| | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
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We caught up this weekend with Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), a rare Judiciary Committee Republican and Freedom Caucus member who is not yet sold on impeaching any Biden administration official. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | | THE WEEK — Today: President JOE BIDEN meets with British PM RISHI SUNAK and KING CHARLES III in London. The Senate returns from July Fourth recess. … Tomorrow: Biden and European leaders kick off annual NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Gen. CHARLES Q. BROWN JR. testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination as Joint Chiefs chairman. The House returns. … Wednesday: June inflation numbers are released. FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY testifies before House Judiciary Committee. Reporters battle lawmakers in the 15th annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game. … Thursday: Biden participates in the U.S.-Nordic Leaders Summit in Helsinki then returns to Washington. … Friday: GOP presidential candidates gather for the Family Leader’s annual summit in Des Moines, Iowa. SCOOP: THE GOP’S BACKDOOR IMPEACHMENT MOVE — With House Republicans divided over impeachment for members of the Biden administration, some in the GOP ranks are considering a possible alternative: simply zeroing out their salaries. The tool that some members, mostly conservatives, are eying is the Holman Rule, an obscure and controversial power that allows lawmakers to reduce the salaries of — and effectively fire — specific federal employees. Their possible targets? You can probably guess: Attorney General MERRICK GARLAND, Homeland Security Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, and possibly even FBI Director CHRISTOPHER WRAY, for starters. Some are hoping to use the procedure on investigators working for special counsel JACK SMITH. Two caveats … 1. Using the Holman Rule wouldn’t necessarily mean Republicans would skip impeachment. Far from it: One GOP source told us the two tools are not mutually exclusive and that proceedings against Garland could start in the Judiciary Committee as soon as this month. 2. Using the power of the purse to punish Biden administration officials isn’t destined to be any more successful than impeaching them — which is to say not at all, given Democrats’ control of the Senate and the need for Biden’s signature on any appropriations bill. The idea has some traction. We caught up this weekend with Rep. KEN BUCK (R-Colo.), a rare Judiciary Committee Republican and Freedom Caucus member who is not yet sold on impeaching any Biden official. Policy differences alone, he argues, are not enough to justify impeachment. “It's not what the Constitution says,” Buck said, citing also his own reading of the Federalist Papers. “You know, people make all kinds of accusations and say, 'We should impeach!' But I haven't seen documents suggesting that [Garland] has in some way altered the plea offered to HUNTER BIDEN. … All these things need to be fleshed out.” But Buck said he’s more willing to cinch the pursestrings using the Holman rule: “If we've got a problem, a policy difference — not high crimes and misdemeanors — with Secretary Mayorkas, the proper procedure is to cut his salary in the appropriations process,” he continued. Expect top GOP leaders to bless the tactic. Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY set the table for the move months ago, deciding even before he won the gavel to reinstate the Holman Rule, which had been dormant under the prior Democratic majority. Not all House Republicans are sold, however. We talked to one centrist Republican last night who worries that his party is opening yet another Pandora’s box. Democrats were unflinching in using their majority to kick Republicans off committees, the member argued, inviting an ongoing game of tit-for-tat. “Let’s say RON DeSANTIS happens to be the next president, and now [Democrats] will be cutting off his Cabinet because they don’t like his policies,” the member said. “This keeps getting worse. We need some sanity.” Even Buck has a few qualms. He acknowledged that the Democratic Senate isn’t about to follow the House’s lead in targeting Biden officials. And, as a former prosecutor, he argued it’s “not appropriate” to target the salaries of Smith’s investigators. “The answer to a bad prosecution is a trial in front of 12 jurors and a judge overseeing that trial,” he said. “It's not defunding people who you disagree with.” IN RELATED NEWS — Rep. JIM JORDAN’s Judiciary panel is going to be busy this month, as the panel revs up its probes of Biden’s inner circle. The committee, we’re told, will be releasing a new report on its probe of the FBI this week, with Wray testifying before the committee Wednesday. Stay tuned for more on that blockbuster hearing later this week. We’re also told multiple panels are in talks about holding a rare joint hearing focused on GARY SHAPLEY, the IRS whistleblower who is alleging political meddling in the HUNTER BIDEN prosecution. Shapley already testified behind closed doors to the Ways and Means Committee, as did a second unnamed whistleblower. Plans for public testimony have yet to be finalized. And, as we mentioned above, impeachment proceedings targeting Garland could launch as soon as this month, with Jordan in the lead. The Ohio Republican and House leaders, we’re told, have already sketched out a tentative framework for impeachment proceedings that could last into the fall. Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: Experts like the FAA have made it clear: DCA is at capacity. Yet Delta-backed efforts to add more flights to DCA threaten to overburden the airport, increase delays and cancellations, trigger reduced service for regional airports, and raise serious safety concerns as record numbers of Americans hit the skies. Join CPARA and the hundreds airports, chambers of commerce, businesses, and local officials who oppose changes to the DCA slot and perimeter rules. Join the fight at www.protectregionalairports.com. | | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — United for Democracy — a new Supreme Court reform coalition that includes Planned Parenthood, SEIU, AFT, NEA, NARAL and dozens of other prominent unions and left-of-center groups — is sending a letter to Congress today calling for formal hearings and investigations on alleged corruption in the Supreme Court. Without naming names or referring to specific allegations, the group argues that recent “revelations about ethics and corruption at the Court have undermined public trust and made a mockery of the idea that every American should be treated equally under the law.” “As a co-equal branch of government with constitutional responsibility to structure the federal Courts and create law, Congress should conduct a thorough investigation and take action to restore a fair and independent judiciary,” the letter reads. The missive comes after Senate Judiciary Committee Chair DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) announced his panel would vote this month on Supreme Court ethics legislation. But lawmakers have been otherwise content to let Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS to handle questions about justices' conduct internally — an approach that the coalition now calls “far from enough,” putting new pressure on Durbin and Senate Democrats to up their game. More here FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Real America’s Voice anchor ED HENRY is facing a drunk-driving charge in Palm Beach County, Fla., after police spotted him on June 20 driving on a flat tire, according to law enforcement records obtained by Playbook. An officer watched as the flat tire came off of Henry’s Cadillac Escalade and nearly hit an oncoming vehicle, according to the documents. Henry continued driving on a bare rim nearly two miles to a Cadillac dealership, the officer wrote, where he was questioned and arrested. A second officer wrote at 8:21 p.m. that Henry had “glassy and bloodshot eyes,” an “unsteady” gait and “slightly slurred” speech. The officer described Henry as “polite” and wrote that he “admitted drinking 2 Bourbons around 6 or 7 PM” then damaging his car by hitting a curb as he left nearby Singer Island. Court records indicate that Henry submitted to a breath test, conducted about 90 minutes after the initial police encounter, that came in at .079% and .077% — just below Florida’s legal limit of .08%. He is due in court July 18 for an arraignment. “Mr. Henry cooperated with law enforcement during their investigation. He respectfully provided a sample of his breath that was below a .08, and thus within the legal limit under Florida law,” his attorney DAVID TARRAS said in a statement. “Mr. Henry and his legal team continue to cooperate with the State Attorney’s Office for Palm Beach County and are confident in a just result.” A spokesman for state attorney DAVE ARONBERG declined to comment on the pending case. It’s the latest controversy surrounding the high-profile former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, who was fired from Fox News in 2020 over an allegation of sexual misconduct. Henry has denied any misconduct and sued the network and CEO SUZANNE SCOTT for defamation, a claim that was dismissed by a federal judge last year.
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| ACROSS THE NEWSOMVERSE — California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM is making his presence known — both in Sacramento and across the U.S. political landscape. But to understand Newsom, you need to understand his inner circle. Our growing California team mapped the Newsomverse, a tight collection of longtime friends, advisers and confidantes. Some have been part of his network since his days as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the 1990s or even before — when he was running a wine bar in the city’s Marina District. By the way: POLITICO is expanding our footprint in California, and California Playbook is growing with it. Today we’re launching the next iteration of the must-read newsletter — which will be filled with more exclusive coverage and analysis that takes readers on a daily journey across the state’s political landscape. It’s the must-read for California politics. Click here to subscribe YOU’RE INVITED — Rachael sits down tomorrow morning with Del. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (D-D.C.) and speakers from the U.S. Travel Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the National Consumers League to discuss the prospects for the FAA Reauthorization Act and how reauthorization will reshape the FAA’s priorities and authorities. RSVP here
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:   Adding flights to DCA will increase delays, cancellations and congestion, ultimately threatening passenger safety and convenience. Join the fight at www.protectregionalairports.com. | | | | | BIDEN’S MONDAY (all times Eastern):
8:05 a.m.: The president will meet with King Charles III.
12:55 p.m.: The president will arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania.
HARRIS’ MONDAY — The VP will ceremonially swear in JARED BERNSTEIN as chair of the Council of Economic Advisors at 4 p.m. and GEETA RAO GUPTA as ambassador-at-large for Global Women's Issues at 4:15 p.m.
THE SENATE will meet at 3 p.m. to resume consideration of the nomination of XOCHITL TORRES SMALL’S nomination for deputy agriculture secretary with a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m.
