| | | | |  | | By Eli Stokols, Lauren Egan and Ben Johansen | | | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Few political rituals are hyped like the State of the Union address. Drenched in pageantry, the event is D.C.’s version of the Super Bowl, even if the live television audience has shrunk somewhat and its impact has faded over time. President JOE BIDEN, just like all of his predecessors, still treats the annual speech before Congress like it’s the biggest game of the year. And in a White House marked by experience, there are a number of aides who have worked their share of SOTU addresses. But among these trusted confidants, no one has more experience in this annual rite of political passage than BRUCE REED, a self-described policy “wonk” working on Thursday’s address. It will be his 17th. “Bruce is the Lou Gehrig of SOTUs,” said presidential historian and informal Biden adviser JON MEACHAM, who spent the weekend with Reed and other senior Biden advisers at Camp David preparing for Thursday night’s speech. “I can't think of anyone in American history who’s had a hand in as many such addresses.” Meacham was clear that he didn’t necessarily envy Reed’s endurance. He said it was “a tribute" to Reed's "diplomatic skills, because modern State of the Unions are often exercises in organizing a mind-boggling number of policy and political imperatives while ensuring that a president articulates the larger themes that are driving those policies.” Reed's first White House gig was serving as domestic policy adviser to President BILL CLINTON. He was plucked from the Democratic Leadership Council, a new group of centrists trying to reorient the party’s politics toward balanced budgets, free trade and a tougher approach on crime. He pushed to get V-chips, which were capable of blocking TV shows from kids, mentioned in Clinton’s 1996 SOTU speech. (“When parents control what their young children see, that is not censorship,” Clinton declared.) During his stint as vice presidential chief of staff to Biden during BARACK OBAMA’s presidency, Reed worked on gun safety, economic policy and other issues. That got him involved in SOTU prep work. And he’s become an outspoken proponent of regulating Big Tech. But he’s had a far more direct imprint in this administration. Under Biden, Reed is now the senior policy person helping to formulate an ambitious domestic agenda and weave it all into one speech the president will deliver to an audience of millions. “I feel fortunate to work with a colleague who helps presidents make history and who also helps write it,” senior adviser ANITA DUNN told West Wing Playbook. “No one has the patience or the effortlessness of Bruce Reed in distilling expansive presidential policy agendas into a case for the future.” Biden received his first full draft of this year’s speech the last week of February, people familiar with the process told West Wing Playbook. But the prep work started months earlier. Reed and senior adviser MIKE DONILON first met with Biden’s full Cabinet in the Roosevelt Room the first week of December to discuss what each agency thought the president should emphasize. Since that initial draft, the speech has gone through dozens of revisions, the people familiar with the process said. As things continue to get tweaked, Reed and others have remained in touch with Cabinet officials. Reed, who declined to speak to West Wing Playbook, also spent the weekend huddled with the president at Camp David to work on the speech. So did Dunn, Donilon, presidential counselor STEVE RICHETTI, chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS and speechwriter VINAY REDDY. In recent days, Biden has also gotten input from Office of Intergovernmental Affairs chief TOM PEREZ and Office of Public Engagement director STEVE BENJAMIN, among others. Reed is deeply familiar with many of the policies Biden will tout Thursday night — he is leading the administration’s approach to artificial intelligence and is closely involved with its antitrust and consumer protection efforts and the president’s “unity agenda,” a group of bipartisan initiatives that will feature again in this year’s speech. On top of that, Reed also aligns closely with Biden on rhetorical style. He “likes plain English, just like the president,” a person familiar with the process said. A phrase like “whole of government approach” would be cut in short order, the person said. MESSAGE US — Are you LUISANA PÉREZ FERNÁNDEZ, senior director of coalitions media? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | | | Who was the first president to utilize the Old Soldiers’ Home as a summer retreat? (Answer at bottom.)
| | THEY LIKE IKE’S: Lauren’s report Monday on the eggy perfection that are the omelets served up at Ike’s, the otherwise unremarkable cafe in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, generated a lot of email. Most of them concurred with Lauren’s bold assertion that these omelets are better than the one at Le Dip. But one administration staffer called their colleague’s “slander” of the rest of Ike’s menu “unacceptable.” We’ve been told the grill cook extraordinaire is named EDDY and that he also “makes the best SEC (sausage, egg and cheese) on an everything bagel.” “Might I suggest that next time you visit on Wednesday afternoon for orange chicken Wednesday – a crowd favorite,” another staffer wrote in. A different Ike’s devotee pointed us to the Reuben: “It's legitimately delicious,” the person wrote. “Hard to beat on a Friday afternoon with a side of fries and a fast break towards a heart attack.” PRESS SHOP SHUFFLE: There are going to be a lot of new faces in White House Lower Press soon. Besides deputy press secretary OLIVIA DALTON heading off to work at Apple, three press assistants are moving on up. ALLYSON BAYLESS, perhaps the funniest person in the office, is moving to the Biden campaign and will work as its Pennsylvania press secretary (so she’ll probably still see the president once a week). SILAS WOODS, who Biden recognized with a ceremonial cupcake aboard Air Force One last Thursday during his final trip as a press “wrangler,” is headed to the office of second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF. And DAVIS CONGER, who will put a hurt on your expense account if there are oysters on the menu, is now an adviser to deputy chief of staff ANNIE TOMASINI. At Tuesday’s briefing, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE lauded all three. MAKE OR BREAK SOTU: As noted above, there is some debate about whether the State of the Union is overhyped or just really important but increasingly boring. But there’s little debate that for President Biden, Thursday’s speech will be a defining moment, as our ADAM CANCRYN reports. The address will come as the president faces increasing doubts about his age and mental capacity, as well as growing domestic and international challenges. “That backdrop has dramatically heightened the stakes for the White House, with millions of viewers tuning in not just to hear the words he utters but how he physically delivers them,” Cancryn writes. Biden is expected to hit on immigration, the bipartisan border security deal killed on Trump's behalf, and threats to reproductive rights. His speech will also likely attempt to convince voters that his policies were vital in revitalizing the economy. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: Any and all coverage of today’s announcement that the White House is taking further steps to crack down on junk fees. On Tuesday, Biden launched a new task force aimed at combating “unfair and illegal” pricing across the economy, as our JOSH SISCO reports. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s newest regulations will, among other things, slash credit card late fees from the current average of $32 to $8, which the White House says will save consumers $10 billion a year. “We’re putting companies on notice,” Biden said at Tuesday’s White House competition council meeting. “If you keep prices high while engaging in illegal practices that are fraudulent, unfair, deceptive, or anti-competitive, we will enforce the law and you will be held accountable.” Everyone from the Biden world shared the news. But as we know, chief of staff Jeff Zients knows good reporting when he sees it and specifically reposted Sisco’s piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by our ERIC BAZAIL-EIMIL, who reports on a new poll released Tuesday that found a majority of Americans, and even a more sizable amount of 2020 Biden backers, oppose weapons shipments to Israel. The poll, commissioned by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, found 52 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. should halt arms shipments to Israel, and 62 percent of Americans who supported Biden in 2020 believing the same.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes: President Biden: American chemistry is the backbone of innovation. It's time to address the regulatory overload stifling American chemistry. Chemistry powers our semiconductors, medical devices, and clean energy initiatives. But your administration’s avalanche of regulations is hampering America’s progress and competitiveness. American chemistry is more than an industry; it's our future. The Biden Administration must commit to smarter, growth-oriented regulations before it’s too late - because when chemistry is enabled to create, America competes. | | | | | JUST GET AI TO DO IT: If you can cough up at least $100,000 and are just a tad bit egotistical, a picture with President Biden and former Presidents BILL CLINTON and BARACK OBAMA could be yours. NBC’s NATASHA KORECKI breaks down the details of the Biden campaign’s star-studded fundraising event featuring the two past Democratic presidents. The evening is expected to raise more than $10 million and bring in over 3,000 people. While ticket prices start as low as $250, those who donate at the $250,000 or $500,000 level will have access to two separate receptions with the trio. STEPHEN COLBERT, the host of the fundraiser, will hold a “lively conversation” with the three presidents during the event, which will also include musical guests. MIDWEST STOP IN: Biden will travel to Michigan on March 14 to campaign in Saginaw, the Detroit News’ MELISSA NANN BURKE reports. It will be the president’s second campaign-related trip to the state this year. He addressed hundreds of members from the United Auto Workers union during a visit last month.
