| | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine
|  | DRIVING THE DAY | | DEVELOPING — “Putin vows to punish those behind concert massacre,” by Reuters’ Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow and Mark Trevelyan: “Militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for Friday's attack but there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite emphatic denials from Ukrainian officials that Kyiv had anything to do with it. … Russia's state Investigative Committee said 133 people had been killed.” INSIDE THE RIGHT-WING PRESSURE MACHINE — “What happens when an AG dares to investigate Leonard Leo’s network,” by Heidi Przybyla: “The white-hot pressure campaign targeting [D.C. AG BRIAN] SCHWALB attests to the growing range of Leo’s influence. Beyond its work in promoting the conservative legal movement, his billion-dollar network of nonprofits has funded conservative media, Republican attorneys general and the campaign funds of leading congressional figures.”
|  Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) was unflinching in her response to the passage of the $1.2 trillion appropriations bill that averted a partial government shutdown. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN — The question of the day comes from Sen. PATTY MURRAY (D-Wash.), who yesterday, as a $1.2 trillion appropriations bill neared completion in the Senate, averting a partial shutdown, asked this: “And after all of that delay — how different ultimately was the outcome?” Put a different way, did the ouster of KEVIN McCARTHY by GOP hard-liners over his budget negotiations with the White House lead to better outcomes for conservatives? Almost certainly not. First, there were the optics: the embarrassing three-week process to install MIKE JOHNSON as speaker that helped push congressional job approval to historically low levels (11%!). Then there was the damage to the GOP majority: McCarthy left the House with a five-seat Republican majority (221-212). When Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.) leaves on April 19, Johnson will be down to a two-seat majority (217-213) — i.e., he will not be able to afford more than one defection on any party-line vote — and it likely won’t bump up to a three-seat majority until after the June 11 election to replace BILL JOHNSON of Ohio (assuming there won’t be any further GOP departures). Then there’s the process: McCarthy was ousted for relying on Democrats for key votes, bypassing the Rules Committee, passing continuing resolutions, and not always adhering to the 72-hour rule for legislation. Johnson is guilty of all of these alleged process crimes in his five months on the job. And then there’s the policy: McCarthy infuriated the right by cutting a spending deal with Biden. As the episode was blowing up his speakership, McCarthy reneged on the deal. He was ousted anyway, and it created a months-long delay of the appropriations process as Republicans pressed their advantage for more conservative policy victories. How did that work out? “In the end, the funding legislation hews closely to the spending levels McCarthy struck with Biden last summer under the bipartisan debt limit agreement, forged before the former speaker disavowed those totals at the behest of his right flank and still lost his gavel last fall,” write Jennifer Scholtes, Caitlin Emma and Ursula Perano. “The funding package also leaves out the controversial policy stipulations House Republicans included in their own versions of the funding bills.” Murray can’t be blamed for pointing out that all of the drama got Congress “nowhere.” While Congress often seems like it is dominated by aspiring social media influencers with day jobs in the House GOP, it was Murray, chair of Senate Appropriations, and her Republican colleague, Sen. SUSAN COLLINS (Maine), who did the heavy lifting. Their quiet work deserves much of the credit for delivering an Easter and Passover recess without a government closure. The difference between how the two parties are greeting the completion of the spending bills is notable. Democrats, led by Murray and the White House, are releasing a fusillade of emails celebrating their policy wins. The White House is especially proud of what may have been the most important political and policy development of the final round of negotiations: rejecting a continuing resolution for DHS and insisting on a full-year appropriations bill with additional funding. Johnson is pointing to several wins as well, including increases for defense and border security and enforcement, cuts to foreign aid and the IRS, and preventing “the Consumer Product Safety Commission from banning gas stoves.” But that is overshadowed by the anger on the right: — In the House, most Republicans (112 of 213 voting) opposed