| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels | | | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | Democrats and advocates for the care economy are girding for another uphill fight over spending for child care and pre-kindergarten. A letter being circulated by Rep. KATHERINE CLARK (D-Mass.) and Sens. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) and TINA SMITH (D-Minn.) and obtained by Playbook will call on President JOE BIDEN to push a reconciliation bill "that lowers the cost of child care for families, expands access to pre-K, and invests in the early childhood workforce and infrastructure." More than two dozen senators and 70-plus House members had signed on to the missive as of Monday night, a few days before it's scheduled to be sent to the White House. It contains no criticism of the administration, but it's quite clear the left is worried that a Manchin-guided ax is headed for much of the president's earlier social spending plan — and they want Biden to stop it. It's a tall order, to say the least. While care advocates told us the White House has reassured them there's still a chance that items like universal pre-K and capping child care costs will make it into a reconciliation bill in the coming weeks or months, others said administration aides have privately acknowledged that's highly improbable. Just say Joe: Enter Sen. JOE MANCHIN. After embracing a reconciliation package last year that included funding for universal pre-K for a decade, the West Virginia Democrat is now zeroing in on a plan that includes tax rate hikes on corporations, climate change provisions and lowering prescription drug costs, while paying down the deficit. Some White House officials have told advocates it's conceivable that some care economy initiatives could get through the Senate separately from reconciliation, by garnering 60 votes. Likewise, a person familiar with Manchin's thinking told Playbook on Monday night he still sees that path as plausible for some of the care agenda items. (Though it's hard to find many other Democrats who'd agree with him.) But Manchin — and this is the critical part — is unlikely to sign off on any reconciliation bill that includes the care items, the person said, something the senator himself has made pretty clear. The response: Progressive groups know what they're up against and are responding accordingly. Aside from the letter, the liberal group First Five Action Fund is releasing new polling today on the popularity of care economy items, while cutting ads poised to pressure Democrats. The poll, conducted by the Democratic firm Hart Research Associates and New Bridge Strategy, questioned voters in a number of swing states with Democratic senators, Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and, naturally, West Virginia. And the group is planning an ad blitz starting this week in those same states (and D.C.) to remind Democrats and Biden that a reconciliation bill without the items could backfire on them in the midterms.
| | | | A message from The American Beverage Association: At America's beverage companies our plastic bottles are made to be remade. We're carefully designing them to be 100% recyclable — so every bottle can become a new one. That means less plastic waste in our environment. Please help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | 'GLIDEPATH TO CONFIRMATION'— That's how AP describedKETANJI BROWN JACKSON's prospects for joining the high court. Specifically, Senate Judiciary is expected to approve her nomination on Monday, with a final floor vote coming by mid-April. Sen. SUSAN COLLINS of Maine still looks like the most gettable Republican, though Sen. MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah) told CNN on Monday he hasn't made up his mind. Meanwhile, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll shows plurality support for Jackson's confirmation: Forty-seven percent of voters said the Senate should vote to confirm her, vs. 26% in opposition and 27% who had no opinion or didn't know. The party breakdown was as follows: Democrats 75-6 in favor of confirmation, independents 39-25 and Republicans 21-49. Opposition among Republican and independent voters ticked up the week of the Jackson's confirmation hearings. Good Tuesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from The American Beverage Association:   America's beverage companies are working together to reduce our industry's plastic footprint by investing in efforts to get our plastic bottles back. Our goal is for every bottle to become a new one, so they don't end up in our oceans, rivers and landfills. EveryBottleback.org | | | BIDEN'S TUESDAY: — 8:45 a.m.: The president will receive the President's Daily Brief. — 10:45 a.m.: Biden will welcome Singaporean PM LEE HSIEN LOONG to the Oval Office, with a pool spray at the top. — 12:45 p.m.: Biden and Lee will make a joint statement to the press. — 2:05 p.m.: Biden will pay his respects to the late Rep. DON YOUNG (R-Alaska) lying in state in the Capitol. — 4 p.m.: Biden will sign the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law and make remarks along with VP KAMALA HARRIS, with second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF also attending. HARRIS' TUESDAY — The VP will also hold a bilateral meeting with Lee at 1:35 p.m., with a pool spray at the end. Comms director KATE BEDINGFIELD will brief at 3 p.m. THE SENATE is in. VA Secretary DENIS MCDONOUGH will testify before the Veterans' Affairs Committee at 3:30 p.m. THE HOUSE will meet at 3 p.m. to take up the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act and the Securing a Strong Retirement Act. OMB Director SHALANDA YOUNG will testify on the administration's budget request before the Budget Committee at 10 a.m.
