| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | SCOOP: DEMS TO HAUL BIG OIL TO THE HILL AMID GAS SURGE — As prices at the pump soar, House Democrats are readying a strategy to try to redirect the nation's ire away from President JOE BIDEN and toward oil companies. This morning, House Natural Resources Chair RAÚL GRIJALVA (D-Ariz.) will call for the CEOs of EOG Resources, Devon Energy Corporation and Occidental Petroleum to testify April 5 at 1 p.m., according to a draft release shared with Playbook. — The Democratic play: The panel plans to grill these three fossil fuel executives on recent suggestions that the Biden administration's energy policies are at fault for rising prices. They'll highlight these companies' approved-but-unused existing drilling permits, as well as recent calls where executives have boasted about record profits. THE EXIT INTERVIEW: STEPHANIE MURPHY — In October 2016, in what remainsone of my favorite campaign stories of all time, I flew down to Orlando to cover a little-known Democrat trying to oust a powerful GOP House chair and 25-year incumbent no one thought could lose. Murphy hadn't wanted to run for office. She stepped into the race just days before the filing deadline after the DCCC couldn't find a candidate — then she totally ignored their advice. When the DCCC told her to focus her message on the dangers of another unruly candidate on the ballot that year, DONALD TRUMP, she balked. Instead, she ran entirely on pocketbook issues, talked about her personal story as a Vietnamese refugee-turned-national security specialist, and won. The DCCC would later adopt that same model with recruitment and strategy, going on to flip the House in 2018. Fast forward a half-decade: Murphy has cemented herself as a force in Congress. She led the centrist Blue Dogs back to relevance, secured a post on the powerful Ways and Means panel and bucked Speaker NANCY PELOSI time and time again, forcing Democratic leaders to pay attention to moderates' demands. But despite her rising-star status, Murphy, at age 43, is calling it quits. Why? I talked it through with her for today's episode of "Playbook Deep Dive." What she said should be a giant, flashing "warning" sign for Democrats heading into the 2022 elections. A few key takeaways: — Murphy said that Democrats have ditched their big-tent mantra since taking over Washington, and that it's imperiling their majority. "My first term … there was a lot more tolerance for, 'Do what you need to do to hold your seat, and come back because we're trying to build towards [a] majority,'" Murphy said. "With us being in the majority, that tolerance eroded a bit. It's unfortunate, because I think in order for us as Democrats to hold the majority, you have to be able to win in seats like mine and in redder seats. That means you have to cut your members a little bit of leeway to vote their district. This march towards party unity is going to be detrimental to our ability to lead." For Murphy, it started like this: Some on the left accused her of being "anti-immigrant" for backing the GOP-authored "Kate's Law," a proposal to increase penalties on people who are convicted of crimes, are deported and reenter the U.S. illegally. "I believe in immigration and comprehensive immigration reform and the ability for people to immigrate to the United States in a legal way," said Murphy. "But I also believe in law and order, and ensuring that we hold people who commit crimes accountable." But it got worse when it came to trying to pass Biden's agenda, and what Murphy called an effort by leadership to "beat moderates into submission." "I can't tell you the number of times I said, 'You can't keep promising rainbows and unicorns when your political reality is such narrow margins in the House and a dead-even Senate,'" said Murphy. "They took the difference between rainbows and unicorns and political reality — which is anger and disappointment — and turned that anger and disappointment against their own members." — Murphy suspects that Dem leaders were encouraging outside-group attacks on vulnerable members like herself for wanting to separate the Build Back Better agenda from the infrastructure bill. "[A] lot of these outside groups that purport to represent a specific interest are just an extension of leadership," Murphy said. "Instead of purely focusing on their issue area, they bleed into just advocating for whatever Democratic leadership wants." She fumed that the entire idea of allies going after Democrats ahead of a tough election year was mind-boggling. "I told those groups, 'For every dollar that you spend against me, it's going to take 10 to repair that.' … Why, as Democrats, we would take money that we need to reserve for the on-year to help win and grow the majority — why we would spend that money against our own members is really baffling." — Murphy said the DCCC is out of touch with reality, and needs major reform. On the DCCC being out of touch: "I am surprised at how short the memory is. It's as short as being celebrated for having flipped a seat and then excoriated for taking votes that help you keep that seat. I'm not talking about myself. I think