| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | | | With help from Sarah Ferris, Nicholas Wu, Olivia Beavers and Nancy Vu CHEERLEADER IN CHIEF — Will President Joe Biden deliver what Democrats are looking for at tonight's primetime address to Congress and the nation? Congressional Democrats are looking for Biden to offer a clear direction for the party's agenda — particularly when it comes to the economy — ahead of the midterms. Months after the party's signature domestic economic policy package stalled, Democratic leadership on Capitol Hill have begun to pivot to issues like inflation and supply chain that are squeezing Americans, but Biden himself has said little about what comes next. Sell it to me… But maybe more importantly, Dems say they're looking for a sales pitch. After months of underselling big legislative wins like a huge pandemic rescue package and an infrastructure bill, Dems want to hear Biden himself talk about the fastest economic recovery in history. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.): "What we ought to focus on is getting things done and talking about them…. We got things done last year, but we didn't talk about it." (It's not all sunshine and roses, though. Democrats also want Biden to acknowledge the pain of price hikes of gas, groceries, and more.) 'Frozen in place' … The question of what comes next for Biden's legislative agenda has been on the minds of a lot of battleground Dems this month. Over the last recess, a group of those Dems began drafting its own list of legislative priorities — things they say they hear back home on a near-daily basis. That means issues like lowering the cost of prescriptions, food, utilities and tackling crime, according to a draft of the plan obtained by POLITICO. The group, which includes Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), also recently met virtually with White House chief of staff Ron Klain on their plan — which already resembles many of the priorities that House and Senate Dem leadership are eying for the rest of the year. While Gottheimer said Democrats don't need to abandon Biden's BBB, "we also can't be frozen in place in the meantime." Sarah and Mariane have more: More like Reset of the Union: Dems hope for a pivot as Biden readies his speech | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | |
GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, March 1, where the sun won't set before 6 p.m. again until next November.
MASKING MANTRAS — With mask mandates lifted across Capitol Hill and today at the White House, Democrats are left to decide for themselves what they're comfortable with at tonight's State of the Union. (Republicans are happily mask-free.) Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) , who wasn't able to attend Biden's first State of the Union because of capacity restrictions, said she's eager to go this year — and doesn't plan to mask up: "It's probably one of the safer places to be," Scanlon said, noting how cases have plummeted in the area and how everyone in the room would be tested. "The country has to learn to live with it." Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) does plan to mask at SOTU, saying she's showing respect for members who might be immunocompromised or have young children. "We just came back from a bunch of people being all over the county, and at CPAC. And I just think it's better safe than sorry." Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) said to expect a mix among Democrats, but emphasized: "I think there should be no shaming of anybody who decides to wear a mask. I do think that when we did have masks mandates in place, shaming those who refused to wear was appropriate. It's not symmetrical," he said. 'THIS IS DIRE' — Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, conveyed the risks and needs of her nation under fire to Congress on Monday. Lawmakers also got up to speed at classified briefings from the Biden Administration's top national-security officials as Congress comes to terms with the bleak reality of Russia's invasion and looks ahead to how it can help. Andrew and Connor O'Brien talked to tons of lawmakers after the meetings: Ukraine pleads with Congress for more aid and weapons Markarova told senators that Ukraine was close to running out of key supplies and equipment, along with Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles, essential weapons for the overpowered Ukrainian military to fend off Russian invaders. Markarova said Russian forces were targeting civilian buildings across the country, including in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Worst is yet to come: Officials at the Senate's classified briefing told lawmakers Monday night that the darkest days still lay ahead, as new satellite images show a large Russian convoy heading toward the capital city of Kyiv, where Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Russian President Vladimir Putin is laying the groundwork for a "medieval siege." Show me the money: Lawmakers are getting up to date after the recess and as they work to write an emergency spending package to aid Ukraine that could hitch a ride on the larger government funding bill expected to move next week. The White House has asked for $6.4 billion but that number is likely to rise. On the House side, there were signs of unity on the issue. "I think this body said, basically, 'Tell us what you need and we'll give it to you,'" Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) told reporters following the House briefing. | | A message from Blackstone: Blackstone believes it's our duty to support those who have served our country. In 2013, Blackstone made a commitment to hire 50,000 veterans across our portfolio in response to First Ladies Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's "Joining Forces" initiative, which called on companies to expand employment opportunities for veterans and their families. Since then, more than 100,000 veterans, veteran spouses, and caregivers have been hired across our companies. Learn more about our Veterans Hiring Initiative. | | |
DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS — Lone Star State voters head to the polls today for the first primary election of the midterm cycle. Stephanie Murphy has a roundup of 6 House races to watch in Texas on this very Texas Tuesday.
ALASKA IS CALLING — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Monday that she's already been asking the Biden administration to consider further utilization of domestic oil resources in her home state, calling it "a missed opportunity" as the Russian invasion of Ukraine is poised to squeeze energy markets. When asked if she thought there could be a change in policy, she said: "You know, if there's anything that could change the policy it might be war."