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A group tours the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday, March 28, the first day that members of the public were able to tour since they were halted in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | THE WHITE HOUSE CLEANUP DUTY, DAY 3 — Further clarifying that he did not mean to call for regime change in Russia, Biden said Monday "he was expressing 'moral outrage' rather than telegraphing a dramatic policy shift when he said over the weekend that [Russian President VLADIMIR] PUTIN 'cannot remain in power.' … Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday, Biden said the comments reflected his anger about Putin's 'brutality.'" More from WaPo GIVING NEW MEANING TO THE REVOLVING DOOR — WaPo's Tyler Pager, Sean Sullivan and Michael Scherer dive into the White House's relationship with public relations firm SKDK: "Veterans of the Biden campaign gathered earlier this month for a private party at the Washington office of SKDK, a powerful public relations and political strategy firm. The atmosphere was festive, and treats included candy and popcorn from the shop the staffers had once frequented near the campaign's Philadelphia headquarters. "Their host [was] ANITA DUNN, a top architect of Biden's 2020 victory who followed him into the White House before returning to her company last summer. … Earlier that day, unbeknownst to many at the party, Dunn had been in the White House as part of a second, one-week assignment at the personal request of Biden himself. She had a badge, an official White House email and an office in the West Wing. She was there in part to fill in for JEN O'MALLEY DILLON, a White House deputy chief of staff who was on personal leave during a pivotal stretch in Biden's presidency. "The SKDK party for junior and senior campaign alumni, and Dunn's second White House stint underline how Dunn and her firm are a unique force in Biden's Washington — straddling the line between the private sector and the administration to quietly staff the government, steer the presidency and remake the Democratic Party in Biden's image." VEEP FILES — On Wednesday, the vice president will "join a group that includes leaders of corporate giants to promote a $4.7 billion commitment to boosting minority-owned businesses and underrepresented communities in Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas," CNBC's Brian Schwartz reports. "Harris will speak at an event at Howard University where the Greater Washington Partnership, a nonprofit civic alliance, will unveil the five-year, multibillion-dollar pledge." WAR IN UKRAINE THE LATEST — "Ukrainian forces have reclaimed control of a few small fronts in the country's north, officials said Monday, as Russia appears to be directing its fiercest attacks on besieged areas in the country's east and south, including Mariupol," WaPo's Cate Cadell, Dan Lamothe and Mariana Alfaro recap. "As the war grinds into its second month, Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to meet in Turkey on Tuesday for in-person negotiations. Kremlin officials have delivered icy remarks ahead of the talks, however, dampening prospects of a meaningful outcome." WILL RUSSIA OR WON'T RUSSIA … "A Russian missile strike on Sunday in western Ukraine near the Polish border, which has become a transit point for weapons being sent to Ukrainian forces, raised new concerns about whether Russia might attack NATO territory to stop or destroy the shipments," NYT's Michael Crowley writes. "Such an attack could dramatically expand the conflict. The arms — which include machine guns, tactical drones and antitank missiles — have passed through Poland and Romania, both NATO members, and an attack on either country would activate the alliance's collective-defense provision, known as Article 5. Speaking in Warsaw on Saturday, Biden said the U.S. had a 'sacred obligation' to honor Article 5. The prospect of direct conflict with the nuclear-armed NATO alliance provides Putin with a powerful disincentive."
| | | | A message from The American Beverage Association:   Our plastic bottles are made to be remade. Help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | CONGRESS COMPETES ACT ADVANCES — The Senate on Monday passed the America COMPETES Act, a major bill focused on semiconductors and competitiveness with China, in a 68-28 vote. But it's not through to Biden yet: Now the Senate and the House will have to reconcile their competing versions of the bill, and "a final measure is unlikely to be completed before the end of May," reports Bloomberg's Daniel Flatley. JUDICIARY SQUARE ASKED AND ANSWERED — Our Josh Gerstein answers six questions about the startling revelations that GINNI THOMAS urged the Trump White House to fight the election certification — and the potential conflict of interest her efforts pose for her husband, Justice CLARENCE THOMAS. ALL POLITICS REDISTRICTING CHAOS — Ohio Republicans keep proposing gerrymanders and Ohio courts keep striking them down. The result: Nobody knows how the final congressional and state legislative lines will shake out — and early voting for the primaries is scheduled to begin next week. The Daily Beast's Sam Brodey and Ursula Perano have a good look at the insanity of the situation through the eyes of one local Democratic candidate who doesn't know if she'll be handed "a Republican district or a Democratic one, a weaker or stronger Republican incumbent, or even a Democratic incumbent." JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH COMMITTEE LATEST — The House select committee on Jan. 6 Monday night "voted unanimously to hold former Trump advisers PETER NAVARRO and DAN SCAVINO in contempt of Congress for their monthslong refusal to comply with subpoenas," AP's Farnoush Amiri and Mary Clare Jalonick report. "The committee made their case that Navarro, [DONALD] TRUMP's trade adviser, and Scavino, a White House communications aide under Trump, have been uncooperative in the congressional probe into the deadly 2021 insurrection and as a result, are in contempt." — Trump White House aide JARED KUSHNER "is expected to appear voluntarily before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as early as Thursday," people tell ABC's Benjamin Siegel, John Santucci and Katherine Faulders. "A spokesman for the committee did not respond to a request from ABC News seeking comment on plans to question Kushner, which could be postponed or delayed." — The committee is also looking to "seek an interview with conservative activist Ginni Thomas," CNN's Jamie Gangel and Zachary Cohen report. "Most members of the committee — including chair BENNIE THOMPSON and vice chair LIZ CHENEY — believe the panel should interview her. The committee has had ongoing discussions about Thomas, and it has in its possession 29 text messages that show her pleading with then-White House chief of staff MARK MEADOWS to continue the fight to overturn the 2020 presidential election results." BEYOND THE BELTWAY DESANTIS SIGNS 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL — Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS signed "a bill into law on Monday that forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, a policy that has drawn intense national scrutiny from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ people," AP's Anthony Izaguirre recaps. "Public backlash began almost immediately after the bill was introduced, with early criticism lobbed by CHASTEN BUTTIGIEG, the husband of Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG, and condemnation from LGBTQ advocacy groups. Biden called it 'hateful.'" — Among the voices condemning the law: the Walt Disney Company. In a statement, the company vowed to fight to repeal the law, writing its goal is to see it "repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts," and that it "remains committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that," Variety's Ethan Shanfeld reports.