THE HOUSE is out. | | | | | | STOP SCROLLING (for just a minute!). Introducing a revamped California Playbook newsletter with an all-new team and a sharpened mission! Join Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner as they take you on an extraordinary journey through California's political landscape. From inside the Capitol in Sacramento to the mayor’s office in Los Angeles, and from the tech hub of Silicon Valley to even further beyond, we're your front-row ticket to the action. Subscribe for access to exclusive news, buzzworthy scoops and never-before-revealed behind-the-scenes details straight from the heart of California's political arena. Don't miss out — SUBSCRIBE TODAY and stay in the know! | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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President Joe Biden is greeted British Ambassador to the United States Karen Pierce, and Jennifer Tolhurst, Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, as he arrives at Stansted Airport in England, Sunday, July 9, 2023. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 2024 WATCH THE TESTOSTERONE TEST — Whether it’s FRANCIS SUAREZ bragging about his 5K times, VIVEK RAMASWAMY flexing his weekly tennis victories or RFK JR. working out shirtless, the 2024 presidential primary is turning into something of a testosterone primary, Adam Wren writes. The emerging measuring stick amounts to a “frenetic fit boy summer sidequest in which candidates are drawing fewer contrasts on policy and proving more keen on comparing feats of strength. Brawn and bravado are in demand, particularly among a GOP base conditioned by a steady dose of both in the Trump era. Thirst traps are a new wedge issue.” MAILING IT IN — Fresh off the viral DeSantis video that painted DONALD TRUMP as a champion of LGBTQ rights, a newly formed group in Iowa is sending mailers to residents that also “praises” Trump for his record on the issue, Bleeding Heartland’s Laura Belin reports. The mailer claims that Trump “stood up for MARRIAGE EQUALITY and TRANS RIGHTS” and encourages recipients to “tell him to keep fighting for LGBTQ rights!” Little information is available about the mailers’ origins. AD WARS — A new organization with close connections to the anti-tax Club for Growth is rolling out a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in early primary states aimed at gumming up Trump’s glide path to the Republican nomination, our colleague Alex Isenstadt reports this morning. HALEY’S GAMBIT — “Nikki Haley Makes Her Pitch in New Hampshire. It’s Unclear Whether Voters Will Swing,” by NYT’s Maya King: “Ms. Haley downplayed concerns about her standing in the primary. It’s early in the race, she said, and many voters have yet to tune in to the campaigns.” THE WHITE HOUSE FIT FOR A KING — “For a President and a King, the View From the Top Is Curiously Similar,” by NYT’s Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Mark Landler in London: “The two men — the American president and the British king — waited decades for their dream jobs, projecting a sense of normalcy and unity when they finally reached their thrones. They both prefer to ditch executive palaces for their respective retreats. And they share a passion for confronting threats to the environment. “The men, the 80-year-old President Biden and the 74-year-old King Charles III, are also united by their challenges. They both face a public increasingly dubious of their institutions. And they both battle skepticism over whether they are the right people to lead the increasingly diverse groups over which they preside.” Related read: “The King and I: Joe Biden and Charles III to bond over tea and eco-activism at Windsor Castle,” by Esther Webber and Jonathan Lemire in London CONGRESS THE NEW GOP — House Republicans are planning to wage war on “woke” capitalism this month, further straining the once-strong relationship between big business and the GOP, Zachary Warmbrodt and Eleanor Mueller write. “Republicans who lead the House Financial Services Committee plan to spend the next few weeks holding hearings and voting on bills designed to send a clear signal: Corporations, in particular big investment managers, should think twice about integrating climate and social goals into their business plans.” SETTING THE TABLE — “Congress Dives Back Into Fights on Spending Cuts, Military as Deadline Draws Near,” by WSJ’s David Harrison: “Top of mind on Capitol Hill as lawmakers return from recess this week are the annual spending bills to keep the government open, which must be enacted by the time the new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. Other priorities include legislation authorizing military programs, updating agriculture and food-aid policy and keeping the country’s airports running, all of which must also be enacted by the new fiscal year, although Congress can also agree to temporarily extend current programs.” INVESTIGATION INVENTORY — The Biden administration “allegedly failed to correctly reappoint more than a dozen top-ranking National Institutes of Health leaders, House Republicans say, raising questions about the legality of billions in federal grants doled out by those officials over the last year,” CBS’ Catherine Herridge and Alexander Tin report. “Their claim … follows a monthslong probe led by Rep. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, the Republican chair of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, into vacancies at the agency.”
