| | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Tara Palmeri, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | A LONG WAY FROM APPALACHIA — Ohio GOP Senate hopeful J.D. VANCE was in the Hamptons on Saturday night mingling with GOP titans of industry. JIM TISCH, REBEKAH MERCER, STEVEN PRICE and HEATHER HIGGINS were among those who came out to support the "Hillbilly Elegy" author at a fundraiser in Southampton. Before the event, Vance visited the East Hampton home of EMIL HENRY, a former senior Treasury official for GEORGE W. BUSH and a perennial sounding board for Republican presidential aspirants. Henry, a longtime supporter and adviser to Sen. ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio), was an early supporter of JEB BUSH and notably declined to support DONALD TRUMP. DOUBLE-DARE YOU — CHUCK SCHUMER seems to be channeling MITCH MCCONNELL these days. The Senate majority leader is taking a gamble worthy of his predecessor by scheduling two major deadlines this week to force action on President JOE BIDEN'S agenda. The hardball move is meant to test whether Republicans who say they want bipartisanship mean it — but also to strong-arm his own ideologically diverse caucus into line on the massive, Democrats-only reconciliation bill. FIRST UP: THE BIPARTISAN PACKAGE … Schumer will file cloture today on the bipartisan infrastructure framework, whether or not final text has been drafted. That will set up a procedural vote on the bill 30 hours later, putting Republicans on record for the first time Wednesday even as they continue negotiating on the final language. Senators in the group spent the entire weekend trying to plug a nearly $100 billion hole in the $1 trillion plan after Republicans took issue with plans to beef up IRS enforcement. (More on this in a second.) Sources familiar with the ongoing talks told us Sunday night that there are other outstanding issues: The group was still haggling over something in almost every category of the bill, from highways and transit to water and power infrastructure. Schumer thinks both sides have had plenty of time to reach an agreement. He's been clear about his July time frame on this for weeks. And August recess is fast approaching, a time when senators — including Schumer — want to get home to campaign for reelection. REPUBLICANS DON'T LIKE IT: Schumer's put-up-or-shut-up move isn't sitting well with the 11 Senate Republicans who've spent the past several months negotiating on BIF. Two of them — Portman and BILL CASSIDY (La.) — went on the Sunday shows to air their complaints. "How can I vote for cloture when the bill isn't written?" an exasperated Cassidy told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday." "Unless Sen. Schumer doesn't want this to happen, you need a little bit more time to get it right. … It can absolutely happen, but you need the pay-fors. … We need Senate leadership, Schumer and the White House, to work with us. Right now, I can frankly tell you that they've not." Expect Schumer to argue this week that there is no reason not to proceed to the bill while continuing to negotiate. He made that argument for the massive China competition bill as well as the Asian American hate crimes bill a few months ago. But Republicans in the group have made it pretty clear that they'll filibuster their own agreement if the language isn't set by then. | | A message from Google: Google's AI-driven security protects billions of people. Google keeps more people safe online than anyone else in the world by blocking malware, phishing attempts, spam messages, and potential cyberattacks. Google is also partnering with public and private sectors to develop and implement security technologies to make us all safer. Learn more. | | | SECOND: THE DEMOCRATS-ONLY BUDGET DEAL … Schumer also expects to have all 50 Senate Democrats (read: JOE MANCHIN of West Virginia and KYRSTEN SINEMA of Arizona) committed to the chamber's unified budget plan this week. Passage of the $3.5 trillion budget, you'll remember, is needed to unlock the fast-tracking tool to circumvent the filibuster. Without Manchin/Sinema on board, we could see some progressive Senate Democrats vote against moving to the bipartisan bill. Manchin has said he needs to see more details on the budget before he makes a decision. More details are expected before the vote. MITCH FLASHBACKS: Schumer's double dare reminds some of McConnell's move to force his conference's hand on Obamacare repeal in the summer of 2017. In that case, the move ended up backfiring: JOHN MCCAIN opposed the bill, and a half-decade-long GOP campaign promise went up in