| | | | 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 | | Maryland Democratic state Sen. Will Smith had a bad day on Twitter after the Oscars. Donald Trump put out an all-timer of a statement announcing that he made a hole-in-one while playing with pro golfers. The latest Ohio GOP Senate primary debate devolved into a fight over who felt the strongest that the election was stolen from Trump. Also, J.D. Vance complained about the number of water bottles each candidate received. Trudy Busch Valentine, a St. Louis beer heiress, jumped into the Democratic Senate primary in Missouri. OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a launch event for CNN+, which goes live today, at Hudson Yards in Manhattan on Monday night: Ethan Hawke, Chris Wallace, Kasie Hunt, Dana Bash, Ben Smith, Molly Jong-Fast, Rex Chapman, Brian Stelter, Jonathan Lemire, Abby Phillips, Kate Bolduan, John Avlon, Pat Kiernan and Josh Raffel. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Nick Hornedo is now editorial and digital comms strategist at Phenomenal, Meena Harris' production company. He most recently was digital comms manager at the Department of Transportation, and is a Pete Buttigieg campaign and House Ways & Means alum. — Jayson Browder and Mike Sexton are now senior policy advisers for Third Way's growing national security program. Browder most recently was assistant dean and chief of staff to the associate vice chancellor at New York University Abu Dhabi, and is a Beto O'Rourke alum. Sexton previously was director and founder of the cyber program at the Middle East Institute, and is a Chertoff Group alum. MEDIA MOVE — Courtney Subramanian is now a White House correspondent for the L.A. Times. She previously was a White House correspondent for USA Today. Announcement STAFFING UP — Dennis Vega will be the new chief of staff at USAID, moving up from deputy chief of staff. Gideon Maltz, who's most recently been chief of staff, is departing to return to his previous position as executive director of the Tent Partnership for Refugees. TRANSITIONS — Katie Tomarchio is now a senior manager of public policy at ChargePoint. She previously was senior manager of political programs at the American Gas Association. … Alec Sears is now social media and digital strategist at the RNC. He previously was a manager in the digital department of Plus Communications. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Dave Boyer, chief corporate affairs officer at Neurocrine Biosciences and a BGR Group and Bush administration alum, and Jen Boyer, a Wayne Allard, Pat Roberts and Senate HELP alum, welcomed twin boys on Monday morning in San Diego. Stringer Burns (5 lbs, 7 oz) and Grant Michael (6 lbs, 7 oz) join big sister Hartley. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) … Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) … Peter Velz … Emily Cain of EMILY's List … Lara Logan … AP's Steve Peoples … Emma Eatman … WaPo's Paul Farhi and Janay Kingsberry … Nathen Huang … POLITICO's Catherine Morehouse and Julie Kennedy … Nick Buis … CNN's Melanie Zanona … Kate Thomas … Morning Consult's Matthew Bracken … Emily Jashinsky … DSCC's David Bergstein … Carina Armenta … Marissa Padilla of Global Strategy Group … Liz Jaff … Hillary Beard of Rep. Terri Sewell's (D-Ala.) office … Wyn Hornbuckle … Dan Weiner of the Brennan Center for Justice … Robert Gibbs … Rockefeller Foundation's Eric Pelofsky … ICF Next's Nancy Murphy … Peter Cherukuri … Quincy Enoch … Jay Kenworthy of Sen. Todd Young's (R-Ind.) office … former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) (8-0) 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 The American Beverage Association: America's leading beverage companies - The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo - are working together to reduce our industry's plastic footprint through our Every Bottle Back initiative. We're investing in efforts to get our bottles back so we can remake them into new bottles and use less new plastic.
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