How the Hill will watch the VP debate

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Oct 01, 2024 View in browser   By Nicholas Wu Presented by Plan B One-Step® With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team The latest from the Hill on the Iran missile strike: Leadership in both parties were briefed and pledged to stand with Israel after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack Tuesday. Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement: “We pray for their safety and urge the Biden-Harris Administration to deliver a strong message to the Iranian regime that this unjustified violence and terror must end” as he also faulted “Biden and Harris' weak and failed foreign policy.” The latest details on the attack. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol Feb. 12, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO JD VS. WALZ: A HILL STORY Members of Congress have their fingerprints all over this vice presidential debate. Several lawmakers will be in the spin room for both candidates. Tom Emmer helped JD Vance with debate prep. And, of course, many lawmakers know both Vance and Tim Walz personally. They say both candidates are itching for a fight. “I really want him to kick JD Vance's ass on the stage,” said Rep. Angie Craig, a purple-district Minnesota Democrat who had pushed for Walz to be on the ticket. “The contrast could not be greater. Tim is so authentic and real. And JD Vance has morphed himself more times than I can even count.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a former House member who helped recruit Walz in 2006, said he hoped the Democratic candidate will “communicate who he is, what he stands for, who he cares for.” Van Hollen also wants him to “address all the problems with Trump.” On the other side of the aisle, top Republicans projected confidence that Vance would perform well on stage. After all, he was prepped by one of their own: House Majority Whip Emmer (R-Minn.) stood in for Walz during debate prep. "I think [Vance will] be primed and ready to go. And the question is: What do you expect out of Walz? And we'll find out soon enough," said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). With Congress out of session, lawmakers won’t be gathered for watch parties in Washington like they were during the two presidential debates this cycle — events that were highly emotional for Democrats. Some might be at watch parties back in their districts and, of course, you’ll find plenty of lawmakers in the spin room for both Vance and Walz. Walz plans to have Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), as well as Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) spin for him afterwards. And Vance (who plans to be in the spin room himself) will also have Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), alongside Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Two House Democrats who lead the largest ideological blocs in their party were ready for Walz to talk about policy. In some ways, they also wanted him to channel the rallying cry from The West Wing that has become a Washington cliche: “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet.” “I just want Tim Walz to be Tim Walz. Tim Walz is real. People can relate to him. He talks about economic issues. He talks about things that we should be doing,” said Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). “He's going to do a great job talking about rural America, talking about hardworking families, talking about middle class families, and tackling, you know, costs, cost of housing, increasing access to affordable housing and child care,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.). — Nicholas Wu, with an assist from Anthony Adragna and Ursula Perano    A message from Plan B One-Step®: Plan B is a backup birth control option that is used to help prevent unintended pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, a contraceptive failure, or sexual assault. Its proven safety, efficacy, and mode of action is supported by a large body of clinical studies and scientific literature, all of which support that Plan B does not impact the implantation of a fertilized egg. Explore the evidence.   GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, Oct. 1, where we’re wishing Jimmy Carter a happy 100th birthday. DISASTER RELIEF UPDATE President Joe Biden raised some Capitol Hill eyebrows by suggesting he might request that Congress come back into session to handle the fallout from Hurricane Helene. But House Republican and Democratic leadership aren’t currently considering bringing members back early from October recess and believe the current $20 billion for FEMA will handle immediate needs. Still, some members of Congress have asked to come back into town like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.). FEMA itself is in a “good position” to respond to the fallout from Hurricane Helene, Biden administration officials told reporters during a call Tuesday, stressing they don’t want anyone to think the agency is so cash-strapped that it can’t cater to the needs of impacted states or individuals. It’s still going to be a multi-year recovery effort, administration officials added Tuesday. As we noted Monday, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund will almost certainly need a major injection of cash before the end of the year to meet those long-term needs. “The magnitude of the disaster is record-setting in many ways,” said Jonathan Greene, a top official within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, who described a “difficult, complex response.” — Caitlin Emma, Jordain Carney and Nicholas Wu   A message from Plan B One-Step®:   DEMS NOT SWEATING PORT STRIKE … YET The start of the longshoremen strike doesn’t have Democrats sweating just yet, despite the potential economic turmoil it could cause just weeks before the election. “My view is that the workers, the longshoremen, have a right to strike,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said. “And so I hope that we can resolve this in a way that addresses everybody's needs. So I think the administration should continue to do what they're doing at this point.” Democrats are generally supportive of organized labor, and the White House has said it won’t step in to stop the strike. But the economic turmoil from a prolonged strike could have particularly acute ramifications in Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the country, especially after the Key Bridge collapse earlier this year already caused havoc with shipping. “We all worry about the impact of the strike, and I don't know exactly what the fallout will be. It obviously depends on how long the strike continues,” Van Hollen continued. “So I think that if we can resolve this matter quickly, that's obviously in everyone's best interests, the workers' interests, the port's interests, Maryland's interests, the country's economy's interests.” — Ursula Perano and Nicholas Wu    A message from Plan B One-Step®: Plan B works by temporarily delaying ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary). Plan B contains 1.5mg of levonorgestrel. This is the same active ingredient used in many birth control pills for over 30 years – just at a single, higher dose. Scientific data shows that Plan B works by delaying or preventing ovulation, and it does not prevent or interfere with the implantation of a fertilized egg. Because Plan B works only by delaying ovulation, there is no egg released to be fertilized. Plan B will not affect a pregnancy that has already begun, and it will not impact a woman’s future fertility. Learn more.   HUDDLE HOTDISH Minnesota Republicans are mum on their state’s Senate nominee, Royce White. Happy fiscal new year!  Who wouldn’t want to have a “Regular Brew” beer with a candidate? Starbucks is coming back to Union Station! QUICK LINKS  A Year of Fury and Feuding: GOP Lawmakers Are Still Reeling From McCarthy’s Removal, from Haley Byrd Wilt at NOTUS Senate Democrats seek probe into DOJ investigation of Trump and Egypt, from Aaron C. Davis and Carol D. Leonnig in The Washington Post Democrat, wife of former Congressman Brad Ashford endorses Don Bacon for 2024 election, from Kalé Searcy in KETV Arizona's long-serving US Rep. Raul Grijalva says this election will be his last, from Laura Gersony in The Arizona Republic Bernie Sanders tells Texas progressives to back Harris, says Allred win would “make all the difference” from Jasper Scherer at the Texas Tribune How Congress Gets Its Groove Back, from David Dayen at The Prospect How Congress Can Reclaim Its Role in U.S. Foreign Policy, from Geo Saba in Foreign Policy TRANSITIONS  Hunter Lovell is now press secretary for the House Intelligence Committee and Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio). He was most recently comms director for the Joint Economic Committee and Vice Chair David Schweikert (R-Ariz.). Katherine Thordahl is now comms director for Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.). She was previously deputy comms director for Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.). TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The Senate and House are out. TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL Tumbleweeds. TRIVIA MONDAY’S ANSWER: Robbie Ottley was the first to correctly answer that Rutherford B. Hayes had the longest beard out of the presidents who have sported beards. TODAY’S QUESTION from Robbie: What was the name of the network of grassroots volunteers who supported Jimmy Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign from its early days?  The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.   Follow us

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