flames. Schumer is also taking risks here. A well-placed source said that he didn't give a heads-up to Sinema, the lead Democratic negotiator for the Dems on BIF, before announcing his move. (Schumer's office says staff was notified beforehand and it's not like his timeline was a secret.) ABOUT THOSE PAY-FORS — Portman said Sunday that he's been on the phone with the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation all weekend trying to figure out the pay-for problem. He's proposed delaying implementation of a Trump-era, prescription drug costs proposal that has yet to go into effect, called the Medicare Rebate Rule. We made some calls on this and were told that repealing the rule would save about $180 billion. There's also been some chatter about just delaying it for smaller savings. But a GOP source familiar with the talks said that Democrats are also eyeing the same potential pot of money for their own reconciliation bill, which they promised Manchin would be fully paid for. QUICK RECAP — "Democrats, Republicans struggle to finish infrastructure proposal as key Senate deadline looms," by WaPo's Tony Romm Good Monday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. POLITICO's newest newsletter, National Security Daily, launches today. Anchored by Alex Ward, NatSec Daily will take you inside the Pentagon, the White House and beyond to tell you who's up, who's down and what's keeping the administration up at night. Featuring scoops, exclusive interviews and top-notch analysis, NatSec Daily will serve as your one-stop location to catch up on the day in national security. Subscribe now here … Follow Alex @alexbward on Twitter | | | | A message from Google:   Cybersecurity requires technology that is secure by default. Learn how Google supports the White House cybersecurity executive order. | | | BIDEN'S MONDAY: — 10 a.m.: The president will receive the President's Daily Brief. — 11:30 a.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on the economy and the BIF in the State Dining Room. — 1:45 p.m.: Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN will welcome KING ABDULLAH II IBN AL HUSSEIN and QUEEN RANIA AL ABDULLAH of Jordan and His Royal Highness CROWN PRINCE AL HUSSEIN BIN ABDULLAH II. — 2:15 p.m.: The president and King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein will participate in a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, followed by an expanded bilateral meeting at 2:30 p.m. The first lady will also host a tea for Queen Rania Al Abdullah at the White House. Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:30 p.m. THE SENATE will meet at 3 p.m. to take up the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act of 2021. It will vote at 5:30 p.m. on TIFFANY CUNNINGHAM'S nomination as a judge on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. THE HOUSE returns after a two-week recess. It will meet at 2 p.m. to take up a variety of bills on everything from grid security to media diversity to desert locust control, with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. BIDEN'S WEEK AHEAD: — Tuesday: The president will welcome the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the White House, and hold a Cabinet meeting with VP KAMALA HARRIS also in attendance. — Wednesday: Biden will travel to Cincinnati, where he will visit a local union training center and participate in a CNN town hall. Jill Biden will travel to Anchorage, Alaska. — Friday: Biden will participate in a campaign event for Virginia gubernatorial candidate TERRY MCAULIFFE in Arlington, Va. | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: Protesters demonstrate in support of Cuban dissidents in Miami's Little Havana on Sunday. | Marta Lavandier/AP Photo | THE WHITE HOUSE INSIDE BIDEN'S FACEBOOK BLOWUP — "Biden's Facebook Attack Followed Months of Frustration Inside White House," by WSJ's Andrew Restuccia and Sarah Needleman: "The administration's confrontational approach marked a shift for Mr. Biden and his team, which began meeting with social-media companies during the presidential transition in a bid to strengthen protections against misinformation, U.S. officials said. They met with executives including those for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Pinterest. "But in recent months, the behind-the-scenes discussions with Facebook grew increasingly unproductive, according to the officials, who said they were unsatisfied with the company's responses to their requests for more information about how it was responding to the influx in misinformation. "Convinced that private negotiations had little hope of