Surprise: China has united a fractured House

A play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news

Aug 01, 2023 View in browser   By Anthony Adragna and Daniella Diaz With assists from POLITICO’s Hill team Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) is heading to Rep. Ashley Hinson’s (R-Iowa) district on Thursday for a roundtable with farmers. It’s a conscious break from the typical C-SPAN hearing room fare. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo, file THE SELECT COMMITTEE THAT’S WORKING – AND WHY While the House Judiciary Committee’s select subpanel on government politicization descends into partisan rancor, another select committee is working in bipartisan harmony just yards away. So has the House’s tough-on-China panel discovered the secrets to congressional productivity? Your hosts talked to the China select committee’s chair Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and top Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois about their unique ability to stay unified ahead of a field hearing later this week in Dysart, Iowa, on agricultural technology theft by China. The preamble: For those who haven’t tracked the House’s China panel, it was set up by the new GOP majority. Its marching orders: study and suggest countermeasures against a host of perceived threats from China, ranging from possible military aggression against Taiwan to intellectual property theft and Chinese ownership of TikTok. Secret One: Get both leaders’ buy-in. Both Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi credited Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for making sure their panel had few partisan bomb-throwers on the roster. Gallagher said the two leaders had “set the tone” with their picks and called the China panel’s membership its “secret sauce.” Secret Two: Avoid political landmines. The Biden administration has opened the door to diplomatic engagement with Beijing, which Gallagher said he was “skeptical” of. But you won’t find those polarizing topics anywhere near the 10 bipartisan recommendations for deterring a Chinese attack on Taiwan that the select panel has already approved. That’s because both Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi clearly want to focus on agreeable solutions before headline-grabbing ones. “There's a big foundation of bipartisan agreement, I think, on the military side,” Gallagher told Huddle last week. “This U.S.-China competition, it's the single most important thing we're dealing with and we'll be dealing with for a long period of time.” Secret Three: Get creative with programming. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi head to Rep. Ashley Hinson’s (R-Iowa) district on Thursday for a roundtable with farmers. It’s a conscious break from the typical C-SPAN hearing room fare. “We're experimenting with different formats to get people to pay attention,” Gallagher said. “So far, it's having an impact.” The panel has previously met with major automakers in Detroit, tech titans in Silicon Valley and held intra-committee debates. More field hearings are in the works, too, according to Krishnamoorthi, including a late August event on manufacturing issues in Wisconsin. Why does it all matter? Unlike the incendiary allegations aired by Judiciary’s much better-known “weaponization of government” subpanel, some of the China committee’s work has the real prospect of making its way into law this Congress. Gallagher sees the possibility for “common ground” with the Senate, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has made countering China’s influence a top priority. Schumer has pledged to pursue more bipartisan China competitiveness work after legislation on the issue got downsized in the last Congress. “There's definitely interest in the Senate in taking action on China as other things stall,” Gallagher said. Schumer has also specifically touted provisions aimed at countering Beijing that the Senate included in its version of Congress’ annual must-pass defense policy bill. The fine print: Just because Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi agree on a lot doesn’t mean Congress has no tripwires that could take down their China competitiveness work. Two big ones that the Republican identified: Climate change. Gallagher said the U.S. should be wary of committing to more emissions cuts based on any Beijing commitments. “It's naive to think that we should delay certain actions in order to pursue some sort of cooperative framework deadline with them on climate change that will prove then ineffective at best,” he said. Subsidies. Some see last year’s slimmed-down Chinese competition law, which focused on semiconductors, as a model that can be extended to sectors like pharmaceuticals — helping the U.S. rely less on Chinese manufacturing. Gallagher isn’t so sure, noting that “most Republicans are skeptical” of government subsidies and intervention in industrial policy.    STEP INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: POLITICO’s California Playbook newsletter provides a front row seat to the Golden State’s political power centers, from inside the state Capitol and governor's mansion in Sacramento, to the mayor’s office and City Council and Los Angeles, to the influence of Silicon Valley. Authors Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner bring you exclusive news, buzzy scoops and behind-the-scenes details that you simply will not get anywhere else. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the game!     GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, August 1, where we’re already seeing those out-of-office messages go up. It’s the official sign that August has arrived in Washington! TICK TOCK: Government funding will run out in 60 days … on Sept. 30. (And so will the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization and the Farm Bill, which there is no text for) SWEET HOME COLORADO: SPACE FORCE FALLOUT WATCH  Alabama’s congressional delegation is livid in the wake of President Joe Biden’s Monday decision to keep the headquarters for the U.S. Space Force in Colorado, rather than move it to Huntsville. But perhaps the biggest question on the Hill’s hive mind remains unanswered: Did Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) hurt his state’s case? Why it’s all (maybe) connected: President Donald Trump initially announced during the waning days of his administration that Alabama would host Space Force HQ. Biden ordered a review of that decision shortly after taking office and ultimately reverted to the military’s original recommendation: making the Space Force’s interim home in Colorado permanent. The Biden administration connected its decision to “operational readiness,” but it came as Tuberville holds up hundreds of military promotions over Pentagon policy of permitting leave for service members seeking abortions. And Biden himself has repeatedly jabbed Tuberville as a one-man drag on the military for those holds. Rail Tide: Tuberville railed against the timing of the Space Command decision, calling it “shameful” and adding that “this is absolutely not over.” House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) suggested the decision was motivated by partisanship, saying that “it’s clear that far-left politics, not national security, was the driving force.” Meanwhile, a Colorado stunner: Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) told Huddle in an interview he had no idea the decision from Biden was coming Monday evening and added he doesn’t think Biden made the decision because of Tuberville’s hold on military noms. “I actually don't think it has anything to do with [Tuberville],” Bennet said in an interview with Huddle Monday night. “The political decision was a decision that Donald Trump made in the last week of his administration to rip Space Command away from Colorado and overruling the Air Force generals in his decision making.” Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) agreed that the decision to keep Space Force headquarters in his state was not tied to Tuberville’s holds and “has nothing to do with the state of Alabama in any way.” The Colorado senator refused to spike the football and said he’d spoken on Monday to his Alabama colleague, GOP Sen. Katie Britt. “I'm an empathetic person by nature,” Hickenlooper told Burgess in an interview. “And so I am empathetic to the people in Alabama that worked so hard to try and attract Space Command and be a good home for it.” Biden also earned warm words from one of his loudest Capitol Hill critics, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — proving that sometimes home-state interests outweigh party affiliation. “I'm very happy to see that our efforts were heard and US Space Command will remain in Colorado Springs,” Boebert wrote on social media. “Colorado is the one and only home the Space Command has ever known and it will remain that way!” TRUMP INDICTMENT WATCH: YOUR GUIDE TO HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ MOODS Former President Donald Trump’s third indictment could come down this week — so prepare for Republican lawmakers to once again feel the squeeze to defend their 2024 frontrunner. Two possible indictments in the mix: Trump said Monday on Truth Social that he expects to be indicted “any day now” as a result of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. That’s on top of the 2020 election investigation led by Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who told NBC that her team plans to announce charging decisions by Sept. 1. Though Congress is away from Washington for more than a month, any new charges against Trump will put pressure on Republicans to counter-program with more breakthroughs in their ongoing investigations into President Joe Biden. But beyond that, how will a new Trump indictment play for GOP lawmakers? MAGA World vibe check: It’s clear that even many pro-Trump Republicans aren’t expecting big questions in their district. During interviews before they left for recess, GOP lawmakers said that voters back home have long since made up their minds about Trump and his potential criminal exposure — or simply don’t care. Trump skeptics’ take: Among the handful of Republicans longing for anyone but Trump, some see an upside in a new indictment — the former president’s legal fights open up a lane for swing-district lawmakers to criticize the former president, establishing independence from their party in the process. Don’t forget McCarthy: Any new indictments could prove a political blessing in disguise for the speaker. Even Trump-doubting Republicans are largely united about defending the former president from what they see as a politically motivated investigation by the Justice Department. And that defense can serve as an off-ramp for McCarthy the next time he gets asked whether he’ll endorse Trump.   HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.     BRITT HAS HEALTH SCARE Britt said she was admitted to the hospital this past weekend after “a sudden onset of numbness in my face.” “Doctors determined that my symptoms were a result of swelling of a facial nerve, most likely caused by a post-viral infection,” she said in a statement. “My condition is not life-threatening, and recovery could take several weeks.” HUDDLE HOTDISH Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) was “briefly detained” by officers at a rodeo Saturday night while trying to help a 15-year-old girl who was having a medical emergency, according to a statement from his office. “While assessing the patient in a very loud and chaotic environment, confusion developed with law enforcement on the scene and Dr. Jackson was briefly detained and was actually prevented from further assisting the patient. He was immediately released as soon as law enforcement realized that he, as a medical professional, was tending to the young girl’s medical emergency,” the statement read. How did you celebrate the 159th anniversary of the final report from the House Report of the Select Committee on the Guano Trade (see the document here!)? Tim Burchett is celebrating after his daughter became a world champion barrel racer over the past week. Where are they now? Former Sean Patrick Maloney aide and Hill veteran Mecole Hayes will appear on Season 25 of “Big Brother.” QUICK LINKS  Senator Duckworth took her daughters to see ‘Barbie.’ Because she’s in a wheelchair, she had to wait outside, by Sara Luterman in The 19th. Mooney introduces bill to eliminate House of Representatives’ Office of Diversity and Inclusion, by Alexandra Weaver for WBOY 'Casual' chat or 'selling the illusion of access'? What Hunter Biden's ex-biz partner told lawmakers, by Jordain Senate Republicans pay more than Democrats for advanced degrees, from Keturah Hetrick at Legistorm TODAY IN CONGRESS The Senate holds a pro forma session at 12:15 p.m. The House holds a pro forma session at 3 p.m. AROUND THE HILL *crickets* TRIVIA MONDAY’S WINNER: Dan Cohen was first to identify former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) as the most recent father and son duo to serve together in Congress after the Menendezes. TODAY’S QUESTION from Dan: With all the discussion of age in and among political candidates for various federal offices, who was the oldest freshman Senator ever *sworn* into office? 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 Anthony and Daniella on Twitter at @AnthonyAdragna and @DaniellaMicaela.   Follow us

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