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:   DCA is at capacity. Adding flights to DCA is reckless. Join the fight at www.protectregionalairports.com. | | | TRUMP CARDS ‘ANONYMOUS’ SPEAKS — Top homeland security officials were so alarmed about escalating tensions with North Korea less than a year into Trump’s presidency that they held multiple meetings to prepare for a nuclear attack on American soil, according to an excerpt from former DHS official MILES TAYLOR’s forthcoming book, “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump” ($25.20), which was shared with our colleague Betsy Woodruff Swan. “One day, he threatened North Korea ‘with fire, fury and frankly power the likes of which this world has never seen before.’ He almost seemed to welcome a nuclear conflict, which terrified us,’” Taylor writes. JUDICIARY SQUARE SHIFTING SENTIMENTS — “Stymied by the Supreme Court, Biden wants voters to have the final say on his agenda,” by AP’s Colleen Long and Zeke Miller: “As Biden heads into the 2024 election, he is running not only against the Republicans who control one-half of Congress but also against the conservative bloc that dominates the nation’s highest court. It’s a subtle but significant shift in approach toward the Supreme Court, treating it more like a political entity even as Biden stops short of calling for an overhaul.” POLICY CORNER IMMIGRATION FILES — “Number of Migrants at the Border Plunges as Mexico Helps U.S. to Stem Flow,” by NYT’s Simon Romero, Miriam Jordan and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega: “The unusual scenes of relative calm flow from a flurry of actions the Biden administration has taken. … But it is also the result of tough steps Mexico has taken to discourage migrants from massing along the border, including transporting them to places deep in the country’s interior.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD LIV AND LET DIE — “Randall Stephenson resigns from PGA Tour policy board over LIV deal,” by WaPo’s Rick Maese: The former AT&T exec “said the framework of the deal ‘is not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support, particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning JAMAL KHASHOGGI in 2018.’” ALSO ON THE NATO AGENDA — “South Korea’s Yoon pushes for strong resolve against North’s nuclear ambitions at NATO summit,” by AP’s Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea BEYOND THE BELTWAY CAUGHT UP IN THE CULTURE WARS — “State laws targeting LGBTQ rights have a new foe: federal judges,” by NBC’s Jo Yurcaba and Tyler Kingkade: “Of the 20 states that have passed into law restrictions on transition-related care for transgender minors, 11 have faced lawsuits. Five — Arkansas, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky and Florida — have had their restrictions completely or partially blocked by federal judges who ruled they violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.” CLIMATE FILES — “The Southwest Bakes With More Heat on the Way,” by NYT’s John Washington, Anna Betts and Maria Jimenez Moya
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Janet Yellen’s visit to a small Beijing restaurant has been immortalized with the “God of Money Menu.” Chuck Schumer vs. Logan Paul is an unexpected heavyweight matchup of 2023. Crystal Quade is bringing roller derby to the Missouri gubernatorial race. Eric Michael Garcia can really shred. MEDIA MOVE — Jamie Drogin Lehman is joining Semafor to oversee its global events business. She previously was managing director at Teneo. TRANSITIONS — Natalia Cardenas is now press secretary for Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). She previously was Hispanic media deputy director for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. … Elizabeth Reicherts is now global head of government affairs at SolarEdge. She previously was VP of external affairs at General Motors. … George Hornedo is launching Hornedo Strategies, a government relations and political strategy firm. He most recently was an associate at Ice Miller LLP and is a Pete Buttigieg and Obama administration alum. … … Will DiBugno is now director of rapid response for America 2100. He previously was director of rapid response for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). … Amanda Krzepicki is now policy director for the Autoimmune Association. She previously was government relations manager for HIMSS. ENGAGED — Mitchell Rivard, chief of staff for Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), and Scott Zumwalt, managing director at Bully Pulpit Interactive, got engaged on July 3 in Austria while hiking Schafberg Mountain overlooking Wolfgang Lake. They met at a Victory Fund reception in 2014. Pic — Andrew DeNooyer, a software engineer, proposed to Paige Lindgren, comms director for Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), on Friday by the water in Old Town Alexandria. They met on Bumble in 2020. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) … Tim Murtaugh … POLITICO’s Sam Stein, Chris Cadelago and Matt Daily … Insider’s Catherine Boudreau … Sarah Boxer … Alex Angelson of Michael Best Strategies … Katie Pavlich … Eli Yokley of Morning Consult … CBS’ Shawna Thomas … MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin … White & Case’s Keir Whitson … Caroline Ciccone … Ben Napier … Rena Shapiro … former CDC Director Robert Redfield … former Reps. Ron Klein (D-Fla.), Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) … Morgan Ortagus … Megan Ortagus … Julianna Smoot of WaterWorks … Kenny Day … WSJ’s Heather Haddon … Emily Sirh … Evelyn Swan of Rokk Solutions Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
| | | | A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports: DCA was designed to serve regional airports within the perimeter. Yet a Delta-backed group is pushing for changes to DCA’s slot and perimeter rules that could reduce service for these regional airports and the communities they serve. These changes put economic development at risk, and threaten communities’ ability to safely, affordably, and easily connect to and through our nation’s capital. That’s why CPARA, its 120+ members, and leading aviation experts and authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration oppose changes to the DCA slot and perimeter rules. Protect regional airports and regional access. Join the fight at www.protectregionalairports.com. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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