News: The GOP pivot on Zelenskyy

Friday, March 18, 2022

The GOP pivot on Zelenskyy

Mar 18, 2022

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By Katherine Tully-McManus

Presented by

With help from Sarah Ferris

ECHOES OF IMPEACHMENT (impeachment, impeachment…) — Do Republican assertions that President Joe Biden is slow-walking support for Ukraine ring a bell?

Democrats maintain that former President Donald Trump's posture towards Ukraine (proposing a quid pro quo for a military aid package, not meeting with the newly elected Ukranian president) is, in part, to blame for the deterioration of Ukraine's position, while Republicans maintain that the first, Ukraine-centered impeachment of Trump brought attention to Zelenskyy that precipitated the current crisis. Where do you go from that disconnect?

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.): "I personally think if Trump had met with Zelenskyy, never would have made the phone call, I think those two would have hit it off beautifully. And none of this would have ever happened," Johnson said. "It's kind of interesting — how would history have changed based on that one decision not to meet with President Zelenskyy?"

"Republicans, only one of whom supported Trump's first impeachment, are brushing off any suggestion that their frustration with Biden's pace of Ukraine aid is at odds with their earlier defense of Trump's posture toward Kyiv. They're also blaming Democrats for harming Ukraine, now at war with Russia, by launching the impeachment inquiry in the first place," write Kyle, Andrew and Olivia: GOP shrugs off Trump impeachment echoes in Russia-Ukraine war

RELATED: More than two dozen Senate Republicans demand Biden do more for Ukraine after voting against $13.6 billion for Ukraine, from Mariana Alfaro and Eugene Scott at The Washington Post

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GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, March 18, where it's your last chance to get a nose swab in the CVC (more on that below.)

UPHILL BATTLE ON COVID AID — The House will leave today without a vote on the White House's $15 billion Covid package.

The harder path: There was an easier way, attaching the aid to the bipartisan spending deal and letting Defense funding and aid for Ukraine rack up votes that would otherwise oppose the Covid dollars… but that was scuttled last week.

Going it alone: Now, the search for offsets continues. Republicans and Democrats have to look at pandemic aid alone and try to make a deal.

Here's where things stand:

— Pelosi says Congress should deliver more than $15B, given the delay: "The resources that we would have had in the bill I think need to be enhanced, now because we're another week later and we still don't have it."

— Senate Rs say they want more information from the White House. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah): "Believe it or not, the administration has not provided the information that we Republicans asked for."

— The White House says it's given plenty of information, and that the money is needed within the next two to three weeks — particularly the cash for monoclonal antibody treatments, which both parties have touted as lifesaving drugs.

— House Dems are still sore about how it all went down. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), who said he almost had to buck his leadership for the first time in 18 years: "It was a mistake. It's just the biggest one we've had since I've been here."

Sarah, Marianne and Adam have the state of play and what could be ahead .

SPEAKING OF THE AID PACKAGE, a group of 40-plus Democrats are seizing on the chance to make their own additions to the package -- while it's back under the microscope.

That group, led by Reps. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) are urging party leaders to add billions in restaurant/gym/concert funding to the Covid aid package. And if it's NOT, they wrote to leadership : "We would be hesitant to support such legislation."

A message from Freight Rail Works:

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RUSSIAN TRADE DOWNGRADE — The House voted Thursday to strip Russia and its ally Belarus of normal trade relations with the U.S. until 2024 and expand presidential authority on human rights sanctions. The House voted 424-8, in favor of the legislation with Nay votes from Republican Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Glen Grothman (R-Wisc.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas).

Senate prospects: "Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday morning that his chamber would move quickly to take up the trade legislation and send it to Biden's desk. But one outstanding issue could delay that process: whether or not it will be paired with legislation barring Russian energy imports, something Senate Republicans are pushing for," reports Gavin Bade. RELATED: House votes to strip Russia of trade status, but Congress treads carefully on Ukraine crisis, from Mike DeBonis at The Washington Post

ACTION AHEAD ON CHIP DIP — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) filed cloture on a China competitiveness bill, setting up action for next week and an eventual conference committee with the House. Both the House-passed and Senate versions include $52 billion for grants and incentives to semiconductor manufacturers to locate manufacturing facilities in the U.S. A chip shortage has hobbled production of a wide range of key products from cars to military planes.

SHELBY STEPS IN — Former President Donald Trump's pick to succeed Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is floundering and the retiring lawmaker is pouring money into his former staffer's campaign in a three-way race that is descending into chaos, report Burgess and Natalie Allison. Shelby is ready to transfer as much as $6 million from his campaign coffers into a super PAC supporting his former aide Katie Britt, who is up against Trump pick Mo Brooks and Army veteran Mike Durant.

"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."

DRUMROLL FOR DEMOCRACY — The Congressional Management Foundation's Democracy Awards ceremony is today, where the Staff Lifetime Achievement prize will go to former constituent services and immigration specialist, Kathie Green and former House reading clerk Joe Novotny.

Here's a roundup of the rest of today's Democracy Award winners:

Constituent Service: Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)

"Life in Congress" Workplace Environment: Reps. French Hill (R-Ark) and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.)

Transparency and Accountability: Reps. Anthony Brown (D-Md.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.)

Innovation and Modernization: Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.)

SCOTUS PREVIEW — Hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson start next week and Republicans are telegraphing their line of attack, reports Marianne. They'll zero in on her handling of sex-related offenses.

"The subject was first raised publicly by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) Wednesday evening and within hours POLITICO obtained a copy of a background document Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee were circulating on the topic. The suggestion that Jackson was sympathetic to sex offenders received immediate pushback from Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin and the Biden White House on Thursday, who derided the attacks as 'outrageous' and lacking context," … read more on what's ahead: GOP indicates plans to question KBJ on handling of sex-related offenses

FAREWELL TO FAZIO — The House observed a moment of silence in memory of former Rep. Vic Fazio (D-Calif.) on Thursday, who died this week at the age of 79. Kate Ackley at CQ Roll Call has an obituary that chronicles his decade in Congress and long K Street career.

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.

Covid on Capitol Hill

TEST HERE, TEST THERE — The Senate will have its own Covid testing site starting Monday in the Dirksen South Buffet. Senate-siders were up in arms over the prospect of having to hike to Rayburn to get tested. Worry not! "All eligible individuals can use either the House or Senate location," a Thursday memo from the Office of the Attending Physician said.

Today is the last day testing will be held in the Capitol Visitor Center. The sites in Rayburn and Dirksen open at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 21.

HUDDLE HOTDISH

Are you ready to CNCT?... More than 100 people gathered last night at Mission Navy Yard's Cactus Room for a launch party of the new Capitol Hill networking app that launches today. It was created by David Tennent, digital director for Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) and born out of frustration about the challenge of networking during the pandemic. For now, only people with senate.gov or house.gov email addresses are able to sign up and get to work scheduling coffees and privately rating their connections. It's in the app store.

So confused, besties... Twitter account SheRatesDogs mostly posts screenshots of cringe or harassing text messages and DMs their followers have received. (Not to be confused with WeRateDogs… which rates dogs.) So when Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) sent SheRatesDogs a DM about actual dogs...confusion (and cuteness) ensued.

QUICK LINKS

The influencers behind the Ukrainian PR machine, from Hailey Fuchs

Fortenberry attorney says the congressman didn't recall or understand key warning call, from Paul Hammel in the courtroom for the The Nebraska Examiner

Could proxy voting make the House more inclusive? Some lawmakers hope so, from Chris Cioffi at CQ Roll Call

TRANSITIONS

Naomi Savin has joined the House Budget Committee Majority as deputy communications director. Savin was previously communications director for Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and deputy press secretary for Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

Ashley Lund joined the office of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) as legislative correspondent.

A message from Freight Rail Works:

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House convenes at 9 a.m.

The Senate is out.

AROUND THE HILL

11:30 a.m. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) holds his weekly press conference (HVC Studio A).

TRIVIA

THURSDAY'S WINNER:Claude Marx correctly answered that House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill of Massachusetts hosted the first St. Patrick's Day lunch with President Ronald Reagan "to ease tension between the two Irish-American leaders," according to the House Historian's office.

TODAY'S QUESTION from Claude: When Joe Biden first ran for president in 1988, he dropped out after it was revealed that he plagiarized from a British politician. Who was the politician Biden plagiarized from?

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 Freight Rail Works:

Alleviating an extraordinary supply chain crisis requires an extraordinary transportation network—like America's freight railroads. The dedicated employees of America's freight railroads are working 24/7 to find powerful solutions to maximize efficiency and reliability. Learn more about how railroads are creating an unbreakable link between manufacturers, retailers and other critical rail customers.