When Matt Gaetz and Robert Garcia align

Presented by Blue Shield of California Foundation: Your afternoon must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State

Oct 25, 2023 View in browser   By Melanie Mason Presented by Blue Shield of California Foundation WHAT’S IN A NAME: Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and California Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia don’t agree on much — or perhaps anything — but they both had the same nickname for newly installed House Speaker Michael Johnson: MAGA Mike. Gaetz was taking a victory lap for ending up with a Trump-aligned speaker after he led the ouster of Kevin McCarthy. Garcia and other Democrats believe the new GOP leader gives them plenty of fodder for a win next November. It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for Johnson, a Louisiana Republican who suddenly went from “Michael who?” to “Mr. Speaker.” If he wants to stay in that role past 2024, he’ll need Republicans in blue districts, especially in states like California and New York, to hang on to their seats. His record may not make that easy. First, there’s his role helping then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He rallied House Republicans to support a lawsuit that would have thrown out the results in battleground states, and he voted to block Biden’s victory on Jan. 6, 2021. That could cause headaches for Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), who also voted against certification, despite representing a district that voted for Biden by a 12-point margin. Garcia was not hit particularly hard for that vote by his 2022 opponent, Christy Smith, but Johnson’s speakership now gives Democrats another opportunity to blast Garcia for election denialism. Then there’s Johnson’s conservative stances on social issues. He supported a near-total abortion ban and voted in 2022 against codifying same-sex marriage. The latter may cause blowback for Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), whose district includes the famously gay-friendly city of Palm Springs. House Democrats were busy tweeting the particulars of Johnson’s record; Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) churned out a seven-part thread on the new speaker’s history on LGBT issues. Meanwhile, challengers to the incumbent Republicans are already incorporating him into their campaigns, such as Kim Bernice-Nguyen’s call to “Fire MAGA Mike & Michelle [Steel] in 2024.” Today’s vote reinforces what Sejal Govindarao recently reported: The last 22 days have been politically miserable for vulnerable California Republicans in the House. Not only have they lost McCarthy as their home state benefactor, but they’re now all on record backing Johnson — as well as wannabe speaker Jim Jordan before that — and all the political baggage that comes with them. How eager are these members ready to put the speakership drama behind them? Nearly all of the top targets — including Reps. Calvert, Steel, Young Kim, David Valadao and John Duarte — issued statements proclaiming it was time to “get back to work.” The man they just voted to be speaker barely got a mention. IT’S WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check of California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to mmason@politico.com or send a shout on Twitter. DMs are open.   A message from Blue Shield of California Foundation: This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, learn the latest on domestic violence prevention in California and how to prioritize survivors and their families in policy decisions. Listen now to the four-part podcast series by Blue Shield of California Foundation.   WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY TOUGH LOVE: San Francisco must update its notoriously tortuous home-approval process or risk running afoul of state law, forfeiting money and, possibly, seeing the state override its local planning powers. That’s thanks to a first-of-its kind review from the state Department of Housing and Community Development. Targeting San Francisco was a deliberate and telling move on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s part. With Newsom’s backing, California has also sued alleged housing scofflaws from Huntington Beach to Elk Grove as the governor prods cities and counties to build more, faster. But San Francisco is both Newsom’s home base and a leading symbol of how local resistance to development and byzantine local hurdles have fueled California’s housing crunch and homelessness crisis. The city takes months longer than any other to entitle projects and build permits, the review concluded, and is not on pace to meet its state-approved goal of 82,000 housing units. “We know San Francisco is taking way, way too long” in approving new housing, HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a video statement, and “these entrenched problems have been going on for a long, long time.” Under housing-focused Mayor London Breed, San Francisco had preemptively agreed to comply with HDC’s findings and mandates. It has its work cut out: The new report requires 18 action items, many of which would limit or eliminate various choke points like discretionary reviews, Planning Commission hearings, and studies on wind and shadows. — Jeremy B. White   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO APP: Stay in the know with the 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. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.     ON THE BEATS ON THE HOME FRONT: The escalating global divide over the Israel-Hamas war hit local government early today, when the city of Richmond approved a resolution expressing solidarity with Palestinians. On a 5-1 vote, the City Council approved the measure, which accuses Israel of engaging in ethnic cleansing, after a contentious, five-hour City Council meeting that drew hundreds of public comments, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Council members said they were compelled to speak out about Israel’s campaign in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas that killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Most commenters supported the resolution, the Chronicle reported, but it was strongly denounced by local Jewish organizations. Before the meeting, Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia had urged the city not to take up the vote, arguing that members should instead work with Muslims and Jews to craft a resolution that acknowledges both communities. LA ON EDGE: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass forcefully condemned a “vile act of hate” after a local Jewish family was threatened by a stranger who broke into their home. The man was filmed by news cameras shouting, “Free Palestine!” as police took him into custody. “We remain steadfast in support of the Jewish people — the people of Los Angeles will not cower to hate. We will respond to it,” Bass said in a statement. She said the Los Angeles Police Department would continue to increase patrols around the city.   A message from Blue Shield of California Foundation:   WHAT WE'RE CLICKING SAVING GIANTS: Here’s one California transplant that’s welcome in the Pacific Northwest: The climate-threatened giant sequoias of the southern Sierra as well as the coastal redwoods found from Big Sur to the Oregon border. Both species are apparently doing quite well when planted in Oregon and Washington through the efforts of a nonprofit organization’s efforts to save the beloved trees. (The New York Times) OTTERLY CUTE: Photos, really cute ones, show that the Santa Cruz otter, aka 841, that captured global attention for jumping on surf boards and evading capture has given birth to a pup that has been seen resting on her belly. (San Francisco Chronicle)   SUBSCRIBE TO 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. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.       A message from Blue Shield of California Foundation: Each episode of “Let’s End Domestic Violence: Heal, Restore, Prevent” highlights different themes surrounding domestic violence and features leaders across California, including State Senator Susan Rubio. Listen to the first three episodes now and visit letsenddv.org for additional resources. ● Episode 1: Breaking the Cycle: Multigenerational Prevention ● Episode 2: Healing From DV: Restorative Practices ● Episode 3: Domestic Violence & Housing Insecurity ● Episode 4: Elevating Solutions and Impacts in the Black Community     Follow us on Twitter POLITICO California @politicoca   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 political and policy newsletters Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.