about people like ABBY SPANBERGER [(D-Va.)], like some of these other members where in '18, they were celebrities for helping us win the majority. And as soon as they went about taking the votes that would help them keep and represent the seat that they had won, they drew the ire of the Democrats." On the DCCC and Chair SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (D-N.Y.) trying to corral vulnerable frontliners in line on BBB, including with threats to withhold money or public pressure: Murphy said she was "stunned" by the heavy-handed tactics from an entity that's supposed to have their backs, and said that other frontliners asked her to "take one for the team" and push back on leadership on their behalf. "Some of these members who would come to me would say … 'I can't afford to tick off the DCCC and have them put my money at risk,' or, 'I can't afford to have my base attacking me. I can't afford to have the millions of dollars of ads that I'm watching run in your district run against me.' … It's unfortunate that that's where we have gotten." On the DCCC needing reform: Murphy said the previously described behavior is indicative of a major problem with the way the DCCC is set up. "I believe that the DCCC exists for one reason and one reason alone, and that is incumbent protection and expanding the majority," Murphy said. "I don't believe that the person who runs the DCCC should be a member who's elected, because inevitably that member … has further aspirations in the Democratic leadership. And in order to ascend in Democratic leadership, you have to secure the progressive vote. And securing the progressive vote makes it difficult for you to also then protect moderates and create space for them to do what they need to do to win and hold seats. … I think that's just … a structure that is misaligned to what should be the sole purpose of the DCCC, incumbent retention and expanding the majority."
| 
| A FINAL THOUGHT: For a hot second, Murphy considered running for Senate against MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.). She had, after all, ousted a GOP incumbent before. I asked her about this — and whether anyone told her she was unwelcome due to her vocal support for the moderate wing of the party. She paused for a long time, then conceded that it was made clear: Her party right now doesn't want a member like her. Centrist Democrats, once the ballyhooed beacon of the House Democratic majority, are now greatly out of fashion. And because of that, she worries, her party may find itself in the minority. She, meanwhile, is ready to go home to spend time with her kids and finally get them a puppy. "Washington has its ways of letting you know when it's not your moment," she said. Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive TGIF. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade , Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: ICYMI: A majority of Americans reject so-called government "negotiation" once they learn it could restrict access and choice and chill the innovation of new treatments and cures. The survey also shows a majority find health care coverage costs unreasonable and a top priority health care issue for policymakers to address today. | | | UKRAINE-RUSSIA LATEST … — Lviv, a Ukrainian city about 50 miles from the Polish border, was hit with missiles overnight as Russian forces targeted "the only enterprise in Ukraine that refurbishes MiG-29s for the Ukrainian Air Force," per the NYT. — The fourth consecutive day of peace talks ended with negotiators still signaling a long gap to bridge, per Reuters. Sieges of cities continued apace as Russia kept up its bombing campaign in Kyiv. — A rescue effort began Thursday at the Mariupol theater where Russian forces bombed huddling Ukrainians, despite a sign that read "children." Survivors emerged, but "information was scarce from the desperate city," per the NYT. — Another American citizen was killed in Ukraine:JIMMY HILL was in a bread line getting food for hospital patients when Russian forces attacked, per the Star Tribune. "Hill's longtime partner, a Ukrainian native, is hospitalized with multiple sclerosis and is too sick to leave her bed. As the Russian attacks intensified, the hospital ran short on food. All of its remaining patients were too sick to leave."
| | | | A message from PhRMA: ICYMI: Majority of Americans reject so-called government "negotiation" once they learn it could restrict access and choice and chill the innovation of new treatments and cures. | | | BIDEN'S FRIDAY: — 9 a.m.: The president will talk with Chinese President XI JINPING. — 11 a.m.: Biden will receive the President's Daily Brief. — 1:30 p.m.: Biden will talk about the new ARPA-H with researchers and patients. — 5:10 p.m.: Biden will depart for Rehoboth Beach, Del., arriving at 6:10 p.m. Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 2:30 p.m. The HOUSE will meet at 9 a.m. to take up the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, with first and last votes predicted between 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY will hold his weekly press conference at 11:30 a.m. The SENATE is in.
| | | | WIN A VIP TICKET TO THE GREATEST POLITICAL SHOW ON EARTH! POLITICO and SHOWTIME are teaming up for an evening of cocktails and conversation featuring the POLITICO Playbook team and Mark McKinnon and Jennifer Palmieri from "The Circus" on Showtime in Washington, D.C. Enter for a chance to win a ticket to join fellow Playbookers and newsmakers at this exclusive, VIP event by Friday, March 18th. Winners will be notified on that date (travel and accommodations not provided, this is a widely attended event pursuant to House & Senate ethics rules). ENTER HERE. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
| 
President Joe Biden applauds for entertainers who performed during an event celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, March 17. | Win McNamee/Getty Images | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | JUDICIARY SQUARE GOP STRUGGLES TO LAY A GLOVE ON KBJ — Just days ahead of Judge KETANJI BROWN JACKSON's Supreme Court confirmation hearings next week, Senate Republicans are struggling to land an effective attack on the nominee — and lack any sort of coordinated message about her, writes WaPo's Seung Min Kim. Potential lines of attack: — Her criminal defendants as a public defender. Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) "said he plans to raise Jackson's representation of detainees at Guantánamo Bay when she was a public defender and then as a private attorney." But that seems to be a nonstarter with some Republicans. "I'm not going to criticize her for any client she's represented. We've all represented clients that we didn't agree with and in some cases, didn't even like," said Sen. JOHN KENNEDY (R-La.). "But everybody has the right to counsel." — Suggestions that she's "weak on crime." "If there is a common thread that Republicans have floated against Jackson, it's that she is weak on crime," writes Kim. "The White House and Senate Democrats have worked to furiously bat down these attacks, promoting her endorsements from groups such as the Fraternal Order of Police and former national security officials." — Accusations that she was lenient on sex crimes. This week, Hawley claimed that while serving as a district court judge, Jackson deviated from federal sentencing guidelines in favor of the defendant in "every single child porn case for which we can find records." "An aide to Sen. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-Tenn.) — the sole female Republican on the committee — said Blackburn plans to raise the issue as well during the hearing, and Sen. MIKE LEE (R-Utah) tweeted in part, 'We need real answers.'" ALL POLITICS SCOOP: SHELBY SPENDING MILLIONS TO BOOST BRITT — As Rep. MO BROOKS' (R-Ala.) Trump-endorsed Senate campaign sputters and the Alabama GOP primary descends into chaos, Sen. RICHARD SHELBY is making his move. Our Burgess Everett and Natalie Allison scoop that Shelby is "preparing to pour as much as $6 million into the race by transferring his campaign coffers into a super PAC supporting KATIE BRITT," his former aide who is running for the Senate seat. "'I'm going to give it all away sooner or later. I'm going to help her, transfer it to a super PAC,' said Shelby, who has nearly $10 million in his campaign account and more than $6 million in a separate leadership PAC. He added that Britt is 'doing well right now. Mo Brooks is dropping, you see that.'" CUOMO FLOATS NEW POLITICAL PARTY — Former New York Gov. ANDREW CUOMO threw gasoline on reports that he's considering a campaign against Gov. KATHY HOCHUL in a public address Thursday, saying that he's open to running again — "and would consider creating his own political party to do so," Bloomberg's Laura Nahmias writes. PRUITT EYES SENATE SEAT — Former EPA Administrator SCOTT PRUITT "is weighing a run for an open Senate seat in Oklahoma," following Sen. JIM INHOFE's retirement announcement, sources tell CBS' Arden Farhi, Fin Gomez and Adam Brewster. "Pruitt has been making calls to gauge support if he declares his candidacy for the already-crowded GOP primary." NEW JERSEY MAKES ITS CASE — "As the DNC considers changes to its primary calendar, New Jersey Democrats are pitching themselves for consideration as one of the early presidential primary states," ABC's Brittany Shepherd reports. "In a letter sent Wednesday afternoon to DNC Chair JAMIE HARRISON, New Jersey Democratic State Committee Chair LEROY J. JONES, JR." argued that "New Jersey presents a cost-effective alternative for candidates who find other early states' media markets too expensive, as well as a diverse state that captures many of the party's key demographics." — Reality check: The entirety of New Jersey is within either the NYC or Philadelphia media markets — two of the four largest and most expensive in the country. It is inconceivable that it would be more affordable than buying ad time in, say, Iowa or South Carolina. TRUMP CARDS FRAUD FILES — Trump's DHS was ordered to investigate mail-in voter fraud in April 2020, when the then-president was building his case for a rigged election. Betsy Woodruff Swan has the scoop on the guidance to DHS' intelligence wing, which shows the extent of the Trump team's willingness to use a government intelligence service for political ends. "The guidance told employees in the division to look into a host of topics related to elections and security, including hacking attempts targeting campaigns, efforts to intimidate voters, and illegal entry into polling places. Then came a list of further topics: 'attempts to alter, destroy, sell, or hide mail-in ballots,' among other mail-related issues."
