GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Thursday, April 6, where your regular host is heading out of town but the wonderful Daniella Diaz is taking the reins for a few days. (Send her your transitions, tips and trivia!) TAKE ME TO TAIWAN — Olivia is in Taiwan with a bipartisan CODEL led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas). Taiwan’s vice president Lai Ching-te pointed to the escalating tension in the Taiwan Strait and aggression from China and said that “Taiwan stands on the front line of combat to authoritarian expansionism.” “It is important that we protect you” McCaul told Lai, adding that despite lots of discussion of ambiguity that “the United States stands by you and will protect you.” He later clarified that the U.S. protects Taiwan “by arming and training them – and by being prepared to defend them if necessary.” President Joe Biden has all but tossed out the policy of strategic ambiguity and has also pledged to defend Taiwan. The eight-lawmaker CODEL plans to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen once she travels back to the island from her trip to the U.S. Don’t miss Anthony’s recap of Tsai’s meeting with McCarthy and others. McCaul made a striking comparison on global threats: “This struggle for the global balance of power that we find ourselves in today often reminds me of my father's generation, often referred to as the greatest in the United States. Then we had Hitler. Today we have Putin and Chairman Xi.” Joining McCaul on the Taiwan trip are Reps. French Hill (R-Ark.), Michael Lawler (R-NY), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.). Related read: What Taiwan’s Tsai privately told 3 senators, from Alexander Ward over at NatSec Daily WHERE’S WHITMER — The real question is: which one? Democrats are betting that two Whitmers is better than one. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a sister and she’s considering a run for one of the House’s most high-profile battleground seats this cycle, report Sarah, Ally and Nicholas. Liz Whitmer Gereghty of New York’s Westchester County could announce her campaign to challenge GOP Rep. Mike Lawler as soon as mid-April, a person familiar with her plans told POLITICO. DOUBLE FOR DeSANTIS — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) endorsed Ron DeSantis for president, making him the second House Republican to back the Florida governor – who is not yet a declared candidate for the White House – as the 2024 Republican field takes shape. "I’ve been honored to call Ron DeSantis a friend for over a decade. During the six years we served together in Congress, I witnessed Ron fight for economic freedom, personal liberty, fiscal responsibility, and constitutionally limited government,” Massie said. “If we make the right choices, America’s best days are in front of us. Let’s pick a proven energetic leader who can get us there. Let’s choose Ron DeSantis for President.” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) threw his support behind DeSantis back in March. Meanwhile… Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is backing former President Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, a show of support for the former president announced ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday. REELECTION PULSE — Just keeping an eye on who’s running again and who’s still thinking about it. Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is getting in the game to defend her battleground state seat. Another swing state Democrat, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania “has not yet announced whether he will seek a fourth term, but he has done everything short of that,” writes Holly Otterbein from Philadelphia. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment