group of 20, commonly referred to as the "G20," have floated similar provisions and pay-fors as the one Capito led.
- The letter was organized by Real Recovery Now!, Invest in America Action and the CareCantWait coalition.
Driving the news: The signatories range from progressive organizations like the Center for American Progress and Sunrise Movement to the more moderate Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the U.S. High Speed Rail Association. - "Working families can't wait any longer for real investment to create good union jobs, especially in fast-growing fields like caregiving," said Mary Kay Henry, president of SEIU, which represents roughly 2 million labor workers. "True leaders need to seize the moment and take action now."
- Zac Petkanas, senior adviser to Invest in America Action, said: "Any additional time wasted trying to bridge that unbridgeable gap is just delaying millions of good-paying jobs for American families."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he and other Democratic leaders are working on a reconciliation bill as a backup plan in case this latest round of negotiations collapse. - Schumer told reporters the Senate may end up passing part of Biden's package in a bipartisan manner and the rest via reconciliation.
- "But we're not going to sacrifice the bigness and boldness in this bill. We will just pursue two paths."
Keep reading. | | | | | | | | 3. By the numbers: Presidential foreign travel |  Data: U.S. State Department Office of the Historian; Chart: Will Chase/Axios Biden leaves for the United Kingdom tomorrow, kicking off his first foreign trip as president, Axios' Stef Kight notes. By the numbers: Presidents have made more stops in foreign nations in most recent administrations, though they dropped way off when Donald Trump was in office. Biden is scheduled to meet with the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, attend the G7 summit and call on Queen Elizabeth while in the U.K., per Reuters. - He plans to travel to Belgium for EU and NATO meetings, and then to Switzerland to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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| | | | | | 4. Team Biden tiptoes around vaccine-for-migration cooperation |  | | | Vice President Kamala Harris speaks today during her closing news confernece in Mexico City. Photo: Alfredo Estrella/AE/AFP via Getty Images | | | | Vice President Kamala Harris is flying back to the U.S. tonight after two days of high-level meetings in Guatemala and Mexico about corruption, human trafficking and migration, but one subject was only briefly touched upon: coronavirus vaccines, Stef also writes. Why it matters: Migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border remain near 20-year highs. Harris is charged with trying to resolve the root causes for people leaving Central America, issues oftentimes exacerbated by COVID-19 in recent months. - Nonetheless, the administration has been careful to avoid the appearance of a vaccine quid pro quo that critics suggest is being used by China, Russia and other vaccine producers.
- "It's important to mention here that when we're talking about vaccine distribution, it is something that has been done by the public health professionals, and it's not being done in exchange for some sort of political agreement," Mazin Alfaqih, special adviser to the vice president for the Northern Triangle, told reporters traveling with Harris.
A former Trump administration official who worked in the region told Axios it's a missed opportunity. Vaccines could be hugely effective in leveraging cooperation, he argued. - "If you're serious about stopping migration, they should give these countries vaccines to allow their people to go back to work," said Carlos Trujillo, who served as U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States.
- In his conversations with Mexican and Central American officials, they most often complain about the need for vaccines, Trujillo said.
What they're saying: Biden announced last week his administration would dole out 25 million vaccine doses to South and Central America, Asia, Africa and other countries before the end of the month. - Three quarters will be distributed through the United Nations-backed COVAX program, while the remainder will be shared through direct, bilateral arrangements.
- During her trip, Harris mentioned 500,000 doses being provided to Guatemala.
- Her spokesperson, Symone Sanders, also told reporters "vaccines are on the table for discussion" before the vice president met with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, a pool report said.
In some cases in which the U.S. has been slow to provide vaccines, China has stepped in. - The president of El Salvador publicly thanked China for supplying doses in April.
- Last month, despite his country's ties to Taiwan, the president of Honduras said he would consider opening a trade office in China to get coronavirus shots, Reuters reported.
- Nearly every country in Latin America has already ordered doses from Russia, China or both. Only now are doses from the United States starting to become available.
Keep reading. | | | | | | | | 5. Pic du jour |  | | | Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images | | | | Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is seen with his son Daniel as they arrive at the U.S. Capitol. | | | | | | | | A message from Facebook | | Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations | | |  | | | | 2021 is the 25th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the last major update to internet regulation. It's time for an update to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges. See how we're taking action on key issues and why we support updated internet regulations. | | | | 👏 Thanks for reading. A reminder that you can get email delivery of this and all of Axios' other free newsletters through this link. |  | | The tool and templates you need for more engaging team updates. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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