| | | | |  | | By Garrett Ross | | | | 
President Joe Biden released his official budget proposal on Thursday. | Jacquelyn Martin/ AP Photo | BIDEN DROPS BUDGET — President JOE BIDEN officially released his budget proposal, a sprawling request that amounts to mostly a messaging mission as the White House ramps up for an expected reelection campaign. He’ll be in Philadelphia this afternoon to deliver remarks on the release. Now, the attention turns to House Republicans, who have vowed to offer a counterproposal that would balance the federal budget over the next 10 years — a task that has become more difficult after promising not to raise taxes and not to cut Social Security, Medicare or defense spending. The early reaction: In a tweet, House Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY called Biden’s proposal “completely unserious” and slammed its plans for new taxes on corporations and the wealthy: “Mr. President: Washington has a spending problem, NOT a revenue problem.” The deets: “Biden dumps budget onus on House Republicans in debuting $1.7T plan,” by Caitlin Emma Just how hard is the GOP’s gambit? See for yourself, with this clever NYT interactive: “The Programs You’d Have to Cut to Balance the Budget” PIVOT TO ASIA — In addition to Biden’s budget proposal today, our colleagues Lara Seligman and Lee Hudson scoop that the Pentagon is submitting a new $15.3 billion plan to fund the U.S. military’s presence in the Pacific, signaling the Biden administration’s increasing sense of urgency toward countering China’s aggressive behavior in the region, according to an unclassified version of the report obtained by POLITICO. The context: “That’s more than twice what DoD asked for last year, $6.1 billion, and a significant boost from what Congress authorized, $11.5 billion. The money will go toward buying missile defense systems, radars and space sensors, as well as increasing exercises and training.” Read the report McCONNELL UPDATE — While no official timeline has been offered for Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL’s release from the hospital after he fell at a local D.C. hotel, GOP senators tell our colleagues Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett that they aren’t getting much clarity about the situation yet either. Senate Majority Whip JOHN THUNE: “I don’t know much at this point, the best source of that is going to be his staff. We have very limited information on it. I’m sure we’ll get more.” Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.): “I trust him and his team and his doctors to tell us what’s going on. Just hope he’s doing well.” Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.): “They haven’t told us anything.” However, NBC’s Liz Brown-Kaiser and Ryan Nobles spoke with one senator (whom they did not name) this morning, who said “they have been in touch with a McConnell family member. ‘I can tell you that he’s going to be OK,’ the senator said. In remarks on the Senate floor Thursday morning, Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y., said he called McConnell and spoke with his staff.” THE ROAD AHEAD — As Norfolk Southern CEO ALAN SHAW testifies before the Senate EPW Committee this morning, our colleague Tanya Snyder is up with a look at the administration’s efforts to push a series of toughened safety requirements for freight rail after the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. “But veterans of past battles with the freight railroads — which carry 70 percent of the nation’s coal and more than a third of its grain exports — say it won’t be any easier to defeat them this time, despite the bipartisan uproar over the Ohio crash,” Tanya writes. Read more coverage of Shaw’s testimony, from Tanya QUITE THE HEADLINE — “What Do A-Rod, Meek Mill, and Donald Trump Have in Common?” by N.Y. Mag’s Matt Stieb: “For almost 30 years, [JOE] TACOPINA has been winning cases for celebrities, cops, and other denizens of ‘Page Six,’ earning him a reputation as one of the city’s most high-profile defense attorneys thanks to one skill in particular.” Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Amazon: 80% of employees reported skills training is one of their top priorities according to a recent survey by Workplace Intelligence. But many don’t have access to the programs and opportunities they need to advance their careers.
That’s why Amazon has committed $1.2 billion to free technical training and prepaid tuition, so all of their employees have the opportunity to learn and earn more.
Read about employees who benefit. | | | POLITICO NEWS — Dafna Linzer is stepping down as executive editor at POLITICO at the end of March. “In her time with us, Dafna has made important and lasting contributions to the publication – for which we are grateful,” Editor-in-Chief Matt Kaminski said in a newsroom email. “As executive editor, Dafna has worked with many of you on some of the most impactful journalism we’ve produced in the past year – from the fallout from the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade to the war in Ukraine to the midterm elections.” Dafna writes: “This last year has been more rewarding than I could have imagined, bringing in great new talent, promoting so many outstanding POLITICOs across the newsroom to form a new leadership team and developing plans that will take the publication farther, faster into its next phase of life. But the greatest joy has been steering a newsroom of hungry, gritty, passionate journalists whose work reached new heights.” 2024 WATCH OUT WITH THE OLD — KEN CUCCINELLI, a former Trump DHS official, is launching the Never Back Down PAC to draft Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS into running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. See the announcement video MARIANNE’S MESSAGE — Democratic presidential challenger MARIANNE WILLIAMSON talks about her bid with The Nation’s John Nichols in an exclusive interview posted this morning: “This is about ending a 50 year aberrational chapter of American history and beginning a new one.” ALL POLITICS BIG SHOULDERS — Reps. JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.) and JAN SCHAKOWSKY (D-Ill.) are jumping into the Chicago mayoral runoff, throwing their support behind BRANDON JOHNSON. This comes despite a host of national Dems’ exhibiting some reluctance to endorse in the race as they try to weigh how the contest will play with Biden’s reelection plans. INSIDE LEONARD LEO’S PLANS — “Inside the ‘Private and Confidential’ Conservative Group That Promises to ‘Crush Liberal Dominance,’” by ProPublica’s Andy Kroll and Andrea Bernstein and Documented’s Nick Surgey: “Ever since the longtime Federalist Society leader helped create a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court, and then received more than a billion dollars from a wealthy Chicago business owner to disburse to conservative causes, [LEONARD] LEO’s next moves had been the subject of speculation. “Now, Leo declared in a slick but private video to potential donors, he planned to ‘crush liberal dominance’ across American life. … Leo revealed his latest battle plan in the previously unreported video for the Teneo Network, a little-known group he called ‘a tremendously important resource for the future of our country.’ Teneo is building what Leo called in the video ‘networks of conservatives that can roll back’ liberal influence in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, among authors and academics, with pro athletes and Hollywood producers. A Federalist Society for everything.” ON THE RADIO — “Talk radio rises as a new battleground for Latino voters,” by The Christian Science Monitor’s Simon Montlake in Miami: “So far, most Spanish-language radio in the U.S. has been focused on music and entertainment, not news or commentary. Which in the eyes of many makes it an untapped and lucrative means of political persuasion. … Americano Media is another media startup in Miami that has already raised $18 million to create Spanish-language news content for radio and TV, this time from a conservative standpoint with a laser focus on a national audience.”
| | | | We’re spilling the tea (and drinking tons of it in our newsroom) in U.K. politics with our latest newsletter, London Playbook PM. Get to know all the movers and shakers in Westminster and never miss a beat of British politics with a free subscription. Don’t miss out, we’ve got some exciting moves coming. Sign up today. | | | | | CONGRESS ROAD TO RECOVERY — Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-Pa.) is making progress recovering from depression at Walter Reed medical center and is continuing his office operations from afar, Annie Karni writes for NYT: “Since Mr. Fetterman checked into the hospital, he has co-sponsored a bipartisan bill designed to help prevent future train derailment disasters, opened new district offices across Pennsylvania and hired four new staff members. … Meetings with constituent groups have continued as usual, albeit without the traditional few minutes of glad-handing by the senator at the end.” TICK, TICK, TICK — “Permanent daylight saving time: The clock is ticking in Congress,” by WaPo’s Dan Diamond: “‘Americans want more sunshine in the chilly, winter months, and Congress can deliver that to them,’ said Sen. EDWARD J. MARKEY (D-Mass.), who got the Sun King nickname after he passed legislation extending daylight saving time in 1985, and again in 2005. Now, Markey is one of the sponsors of a bipartisan bill that would allow states to lock in permanent daylight saving time … [Markey] acknowledged in an interview that the bill … faces an uphill battle in Congress this year — but he argues that persistence had changed the nation’s time code before and could do so again.” JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH MUM’S THE WORD — “Jan. 6 rioters trashed a GOP senator's office, and he hasn't acknowledged it,” by NBC’s Ryan Reilly and Sahil Kapur: “Video shows a rioter — who has pleaded guilty to driving a stun gun into a police officer's neck, nearly killing him — smashing out [Idaho Sen. JIM] RISCH’s window overlooking the Washington Monument and the national mall in an attempt to let more rioters into the building. … A review of Risch's public statements on the Jan. 6, 2021, riot show no indication that he has ever mentioned what happened to his office that day. Asked by NBC News this week about his office being trashed and told about the new footage of rioters in his hideaway, Risch demurred. ‘I don't do interviews on Jan. 6, but thanks,’ Risch said.” THE PANDEMIC POWERFUL READ — “My mom died while I was covering covid. It changed my views on grief,” by WaPo’s Lena Sun: “After talking to experts and reading about loss to help me cope, I’m understanding that grief — the intense emotion that often manifests in physical pain and feels overwhelming in the moment — can hit again and again. It’s with you forever. But grief is different from grieving — how we learn to navigate life without our loved one. Social isolation and the sheer quantity of deaths during the pandemic made this process even harder.