🤫 Biden's border boomerang

Plus: COVID close to POTUS | Thursday, March 31, 2022

Open in app View in browser     Axios Sneak Peek By the Axios Politics team ·Mar 31, 2022 Welcome back to Sneak. 🚨Breaking: "Scoop: New clue on Trump gap," write Axios' Jonathan Swan and Alayna Treene in an insider account about a missing person in the White House on Jan. 6. 🚀 Countdown: 4 days until Axios' inaugural What's Next Summit next Tuesday! Register here to attend virtual livestream sessions featuring D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the CEOs of GM, Accenture, NBCUniversal and more.  Smart Brevity™ count: 880 words ... 3.5 minutes. Edited by Glen Johnson.     1 big thing: Biden's border boomerang Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Jeff Swensen, Brandon Bell via Getty Images   Immigration is about to roar back as a major crisis for President Biden: Republicans are already testing harsh new border messages for the coming midterm ad war. Driving the news: This week's reports — that the administration plans to end the use of a COVID-19 immigration ban called Title 42 by May 23 — put a timeline on a scenario for which Homeland Security officials have spent months preparing, Axios' Stef Kight and Alayna Treene report. Stef and Axios' Jonathan Swan recently scooped details of officials' internal deliberations about how to manage a hypothetical "mass migration event" in the coming weeks or months. The end of Title 42 and the movements that could trigger is what they were talking about. The big picture: Democrats already were worried about losing suburban voters and centrist Hispanic voters over inflation and culture wars. A new border surge may only exacerbate those concerns while inflaming national security considerations. The White House has been in triage mode as it responds to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a Supreme Court nomination, rising inflation, culture wars and multi-state challenges to voting rights and abortion rights. That all comes while it tries to salvage elements of Biden's Build Back Better plan stuck in a 50-50 Senate. What we're hearing: The GOP senses opportunity and has pounced on immigration as an election issue. The Republican National Committee yesterday rolled out part one of a new video series focused on the border, which it calls "Unchecked." Keep reading.     2. Progressives worry Manchin's climate talk is hot air Sen. Joe Manchin. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images   Progressives don't like what they hear when they listen to Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W.Va.) talk about a potential climate and deficit reduction bill, Axios' Hans Nichols reports. Why it matters: With the holdout senator hinting at supporting some climate provisions as part of a slimmed-down Build Back Better legislation, both House and Senate progressives worry any final bill will be heavier on energy independence favored by Big Oil — and lighter on the carbon reduction they seek. In a 50-50 Senate — and a Democratic majority with just half a dozen votes to spare in the House — progressive opposition to a smaller reconciliation package could kill any potential deal. What they're saying: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Manchin's proposal sounds like a "fossil-fuel bill." "When he says he wants to act on climate, I think it's quite understandable that people would meet that with a great deal of disbelief," she told Axios. "I know where Joe starts on some of these things,' said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) "It's not where I start." "At the end of the day, we need to measure it against what it proves out in emissions reductions," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said. "And those discussions are ongoing." Keep reading.     3. Charted: COVID's concentric circles Data: White House press releases; Photos: Getty Images; Infographic: Thomas Oide and Allie Carl/Axios CIA Director Bill Burns is the latest person to come down with the coronavirus after being in contact with the president. Why it matters: Although mask and other mandates are receding throughout the country, the risk of the leader of the free world contracting COVID-19 looms, Axios' Sarah Mucha writes. Burns tested positive today, a day after meeting with Biden. White House press secretary Jen Psaki had to skip the president's trip to Europe last week after contracting the coronavirus herself. Her replacement, deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, tested positive after landing back in the United States. The CIA said in a news release that while Burns met with Biden, he wasn't considered a "close contact" because he was socially distanced and wearing an N-95 mask. "[Burns] will continue to perform his duties as CIA director, working from home, and plans to return to the office after isolating for five days and testing negative for the virus," the statement said. In reporting the Psaki and Jean-Pierre cases, the White House virtually copy-and-pasted the disclosures. The CIA also used the same language to make the Burns announcement, indicating — as with the others — the director didn't come in close contact with the president and would return to work after following CDC guidelines. Keep reading.     A message from Axios Get their attention     Professionals are busy — so we ensure our partners get their messages across quickly and effectively. How it's done: Smart Brevity Studio creates concise articles and visuals that get up to 5X more engagement than they do on other platforms. Find out more.     4. Worthy of your time Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider visited the White House to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images   🗣️ White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said during the daily press briefing that the administration "absolutely stand[s] by" Biden's 2020 statement that none of his son Hunter Biden's dealings were unethical. Axios' Andrew Solender writes the statement followed new reporting about Hunter Biden's dealings with a Chinese energy company. 📄 Twenty-seven House Democrats, in a letter obtained by Axios' Sophia Cai, urged Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky to prioritize funding for projects aimed at stemming gun violence. 🎥 Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) released an ad claiming the "left-wing establishment has targeted him as public enemy #1" after he was scolded by his own party's leader for his claims about orgies and cocaine use by colleagues. "Madison Cawthorn cannot be stopped," the ad states. 🤝 Seven left-leaning Latina political consultants are teaming up to form the Latina Consultants Group aimed at addressing the issue of Latina underrepresentation in their industry, Axios' Russell Contreras reports. 📊 An Emerson College poll has Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leading Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) by 23 points, 33% to 10%, in the state's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Businessman David McCormick and TV personality Mehmet Oz are tied at 14% in the Republican primary.     5. Tweet du jour Via Twitter   A picture can be worth a thousand words — or millions of dollars.     A message from Axios Get their attention     Professionals are busy — so we ensure our partners get their messages across quickly and effectively. How it's done: Smart Brevity Studio creates concise articles and visuals that get up to 5X more engagement than they do on other platforms. Find out more.   🥂 Thanks for reading this week! 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