| | | | | | | Presented By Facebook | | | | Axios Sneak Peek | | By the Axios Politics team ·Jan 24, 2022 | | Welcome back to Sneak. 🚨 Breaking: Congressional Democrats request classified briefing on Ukraine. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,044 words ... 4 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson. | | | | | | 1 big thing: Mike's media makeover |  | | | Via Fox News Sunday | | | | Mike Pompeo's political action committee spent $30,000 on media training from last March to June — the most on any service beyond payroll during the first six months of 2021, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. Why it matters: The former secretary of State hasn't just been losing weight but working to hone his media skills amid speculation about a possible presidential run, records show. - The spending highlights the premium Pompeo places on upgrading his personal and political brand, amid a renewed presence on the airwaves. He signed on as a Fox News analyst last April.
- The payments went to a firm run by Republican strategist and Pompeo adviser Brett O'Donnell.
- Spending reports for the second half of last year are due next week.
A Pompeo spokesperson declined to comment on the payments or the former secretary's media-training regimen. - Pompeo most recently made headlines when the New York Post reported about his stark drop in weight, in which he lost 90 pounds in six months.
- He denied any political calculus for 2024 — but not beyond.
- "The truth is, I'm really getting ready for 2044 and hoping I'll be around in 2054," Pompeo said, alluding to sharing his life with future grandchildren.
Keep reading. |     | | | | | | 2. Business frets over April tax bills |  | | | President Biden addresses the nation's semiconductor shortage last Friday. Photo: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | | | With President Biden's Build Back Better legislation on ice, business groups are preparing to change course and use the China competitiveness bill to try to preserve some of their cherished research-and-development tax deductions, Axios' Hans Nichols writes. Why it matters: By eying the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) to extend the R&D deductions, companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Boeing are hoping to avoid an estimated $8 billion bill in mid-April. - They're also preparing for the distinct possibility Build Back Better — which includes some $800 billion in corporate tax increases — is unlikely to get back on track this spring.
- "No one is saying Build Back Better is dead, but there's real angst about whether it gets enacted in time, or if USICA or something else moves first," said Rohit Kumar.
- Kumar, the co-leader of PwC's national tax office, is also working with a coalition of business groups on the R&D issue.
- "Build Back Better is still the path of least resistance, if it can get done by March," said Kumar. "Otherwise, USICA or other measures have to be considered."
Between the lines: After Congress passed President Trump's 2017 tax reforms, businesses were able to deduct certain R&D investments in the same year they were made, instead of amortizing them over five years. - If Congress doesn't restore the Section 174 one-year amortization, some companies will face their first bigger payment in mid-April, when their Q1 tax bill is due.
- For 2022, the total cost will be close to 22 billion, followed by $37 billion in 2023.
- Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) said: "Congress should extend full expensing for R&D costs and do it now to give businesses certainty as they make important investment decisions for 2022 and beyond."
Keep reading. | | | | | | | | 3. Charted: Ukraine's U.S. helping hand |  Data: ForeignAssistance.gov; Chart: Baidi Wang/Axios The United States has committed an increasing amount of foreign assistance to Ukraine over the years — with no other European or Eurasian nation receiving more since 2015, according to data from ForeignAssistance.gov reviewed by Axios' Stef Kight. The big picture: When it comes to military support in particular, the U.S. committed to more than $600 million worth just last year — and more than $2.7 billion since 2014. With the current threat from Russia, Congress and Ukraine are now pushing for more. Driving the news: A second shipment of U.S. arms arrived in Ukraine on Sunday. - The weapons were part of the $200 million authorized by the president in December, separate from the $400 million that had already been obligated last year.
- The U.S. also recently authorized NATO countries to transfer weapons to Ukraine that were originally made in the U.S.
- Up to 8,500 U.S. troops are on "heightened alert" and prepared to deploy to help NATO in Eastern Europe if needed, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters today.
What to watch: The Ukrainian military has improved since 2014, but it would still be no match for a full-scale Russian invasion, writes Axios' Zachary Basu. - The U.S. and its allies are hoping Western arms and training — in addition to the threat of sanctions — will help deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading.
| | | | | | | | A message from Facebook | | Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations, including Section 230 | | |  | | | | Aaron is one of 40,000 people working on safety and security issues at Facebook. Hear more from Aaron on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet's most pressing challenges, including reforming Section 230 to set clear guidelines for all large tech companies. | | | | | | 4. Infrastructure group sets sights on election reform |  | | | Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios | | | | The bipartisan group focused on updating the Electoral Count Act of 1887 is seizing on this recess period to court senators more freely, Axios' Alayna Treene reports. Why it matters: The group is led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and includes many members who helped reach the bipartisan infrastructure deal. They see themselves as the only hope of creating an election reform package able to muster 60 votes in the Senate. - They're hopeful as Democrats recalibrate after a brutal few months of legislating.
- One huge question is whether Democratic leadership will support the group's work without first delivering on more comprehensive voting rights legislation.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has previously criticized efforts to reform the ECA, calling them "insufficient" and "offensive."
The White House is retreating from its harsh language regarding ECA reform, however. - Press secretary Jen Psaki said today the administration has "never been against" the Electoral Count Act but wanted to be clear "it was not a substitute for voting rights legislation."
- The president himself signaled openness to the effort during his news conference last Wednesday.
Driving the news: Lawmakers within the group, which has grown to 16 members, met via Zoom for over an hour today. It was the first such meeting among senators since the Democrats' failed vote on their sweeping voting rights package last Wednesday. - The group plans to meet in person when the Senate is back in session next week.
- GOP attendees were Collins and Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) was invited to join but did not attend.
- Democratic attendees were Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.).
Keep reading. | | | | | | | | 5. Pic du jour |  | | | Photo: Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images | | | | President Biden was a study in contrasts as he returned to the Oval Office following a weekend at Camp David. | | | | | | | | A message from Facebook | | Facebook is committed to your safety and security online | | |  | | | | We've invested more than $13 billion in teams and technology to stop bad actors and remove illicit content. Since July, we've taken action on: - 1.8 billion fake accounts.
- 26.6 million violent and graphic posts.
- 9.8 million terrorism-related posts.
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