Who at 1600 Penn is making bank?

Presented by The Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC): The power players, latest policy developments, and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing.

Jul 28, 2023 View in browser   By Lauren Egan, Eli Stokols and Lawrence Ukenye Presented by The Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC) Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren Since 1995, the White House has been required to deliver a report to Congress each year listing the title and salary of every White House Office employee. And every July, that report is made public. The report takes salary transparency to a different level, with staffers pouring over it before gossiping about who got a raise and who didn’t; which special assistants make more than the standard $115,000; and which new staffers are coming into the job at a higher annual salary than their predecessors. (We won’t name names — you all can see for yourselves!) “Everyone looks at it. And anyone who says they don’t is lying,” said one White House staffer. The salary sheet is perceived by some staffers as a direct barometer of who has clout in the West Wing. But it’s also become a useful reference for those contemplating a jump from the private sector to the White House on what they can expect to make and how much they might have to tighten their budgets (if at all). It’s a particularly helpful resource at a time when there’s some natural turnover ahead of the election and positions need to be filled. “There’s this push for the private sector to be more open about salaries during the hiring process, and in a sense we were already doing that, even if it’s just cause it’s congressionally mandated,” said a former White House staffer. The best way to get a White House job and not take too much of a pay cut is counterintuitive: get hired first in a Cabinet agency and then get detailed to the White House. Detailees are loaned to the White House for a period of time and staffers can keep their agency salary, which is often higher than the more budget-conscious White House pay scale. For example, the Biden White House caps salaries for senior officials at $180,000. The highest paid staffers in 2023 are detailees, with the highest earner, at $260,718, being DEMETRE DASKALAKIS, who helped lead the White House Monkeypox response team. That dynamic can lead to some awkwardness, with some detailees making significantly more than their peers and sometimes even more than their boss. (Just have them pick up the Tatte tab and it will all even out in the end.) The salary report also provides some clues on other staff dynamics inside the West Wing. There are currently 28 “assistants to the president,” which is the top ranking post in the White House hierarchy. That’s an increase from 22 APs in 2022 and 21 in 2021. The jump in APs is mostly due to a handful of staff promotions (RYAN MONTOYA, JENNIFER KLEIN, VINAY REDDY, EMMY RUIZ, STEFANIE FELDMAN and EVAN RYAN were all given AP titles in the last year) — signaling an expansion of responsibility and trust among staffers who have been with the president since the start of the administration. There are also 524 White House staffers in total, according to the 2023 report, a fair bit more than the 474 staffers in 2022 but still fewer than the 560 in 2021, which is when staff numbers increased largely to address the Covid pandemic. Finally, there appear to be a few benevolent bosses who have taken pay cuts, presumably to free up some cash for other staffers since the number of highest salary spots are limited. White House chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS, the most powerful person inside the West Wing aside from the president, makes $168,000 instead of the full $180,000. To be fair … he doesn’t really need the money, but we’re sure the gesture is appreciated nonetheless! MESSAGE US — Are you GENE SPERLING? 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!   A message from The Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC): We can jump-start America’s clean hydrogen economy. Here’s how. With practical clean hydrogen rules in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we can bring clean hydrogen production to market faster, and help decarbonize critical industries like refining, steel and fertilizer production. See who’s working to speed up America’s clean hydrogen economy.   POTUS PUZZLER How old was President JIMMY CARTER when he met his wife ROSALYNN CARTER? (Answer at bottom.) Cartoon of the Week If it’s Friday, it’s cartoon day! This one is by WARD SUTTON. Our very own MATT WUERKER publishes a carousel of cartoons from all over the country. Ward Sutton The Oval A STEP TO HELP SURVIVORS: Biden signed an executive order Friday broadening how the Pentagon handles sexual assault cases by giving power to independent military prosecutors rather than victims’ commanders, our MATT BERG reports. The effort implements provisions passed in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act and modernizes procedures that protect victims during and after court-martial proceedings. The actions fulfill the president’s “promise to fundamentally shift how the military justice system responds to sexual assault and related crimes, which is something President Biden has prioritized since Day One of this administration,” the White House said in a statement. ON THE PROWL FOR SOME LOBSTAHHH: The president hit the road to visit Maine where he spoke with workers at Auburn Manufacturing