| | | | |  | | By Marianne LeVine | Presented by Connected Commerce Council | With Andrew Desiderio, Burgess Everett and Daniel Lippman DEMS TRY TO PREEMPT GOP ATTACKS ON CRIME: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a Democratic frontliner, anticipates Republicans will attack her record on crime come November-- and she's trying to get out in front of it now, Nicholas and Sarah report. After describing the "defund the police" slogan as voters' top issue in her 2020 race, Spanberger is growing worried that GOP efforts to pin rising violent crime rates on Democrats could lead to more political casualties in what's already expected to be a tough midterm year for the party. So Spanberger, after a recent tour of the Culpeper, Virginia, police department, offered an example for how to respond, speaking to more than a dozen officers and touting legislation to assist officers. "If your words are 'defund the police,' they're going to think you mean that. And they know the world is on fire," the Virginia Democrat said after the police visit. "They know things are upside down. They know they're afraid, they know there's a pandemic. So why are you going to just say you want to do something that you actually, maybe, don't want to do?" Her approach is part of a broader Democratic strategy for 2022 : Respond to Republican attacks directly. Some battleground members acknowledge that some of their colleagues have shied away from talking about immigration and policing. But they warn that could help the GOP. "You should not be afraid to talk about it," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), another swing-district Democrat promoting work to support law enforcement. "There's loud voices on the extremes on both sides that make it like you can't actually have smart policy. What we need to do is show people there's a way to do both." More from Nicholas and Sarah here. FIRST IN HUDDLE: MORAN, DAINES URGE BLINKEN TO REOPEN US EMBASSY IN KYIV: Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) are urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to re-open the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, citing Russian withdrawal from surrounding areas of the capital. In their letter, Moran and Daines write that opening the embassy will "enhance cooperation with a democratic partner as it wages an existential defense and symbolically affirm our nation's commitment to Ukraine's territorial sovereignty." The two GOP senators noted that the United States has previously maintained its embassies in countries facing war and suggested that keeping the U.S. embassy closed "signals a lack of confidence in Ukraine's ability to defend itself and the diplomatic missions under its protection." Read the letter here.
| | | | DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world's most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO's special edition "Global Insider" so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today. | | | | | GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, April 20, where your fill-in Huddle host is using recess to watch "The Dropout" and is decidedly creeped out by how much Amanda Seyfried resembles Elizabeth Holmes. MORE UKRAINE ACTION — When lawmakers return from recess next week, they could send a significant piece of legislation to President Joe Biden's desk that would fast-track the delivery of weapons and other critical supplies to Ukraine. According to a senior Democratic aide, the Senate-passed bill establishing a World War II-style Lend-Lease program for Ukraine is being discussed as a possible suspension bill on the floor next week. (Passing it on suspension would require support from two-thirds of the chamber.) The Senate passed the Lend-Lease bill unanimously before the two-week recess. Here's some background on Lend-Lease, what it does, and why it's so significant given the historical context. WILL BIDEN DELAY TITLE 42 DECISION? President Joe Biden's advisers are considering postponing his repeal of pandemic-era border restrictions, known as Title 42, amid sharp blowback from members of his own party, Axios' Hans Nichols and Jonathan Swan report. Burgess and Holly Otterbein wrote earlier this week about growing opposition to the decision from vulnerable Senate Democrats as well as Democratic candidates in key Senate races, who don't want to see Title 42 ended without a longer term plan for an anticipated increase in border crossings. The Biden administration is currently slated to end the restrictions May 23. Delaying the decision, announced earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, would almost certainly lead to blowback from progressives in the party who want to see the policy revoked.
| | A message from Connected Commerce Council: Nine in ten small businesses use digital tools to find customers, operate more efficiently, and grow revenue. Fulfillment by Amazon provides fast and easy shipping, allowing qualified third parties to sell as Prime. Google Business Profile provides businesses' key information at the top of the search page for free. Don't wreck the tech that 87% of small businesses use to succeed. Learn why wrecking Tech is not the answer. | | | JAN. 6 COMMITTEE CONSIDERS CHANGES TO 'INSURRECTION ACT': As the Jan. 6 panel puts together its final report, members of the select committee are discussing whether to recommend revisions to the 1807 Insurrection Act, which grants presidents broad authority to deploy troops domestically in response to a rebellion. The New York Times' Luke Broadwater reports that among the potential changes under discussion would be to raise the bar for a president to send the military, including a requirement to consult with Congress. The discussions surrounding reforms to the law come as the panel is expected to also recommend changes to the Electoral Count Act. (A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Senate, led by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), is also working on a proposal to reform the 1887 law.) Former President Donald Trump never actually invoked the Insurrection Act, but threatened to in 2020, in response to large protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis by a white police officer. And in the aftermath of the 2020 election, hard-right advisers suggested Trump declare martial law and send troops to take control of voting machines.
| | | | INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | CAMPAIGN CORNER VANCE CASHES IN ON TRUMP NOD: Ohio Republican J.D. Vance is already seeing a financial return on Trump's recent endorsement of his Senate bid. Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel, who backed Vance early, donated an additional $3.5 million to Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC supporting the "Hillbilly Elegy" author, POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt scoops. That brings Thiel's total donations to the super PAC to $13.5 million. The Ohio primary is scheduled for May 3 and the latest infusion of Thiel money could go a long way. "Through the end of March, Vance's campaign had just $1.6 million in the bank, a fraction of the amount reported by two of Vance's closest competitors, Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons," Isenstadt writes. Puck's Theodore Schleifer, meanwhile, reports that Thiel personally lobbied Trump to back Vance but that Tucker Carlson and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) "were much more involved in securing the endorsement." LONGSHOT DEMS RAKE IN CAMPAIGN MONEY: Gary Chambers Jr. has almost no path to beating Republican Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) in November, but he's still raised $1.2 million. He, along with Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Marcus Flowers, exemplify a trend of Democratic celebrity candidates who are prolific fundraisers despite their longshot congressional bids, writes the New York Times' Jonathan Weisman. Beach-Ferrara is seeking to oust Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), while Flowers is vying to replace Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Flowers raised $2.4 million in the first quarter, more than double Greene's $1.1 million. Critics, however, lament that the influx of campaign cash should go toward races where Democrats have a more realistic chance of winning.
| | | | A message from Connected Commerce Council:   | | | QUICK LINKS For David McCormick, the Christmas Tree Farm Is a Fraction of His Wealth, by the New York Times' Blake Hounshell Trump tests the power of the anti-endorsement, by the Washington Examiner's David Drucker Tennessee GOP kicks Trump-backed Morgan Ortagus, Baxter Lee and Robby Starbuck out of primary, by the Tennessean's Adam Friedman and Melissa Brown Tech mogul on his quixotic Senate bid: It's not just about eviscerating Elon Musk, by POLITICO's Christopher Cadelago Retired conservative judge willing to publicly testify about Jan. 6 and his counsel to Pence, by CBS News' Robert Costa TRANSITIONS Sean McClintock is now national security advisor for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). He most recently was Chief of Senate Affairs at the U.S. European Command at the Pentagon. Laura Keller is now digital press secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee. She most recently was a press fellow for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). Molly Prescott is now Oregon press secretary for Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). She most recently was communications director for Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.). Josh Bowlen has been promoted to be legislative director for Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). He most recently was Burr's senior policy adviser, a role he retains. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are out. AROUND THE HILL Zzzzzzz.
| | | TUESDAY'S WINNER: Lauren Reamy was the first to correctly guess that Tommy Tuberville was the sitting senator who had a cameo in a 2009 movie starring Sandra Bullock. (It was "The Blind Side.") TODAY'S QUESTION, from Lauren: What Florida county, sharing its name with a U.S. President, contains part of the Everglades and all of the Florida Keys including the Dry Tortugas? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktullymcmanus@politico.com. GET HUDDLEemailed to your phone each morning. Follow Marianne on Twitter: @marianne_levine
| | A message from Connected Commerce Council: Small businesses can act big with the right tools. Online tools help every aspect of business from finding new customers and communicating with employees to fulfilling and shipping orders all over the world. They help small companies compete with global brands and unlock new opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. And during the pandemic businesses that embraced digital tools earned twice as much revenue and hired twice as many employees compared to digitally skeptical businesses. Wrecking tech is a big deal for small businesses. Learn about all the ways Tech helps support Small Biz. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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