success, senior Biden administration officials decided to ratchet up public pressure on Facebook this week amid growing concern in the White House with the slowing pace of vaccinations and the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant." KLAIN GETS THE LEIBOVITCH TREATMENT — "The Ascension of Ron Klain," by NYT's Mark Leibovich: "Mr. Klain is an unquestioned man to see in the current White House, the most influential chief of staff of recent vintage and a marked departure from the four battered and marginalized short-timers who held the position under Trump. Mr. Klain, who was the chief of staff for Vice Presidents Biden and AL GORE, is viewed in and out of the West Wing as the essential conductor of administration business, a surrogate for the president and — in the mischievous portrayal of opponents — an all-powerful, unelected orchestrator of an ultraliberal agenda. Republicans have taken to calling him Prime Minister Klain." A PERCEPTIVE STORY ON THE NEW POLITICAL LANDSCAPE — "'It's ceding a lot of terrain to us' — Biden goes populist with little pushback," by Christopher Cadelago and Meridith McGraw: "Not long ago, a Democratic administration taking unilateral action to rein in corporations on everything from non-compete agreements to prescription drug affordability would have engendered fury from elected conservatives. Yet over the last week, few Republicans were warning that Biden's actions would severely kneecap business or slow the economic recovery. And inside the White House, the relative silence was not just noticed but seen as vindication." GUANTÁNAMO WATCH — "Biden Administration Transfers Its First Detainee From Guantánamo Bay," by NYT's Carol Rosenberg and Charlie Savage: "The Biden team picked up where the Obama administration left off with the repatriation of a Moroccan man, reducing the prison population to 39." POLITICS ROUNDUP PAGING DEAN BAQUET — "New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof Is Exploring a Run for Oregon Governor," by Willamette Week's Rachel Monahan: "In recent days, a poll including Kristof's name asks voters how they would feel about a journalist who grew up on a farm running for office. The poll also includes other Democratic hopefuls. Kristof was raised on a sheep and cherry farm in Yamhill County, about an hour southwest of Portland." He sure sounds like a would-be candidate: "I have friends trying to convince me that here in Oregon, we need new leadership from outside the broken political system … I'm honestly interested in what my fellow Oregonians have to say about that.'" (We've heard that before, Kristof!) 2024 WATCH — "Pence flatlines as 2024 field takes shape," by David Siders in Des Moines: "MIKE PENCE was met by a respectful, even warm, crowd in his first trip back to Iowa since the election. Republicans at a picnic in the northwestern corner of the state stood and clapped for him on Friday. In Des Moines later that afternoon, a ballroom full of Christian conservatives did the same. "He was 'honorable,' a 'man of faith,' attendees at the annual Family Leadership Summit said. Evangelical leader BOB VANDER PLAATS called him 'a very consistent conservative voice in Congress and then as governor, and then as vice president.' "What few people said they saw in Pence, however, was the Republican nominee for president in 2024." DOESN'T BODE WELL — "Pollsters: 'Impossible' to say why 2020 polls were wrong," by Steven Shepard: "National surveys of the 2020 presidential contest were the least accurate in 40 years, while the state polls were the worst in at least two decades, according to the new, comprehensive report from the American Association for Public Opinion Research. "But unlike 2016, when pollsters could pinpoint factors like the education divide as reasons they underestimated Trump and offer specific recommendations to fix the problem, the authors of the new American Association for Public Opinion Research report couldn't put their finger on the exact problem they face now. Instead, they stuck to rejecting the idea that they made the same mistakes as before, while pointing to possible new reasons for inaccuracy." FUNDRAISING FRIENDS — Stephen Sanchez (@SSanchezTV): "Million Dollar Birthday: Rep. MADISON CAWTHORN will hold a fundraiser at Trump's Bedminster club on 7/31 -- one day before his 26th birthday, per invitation shared with me. I'm told the event (roundtable, photo w/ Trump and cocktail party & dinner) is 20 donors paying $50k each." With pic of invitation | | A message from Google: Google blocks cyberattacks with products that are secure by default. As our nation faces alarming cyberattacks, we're keeping billions of people safe online with one of the world's most advanced security infrastructures, including Gmail's anti-phishing protections, which block more than 100 million phishing attempts every day. Learn more. | | | CONGRESS Today's Congress fodder is a pair of NYT stories that — drumroll — don't have to do with infrastructure ... 