(At this point there's been no indication of a major shift from Biden or the administration on this front.) HOUSE GOP STILL TAPPING MEDIA VIPS — On Monday, the House Republican conference set up a "media row" where members could bounce around and preemptively rebut President Joe Biden's upcoming State of the Union as well as the administration's handling of Ukraine. But the row was invitation-only. Our Olivia Beavers has previously written about House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik's (R-N.Y.) moves to hold events with cherry-picked media attendance lists. Olivia stopped by the "media row" and talked to members before being escorted from the room by a Stefanik aide. The staffer turned a semantic somersault by denying that the escort out was an ejection, since Olivia was free to ask questions in the public hallway outside, and also described the event as designed for local press. A flier sent to members identified Monday's media row as for national and local press. Multiple conservative outlets were represented. Per sources, Olivia wasn't the only reporter denied. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL SECURITY DAILY : Keep up with the latest critical developments from Ukraine and across Europe in our daily newsletter, National Security Daily. The Russian invasion of Ukraine could disrupt the established world order and result in a refugee crisis, increased cyberattacks, rising energy costs and additional disruption to global supply chains. Go inside the top national security and foreign-policymaking shops for insight on the global threats faced by the U.S. and its allies and what actions world leaders are taking to address them. Subscribe today. | | | | |
CONDEMNATION FROM MCCARTHY, MCCONNELL — Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) were greeted back on the Hill after weekend speeches at the white nationalist America First Political Action Conference with a reality check from GOP leaders. They're on an island, write Burgess and Olivia: Greene and Gosar increasingly isolated in Hill GOP after speaking at white nationalist event
BILL FOR EMMETT TILL— The House passed a bill Monday that would finally categorize lynching as a federal hate crime, carrying a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, codifying punishment for brutal vigilantism that has a long and bleak history in American. The bill, named for Emmett Till, was approved 422 to 3, and has solid chances in the Senate, where it enjoys broad support. Three Republicans — Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — opposed the anti-lynching bill. Emily Cochraine of The New York Times has more on the history and future of the legislation. HAIR RAISING — The House didn't have enough votes to pass legislation Monday that would bar discrimination against hair styles or textures associated with a particular race or national origin, including cornrows, twists and braids.The CROWN Act was fast-tracked under suspension of the rules and required a two-third majority, but fell short with a 235-188 vote. "Our natural hair is as innate a quality of Black people as the presence of melanin in our skin. Discriminating against our hair is no different is no different than discriminating against the color of our skin," said the bill's author Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) leaned into her reputation for divisive comments, by characterizing the bill as "the bad hair bill" while casting a proxy vote on behalf of Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas.). Cristina Marcos from The Hill has more. CONDOLENCES — Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) husband Richard Blum died on Sunday after a protracted fight with cancer. Here is a hometown obituary from The San Francisco Chronicle: Richard Blum dies: Husband of Dianne Feinstein, SF financier and UC regent was 86
| | | Snack attack… Sure, you can use the latest House Disbursement Reports to dig into who, exactly, is staffing the Jan. 6 investigation. Or you can see what food, takeout and snacks Hill offices spent their dough on in the last quarter of 2021. (Nicholas did both.)
- The office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent $135.96 on hometown treats from Ghirardelli chocolate.
- Salads were in the mix, too, with the speaker's office and Democratic Caucus spending $1221.08 on Sweetgreen.
- Republican offices, including the offices of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), ordered a total of $6054.53 worth of Chick-Fil-A.
- Bipartisan pizza party: The offices of the speaker, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas), to name just a few, all opted for We the Pizza late last year, racking up an $8,558.62 bill.
- Texas Republican Reps. Troy Nehls and Dan Crenshaw are fans of Black Rifle Coffee - Nehls' office spent $144.95 on it , and Crenshaw's spent $89.99.
Future of the fence…. Capitol Police Acting Assistant Chief Sean Gallagher, on when the fence around the Capitol will be removed: "Once we get through the State of the Union and have a successful event, a decision will be made soon after about the removal of the fence." QUICK LINKS Bracing for Biden and Protests, Officials Fortify the Capitol, from The New York Times Democrats' signature abortion rights bill falls short as SCOTUS ruling loom, from Alice Miranda Ollstein TRANSITIONS Dwayne Clark will be legislative assistant for Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), handling space and agriculture. He currently is military legislative assistant for Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio). Preston Howey has been promoted to be legislative director for Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas). He most recently was senior legislative assistant to Pfluger. House Armed Services Shuffle: Dems on the committee announced Brian Garrett is the new staff director; Katy Quinn is now deputy staff director; Phil MacNaughton is the new policy staff lead; and Jay Vallario is the new seapower and projection forces staff lead. | | | | A message from Blackstone:   | | |
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House convenes at noon for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 10:15 a.m. and will recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus lunches. AROUND THE HILL 10:45 a.m. McCarthy, GOP Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Stefanik hold a press conference on the State of the Union (2044 Rayburn). 11 a.m. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) will host a virtual pen and pad 2 p.m. McCarthy, Scalise, Stefanik, Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Brian Steil (R-Wisc.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Julia Letlow (R-La.) hold a live discussion with guests about the State of the Union and the impact of Biden administration policies (HVC 215).
| | | MONDAY'S WINNER: Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) correctly answered that his colleague Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) is a leap year baby and won't have a true birthday again until 2024. TODAY'S QUESTION from Rep. Armstrong: Who was the First President to honor a special guest in the gallery at the State of the Union? Who was it? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus | | A message from Blackstone: Blackstone believes it's our responsibility to support those who have served our country. Each year, approximately 200,000 veterans leave the U.S. military and make the transition back to civilian life — but transferring military skillsets to new career paths brings its own set of challenges.
Recognizing the employment barriers veterans face, the White House issued a national call to action in 2011 to support servicemembers, veterans and their families. In response, Blackstone launched an ambitious Veterans Hiring Initiative and committed to hiring 50,000 veterans across our portfolio companies.
For over a decade, this powerful public-private partnership has provided members of the veteran community with training and resources to build meaningful careers — and today, more than 100,000 veterans, veteran spouses, and caregivers have been hired across Blackstone's portfolio companies.
At Blackstone, we believe hiring programs like ours are a win for veterans, companies, and the economy. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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