Capitol Hill’s 3 biggest questions on Oregon primary night

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May 21, 2024 View in browser   By Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz Presented by  With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team In Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, the party primary’s top three candidates are two establishment Democrats and Susheela Jayapal (center), the former Multnomah County Commissioner and Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-Wash.) older sister. | Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP DOUBLE THE JAYAPAL, DOUBLE THE ... FUN? AND OTHER UNKNOWNS We, along with plenty of House Democrats, are closely watching two Democratic primaries in Oregon on Tuesday. One could determine whether Congress gets two members of the Jayapal family, and the other could help decide the House majority this fall. To make sense of the dynamics, we thought we’d focus on the primary night’s three biggest questions. 1. Can the Jayapal name help power a second family progressive into office? In Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, the party primary’s top three candidates are two establishment Democrats, state Rep. Maxine Dexter and Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales – and Susheela Jayapal, the former Multnomah County Commissioner and Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-Wash.) older sister. Each of the three has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hopes of winning the seat of retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). Blumenauer told Inside Congress he’s staying neutral in the primary: “All three of the frontrunners are friends of mine. I've worked with them. I like and respect them. And they start every one of their public meetings pledging to follow in my footsteps.” Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which Pramila Jayapal chairs, have taken different sides in the race. The LGBTQ-focused Equality PAC, aligned with several sitting progressives, has endorsed Morales; Pramila Jayapal and some of her allies, as expected, are backing Susheela Jayapal’s bid. “She has been the frontrunner. And they're going after her because they know that if one Jayapal was bad, two Jayapals is definitely good double trouble,” quipped Pramila Jayapal. Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) underscored that her support for Morales, who is LGBTQ, is “not personal.” “Before I ever knew that Pramila Jayapal’s sister was getting in, I knew Eddie Morales from Equality PAC … So it was an easy decision for me,” Balint said. If Susheela Jayapal wins the primary (which effectively settles the winner of the general election in this deep-blue district), they’ll be the only set of siblings in Congress. There hasn’t been a sister pair since Reps. Loretta and Linda Sánchez served together as Democrats from California. 2. Will the AIPAC whispers bear fruit or backfire? Susheela Jayapal, notably, has not shied away from the criticism of Israeli government-aligned interests that has occasionally tripped up her younger sister and other sitting progressives. In what’s become a familiar dynamic this cycle on the left, Susheela Jayapal has accused the American Israel Public Affairs of meddling in the primary by funneling money to Dexter. The top news article on her campaign website is a story from the liberal-leaning Intercept saying AIPAC and Republican donors are fundraising for Dexter. Our colleague Jessica Piper crunched the numbers and found that campaign finance reports from April don't show any money directly flowing into the race from AIPAC or its affiliated groups. However, Dexter has received money from 314 Action, one of whose top donors is also a major donor to the AIPAC-affiliated super PAC, UDP, as well as a range of Republican candidates. Dexter’s campaign, asked for comment about the rival campaign’s suggestions of AIPAC involvement, said in a statement that “Maxine’s record of listening to people, working with others, and delivering progressive results for her constituents makes her the clear choice for Congress.” An AIPAC spokesperson declined to comment about the Susheela Jayapal campaign's allegations. 3. Will the DCCC succeed at a move it rarely makes — putting its thumb on the scale? Over in Oregon’s 5th district, state Rep. Janelle Bynum and attorney Jamie McLeod-Skinner are vying in the Democratic primary to take on first term Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Democrats see the district, which President Joe Biden won by about nine points in 2020, as a top pickup opportunity — so the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken the unusual step of backing Bynum in the primary over the more progressive McLeod-Skinner. McLeod-Skinner, who has carved out a more progressive lane in the primary, is looking for a rematch after narrowly losing to Chavez-DeRemer in 2022. She’s also been dogged by accusations of staff mistreatment (she’s denied them). “We’re supporting Janelle Bynum and we’ll see what happens after that primary,” DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) told reporters last Friday at an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. DCCC spokesperson Dan Gottlieb said in a statement: “Janelle has already defeated Lori Chavez-DeRemer twice before – and we're hopeful she'll have the opportunity to do it again in 2024.” McLeod-Skinner defended her track record on the campaign: "I’ve been in every corner of our district, meeting voters and talking about the issues that matter most to them, including defending abortion rights, protecting our air and water, and getting big corporations out of politics.” — Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz, with assists from Madison Fernandez and Jessica Piper   A message from American Beverage: America’s leading beverage companies – The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo – are bringing you more choices with less sugar. From sparkling, flavored and bottled waters to zero-sugar sodas, sports drinks, juices and teas, Americans have more options than ever. In fact, nearly 60% of beverages sold today have zero sugar. Families are looking for more choices to support their efforts to find balance and America’s beverage companies are delivering. Explore choices at BalanceUS.org.   GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday May 21, where we’ll miss the endless shrimp. DURBIN’S JUDICIAL UPDATE President Joe Biden is expected to mark a significant milestone Wednesday with his 200th federal judicial confirmation, but Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is still cautious about predicting whether Biden can catch up with former President Donald Trump’s confirmation pace from his first term. “It’s tough,” Durbin said, of catching Trump’s 234 federal judicial confirmations while in office. But Durbin vowed that “yes, definitely” Democrats would keep an aggressive clip of confirmations regardless of the November election results. It’s a dilemma that’s been weighing on the White House and Democratic senators as they confront a tough Senate map this fall and the possible loss of chamber control. — Anthony Adragna   THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY.     WHERE TO PROTEST?  ICYMI: A federal judge recently ruled that Congress' top security officials have long ignored certain security threats to lawmakers at the foot of the Capitol while improperly barring all protests there under the guise of safety. Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled in a 28-page opinion last week that the USCP board’s blanket ban on protests on the eastern steps of the Capitol was unconstitutional. It was doubly perplexing, he added, that security officials cited safety as the reason for the sweeping ban while at the same time permitting random passersby to congregate on the steps – and allowing lawmakers to host their own events on the same steps featuring high numbers of unscreened attendees. “What they cannot do is ban nearly all expressive conduct on the Eastern Steps in the name of security while looking the other way as to non-expressive or Member-sponsored activities that may present as great a threat to the Capitol and its Grounds,” Boasberg continued. The ruling was the result of a long-running legal battle led by Patrick Mahoney, a reverend, against the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel responsible for protecting lawmakers and the building itself. Mahoney filed suit to challenge the restrictions on protest activity outside the Capitol, seeking to hold prayer vigils and other demonstrations on the Eastern steps of the building (below dividers set up by USCP) that are restricted by current Hill rules – set up after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Those same current rules allow lawmakers to host their own demonstrations on the steps. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously ruled in a Jan. 6-related case that the interior of the Capitol was not a free speech-protected zone because it is a congressional workplace. But protests on the exterior and where the line was drawn has remained murky. Boasberg cited previous Vietnam War-era protests on the Capitol steps as evidence of their use as a traditional protest forum. The Capitol Police declined to comment on the ruling. — Nicholas Wu and Kyle Cheney    A message from American Beverage:   HUDDLE HOTDISH The progressive Working Families Party is knocking primary challengers to two sitting progressive lawmakers for gaining endorsements from a new pro-Israel group, Pro-Israel America, but not listing the backing on their websites. "George Latimer and Wesley Bell say they'll stand up to MAGA extremists, while quietly accepting endorsements from groups lending critical support to Republicans in swing districts,” spokesperson Ravi Mangla told Inside Congress. We love your socks, Chuck Schumer. A group of senators wants the FTC and the DOJ to look into Formula One. Garret Graves has some Patrick McHenry pictures.   A message from American Beverage: Families are looking for more choices and information to support their efforts to find balance in their diet. That’s why America’s beverage companies are now offering more than 600 brands with less sugar or no sugar at all, and our actions are making a real difference. Our commitment to supporting your efforts to find balance includes: · Putting clear calorie labels on the front of every bottle, can and pack. · Reminding consumers to think about balance with signs on coolers and displays in store. · Innovating products to offer more choices with less sugar or no sugar at all. · Working with local organizations across the country to build awareness of the many choices available – and making zero-sugar beverages more available in communities where it’s needed most. Learn more at BalanceUS.org     LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.     QUICK LINKS  What the McCarthy succession fight says about Republican politics, from Jeremy B. White Inside the Secret Network Behind a Democratic Congressman’s Bribery Scandal, from the Daily Beast’s William Bredderman and Riley Rogerson Angry Airport Encounter Pushes Hurricane-Relief Bill Forward, from Richard Rubin and Katy Stech Ferek at The Wall Street Journal ‘I’m totally devastated’: Hill cafeteria worker recalls carjacking, from Justin Papp at Roll Call House battlegrounds, a primary to Trump’s prosecutor and more: What we’re watching in Tuesday’s elections, from Madison Fernandez TRANSITIONS  Parker Bennett has been promoted to legislative director for Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.). He’s a Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) alum. Patrick Dillon is now senior adviser at the Commerce Department, where he will work on external affairs for CHIPS and AI. He most recently was a partner at Hilltop Public Solutions and is an Obama White House alum. Ryan Berger is now senior adviser to the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies. He previously was at the State Department, where he was chief of staff of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (via the U.S. Embassy in Paris). Tim Bertocci is now director of external affairs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.). TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session. WEDNESDAY AROUND THE HILL 9:00 a.m. Rep. Pressley et al on the federal student loan servicer MOHELA (House Triangle) 11 a.m. Sen. Blackburn and Republican members on border security. (Senate TV studio) Noon Sen. Durbin on confirmation of President Biden's 200th judicial nominee. (Senate Swamp) 12:30 p.m. Sen. Whitehouse and others on big oil. (Senate TV studio) 1 p.m. Speaker Johnson to greet President Ruto and deliver brief remarks ahead of a private meeting in the Speaker’s ceremonial office. 2:30 p.m. Reps. Norma Torres, Meng, Chu, Robert Garcia, Goldman et al on the Fairness to Freedom Act. (House Triangle) TRIVIA MONDAY’S ANSWER: Josh Harkins was the first to correctly guess that Martin Van Buren was the first president to be born in the United States. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Josh: Which former president received 8 electoral votes as a part of the Know-Nothing ticket in the 1856 election won by James Buchanan? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening.   Follow us

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