1) SENATE RULES GOES TO ATLANTA — "Klobuchar Lays Out New Goals for Often Low-Key Rules Committee," by Carl Hulse: "In just six months, [Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR] has spearheaded a push for a sweeping voting rights bill sought by Democrats while her committee has investigated failings in the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol. The panel was also in charge of staging Biden's inauguration, only two weeks after the deadly riot. … "The panel will convene its first field hearing in 20 years in Atlanta on Monday as it seeks to put a spotlight on the new voting restrictions being imposed by Republican state legislatures there and elsewhere, hoping to build a case for the seemingly fatally stalled voting rights measure. It is part of a rare move by the Rules Committee to try its hand at legislating — or at least agenda-setting — on a prominent policy issue." 2) PELOSI TAKING ADVANTAGE OF REMOTE WORK — "Born of a Crisis, Remote Voting in Congress Has Become a Useful Perk," by Nicholas Fandos: "Fourteen months after it was approved, with the public health threat in retreat and most members of Congress vaccinated, a growing number of lawmakers are using the practice to attend political events, double down on work back home or simply avoid a long commute to Washington. "Perhaps no one has benefited more from the arrangement than Speaker NANCY PELOSI, who recently informed lawmakers that proxy voting would be in effect for the remainder of the summer. It has allowed Ms. Pelosi, whose majority is so slim that she can afford to lose no more than four Democrats if every member is present and voting, to all but ensure that absences alone do not cost her pivotal support." AMERICA AND THE WORLD BIG INVESTIGATION — "Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists worldwide," by WaPo's Dana Priest, Craig Timberg and Souad Mekhennet: "Military-grade spyware licensed by an Israeli firm to governments for tracking terrorists and criminals was used in attempted and successful hacks of 37 smartphones belonging to journalists, human rights activists, business executives and two women close to murdered Saudi journalist JAMAL KHASHOGGI, according to an investigation by The Washington Post and 16 media partners. "The phones appeared on a list of more than 50,000 numbers that are concentrated in countries known to engage in surveillance of their citizens and also known to have been clients of the Israeli firm, NSO Group, a worldwide leader in the growing and largely unregulated private spyware industry, the investigation found. "The list does not identify who put the numbers on it, or why, and it is unknown how many of the phones were targeted or surveilled. But forensic analysis of the 37 smartphones shows that many display a tight correlation between time stamps associated with a number on the list and the initiation of surveillance, in some cases as brief as a few seconds." — "FT editor among 180 journalists identified by clients of spyware firm," The Guardian … "Responses from countries to the Pegasus Project," Houston Chronicle … "Q&A: A guide to 'spyware,'" WaPo PULLOUT FALLOUT — "No Do-Overs in Afghanistan: The U.S. Cannot Re-Enter Once It Leaves," by U.S. News & World Report's Paul Shinkman: "As President Joe Biden nears the August deadline he set to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, one critical feature of the drawdown has become clear: he now owns the precarious situation there, and there's no turning back. "This defining moment for Biden's legacy has been met with growing speculation that the U.S. may have to return to its longest war zone as the Taliban continues to take ground, execute America's local allies and, many fear, position itself to overrun the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. But the situation on the ground, along with the domestic appetite for furthering U.S. conflicts abroad, make that impossible." PANDEMIC FIVE TOTAL — "Two more Texas Democrats test positive for Covid-19," by NBC's Priscilla Thompson and Dennis Romero: "State Rep. TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER and in a statement Sunday he tested positive through a rapid antigen test." THE 'DISINFORMATION DOZEN' — "Majority of Covid misinformation came from 12 people, report finds," by The Guardian's Erum Salam: "[The Center for Countering Digital Hate] found in March that these 12 online personalities they dubbed the 'disinformation dozen' have a combined following of 59 million people across multiple social media platforms, with Facebook having the largest impact. CCDH analyzed 812,000 Facebook posts and tweets and found 65 percent came from the disinformation dozen." | | | | 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. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | VOLTAGE LOW AT THE CAPITOL — The Biden administration and many lawmakers have been preaching the convenience of electric vehicles, but we heard from one Democratic lawmaker who said he spent last week wandering around the Capitol trying to find a high-powered charging station for his new electric vehicle. It turns out, he said, the center of power has low voltage. On the House side, there are only 110V charging stations, where you have to bring your own power cord and charger and it can take up to 24 hours to charge. "Getting those installed was a big deal, now they're not good enough apparently," said a House admin aide. "There are discussions underway about increasing the capacity and number of chargers to keep up with demand." On the Senate side it's a little less bleak, with level 2 charging stations that are only 220V, and still take hours to charge — not the type of speedy charge you get at a station. PROGRAMMING NOTE — Carol Joynt's long-running Q&A Cafe talk show is back this month after a Covid-19 hiatus. She's relaunching the bar-side talk show at the George Town Club with an interview with Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker, authors of "I Alone Can Fix It," on Thursday. SPOTTED at a baby shower for CNN's Abby Phillip: Symone Sanders, Alencia Johnson, Maude Okrah and Lauren Wesley Wilson. Instapics STAFFING UP — Yasmin Radjy is now senior adviser for recovery program outreach at the Treasury Department. She previously was national political director at Planned Parenthood Action Fund. TRANSITIONS — Danielle Fulfs is now legislative director for Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). She most recently was senior legislative assistant to Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). … Chris Boness is now a policy adviser at the American Petroleum Institute. He previously was a professional staff member for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs GOP. … Samantha Martin is joining Finsbury Glover Hering as director of strategic comms. She previously was assistant VP for strategic outreach, comms and marketing at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. … … Zack DiGregorio is now national press secretary at Everytown. He most recently was senior comms associate at the Hub Project and is a Josh Gottheimer alum. … Zachary Lilly is now policy manager at NetChoice. He previously was telecommunication policy analyst at the Commerce Department. … Courtney Joline has been named a senior consultant at EY. She most recently was director for projects and policy at Business Executives for National Security. ENGAGED — Courtney Rice, comms director for Nan Whaley's Ohio gubernatorial campaign, and Ian Sundstrom, analyst at the Office of Naval Intelligence and Navy reservist, got engaged at the Washington Monument at sunset Thursday. The couple met at Beuchert's Saloon on a blind date arranged by mutual friend Katie Drapcho. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Playbook's own Rachael Bade … Reps. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) … WSJ's Rebecca Ballhaus … Locust Street Group's Ben Jenkins … Capitol Counsel Lyndon Boozer … Larry McCarthy … Rick Dearborn of Cypress Group … Eric Lichtblau ... Andrea Porwoll ... POLITICO's Lauren Gardner and Mary Newman … Patrick Brennan ... Dylan Riddle ... Donna Shor ... Carmel Ferrer … Jeff Marootian ... Howard Schultz … Marlon Marshall … Bill Hyers … Jessica Tully … George Rakis ... Jamie-Lukas Campbell ... Joe Goetz … Kelly Magsamen … Lindsee Gentry … Google's Maria Giannopoulos ... Trevor Tejeda-Gervais … Daniel Kile of Vanity Fair … former Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) … NBC's Alex Johnson … Lauren Selsky … Keegan Bales … Jennifer Skalka Tulumello … Stephen Ching … Wade Lairsen … Ron Faucheux … LaVenia J. LaVelle … Stephanie Valencia … The Nation's Atossa Araxia Abrahamian … Rema Rahman of The Hill Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. | | | | 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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