| | | | A message from PhRMA:   ICYMI: Majority of Americans reject so-called government "negotiation". | | | THE PANDEMIC NEW VARIANT, CASES HAVE WASHINGTON ON EDGE — In Washington over the past week, former President BARACK OBAMA, second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF and at least 10 members of Congress have tested positive for the coronavirus. In parts of Europe and China, a new, highly transmissible variant called BA.2 is spreading. And that reality highlights a challenge for the Biden administration, writes NYT's Michael Shear: "how to embrace the country's desire to move on while being careful not to declare victory over a virus that is still making people sick and killing more than 1,000 Americans each day." BUT, BUT, BUT — "White House sticking to Biden's testing protocol despite Covid scares," by Myah Ward ANOTHER MODERNA BOOSTER? — "Moderna said late Thursday that it asked the FDA for emergency authorization of a second booster of its coronavirus vaccine for all adults, a significantly broader request than Pfizer and BioNTech filed for their shot this week," NYT's Sharon LaFraniere reports. BEYOND THE BELTWAY OHIO MAPS REJECTED AGAIN — For the third time in two months, a bipartisan majority of the Ohio Supreme Court has rejected the state's new legislative maps as a partisan gerrymander that favors Republicans, writes the Columbus Dispatch's Haley BeMiller. "The ruling effectively killed any chance of holding a May 3rd primary with both legislative and statewide races, even as military and overseas ballots are slated to go out Friday. Officials must now decide between two complicated and potentially costly options: postponing the election or splitting the primary in two." TV TONIGHT — PBS' "Washington Week": Jane Ferguson, David Sanger and Rachel Scott. SUNDAY SO FAR … CBS "Face the Nation": Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell … Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova … Marie Yovanovitch … Scott Gottlieb. MSNBC "The Sunday Show": Zhan Beleniuk … Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) … Damon Wilson … Jane Harman … Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Gray TV "Full Court Press": Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) … Yuriy Sak. ABC "This Week": Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Panel: Jonathan Karl, Rachel Scott, Chris Christie and Donna Brazile. FOX "Fox News Sunday," guest-anchored by Trace Gallagher: Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). Panel: Guy Benson, Juan Williams, Jacqui Heinrich and Howard Kurtz. CNN "Inside Politics": Panel: Alex Marquardt, Tom Nichols and Susan Glasser. Panel: Phil Mattingly, Julie Davis and Seung Min Kim. NBC "Meet the Press": Panel: Shane Harris, David Ignatius, Andrea Mitchell and Amna Nawaz.
| | | | DON'T MISS POLITICO'S INAUGURAL HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON 3/31: Join POLITICO for a discussion with health care providers, policymakers, federal regulators, patient representatives, and industry leaders to better understand the latest policy and industry solutions in place as we enter year three of the pandemic. Panelists will discuss the latest proposals to overcome long-standing health care challenges in the U.S., such as expanding access to care, affordability, and prescription drug prices. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Stacey Abrams made a cameo on "Star Trek: Discovery" as president of "United Earth." (Deadline has the backstory.) Eric Adams celebrated St. Paddy's Day by drinking at least two Guinnesses before 10 a.m. Nancy Pelosi read a poem about Ukraine written by Bono during a St. Patrick's Day luncheon. She was followed by a performance from the cast of "Riverdance." Thom Tillis threw some shade at Madison Cawthorn over his comments calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "thug" getting replayed on Russian state TV. Angelina Jolie ate at Rasika again Wednesday night. Washingtonian says the actress is becoming a regular at the trendy West End eatery. Joe Biden is picking a big March Madness upset — for Delaware, of course. Josh Gottheimer, meanwhile, enjoyed a big upset from his own state when New Jersey's little-known St. Peter's toppled Kentucky. Fiona Apple is pushing for transparency in the Maryland judicial system. THAT WAS FAST — Andrew Urban and Chris McLeod are writing what Regnery Publishing is billing as the first major book about the Ukrainian president, "Zelensky: The Unlikely Hero Who Defied Putin and United the World" ($13.99). It's publishing April 19, with a foreword from Rebekah Koffler. OUT AND ABOUT — The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation held its first ever "Ruck the Reserve" event on the National Mall before sunrise Thursday, a nearly three-mile procession inspired by a