🤫 Dems pan Biden

Plus: Double-dipping consultants | Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By the Axios Politics team ·Jan 12, 2022 Welcome back to Sneak. The man from Searchlight, Nev., made a final trip to the Capitol. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,044 words ... 4 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson.     1 big thing: Dems pan Biden on COVID Reps. Tim Ryan and Elissa Slotkin. Photos: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call (left); Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images   Fed-up Democratic lawmakers are prodding the Biden administration to do more to contain COVID-19, Axios' Sarah Mucha reports. Why it matters: The outreach reflects building pressure from constituents left confused and wary by shifting and conflicting guidance — a black eye for an administration that ran on its competence. Driving the news: Democratic Reps. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Tim Ryan of Ohio are urging President Biden to purchase and distribute domestically manufactured KN95 masks to any American household requesting them. They would be paid for with previously allocated COVID-19 funds. In a letter seen first by Axios, the pair writes the nation is at a "crossroads" in the fight against the coronavirus. "We strongly encourage the administration to take the opportunity to prevent further loss of life ... by leveraging the federal government's substantial authority to prioritize American-made masks and PPE," they write. What they're saying: White House press secretary Jen Psaki conceded to reporters this week the administration was "not where we needed to be" in terms of testing supplies. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) tweeted on New Year's Eve: "Free at-home and in-person COVID-19 tests. Free N95/KN95 high-quality masks. For every person in our country. For whenever they need them. For the duration of the pandemic. This is not complicated." A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request seeking any additional comment. Keep reading.     2. Lawmakers push virus "war-footing" Rep. Ro Khanna. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images   The Democrats are trying to backfill for perceived shortfalls in the administration's COVID response with a wave of new bill filings, Axios' Andrew Solender adds. Why it matters: The legislative spurt is a reflection of the dread Democrats feel ahead of this fall's midterm elections. Republicans are already trying to capitalize on the discontent. "I think ... the public expects that they have a government that's treating COVID like we're on a war-footing, and that we're doing everything humanly possible," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios in an interview. "These are the types of measures that will look like we're taking decisive leadership, energetic leadership." Driving the news: Reps. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill today that would require the federal government to provide universal free testing. Khanna, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) also introduced a bill today to provide three N95 masks to every American. It was co-sponsored by dozens of House and Senate Democrats. In addition, Khanna and Sanders co-led a letter to Biden with Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) yesterday calling for greatly expanded testing, including home test delivery. Keep reading.     3. Double-dipping consultants rake in $1B+ Data: Public Citizen; Chart: Sara Wise/Axios Consulting firms employed by candidates and party committees are simultaneously raking in huge sums by working on the same races for independent political groups, a new report reviewed by Axios' Lachlan Markay shows. Why it matters: The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision allowed limitless campaign spending by groups that don't coordinate with candidates or national parties. For leading political vendors working on high-profile races, that's meant a huge new revenue stream. By the numbers: A new report from the group Public Citizen finds extensive overlap in the vendors employed by "regulated" political entities — such as campaigns and party committees — and "unregulated" groups, which include super PACs and 501(c)(4) nonprofits, often called "dark-money" groups. Public Citizen says the arrangement raises potential legal red flags. "Political consultants are well positioned to harmonize messaging and spending strategies between super PACs and regulated political committees, thus facilitating coordination even if the leaders of the super PACs do not communicate with the campaign or party leaders," the report said. For instance, the Democratic firm GMMB and a pair of affiliated ad-buying vendors, Waterfront Strategies and Great American Media, got nearly $450 million from campaigns and party committees during the 2018 and 2020 cycles. They pulled down another $483 million from independent spenders working on the same races. What they're saying: "GMMB, Waterfront and Great American Media are separate companies with a strict firewall policy between them that is designed by legal counsel to comply with the letter and spirit of the law," GMMB spokesperson Eric Conrad told Axios. Keep reading.     A message from Facebook Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations     Rochelle is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook—to give you more control over your information. Hear more from Rochelle on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation.     4. GOP: Open to Brainard, suspicious of Raskin President Biden listens as Lael Brainard speaks after he nominated her to be Fed vice chair in November. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images   Some Senate Republicans are open to voting for Lael Brainard, the president's nominee to serve as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, but sound more concerned about Sarah Bloom Raskin, Axios' Hans Nichols and Neil Irwin write. Why it matters: GOP support for Brainard, a Fed governor whose confirmation hearing will be tomorrow, would all but assure her confirmation. But questions about Raskin, Biden's likely choice to serve as the Fed's top bank regulator, raise doubts for her. What they are saying: "A president should be able to bring their team in. [Brainard] is part of his team," Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, told Axios. "I lean to supporting a nominee that the president has requested unless there's a reason not to," he said, citing some concerns about her environmental positions. "I am inclined to support her but would not make a final decision until I've had a chance to review the hearing transcript," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). While not on the committee, Collins is one of four Republicans still in the Senate who voted to confirm Brainard in 2012 by a vote of 61-31. But, but, but: "I've got concerns about whether [Brainard] would be sympathetic to the idea of using the Fed to try to implement climate policy, which is not the role of the Fed," Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), the ranking member of the Banking Committee, told Axios. "We know for sure that Sarah Bloom Raskin advocates using the Fed to allocate credit away from, say, the fossil fuel industry," he said. "That's extremely disturbing." Keep reading.     5. Pic du jour Photo: Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images   For the second time in a month, Associated Press photographer Andrew Harnik rigged a camera atop the inner Capitol Dome to capture the casket of a former Senate majority leader lying in state. In December, it was that of the late Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.). Today, it was that of the late Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). President Biden, who delivered a eulogy last week at Reid's memorial service in Las Vegas, made an unscheduled stop on his way back from the funeral for the late Army Gen. Ray Odierno.     A message from Facebook Facebook puts your safety and security front-and-center     Since July, Facebook's safety and security teams have taken action on: 1.8 billion fake accounts. 9.8 million terrorism-related posts. But our work to stop bad actors is never done. Learn more about how we're working to help you connect safely.   🐫 Thanks for reading. We made it through another Hump Day (aren't they coming fast?)! A reminder your family, friends and colleagues can subscribe to Sneak or any of Axios' other free local and national newsletters through this link. Like this email style and format? Bring the strength of Smart Brevity® to your team — more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. 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