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY PUSH FOR POWER — “Newly Empowered Michigan Democrats Move on Labor, Gay Rights and Guns,” by NYT’s Mitch Smith and Ernesto Londoño in Lansing, Mich.: “To press their agenda, Democrats have used some of the same act-fast tactics honed by Republicans when they came into power. But it remains unclear how far Democrats will be able to go. Though buoyed by budget surpluses and, at least so far, minimal intraparty dissent, Democrats in Minnesota and Michigan are constrained by slim majorities and legislative sessions that are rapidly ticking away.” NEWS FROM THE GOLDEN STATE — “California suspends $54M Walgreens contract over abortion pills policy,” by WaPo’s Niha Masih ROLE REVERSAL — Republican officials in some red states like Mississippi and Wyoming are reversing their position on Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers, AP’s Amanda Seitz reports: The context: The pivot is mainly happening in states that have restricted abortions since the fall of Roe and it comes as Covid-era Medicaid expansions are set to expire. MUSK READ — “Elon Musk Is Planning a Texas Utopia — His Own Town,” by WSJ’s Kirsten Grind, Rebecca Elliott, Ted Mann and Julie Bykowicz in Austin, Texas: “ELON MUSK is planning to build his own town on part of thousands of acres of newly purchased pasture and farmland outside the Texas capital, according to deeds and other land records and people familiar with the project. In meetings with landowners and real-estate agents, Mr. Musk and employees of his companies have described his vision as a sort of Texas utopia along the Colorado River, where his employees could live and work.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD FOR YOUR RADAR — “Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen to receive leadership award in New York,” by FT’s Demetri Sevastopulo: “Tsai will receive [the Hudson Institute’s] ‘global leadership award,’ which was previously given to recipients including HENRY KISSINGER.” Tsai is also planning a trip to California, where she is slated to meet with Speaker Kevin McCarthy. WAR IN UKRAINE LATEST ON THE GROUND — “9 Killed as Russia Uses Its Newest Missiles to Strike Ukraine,” by NYT’s Andrew Kramer, Ivan Nechepurenko and Victoria Kim BACKSTORY — “‘The heart of the war’: Inside the secret talks with Putin’s generals that ended the siege of Mariupol,” by CNN’s Sebastian Shukla, Alex Marquardt and Kosta Hak PLAYBOOKERS OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a reception last night hosted by Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, National Council of Jewish Women and Jewish Women International to celebrate the Jewish women of the 118th Congress on International Women’s Day: Reps. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Kathy Manning (D-N.C.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Aaron Keyak and Shelley Greenspan. — Elias Law Group hosted its first annual client reception yesterday evening at HQO in Navy Yard. SPOTTED: Kristen Orthman, Scott Mulhauser, Alex Hornbrook, Scott Fairchild, Paulette Aniskoff, Garrett Arwa, Martha McKenna, Eric Schultz, Karen Defilippi, Alex Morgan, Skye Perryman, Danielle Butterfield, Aneesa McMillan, Jacqui Newman, John Bisognano, Kyle Herrig, Lori Kearns, Marina Jenkins, Meghan Meehan-Draper, Mike Smith, Pat Dennis, Rebecca Pearcey, Tara McGowan and Tiffany Muller. — SPOTTED last night at a celebration of Women's History Month and International Women's Day Dinner hosted by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History: Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Penny Pritzker, Liz Allen, Louisa Terrell, Aviva Rosenthal and Julissa Marenco. TRANSITIONS — Blaine Boyd is now legislative director and counsel for Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.). He most recently was legislative counsel for Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.). … Francesca Craig is now head of protocol and engagement in the office of the CEO of Palantir Technologies. She most recently was social secretary to the British ambassador and is a French Embassy and Motion Picture Association alum. … Isaac Loeb is now chief of staff for Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.). He most recently was deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.). … … Rachel Chiu is now a resident fellow for competition and regulatory policy at the Committee for Justice. She was previously a research associate at the Cato Institute. … Patrick Gallagher is now grants manager at the Middle East Institute. He most recently was a public diplomacy officer at the Qatari Embassy. … Randal John Meyer is joining Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R-S.C.) office as chief counsel and legislative director. He previously was executive director of the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce. 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 producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook PM misgendered Ariel Judah.
| | | | SPONSORED CONTENT Free skills training helped Mina turn a job into a career
Amazon offers hourly employees like Mina technical training programs and prepaid college tuition so entry level jobs can turn into long-term, higher-paying careers. “That’s what is great about Amazon, you have so many opportunities to choose from,” said Mina. Learn more. Sponsored by Amazon   | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
Comments
Post a Comment