the bill. Perhaps more telling, nine of 34 GOP appropriators and eight of 22 committee chairs voted no on Friday. Among Democrats, only one appropriator, BARBARA LEE (Calif.), and two ranking members, JIM McGOVERN (Mass.) of Rules and NYDIA VELASQUEZ (N.Y.) of Small Business, opposed it. — In the Senate, 22 of the 24 no votes were from Republicans. Aspiring GOP leaders JOHN CORNYN (Texas) and JOHN THUNE (S.D.) stuck with current leader MITCH McCONNELL and voted for the bill, while JOHN BARRASSO (Wyo.) and STEVE DAINES (Mont.) voted against it. — KAY GRANGER, who is retiring this year, announced she is quitting early as chair of House Appropriations. The Texan is the fifth GOP committee chair to announce retirement. — And, perhaps predictably, MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) has started the ball rolling on a process to oust Johnson. “We have to find a new speaker of the House,” she said. (More on that from Anthony Adragna and Katherine Tully-McManus)
| | A message from the American Bankers Association: Credit card points and cash back rewards help Americans save, travel and shop — but some in Congress want to end those benefits, just like they shut down debit card rewards in 2011. The misguided Durbin-Marshall bill would eliminate credit card rewards, reduce access to credit cards and jeopardize consumer privacy. Don’t let lawmakers take away your hard-earned rewards just to pad the profits of corporate mega retailers. Tell Congress to oppose Durbin-Marshall. Act now. | | | Good Saturday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. THE SON ALSO ADVISES — “‘I want a fighter’: Donald Trump Jr. lobbying dad to pick one of these possible running mates,” by NY Post’s Jon Levine: “The former first son — who speaks to his father daily, often several times a day — said he’s been pushing people like Sen. J.D. VANCE (R-Ohio); VIVEK RAMASWAMY, a biotech entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate; and TUCKER CARLSON, a former Fox News host who now hosts a program on X.” In his own words … “In 2016 you needed someone to balance out [the ticket] — that’s where MIKE PENCE made sense, sort of the yin and yang, but [given] the vicious nature of the swamp and the insanity we see on a daily basis, you need someone who can take those hits.” And make a note … “Trump Jr. said he and fiancée KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, who also remains close to the campaign, had no plans on becoming a second ‘Javanka’ in the West Wing — but that he’d ‘never rule anything out.’”
| | | | A message from the American Bankers Association:   | | | | | WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY | | At the White House Biden has nothing on his public schedule. VP KAMALA HARRIS in the afternoon will meet with families of the victims of the 2018 Parkland, Florida, shooting and walk through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with members of the families. Afterward, Harris will deliver remarks on gun safety measures and participate in a moment of silence at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School memorial. In the evening, Harris will return to D.C.
| | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US
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Kari Lake is having a tough time selling her Arizona Senate campaign. | Jonah Elkowitz for POLITICO | 1. THE BIG PIVOT: As KARI LAKE tries again to win over voters in Arizona — this time in a Senate campaign — “she is struggling to walk away from the controversial positions that have turned off independents and alienated potential allies, lashing out in ways that Republicans now backing her campaign have warned will result in another defeat,” NYT’s Michael Bender and Kellen Browning report. About six months into the campaign to take outgoing Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA’s seat, Lake’s “attempt to temper her approach enough to win a Senate seat is proving to be a difficult task, even for someone with communication skills polished after decades in the local TV news business. Many moderate Republicans in Arizona remain opposed to her bid, criticizing Ms. Lake’s overtures as inadequate and insincere. Some conservatives who supported her in 2022 have voiced concerns about her authenticity and questioned her ability to win in November.” Straight from the source: “‘We have an amazing opportunity to bring our country together under conservative ideals,’ Ms. Lake said in an interview. ‘I’m meeting with people everyday who have not been Trumpers. I sit down with them, and I’m not changing who I am. I’m saying, “Look, we agree on this, this and this.”’” 2. TRUMP’S MONEY MACHINE: Facing a deficit to Democrats in the fundraising battle for 2024, Trump is trying to cut costs where he can as he tries to pay down his legal bills and remain on level footing in ad spending. “Inside his constellation of donors, there is an acknowledgment that the campaign needs to begin building up its war chest — and quickly bring more backers on board,” our colleagues Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw report. “Make no mistake, it’s not going to be easy,” said former Sen. KELLY LOEFFLER of Georgia, a major donor. “There’s donor fatigue. And what we have to focus on is not just fundraising, but making sure that people understand the contrast between the two candidates.” While Loeffler noted that Trump likely won’t need to raise as much money as Biden to keep his polling lead, she said Republicans “need to circle the wagons” to support Trump as the campaign “get[s] down to the brass tacks of having events and fundraisers.” The legal limbo: “First, search. Then, seizure. How Tish James will go after Trump’s bank accounts and other assets,” by Erica Orden 3. CAN BIDEN BECOME A FLORIDA MAN?: The Biden reelection operation is moving on Florida, with an event featuring Harris today and a planned digital ad buy aiming to reach Latino voters. Whether the campaign can actually put the state in play — given its recent red turn — is another challenge altogether, Kimberly Leonard writes from Miami. “There are, however, some encouraging signs for Democrats. “Trump’s support dropped 14 points in Florida’s primary on Tuesday compared with where it was four years ago, and 1 in 5 GOP voters opted for a candidate other than Trump. Though Biden’s campaign doesn’t have a Florida director yet, it intends to hire several senior staffers, said a Democratic strategist based in Florida who was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. And if nothing else, Florida offers a place Democrats can fundraise. Biden’s last visit to Florida, for example, was for high dollar fundraisers.” 4. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: “A State Department official warns Israel of ‘major’ reputational damage in Gaza war,” by NPR’s Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv: “The Biden administration is concerned Israel is making a ‘major strategic error’ by denying ‘major, possibly generational damage’ to Israel's reputation worldwide over its war in Gaza, according to a State Department memo obtained by NPR. Assistant Secretary of State BILL RUSSO, overseeing global public affairs in the State Department, told Israeli foreign ministry officials in a call on March 13 that both the U.S. and Israel face a ‘major credibility problem’ as a result of the ‘unpopular’ Israeli military offensive in Gaza, according to a U.S. readout of the conversation.” On the ground: “U.N. chief visits Egypt’s border with Gaza as Israeli invasion of Rafah looms,” by WaPo’s Ellen Francis, Whitney Juckno and Michael Birnbaum 5. CRACKING THE RUST BELT: “Biden’s US Steel decision highlights ‘deference’ given to Rust Belt senators, steelworkers,” by Gavin Bade: “The episode is just one illustration of how influential [Pennsylvania Sen. BOB] CASEY and other Democratic Rust Belt senators — including SHERROD BROWN of Ohio and TAMMY BALDWIN of Wisconsin — have been pushing Biden toward ever-more-populist trade and economic policies. Many of Biden’s biggest trade policy moves have come after close consultations with the three senators and their allies in organized labor — on issues including trade negotiations with Asian countries, tariff policies and the highly unusual decision to weigh in publicly on the U.S. Steel sale before a national security review is complete.” Speaking of Casey: “Casey, McCormick to appear alone on Senate ballots in Pennsylvania after courts boot off challengers,” by AP’s Marc Levy 6. BORDER TALES: “Abbott’s Army on the Border: Is it Working?” by NYT’s J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval: “For many months, the small border city of Eagle Pass, Texas, has provided the backdrop for a bitter legal battle between Gov. GREG ABBOTT and the Biden administration over how best to handle record numbers of migrants arriving at the border. The court fights, which intensified this week, have centered on claims that the border is in crisis. But recently, the opposite has been happening along the Rio Grande as it curves its way through Eagle Pass: In an area that last year was the epicenter of unauthorized migration along the southern border, far fewer migrants have been crossing.” Related read: “How the Political System Failed to Solve the Border Crisis,” by WSJ’s Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti: “The crisis has grown so acute, and touched so many aspects of American life, that an unprecedented percentage of voters rate immigration as their top issue — and polling shows they crave almost any solution.” 7. BEYOND THE BELTWAY: “Millions of Low-Income Families Set to Lose Internet Subsidies,” by NYT’s Madeleine Ngo: “The $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program provides low-income households up to $30 off their internet bill each month, and households living on eligible tribal lands can receive a discount of up to $75 a month. More than 23 million households receive either reduced bills or effectively free internet service through the program. But federal officials began winding down the program early last month, when they stopped accepting new applications and enrollments.” 8. BETWEEN DOD’S COUCH CUSHIONS: “Finding money: How the Pentagon dug down and found $300M for Ukraine but is still deep in the red,” by AP’s Lolita Baldor and Tara Copp: “The discovery of the $300 million has raised some eyebrows. The Defense Department is begging Congress for money it needs to replace weapons it already sent to Ukraine. Earlier this month, the Pentagon revealed how bad the gap was — $10 billion. That means that the military services that sent stockpiled equipment to Ukraine won’t get replacements unless Congress approves the funding bill, which House Republicans have stalled. It’s unclear whether the Pentagon could have put that $300 million toward reducing the $10 billion replenishment deficit instead.” 9. MEET THE (FULL COURT) PRESS: With former RONNA McDANIEL signing a deal with NBC, Puck’s Dylan Byers reports on the flurry that followed her exit from the RNC and landed her a “contributor gig to the tune of around $300,000 a year” despite a last-second blitz by CNN. “In a matter of days, McDaniel had secured an agent at CAA, MARK McGRATH, and, over the course of a couple weeks, took meetings with the leadership at several networks, including NBC News, ABC News, and CNN, according to sources with knowledge of those discussions. Notably, she did not talk to Fox News, which likely determined that her niche was already filled by KELLYANNE CONWAY and KARL ROVE. Then again, that hardly mattered. From the beginning, McDaniel felt that the ideal outcome would be a job with NBC.”
| | | | A message from the American Bankers Association:   | | | CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 16 keepers
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| GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Ryan Lizza: — “James Carville, the Cajun Who Can’t Stop Ragin’,” by NYT’s Maureen Dowd: “Carville is as busy as ever, raising money for Democrats, doing a podcast with Al Hunt and starring in a documentary directed by Matt Tyrnauer, who has also delved into the lives of Valentino and Roy Cohn.” — “Can the Irish Get Biden to Change His Policies on Gaza?” by N.Y. Mag’s Shawn McCreesh: “The fountain outside was burbling emerald and the Guinness was flowing, but, despite having a self-declared Irishman as president, St. Patrick’s Day at the White House this year felt more like an intervention than a party.” — “How to beat the backlash that threatens the liberal revolution,” by Fareed Zakaria for WaPo: “After three decades of unquestioned American hegemony, the rise of China and the return of Russia have brought us back to an age of great power competition.” — “What is the real Hamas?” by The Guardian’s Joshua Leifer: “How Israeli, Palestinian and US political actors understand Hamas is not merely a theoretical question – it will determine what kind of agreement can be reached to end the current war, and what the future of Gaza will look like.” — “The al Qaeda plot to kill Bill Clinton that history nearly forgot,” by Reuters’ Jonathan Landay: “Air Force One with President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton aboard was on its final approach to Manila on Nov. 23, 1996, when their U.S. Secret Service detail received alarming intelligence: an explosive device had been planted on the motorcade route into the Philippines capital.” — “Jacob’s Dream,” by Harper’s Frederick Kaufman: “MAGA meets the Age of Aquarius.” — “There’s a Communist Multimillionaire Fomenting Revolution in Atlanta,” by Mother Jones’ Kiera Butler: “Suburban Democrats are pissed.” — “Why Are Women Both Sadder and Happier Than Men?” by WSJ’s Emily Bobrow: “Around the world, women report being more distressed day-to-day but more satisfied with their lives in general.” — “Why young men and women are drifting apart,” by The Economist: “Diverging worldviews could affect politics, families and more.” — “Can an A.I. Make Plans?” by The New Yorker’s Cal Newport: “Today’s systems struggle to imagine the future — but that may soon change.” — “Building Intelligent Machines Helps Us Learn How Our Brain Works,” by The Scientific American’s George Musser: “Designing machines to think like humans provides insight into intelligence itself.”
| | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Vince Fong and Mike Boudreaux are heading to a runoff for Kevin McCarthy’s seat. Mike Braun had a fundraising conflict during the funding bill vote. Tommy Tuberville found something he wouldn’t talk about. Mike Gallagher had a parting gift for his colleagues. Kate Middleton has cancer. IN MEMORIAM — “Betty Cole Dukert, a power behind ‘Meet the Press’, dies at 96,” by WaPo’s Adam Bernstein: “The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, said her niece Barbara Smith. … Dukert likened the work to having a ‘ringside seat on the world’ as she negotiated with and arranged airtime for a panoply of presidents, wannabe presidents, dictators, business and labor leaders, authors, scientists and news-making legislators. Because of structural changes at the network, she was either the main producer of the show or one of the top producers, from 1976 until she announced her retirement in 1997.” TRANSITION — Taylor Deacon is joining Rep. Don Davis’ (D-N.C.) office as deputy comms director and press secretary. She previously was press secretary for Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Mass.). WEDDING — Courtney Walter, associate attorney with Alston & Bird LLP, and Joe Gollinger, legislative assistant for Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), got married last Saturday in Charleston, South Carolina, at the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. The two met while working at the Labor Department. Pic … Another pic WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Ernie Jolly, SVP for government relations at Truist Financial and a Greg Meeks alum, and Amanda Holder Jolly, VP and lead diversity and inclusion consultant at Wells Fargo, on March 14 welcomed Emory Chauncey Jolly. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas) … NRCC’s Theresa Winegar … The Intercept’s Ryan Grim … POLITICO’s Paul McLeary … Suzanne Turner … Johnny DeStefano of Utility Strategic Advisors … Kevin Kallaugher … Evan Keller … Maggie Gage of OneMain Financial … Alec Gerlach … Paul Neaville of the Markham Group … Cole Rojewski … Mike Franc … Shane Seaver … McKinsey’s Tara Maller … Nita Chaudhary … AFL-CIO’s Drew Waxman … LegiStorm’s Keturah Hetrick … former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson … Michael Caputo … APCO Worldwide’s Joanna London … Boeing’s Shaun Lara … DOJ’s Abby Kohlman … Alma Caballero … Stephanie Cuevas … Ian Koski THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) … Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Panel: Guy Benson, Penny Nance, Susan Page and Juan Williams. CBS “Face the Nation”: Kevin McCarthy … Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas)… Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). NBC “Meet the Press”: Stephen Breyer … Ronna McDaniel … Ruby Bridges. Panel: Stephen Hayes, Kimberly Atkins Stohr and Chuck Todd. CNN “State of the Union”: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) … Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). Panel: Brad Todd, Ashley Allison, Jonah Goldberg and Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.). Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures”: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem … Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick … Bernie Moreno … Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) … Matthew Whitaker … Eric Trump. Panel: Michael Shellenberge and Matt Taibbi. MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki”: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) … Kara Swisher. 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 Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook imprecisely referred to a United Nations resolution on the war in Gaza, which called for a “sustained” cease-fire.
| | A message from the American Bankers Association: Credit card rewards are more valuable than ever right now, with high prices and inflation still stinging our pockets — but some in Congress want to take away those rewards points and cash back in order to pad the profits of corporate megastores. The misguided Durbin-Marshall bill would end popular credit card rewards programs that benefit consumers and small businesses. The legislation would impose network routing requirements on banks that issue credit cards, prioritizing cheaper networks pushed by mega retailers that could compromise consumers’ personal information in the process. Tell Congress to leave your credit card rewards alone and stop meddling in the nation’s convenient, safe and trusted payments system. It’s time for lawmakers to protect your points and stand by consumers by opposing Durbin-Marshall. Act now. | | | | | | | 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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