| | (NOT) GOING WOKE: On Tuesday, a memo written by RIMAANN NELSON — assistant undersecretary for health operations in the Department of Veterans Affairs — began circulating online. It requested that the iconic “V-J Day in Times Square” photo be removed from all VA facilities. The memo, initially posted to the X account “End Wokeness,” called for the photo’s removal “in alignment with the Department’s commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful and trauma-informed environment.” It noted that the photo depicts a non-consensual act and is inconsistent with the agency’s sexual harassment and assault policies. But VA Secretary DENIS MCDONOUGH quickly chimed in on X: “Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities — and we will keep it in VA facilities,” he wrote with the image included. “There was a memo sent out that should not have been,” a VA official with knowledge of the matter told West Wing Playbook. “It has since been rescinded.” BACKING THEIR GUY: The White House and allied groups are bashing Republicans for what they describe as “Islamophobic attacks” against Biden administration nominee ADEEL MANGI, who, if confirmed, would become the first Muslim American federal appellate judge, our KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS reports. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Mangi’s nomination in January, after Republicans on the committee peppered him with questions about the Israel-Hamas war and the Sept. 11 attacks. “Mr. Mangi has been subjected to uniquely hostile attacks, in a way other nominees have not — precisely because of his Muslim faith,” deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES said. PERSONNEL MOVES: VICTORIA NULAND, the third-ranking State Department official and undersecretary of state for political affairs, is set to retire in the coming weeks, CNN’s JENNIFER HANSLER reports. Nuland played a key role in the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN noted during today’s announcement. U.S. ambassador to NATO JULIANNE SMITH is expected to be nominated to succeed Nuland.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes:   | | | | | MODERATE PUSHBACK: A group of centrist Democratic senators are breaking from the president, asking the White House to backtrack on regulations proposed for air toxics they argue will hit steelmakers hard, E&E News’ SEAN REILLY reports. One of these proposed rules would tighten “hazardous air pollutant standards” on steel mills throughout the country. YOU KNOW IT’S BAD WHEN HE GETS INVOLVED: Arguably the nation’s second most beloved puppet, COOKIE MONSTER (sorry, we’re partial to KERMIT), chimed in on the state of the economy with a damning statement on X yesterday: “Me hate shrinkflation! Me cookies are getting smaller.” The White House rapid response team was on it: “C is for consumers getting ripped off,” they quipped back to the Sesame Street icon. “President Biden is calling on companies to put a stop to shrinkflation.”
| | Administration officials watered down Kamala Harris’ Gaza speech before delivery (NBC News’ Yamiche Alcindor, Carol E. Lee, Courtney Kube and Monica Alba) What Biden did on health care (POLITICO Staff) Do Americans Have a ‘Collective Amnesia’ About Donald Trump? (NYT’s Jennifer Medina and Reid J. Epstein) ‘It’s not like the movies’: Why delivering aid to Gaza by sea gets complicated quickly (POLITICO’s Lara Seligman)
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes: President Biden, as you approach this week’s State of the Union address, remember that America’s priorities depend on chemistry.
American chemistry is the foundation of semiconductors, medical devices, infrastructure, defense, clean energy and more. But there's a looming threat – ballooning regulatory overload.
Over the past two decades, regulations on chemical manufacturing have doubled. This isn't just numbers, it's a reality that hampers policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Chips and Science Act.
Your administration’s current approach is a direct hit to America's innovation and global standing. We need to wake up to the reality that over-regulation stifles growth and production. It's time to promote smarter, growth-oriented regulations.
American chemistry isn't just an industry -- it's our nation’s future. When Chemistry Creates, America Competes. | | | | | Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA was a “popular pick” for principal of Hanover Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut, back in 2003. At 27, Cardona became the youngest principal in the state, a promotion from his assistant principal role at the school. “The students at Hanover School say Miguel Cardona is always nice, never yells and almost always saves and smiles when passing through the halls,” a 2003 story on the move said. Christopher Rogers, a fourth-grade student at the time, described Cardona as “very nice,” which he attributed to "working with Mrs. Cortright,” Cardona’s predecessor, who had left to become school superintendent. Mrs. Cortright, you know where to reach us.
| | President JAMES BUCHANAN was the first president to travel to the Old Soldiers’ Home as a summer retreat and thus made it the first “official” presidential summer house, according to the White House Historical Association. To learn more about people throughout history coming and going to and from the White House, check out White House History Quarterly, “On the Move.” Thanks to the White House Historical Association for this question! A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it! Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.
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