| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | STOCK AND TRADE — President JOE BIDEN backs legislation to bar members of Congress from trading stocks, he tells Faiz Shakir in a forthcoming A More Perfect Union interview, AP’s Chris Megerian reports. It may be a little late to have an impact with just a month of his presidency remaining.
|  Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) will have a prominent perch to help lead Democratic messaging against the incoming Republican trifecta. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | PULLING RANK — House Democrats’ caucus votes today for key committee positions yielded a mixed bag for younger insurgents seeking generational change atop the party. Rep. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-Va.) triumphed over Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) in the highest-profile race, for House Oversight ranking member. Details from Nick Wu and Daniella Diaz The 131-84 vote gives the veteran lawmaker a prominent perch to help lead Democratic messaging against the incoming Republican trifecta. Though he’s 74 and facing health concerns, Connolly has also never had a top committee spot, which framed the Oversight contest somewhat differently from other efforts to unseat incumbent rankers, as we wrote this morning. He has strong relationships across the caucus. And even if Ocasio-Cortez is the House’s most popular progressive, she also faced lingering opposition from the likes of Rep. NANCY PELOSI (D-Calif.). Connolly emphasized that Republicans wanted Ocasio-Cortez in the role to use her as a foil, per Punchbowl’s Mica Soellner. But appetite for fresh faces helped carry the day in other competitive races. Rep. ANGIE CRAIG (D-Minn.) landed the top spot on House Agriculture in a 121-91 vote over Rep. JIM COSTA (D-Calif.), Meredith Lee Hill, Nick Wu and Daniella Diaz report. Incumbent ranker Rep. DAVID SCOTT (R-Ga.) had dropped out last night. The 52-year-old Craig, an ally of House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES, had pitched herself as a Midwestern frontline Democrat who could speak to rural voters. Rep. JARED HUFFMAN (D-Calif.) will be ranking member on House Natural Resources after Rep. MELANIE STANSBURY (D-N.M.) withdrew from the race, per Soellner. He’ll replace Rep. RAÚL GRIJALVA (D-Calif.), who pulled out after facing a challenge from Huffman. And of course, new blood is on the way for other key panels, including Rep. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) heading for House Judiciary, which freed up the Oversight spot that Connolly won.
| | | | A message from Instagram: Congress can help keep teens safe online today.
By passing federal legislation requiring app store parental consent and age verification, Congress would put parents in charge of teen app downloads. This helps parents ensure teens download apps that are safe.
That's why 3 of 4 parents agree: teens under 16 shouldn't be able to download apps without parental consent.
Tell lawmakers: support a national standard requiring app store parental consent and age verification for teens. | | | SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN — House GOP leaders said at a conference meeting today that they’ve struck a deal for a continuing resolution to keep the government open into March, Olivia Beavers, Meredith and Jennifer Scholtes report. Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said nonetheless that “negotiations continue,” per Semafor’s Burgess Everett. Though bill text hasn’t been made public yet, it’s expected to push back the funding deadline to March 14, add $100 billion in emergency disaster relief, extend the farm bill, provide $10 billion in farm aid, include China investment restrictions and keep health programs going. It will also give the green light to more ethanol sales, a win for Midwestern representatives that angers conservatives. GOP leaders are also sending positive signals about whether a bill paving the way to bring the Washington Commanders back to D.C. will be included, per NOTUS’ Reese Gorman. But as is often the case, there’s significant House GOP anger over the plan — and it’s not just confined to one ideological faction — which could mean that Speaker MIKE JOHNSON will need many Democratic votes to pass the CR. Members from Rep. MIKE LAWLER (R-N.Y.) to Rep. JASON SMITH (R-Mo.) were reportedly unhappy at the conference meeting today. An “extremely frustrated” Rep. ERIC BURLISON (R-Mo.) said he’s not committed to supporting Johnson for speaker next year, per CNN’s Haley Talbot. And Sen. RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) awaits to throw up some obstacles in the Senate, per HuffPost’s Igor Bobic. Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
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A new report from Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) castigates former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). | Francis Chung/POLITICO | 1. LAYING THE GROUNDWORK: House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Chair BARRY LOUDERMILK (R-Ga.) today released a report recommending that former Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) be criminally investigated for possible witness tampering in her work as chair of the House Jan. 6 panel. Loudermilk alleges that Cheney improperly worked with CASSIDY HUTCHINSON to promote false claims. Cheney has previously dismissed DONALD TRUMP allies’ efforts to investigate the committee as baseless and politically motivated. Rep. ZOE LOFGREN (D-Calif.) responded, “The idea that legislative activity would be the subject of a criminal investigation is unconstitutional,” per HuffPost’s Arthur Delaney. 2. RECORD-SETTER: The Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office is doling out its largest loan ever, $15 billion for PG&E to bolster the California grid, tackle climate change and more, WSJ’s Scott Patterson and Katherine Blunt scooped. It’s a significant distribution of funds set in motion by the Inflation Reduction Act that the Biden administration is scrambling to get out the door — and, crucially, the Trump administration can’t undo it, though officials will oversee which projects get chosen. The size of the loan was initially planned to be $30 billion, but it was halved in recent weeks. 3. TAKING OUT THE TRASH: In another major last-minute policy move, the FTC has put the finishing touches on its “junk fee” rule for hotels, concerts and more, ABC’s Elizabeth Schulze reports. Beginning in April, vacation rentals and other businesses will have to tell consumers the full cost from the start, instead of piling on lots of surprise fees at checkout, though the fees themselves won’t be banned. The agency estimates that the savings in wasted time could total $11 billion over 10 years. “This is really about saving people money and saving people time,” Chair LINA KHAN tells ABC. But it could face a legal challenge from business interests. 4. MUSICAL CHAIRS: Michigan state Sen. MALLORY McMORROW will not run for DNC chair, she announced on Instagram today. She said she sees Democrats’ struggle as one of messaging, culture and candidates, rather than party infrastructure and money. But McMorrow thinks she can help “change the narrative” better from an outside position. 5. THE DRIP-DRIP CONTINUES: “Pete Hegseth spread baseless conspiracy theories that January 6 attack was carried out by leftist groups,” by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski and Winter Hawk: “Four days after the Capitol riot, [PETE] HEGSETH … downplayed the violence, defended the rioters’ motivations, and criticized the media for rejecting baseless claims of a stolen election. He also seized on debunked reports claiming that the riot was instigated by the leftist group known as Antifa. Hegseth alleged that he had seen evidence firsthand that Antifa members disguised themselves as Trump supporters at the riot. … Hegseth was citing now debunked articles. He didn’t comment for this story.”
| | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | 6. SIREN FOR THE COURTS: Americans’ confidence in the judicial system and the courts plunged from 42 percent in 2023 to 35 percent this year, the lowest level Gallup has ever recorded, per Benedict Vigers and Lydia Saad. That places the U.S. 20 percentage points below the median level of trust in peer wealthy countries, a gap that has almost entirely opened up since 2020. In fact, going back nearly 20 years, only a handful of countries anywhere have recorded such precipitous declines in faith in the legal system, including Syria during the civil war and Myanmar during the coup. 7. TOUGH LOOK FOR WILL LEWIS: “Top editors stiff the Washington Post,” by Axios’ Mike Allen and Sara Fischer: “The situation at the Washington Post is so dire that two candidates to run the paper — CLIFF LEVY of the New York Times and Meta's ANNE KORNBLUT, a former Post editor — both withdrew from consideration for the top newsroom job over the paper’s strategy … Publisher and CEO Will Lewis, handpicked by owner JEFF BEZOS to save the Post, hasn’t impressed the candidates with his vision for the future.” 8. IMMIGRATION FILES: “‘No Place to Hide’: Trapped on the Border, Immigrants Fear Deportation,” by NYT’s Edgar Sandoval in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas: “[T]housands of unauthorized immigrants … have long lived in a netherworld along the Texas border, tied to family members who are citizens but trapped in an unusual part of the country where, without legal immigration documents, it is all but impossible for them to stray far from their adopted hometowns. … Border Patrol agents are legally able to make arrests within 100 miles of the border, but in the past they have generally not targeted families like [these] — a situation that could swiftly change.” 9. TWO BIG OPIOID INVESTIGATIONS: “Giant Companies Took Secret Payments to Allow Free Flow of Opioids,” by NYT’s Chris Hamby: “Drugmakers including Purdue Pharma paid pharmacy benefit managers not to restrict painkiller prescriptions.” — “Endo’s end around: How a huge Philadelphia-based opioid maker escaped a $7 billion federal penalty,” by Bob Fernandez and Craig McCoy for the Philly Inquirer and ProPublica: “For a decade, the Justice Department delayed a winning criminal case against Endo Health Solutions. That allowed the Malvern company to expand its narcotics empire and execute a corporate escape plan.”
| | | | Write your own chapter in the new Washington. From the Lame Duck Congress Series to New Administration insights, POLITICO Pro delivers intelligence across 22+ policy areas to help you anticipate and navigate change. Discover how a Pro subscription empowers you. Learn more today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Elon Musk met with Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago. Donald Trump’s reach on X is far eclipsed by Musk’s. Jared Moskowitz swatted down rumors that he could lead FEMA. Ruben Gallego has a baby boy on the way. Michael Waltz dropped and gave 44. Steve Inskeep took the stage at the Kennedy Center. IN MEMORIAM — “Francis X. Bellotti, influential Mass. attorney general, dies at 101,” by the Boston Globe’s Joseph Kahn OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at the Aspen Philosophy & Society holiday party at The Imperial’s grand cellar, featuring a “Wisdom of Crowds” live taping and hosted by Samuel Kimbriel, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic: Kesha, Jordan Castro, Christine Emba, Oren Cass, Osita Nwanevu, Santiago Ramos, Bria Sandford, David Jimenez, Geoff Kabaservice, Max Bodach, Sadev Parikh, Jerome Copulsky, Audrey Horne, Diana Brown and Hamid Bendaas. TRANSITIONS — Harris Walker is now head of government affairs at Focused Energy. He most recently was at Arcadium Lithium and is an Energy Department alum. … John Rabin is joining ICF as VP of disaster management. He most recently was assistant FEMA administrator for response. … Andrew Mamo is now a practitioner in residence at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. He previously was comms director for Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) reelect. 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.
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