military ruck march. Starting at the Lincoln Memorial and winding past other war memorials, they were celebrating the December passage of a law that will create a Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the Mall. SPOTTED: VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Alston and Seana Arrechaga,Jane Horton, and Michael "Rod" Rodriguez. — Chris Christie was the special guest at a Churchill Tommy Gun Society dinner hosted by Jamie Weinstein and Michelle Fields at their Woodland Normanstone house Thursday night. SPOTTED: Jonathan Swan and Betsy Woodruff Swan, Ben Terris and Daniel Lippman. MEDIA MOVES — POLITICO is elevating Ryan Heath to a new role as editorial director for global growth. He'll still contribute to the Global Insider franchise. Staff announcement … The Daily Beast's Asawin Suebsaeng, Adam Rawnsley and Cheyenne Roundtree are all leaving for Rolling Stone, where they'll reunite with former boss Noah Shachtman. … … NBC's "Meet the Press" is naming several new hires and promotions: Matt Rivera as editorial director of content strategy, Justice Gilpin-Green as producer on the content strategy team, Tanya Davis and Sarah Dean as producers, Caitlin Hartman as an associate producer, Elias Miller as a researcher/production associate and Katie Harada on "Meet the Press Daily." … Emily Gandolfo is now a coordinating producer at MSNBC's "Morning Joe." She most recently was a producer for WCBS-TV/CBS New York. TRANSITIONS — Naomi Savin is now deputy comms director for the House Budget Committee Dems. She most recently was comms director for Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), and is a Maria Cantwell alum. … Caitlin Chin will be a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, co-leading a research portfolio on technology regulation. She most recently has been a research analyst at the Brookings Institution. … … Henry Blaikie is joining Dentons Global Advisors as a senior associate. He previously was a senior associate at Kivvit. … Brittany Prime is now director of development at No Labels. She previously was co-founder and partner at GOP firm WinCo Fundraising. WEEKEND WEDDING — Ken David, a minority counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, and Kirsten Fulop, a NICU nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital, got married Saturday at the Riverside on the Potomac in Leesburg, Va. The couple met in high school (Oakton High School). Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Chad Yelinski, chief of staff to Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Dominique Yelinski, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), welcomed Mia Alexandra Yelinski on Thursday. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: USTR Katherine Tai … Reince Priebus (5-0), who's going to Jamaica and Turks and Caicos to celebrate … Precision's Stephanie Schriock … former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe … Terri McCullough of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office … Gary Coby … Jim Mazzarella of the Global Innovation Fund … CAP Action's Will Ragland … Matt Schuck … POLITICO's Victoria Colliver, Nick Niedzwiadek, David Badders and Alix Beadle-Ryby … IBM's Mike DeFilippis … David Mark … National Media's Will Feltus … CNN's Zachary Cohen … Austin Wright … Katie Denis of the Consumer Brands Association … Joe Dougherty of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies … Marcus Garza … Fox News' Jessica Curry and Karrah Kaplan … Henry Rodgers of the Daily Caller … Katie Rudis … Chris Harris of Weber Shandwick and Powell Tate … Jeffrey Surrell of Shot Point Strategies … Liz Gorman … Ashlee (Reid) Morehouse of Republic Strategies … Bloomberg's Kate Hunter … Winnie Stachelberg … Karen Knutson of Chevron … Kiki Kalkstein of the Global Health Council … Brad Fitch … Neal McDonald of FlexPoint Media … Jerry Fritz of One Media … Emily Guthrie … Errin Haines of The 19th … Congressional Leadership Fund's Calvin Moore … Marc Adelman … former Rep. Mike Bishop (R-Mich.) … Todd Hames … NBC News PR's Haylie Reichner … Laura Cunliffe Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. 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.
| | | | A message from PhRMA: According to a new poll , voters overwhelmingly support policies that would lower out-of-pocket costs and bring greater transparency and accountability to the health insurance system.
We need to make the cost of medicine more predictable and affordable. Government price setting is the wrong way. The right way means covering more medicines from day one, making out-of-pocket costs more predictable and sharing negotiated savings with patients at the pharmacy counter.
Learn more. | | | | | | | 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 | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment