Biden threatens veto on GOP spending bills

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Jul 24, 2023 View in browser   By Bethany Irvine Presented by President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting of his Competition Council in the State Dining Room of the White House, July 19, 2023 in Washington. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo VETO THREAT IN WASHINGTON — The White House announced this morning the President JOE BIDEN would veto several GOP-backed spending bills should they reach his desk, and further claimed that Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY hasn’t followed through on the spending caps agreed upon in late spring’s debt ceiling deal. From OMB’s statement of administration policy: “House Republicans had an opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process, but instead, with just over two months before the end of the fiscal year, are wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below the [Fiscal Responsibility Act] agreement and endanger critical services for the American people.” Biden is also prepared to block the Republican-led agriculture, rural development and Food and Drug Administration spending bill, per a separate OMB statement using much of the same language. NON-VETO THREAT IN JERUSALEM — The divisive judiciary reform bill backed by PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU passed the Israeli Knesset this morning in a 64-0 vote after all members of the opposition walked out. For months, the proposal has been at the heart of a roiling controversy, with mass demonstrations protesting the bill’s weakening of the independent Supreme Court’s power to block laws passed by the government. But the disagreement has broader implications “about the nature and future of Israeli society,” NYT’s Isabel Kershner and Patrick Kingsley report from Jerusalem: “The ruling coalition and its base generally have a more religious and conservative vision, and see the court as an obstacle to that goal.” The U.S. angle: The vote comes a day after President JOE BIDEN urged Israel to take a cautious approach on the issue in a statement to Axios’ Barak Ravid, saying that “it doesn’t make sense for Israeli leaders to rush this.” The vote also comes after Biden invited Netanyahu to visit Washington in September following a tense phone conversation last week. The White House’s response: “It is unfortunate that the vote today took place with the slimmest possible majority. We understand talks are ongoing and likely to continue over the coming weeks and months to forge a broader compromise even with the Knesset in recess.” STAFFING UP — “Biden chooses a longtime Hill aide respected by Republicans as his new legislative affairs director,” by AP’s Seung Min Kim: “President Joe Biden is tapping SHUWANZA GOFF — a veteran congressional aide who also served as his main point of contact to the House at the start of the administration — as his new director of legislative affairs, making her the first Black woman to be the White House’s chief emissary to Capitol Hill. … “Goff, 38, previously served as the White House’s deputy director of legislative affairs and House liaison, making her the main point of contact to House lawmakers. She left the administration earlier this year for the private sector before rejoining the White House.” GRANITE STATE UPDATE — Former Sen. KELLY AYOTTE (R-N.H.) announced this morning that she’s running for New Hampshire governor, following last week’s announcement that incumbent Republican Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU will not seek reelection. “I am running for Governor because I fear that we are one election away from turning into Massachusetts,” Ayotte tweeted, “Together, we will ensure that we keep New Hampshire safe, prosperous and free.” More from WMUR ON THE GROUND IN IOWA — Despite DONALD TRUMP’s growing legal woes and the looming threat of a third indictment, Republicans in the Hawkeye State are still staunch in their support of the former president’s presidential campaign, WaPo’s Sabrina Rodriguez reports from the county fair in Boone, Iowa: “Trump continues to have a tight grip on the party, even among those who have grown weary of his rhetoric and legal troubles. … [M]any GOP voters wrote off the former president’s legal challenges as part of a continued liberal smear campaign and said it didn’t impact the image — positive or negative — they already have of him.” Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line: birvine@politico.com   A message from Meta: Augmented reality will help neighborhoods recover from power outages. Augmented reality will help electrical lineworkers spot and repair problems in the power grid more quickly, helping communities get their lights back on faster after power outages. The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real. Explore more possibilities with the metaverse.   ALL POLITICS  AFTERNOON READ — “She was a GOP congresswoman. Her son is a transgender activist,” by WaPo’s Jesús Rodríguez 2024 WATCH  KNOWING WILL HURD —NYT’s Jazmine Ulloa is up with a profile of “longer than long-shot presidential candidate” former Rep. WILL HURD (R-Texas) as he works to shore up support for his campaign in New Hampshire. “[Hurd] has refused to fulfill the Republican National Committee’s most disputed stipulation, that candidates sign a pledge to support their party’s eventual nominee. … At a pit stop outside Manchester, Mr. Hurd said he had no issue with championing another Republican. But he said he would not support Mr. Trump. ‘I’m not going to lie to get a microphone,’ Mr. Hurd said, digging into a Philly cheesesteak and salty fries.” MEANWHILE, IN WEST VIRGINIA — Senate hopeful and sitting Republican Gov. JIM JUSTICE endorsed Trump today via Twitter: “Americans understand loud and clear the leadership — whether you liked him or you didn’t like him — from President Donald Trump and the successes that happened when he was our president, versus what we have today.” Further, the 72-year-old said that “[i]f President Biden were my father … there’s no way that I could allow him to embarrass himself and continue on in this job.”   ATTENTION PLAYBOOKERS! You need to keep up with the latest political news and nuggets, so here’s a juicy tip: You need to add California Playbook to your daily reading. We have a new team at the helm who are eager to take you inside the political arena in California, from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and throughout the Golden State! Get the latest exclusive news and buzzy scoops from the fourth largest economy in the world sent straight to your inbox. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     CONGRESS DEMS TAKE TUBERVILLE TO TASK —  “Senate Democrats pressure Mitch McConnell to end Tuberville's 'reckless' military blockade,” by NBC’s Liz Brown-Kaiser JUDICIARY SQUARE  ANNALS OF INFLUENCE — A confidential invite list from an Aspen Institute dinner in 2017 reveals how wealthy business donors and lawyers got privileged access to Justice ELENA KAGAN and then-DC Circuit Court Judge BRETT KAVANAUGH at a mansion dubbed “Billionaire Mountain,” Business Insider’s Mattathias Schwartz, Jack Newsham and Katherine Long scoop. “Everybody got something: Kagan and Kavanaugh got a free trip to a luxurious destination, Aspen got money from donors, and those donors got privileged access to Kagan and Kavanaugh — an intimate dinner setting where the two jurists, no longer ensconced by their chambers, clerks, and robes, were more approachable than they would be in any official setting.” POT, MEET KETTLE — Solicitor General ELIZABETH PRELOGAR’s defense of affirmative action at the Supreme Court last October has shown the spotlight on the lack of diversity in her own office, WaPo’s Tobi Raji and Theodoric Meyer report. “Over the past dozen terms, nearly three-quarters of Supreme Court arguments made by lawyers in the office have been delivered by men,” the pair write. “More than 80 percent have been made by White lawyers, according to the analysis of the office’s attorneys whose race could be confirmed. No Hispanic lawyer has argued a case for the office since 2016. No Black lawyer has done so since 2012.”   HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.     POLICY CORNER  WADING IN — “States lose federal water funds as lawmakers redirect money to pet projects,” by WaPo’s Tony Romm: “Nationally, lawmakers secured more than $1.4 billion in clean and drinking water earmarks in the most recent fiscal year, nearly double the amount in 2022. But for every state that saw significant funding gains, others experienced surprising losses.” JOBS IN AMERICA — “A Flood of New Workers Has Made the Fed’s Job Less Painful. Can It Persist?,” by NYT’s Jeanna Smialek THE TAXMAN COMETH NOT? — “IRS says agents will no longer knock on taxpayers’ doors unannounced,” by WaPo’s Julie Zauzmer Weil: “Since at least the 1950s, revenue agents have knocked on tens of thousands of taxpayers’ doors each year, according to agency staff. The new policy will reduce these visits to no more than a few hundred per year, and only under unusual circumstances.” AMERICA AND THE WORLD  LET’S MAKE A DEAL —In an effort to strike a deal with Beijing on the global fentanyl crisis, the White House is considering eliminating sanctions on a Chinese police forensics institute accused of human rights violations, WSJ’s Brian Spegele and Charles Hutzler scoop. “Deliberations inside the Biden administration have been under way since at least late last year as it seeks to show progress on fighting the opioid scourge … They mark a significant — and potentially politically fraught — bid to jump-start cooperation with China.” DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS —  A Chinese marketing firm with connections to the Chinese government and police force is using newswire services to publish pro-China content on the websites of "almost three dozen news outlets across America,” WaPo’s Cate Cadell and Tim Starks report this morning. “The articles — which have appeared in financial news subdomains of at least 32 websites including the Arizona Republic and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — include Chinese state media stories and scathing critiques of U.S. policymakers, academics and others critical of Beijing.”   A message from Meta:   PLAYBOOKERS MEDIA MOVE — Kayla Tausche is now a senior White House correspondent for CNN. She previously was anchor and senior White House Correspondent for CNBC. ENGAGED — Russ Read, air programs manager at the National Guard Association of the United States and a Scott Franklin alum, and Hannah Flanders, clinical programs coordinator at the INOVA Health System, got engaged Friday while on a walk on the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria. Pic … Another pic  WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Joe St. George, deputy political director of Scripps News, and Kaitlyn St. George, a quality assurance reviewer with D.C. government, welcomed Harper Olivia St. George yesterday. Pic BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Newsmax’s Jon Glasgow Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. 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