| |
| |
 |
| By Daniella Diaz |
Presented by Sallie Mae® |
With an assist from Katherine Tully-McManus
|
President Joe Biden is planning to travel as planned to Hiroshima Wednesday for the Group of Seven leaders’ summit. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo |
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MEETING — The Big Four congressional leaders are planning to meet with President Joe Biden on Tuesday as the clock is ticking with just 17 days left until June 1, which is when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the nation could default on its debt. But if you’re counting (like us), there are *really* just four days left (including today) on the calendar when the House and Senate are both in session, making this meeting a make-or-break moment for lawmakers and the president – both of whom insist they want to avoid a default – if they don’t want to upend their plans for the rest of the month. Democratic senators have already acknowledged they might have to cancel their scheduled Memorial Day recess next week to get a deal across the finish line but as of now, there are no official plans to do so. Plus, Biden is planning to travel as planned to Japan on Wednesday for the Group of Seven leaders’ summit. “That’s my plan as it stands now,” Biden told reporters Sunday. What could negotiations look like? Friday’s Huddle from Sarah and Katherine really broke this down into detail, but there are several asks from Republicans on the table on how a debt ceiling package should look, including streamlining to expedite domestic energy production projects and ease permitting on pipelines and refineries. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has been an especially loud advocate for those provisions, which White House senior adviser John Podesta has said the Biden administration wants cut from negotiations. Republicans also want clawbacks on unspent Covid relief funding and work requirements for social programs, including Medicaid and food assistance. Huddle is told staff-level discussions are continuing Monday on the debt limit before Tuesday’s meeting. (They also met Friday and Saturday, FWIW) Notable: Biden was asked by a reporter Sunday where he stands on tougher work requirements for “certain government aid programs,” shedding some light on where he stands on these negotiations: “I voted for tougher aid programs that’s in the law now, but for Medicaid it's a different story. And so I’m waiting to hear what their exact proposal is,” Biden said. Related read: How the Supreme Court might view the debt limit fight, from Betsy Woodruff Swan
|
| |
| INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE HONORS “WOMEN OF IRAN”: POLITICO is proud to partner with the International Republican Institute (IRI) in support of this year’s John S. McCain Freedom Award to the “Women of Iran.” As IRI’s highest honor, the Freedom Award exemplifies the goals and accomplishments of strengthening democracy for a freer, more secure world. In celebration of IRI's 40th anniversary, the Institute is highlighting many courageous women across the globe who are on the front lines in the fight for freedom. Don’t miss an opportunity to support and empower women leaders who are fearlessly advancing democracy worldwide. |
| |
| |
GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, April 15, where we hope all our readers had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend.
|
 Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said “a 50 percent drop in the number of encounters versus what we were experiencing earlier in the week, before Title 42 ended at midnight on Thursday,” on CNN’s “State of the Union.” | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images |
BORDER NOT SO BAD? — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that crossings at the southern border have decreased since the beginning of last week despite the end of Title 42, the pandemic-era policy that expelled migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. Mayorkas said “a 50 percent drop in the number of encounters versus what we were experiencing earlier in the week, before Title 42 ended at midnight on Thursday,” on CNN’s “State of the Union.” Mayorkas also offered the major caveat that lawmakers are also saying when it comes to the border: “It is still early .. But you know, we’ve been planning for this transition for months and months. And we’ve been executing on our plan.” MCCAUL PROBE’S STATE DEPT — Just in case you missed it, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said last Friday that he has formally requested transcribed interviews of State Department officials as part of his probe into the Biden administration’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The request for these interviews comes days after McCaul threatened to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted form of a so-called dissent cable, sent in July 2021, that warned top agency officials of the potential collapse of Kabul — before the Aug. 31 troop withdrawal deadline.
|
| A message from Sallie Mae®: Every year, Federal Pell Grants help nearly 7 million students access college. Pell Grants, however, only cover one-third of the average cost of attendance today, compared to more than 75% when it was introduced 50 years ago. Private student lender Sallie Mae believes modernizing the Pell Grant can more meaningfully support students with the most need. Learn more. |
| |
UKRAINE FUND — The $48 billion Ukraine aid package that Congress approved in December has about $6 billion left, meaning U.S. funding for weapons and supplies could dry up by midsummer, Anthony, Paul McLeary and Joe Gould report this morning. That’s raising fresh concerns among lawmakers about what the White House is planning next, including when the administration will ask for another major package and whether it will be enough. More here. PETERS TALKS DSCC — Democrats are looking for “extreme candidates” to come out of Senate GOP primaries and give them a leg up in an otherwise bleak electoral map, according to new reporting this morning from Burgess and Holly. Their story this morning, which features an interview with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.), reveals Democrats are mostly focused on defending their turf rather than chasing pick-up opportunities — and tending to undecided incumbent Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). That imperative creates a party strategy that’s focused on highlighting GOP infighting in a bid to split state parties, sap resources and produce unelectable Republican nominees.
|
|
Hmm … Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) changed his profile picture on Twitter. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) released his inaugural “Bill on the Hill” video series, this one on his big idea on how to fix social security. Congratulations to Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and his wife this Mother’s Day weekend.
|
| |
| GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. |
| |
| |
QUICK LINKS Defending white nationalists, Tommy Tuberville fears a military that is ‘going wrong’, from Paul Kane at the Washington Post Feinstein’s Health Crisis Goes Back Farther than We Knew, from Paul McLeod at Rolling Stone EXCLUSIVE: Capitol Hill Staffer Is A Prominent Follower Of Neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, from Hunter Walker at Talking Points Memo How Kyrsten Sinema Uses Campaign Cash for Her Marathon Habit, from Sam Brodey at the Daily Beast The Last Democrat in Ohio?, from Dan Merica at The Messenger
|
| |
| A message from Sallie Mae®:   |
| |
TRANSITIONS Sam Kuebler is now legislative director for Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). He most recently was policy adviser for Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at noon for debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business. First and last votes are expected at 6:30 p.m. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will vote on confirmation of Bradley Garcia’s nomination to be a U.S. Circuit judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.
|
| A message from Sallie Mae®: For too long, the federal student loan program has done too much for too many, and not enough for those who need the most support. Meaningfully increasing the Pell Grant, which provides need-based government funding that does not need to be repaid, would be a step in the right direction in supporting access for low-income students and helping protect against overborrowing. Learn more about why private lender and education solutions provider Sallie Mae supports expanding the Pell Grant, a critical tool in increasing college access and completion. |
| |
AROUND THE HILL 5 p.m. House Rules Committee business meeting to consider three measures, including H.R. 2494, which would make the assault of a law enforcement officer a deportable offense. (H-313 Capitol)
|
|
FRIDAY’S WINNER: Clem Balanoff correctly answered that Democrat Kate Brown assumed office as Governor of Oregon in 2015 after the previous governor resigned, the nation’s first openly LGBT governor. She was then elected in 2016. TODAY’S QUESTION: Who was the first Latina to hold a statewide elected executive office (and bonus if you name the state)? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ddiaz@politico.com GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Daniella on Twitter @DaniellaMicaela |
| |
| Follow us |
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment