News: Split for speed: Ukraine and Covid aid

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Split for speed: Ukraine and Covid aid

May 10, 2022

UKRAINE PACKAGE ON THE MOVE — Democrats have agreed on a $39.8 billion aid package for Ukraine and, at the behest of President Joe Biden, have set aside billions of dollars in pandemic aid — for now.

The Ukraine package could come to the House floor for a vote as soon as today in the House, where it is expected to pass. The path in the Senate is, as usual, more complicated.

While lawmakers padded Biden's original $33 billion request, adding $3.4 billion in military aid and $3.4 billion in humanitarian assistance, the package doesn't meet the $8 billion increase that Senate Republicans had sought. The plan needs at least 10 GOP votes to pass the Senate.

But Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) told Burgess Monday that the Senate could move to approve the massive tranche of money quickly. He said it's "more likely" to move next week than this week.

Covid concerns: Biden's blessing on decoupling the Ukraine aid from additional Covid-focused funding to prepare to fight the next phase of the pandemic was based on a need for speed.

"We cannot afford delay in this vital war effort. Hence, I am prepared to accept that these two measures move separately, so that the Ukrainian aid bill can get to my desk right away," Biden said in a statement.

Democrats know that this move, while it expedites the assistance for Ukraine as the brutal and deadly Russian invasion continues, could preclude success on the now-separate $10 billion coronavirus legislation. Senate Republicans previously blocked it over Biden's plans to lift pandemic-era border restrictions.

"We need both Covid and Ukraine," said Senate Appropriations Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). "We're going to have real problems this fall with Covid and it's a mistake not to have both together. I really regret that."

Burgess and Sarah tracked the latest all over the Capitol last night.

RELATED: Biden Speeds Up Military Aid to Ukraine, Drawing U.S. Deeper Into War, from Peter Baker and Emily Cochrane at The New York Times

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, May 10, where the double-fly-in-day weeks are not a personal favorite.

PRIMARIES PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA AND NEBRASKA

Mountain State: Redistricting slashed a House district from West Virginia, which has set up a bruising member-on-member primary fight between Republicans David McKinley and Alex Mooney. Trump has backed Mooney, while Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin endorsed McKinley.

Cornhusker State: Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) was convicted in March of lying to authorities about illegal campaign contributions and resigned his House seat soon after. But his name is stuck on the ballot for Nebraska's 1st District, even though he is no longer a candidate. State Sen. Mike Flood is looking to replace Fortenberry, but keep an eye on how many voters cast ballots for a guy who's no longer in the race.

Trump called for a Republican to challenge GOP Rep. Don Bacon in Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, but the incumbent is expected to hold on in Tuesday's primary. On the Democratic side, mental health clinical supervisor Alisha Shelton is going up against state Sen. Tony Vargas.

Read more: GOP member-vs.-member fight tops Tuesday primaries, from Stephanie Akin and Chris Marquette at CQ Roll Call; 3 primary contests to watch Tuesday in West Virginia and Nebraska, from Elana Moore at NPR

REPUBLICANS SPLIT ON NEXT STEPS — After nearly a week of singular focus on the origins of the draft Supreme Court opinion that signals a toppling of Roe v. Wade, Senate Republicans are starting to acknowledge a post-Roe future.

Their plans for what to do with that future are fractured and incomplete. Some want to leave abortion policy up to states, other hope to pursue more modest restrictions and some are intent on installing an outright ban on abortion nationwide.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). is in the "let's legislate" camp: "There's no secret, I want to protect every single child. So if there's an opportunity to be able to move, protect more children if we can, I'm going to do it," said Lankford. But with the filibuster, he acknowledged that "There's a big difference in voting for and actually moving legislation."

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who is up for reelection this year, favors state control: "I'm definitely advocating: Let the states handle this," he told Marianne and Burgess.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), said that if Roe is struck down, he doesn't see the need for federal legislation: "I don't think it's really an appropriate topic for Congress," he said, despite supporting a 20-week abortion ban in the past.

Marianne and Burgess took the temperature of Senate Republicans Monday. Come for the smart story, stay for this kicker: Summing up the mood of the majority of the conference, Graham said Monday: "Call me in 2025."

FUNDRAISER FLUB — A pair of lobbyists pitched donors on a chance to chat with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) about Washington's NFL team and its owner, Dan Snyder. But tying fundraising efforts with specific legislative actions is a red flag. Krishnamoorthi abruptly canceled a fundraiser scheduled for Tuesday night after POLITICO's Daniel Lippman approached his office with questions about the event and that pitch from lobbyists Mike and Tom Mantos.

PROTECTION FOR SCOTUS SPOUSES, KIDS— The Senate approved a bill last night by unanimous consent that would protect Supreme Court justices' families, as protests swell at justices' homes following the disclosure of a draft opinion that would upending abortion rights.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced the legislation last week that gives the Supreme Court of the United States Police the authority to provide around-the-clock protection to family members. It is the type of protective detail that a select group of high ranking lawmakers and executive branch officials get. Read the bill text.

"We must act to ensure Justices and their families are protected from those who wish to cause them harm by extending Supreme Court police security to family members," Cornyn said in a statement.

While protests have centered in recent days on the court's conservative justices, Coons pointed to the high profile exposure Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's daughter received during Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

"If the families of Supreme Court Justices have the same profile and exposure as the highest ranking officials in our government, they deserve the same level of protection. We must take threats that come from extremes on both sides of the political spectrum against Supreme Court Justices seriously, and that makes this bill an unfortunate necessity," said Coons.

RELATED: Alito's home draws latest abortion-rights demonstration after Roe opinion breach, from Nancy Vu who was on the scene last night. Also: Josh Gerstein and Anthony Adragna dug into fishy reports that a Supreme Court justice had to flee his home and got to the bottom of the claim that's ricocheted across the web.

HUDDLE HOTDISH

They may say I'm a deemer, but I'm not the only one… Are you ready for a deem and pass? The House is expected to move the resolution expanding collective bargaining rights to House staff as part of a self-executing rule. Basically, the resolution will be tucked into a rule for floor consideration of other legislation. When the House votes to clear the rule, the unionization resolution would be deemed as approved, without the need for a separate vote.

Penn Social…. What one D.C. bar is doing with a 2.8 million grant from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

QUICK LINKS

Kai Kahele Could Have Trouble Financing His Run For Governor, from Nick Grube at Honolulu Civil Beat

TRANSITIONS

Andrew Neely is now senior director of government affairs for WSP. He previously was deputy policy director for the Senate Commerce Committee. Mia Keeys is joining Hologic as director of government affairs. She is currently chief of staff to Representative Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and previously acted as the director for health equity policy and advocacy at the American Medical Association as well as the policy advisor with the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. Maggie Ruffini is joining the Woolf Group as VP. She previously was a legislative staffer for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). Matilda Bress is now senior executive writer at American Bridge. She previously was comms director for Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.).

Brian Faughnan is now Republican comms director for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He most recently was senior writer at Stand Together.

Jaylen Black is now Press Secretary for the Stacey Abrams for Governor campaign. She previously served as Sen. Raphael Warnock's Deputy Press Secretary.

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TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House convenes at 2 p.m. with votes expected at 6:30 p.m.

The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. and votes at 11:45 a.m. on the nomination of Ann Claire Phillips, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration. The Senate will recess to allow for the weekly caucus meetings until votes at 2:15 p.m.

AROUND THE HILL

10 a.m. House Rules Committee business meeting on three bills, including one that would give TSA employees collective bargaining rights and put them on the same pay scale as other federal employees (Capitol 313).

Noon Sens. Graham and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) hold a press conference on designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism (Senate TV Studio).

2:30 p.m. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on three ambassador nominations, including Bridget Brink's nomination to be ambassador to Ukraine (Dirksen 106).

3 p.m. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) hold a press conference to call for legislative action on a reconciliation package focused on climate and jobs by Memorial Day (House Triangle).

5:45 p.m. Reps. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.) hold a press conference calling on the Senate to end the filibuster to protect abortion rights (House Triangle).

TRIVIA

MONDAY'S WINNER:William O. Black correctly answered that Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) succeeded Rep. Edward R. Roybal (D-Calif.), who served between 1963 and 1993 and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) succeeded Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), who served between 1981 and 2002.

TODAY'S QUESTION from William: Who are the only two politicians who have served both House Speaker and Vice President, presiding officers of both houses of Congress?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com.

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Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus