| | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | Presented by |  | | | |  Speaker Mike Johnson is pulling Republicans' plan to avert a shutdown amid GOP defections. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | Speaker MIKE JOHNSON is yanking House Republicans’ six-month stopgap funding plan, forgoing a vote on the legislation, which was originally scheduled to hit the floor later this afternoon. Johnson said he’ll delay the vote until next week so that House Republicans can work over the weekend to tamp down GOP defections and “build consensus.” “The measure has crumbled amid mounting criticism from conservatives, defense hawks and other Republican factions, and it’s unclear that more time will help save the bill unless leaders make drastic changes,” Caitlin Emma writes. “House GOP leaders have already been whipping the bill, and nearly a dozen Republicans have publicly said they plan to vote against it.” The reality facing Johnson and the GOP: “Unless they can find adjustments to placate detractors, there’s an increasing likelihood that House Republicans will wind up saddled with a three-month stopgap spending bill backed by Democrats and the White House, free of any divisive policy add-ons. The Democratic-controlled Senate has not yet put forth its own official bill to keep the government open.” INFLATION NATION — The latest economic reading this morning showed inflation cooling off again in August, reaching a new three-year low and setting the Federal Reserve up to begin lowering interest rates at its meeting next week. The details, via WSJ’s David Uberti and Nick Timiraos: “The consumer-price index climbed 2.5% from a year earlier, according to the Labor Department, decreasing from 2.9% in July and extending its cooling streak to five months. Core inflation, a measure that excludes volatile food and energy costs, held roughly steady at 3.2%.” ON TO THE NEXT ONE? — DONALD TRUMP didn’t sound particularly interested in committing to another debate this morning, even on invitation from the more-friendly Fox News. Attempting to spin last night’s widely panned performance as a win, he suggested that KAMALA HARRIS would be the one interested in a second debate “because when a fighter loses, he says ‘I want a rematch,’” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” Would he agree to a second debate? “I’d be less inclined to, because we had a great night, we won the debate, we had a terrible network,” Trump said. Who would host it? Trump said he “wouldn’t want” to have the network’s traditional lead anchors MARTHA McCALLUM and BRET BAIER moderate the affair (“I didn’t think Martha or Bret were good last night,” he said). Instead, Trump floated SEAN HANNITY, JESSE WATTERS or LAURA INGRAHAM as moderators — all three of whom host opinion shows in primetime rather than anchoring hard news programs. More from Irie Sentner Want more sharp analysis? Watch Ryan, Rachael and Eugene break down Harris’ most consequential debate moves in today’s Playbook Daily Briefing, which we’re posting on video for the first time today. See the full video, by Krystal Campos and Annie Rees Another sign of Trump’s paltry performance that is sure to sting the former president: “Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group plunged 17% on Wednesday morning to the lowest level since the Truth Social owner went public in late March,” CNN’s Matt Egan writes. And in typical Trump fashion, he lashed out at TAYLOR SWIFT following her endorsement of Harris after last night’s debate, with a vague prediction that the global superstar will “probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.” FWIW: Swift has 12 nominations at tonight’s MTV Video Music Awards (and if she wins eight of those, she would break BEYONCÉ’s all-time career record of 30 VMA wins). While her attendance has not been confirmed, appearing onstage could give her a platform to expand on her Harris endorsement. And here’s a roundup of a few more post-debate angles:
- The global view: “The World Can Now See Kamala Harris in its Most Powerful Job,” by Nahal Toosi: “Foreign officials watching the Philadelphia faceoff weren’t expecting — and didn’t get — many policy specifics from either candidate. But many of those I spoke to said they wanted to see if Harris could stand up to a man who can be a bully, especially toward women, and rattle his political opponents.”
Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Novo Nordisk: At Novo Nordisk, our majority shareholder is a charitable foundation committed to improving people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. That lets us invest in early science and take risks for the benefit of patients as we drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases. | | | | | 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  VP Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance attend a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York. | Alex Kent for POLITICO | 1. TWENTY-THREE YEARS LATER: Just hours off their debate showdown in Philadelphia, Harris and Trump shook hands again this morning at the ceremony to commemorate the 23-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. “The two presidential nominees stood near each other at the event in lower Manhattan, with President JOE BIDEN and former New York City Mayor MIKE BLOOMBERG standing between Harris and Trump. Sen. JD VANCE, R-Ohio, Trump's vice presidential nominee, and former New York City Mayor RUDY GIULIANI also attended the ceremony,” NBC’s Lindsey Pipia, Jake Traylor, Freddie Tunnard and Dareh Gregorian write. “During the ceremony, a woman who lost her husband in the terrorist attacks criticized Biden for saying Tuesday to reporters that he was going to ‘do 9/11’ on Wednesday when mentioning that he would be attending memorials. The woman called it ‘quite a flippant remark’ — one of the only outright political statements heard during the ceremony.” More 9/11 reads:
- From the archives: “‘We’re the Only Plane in the Sky,’” by Garrett Graff: “Where was the president in the eight hours after the Sept. 11 attacks? The strange, harrowing journey of Air Force One, as told by the people who were on board.”
2. STEEL YOURSELF: Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel was controversial from the start, and new documents unveiled by WaPo’s David Lynch detail just how deep the distrust ran. Over the course of months, the head of Nippon lobbied the United Steelworkers union to bless the deal, but “despite repeated promises to guarantee the union’s existing contract, rule out layoffs or plant closures, and spend billion of dollars modernizing the American company’s aging blast furnaces, the Japanese company had come up empty.” “The documents reveal a nearly year-long courtship that seemed doomed from the start. [USW President DAVID] McCALL was irked by Nippon Steel’s failure to consult the union before announcing the December merger, which left him doubting its claims. Nothing that multiple Japanese executives said over the ensuing months came close to changing McCall’s mind. As the discussions proceeded in fits and starts, each side accused the other of misleading the public about its intentions.” Related read: “Biden’s opposition to U.S. Steel takeover could test ties with key ally Japan,” by NBC’s Arata Yamamoto and Jennifer Jett in Tokyo
| | | | A message from Novo Nordisk:   | | | 3. SCOTUS’ IMPACT: “Harvard’s Black Student Enrollment Dips After Affirmative Action Ends,” by NYT’s Anemona Hartocollis: “A year after the Supreme Court struck down the school’s admissions system, effectively ending affirmative action in college admissions everywhere, the numbers are in for the first class to be admitted, and the picture is more nuanced and complex than predicted. The proportion of Black first-year students enrolled at Harvard this fall has declined to 14 percent from 18 percent last year, according to data released by the institution on Wednesday — a dip smaller than the school had predicted, but still significant.” 4. DOWN-BALLOT DOWNLOAD: While much of the coverage surrounding ballot measures coming this fall has centered on abortion-related initiatives, our colleague Emily Schultheis ticks through a list of the most interesting other amendments being considered across the country. Here’s a snapshot:
- Elections: Proposals related to ranked choice voting, open primaries, redistricting and other election-related issues are appearing on more than a dozen ballots across the country.
- Economy: In a year where voters in both parties name inflation and high prices as a top concern, voters will consider measures related to the minimum wage and paid sick leave in half a dozen states in November.
- Drug policy: Five states — Arkansas, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota — will vote on whether to legalize marijuana or further loosen restrictions on the drug.
- Same-sex marriage: Nearly a decade after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, three states are voting on whether to remove dormant language from their state constitutions that limit marriage to a man and a woman.
- Miscellaneous: Other high-stakes ballot conflict touches on everything from crime and immigration to hunting and funding for private schools. There are also efforts, mainly on the part of Republican-led state legislatures, to put new restrictions on the use of ballot measures themselves.
5. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: “Family of American Woman Held in China for 10 Years Asks for Help,” by NYT’s Mara Hvistendahl: DAWN MICHELLE HUNT “and her family say that she was an unwitting victim of an elaborate drug trafficking scheme, versions of which have ensnared people around the world, including a number of older Americans. … Her family says the American government needs to intervene with China on Ms. Hunt’s behalf. ‘They’re part of the problem,’ said her father, GENE HUNT. Her family initially worried that Ms. Hunt, now 53, would be punished if they had spoken up. Now, a decade into her time behind bars, they are going public because her health is declining.”
| | | PLAYBOOKERS | | | SPOTTED: Brooke Shields, president of the Actors’ Equity Association, on the Hill today to meet with members of the House and Senate about the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act. Pic … Another pic FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC held a dinner last night in support of the DCCC, which raised $600,000, at Rose's Luxury in Eastern Market, hosted by co-chair Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) with special guests House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.). OUT AND ABOUT — The Hispanic Lobbyists Association opened Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrated its 18th anniversary last night for a celebration of Latino leaders with its Avanza Awards, including Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Mary Ann Gomez Orta and Steve Haro. SPOTTED: Reps. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lucia Alonzo, Ivelisse Porroa-García, Art Motta, Erica Romero, Maria Luisa Boyce, Norberto Salinas, Osiris Morel, Javier Gamboa, Carlos Becerra, Omar Franco, Estuardo Rodriguez, Rich Lopez, Marco Davis, Diego Zambrano, Claudia Flores and Marvin Figueroa. TRANSITIONS — Taylor Doggett is joining Rep. Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) campaign as political director. She previously was campaign manager for Harry Dunn’s congressional campaign and is a Mark Takano and David Price alum. … Oren Adam is joining Harry Dunn’s Democracy Defenders PAC as political director. He previously was campaign manager for Joe Vogel’s congressional campaign and is a DSCC alum. … … Lauren Cavignano is joining McKinsey as a public affairs specialist. She most recently was a consultant in the government and public services practice at Deloitte. … Max Pedrotti has joined the Washington Tax & Public Policy Group as a director. He previously was deputy chief of staff for Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.). WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Adam Levy, executive producer at BBC News, and Rebecca Kaplan, producer/off-air reporter at NBC News, on Saturday welcomed Asher Judah Levy, who came in at 7 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches long. He joins big brother Rahm. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Jennifer Larus of Frontrunner Productions 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. | | | | 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 politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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