Inc., in an effort to continue promoting his “Bidenomics” message. The trip came as he signed an executive order to boost research and development to support domestic manufacturing through incentivizing companies to develop products in the U.S. He mentioned JEFF STEIN’s piece in the Washington Post that Republicans may need to rethink attacks against him. “Republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for now that inflation is coming down,” Biden quipped. “Maybe they’ll decide to impeach me because it’s coming down. I don’t know. I’d love that one.” WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by the Washington Post’s ABHA BHATTARAI about how government investments in clean energy and infrastructure are helping grow the U.S. economy. Spending on manufacturing plants and transportation equipment recently increased by 56 percent, highlighting how Biden’s three major laws are fueling job growth despite interest rate hikes from the Fed. “As a result, many economists who predicted a recession this year now say the country appears poised to avoid a downturn,” Bhattarai writes. White House deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES tweeted this piece. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO LISTEN TO: This episode of Playbook Deep Dive featuring retired Gen. ARNOLD PUNARO, who criticized Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE’s (R-Ala.) military promotions blockade over the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy. “I have a huge problem with what Sen. Tuberville is doing. He’s a coward, in my book. He won’t even bring an amendment to the floor and get it voted on to change the policy,” Punaro said. Bates tweeted the episode, too. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by our HAILEY FUCHS, HOLLY OTTERBEIN and EUGENE DANIELS about how high-profile Democratic Party donors have yet to fully embrace Vice President KAMALA HARRIS’ place on the 2024 ticket. Although Harris routinely meets or exceeds fundraising goals, some donors remain reluctant to organize large events hosted by her. While Biden was never a strong fundraiser before bringing in a historic haul in 2020, Harris’ spot on the ticket has been a subject of debate by the party’s white and older donor class — a group that Black politicians feel hasn’t always been fully supportive of candidates.   KEEP AN EYE ON THE GOLDEN STATE: Our most loyal West Wing Playbook readers might be keeping an eye on what Gavin Newsom is up to and the latest happenings inside the political arena of the world’s fourth largest economy. A quick 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 behind the scenes in California’s power centers, from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and beyond. Get exclusive news, buzzy scoops and behind-the-scenes details of the latest from the Golden State, sent straight to your inbox. SUBSCRIBE NOW.     Filling the Ranks [JIMMY BUFFETT VOICE] SWIPING AWAY AGAIN AT TOMMY TUBERVILLE: Biden used a speech on Thursday at the Truman Civil Rights Symposium as another opportunity to call out Tuberville’s hold on military promotions, describing the senator’s actions as “outrageous,” our LUCY HODGMAN reports. “The Republican Party used to always support the military, but today they’re undermining the military,” Biden said. “The senior senator from Alabama, who claims to support our troops, is now blocking more than 300 military operations with his extreme political agenda.” Tuberville pushed back against Biden on Twitter, saying his stance has not changed and urging supporters for donations in his fight against Democrats. The delays aren’t stopping Biden from continuing to nominate military leaders. He tapped Gen. DAVID ALLVIN earlier this week to serve as Air Force chief of staff and picked DEREK CHOLLET to serve as the Pentagon’s top policy leader. With lawmakers traveling for August recess, Democrats have continued to attack Tuberville for potentially dragging the issue until their return in September, our CONNOR O’BRIEN, JOE GOULD, LARA SELIGMAN and PAUL McLEARY report.   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.     Agenda Setting THINK OF THE EARTH: The Biden administration on Friday released plans to implement changes to the National Environmental Policy Act that resulted from last month’s bipartisan debt ceiling, including instructing agencies to consider how certain proposed projects would impact climate change, our JOSH SIEGEL reports. The White House Council on Environmental Quality will also now, for the first time, direct agencies to consider environmental justice to assess how communities have been affected by the long-term effects of pollution and industrial activity. PROVIDING A PATHWAY: Certain migrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti will now be eligible to be processed in Mexico for a refugee resettlement program that can provide a permanent pathway to U.S. citizenship, the White House announced Friday. The decision was a product of discussions between U.S. officials, led by White House Homeland Security Advisor ELIZABETH SHERWOOD-RANDALL and Mexican President ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR. The move comes after the administration suffered a blow in its immigration efforts after a federal judge tossed out Biden’s asylum rule for migrants earlier this week. What We're Reading Biden to run against MAGA in 2024, not just Trump (Axios’ Sophia Cai) Facebook Bowed to White House Pressure, Removed Covid Posts (WSJ’s Ryan Tracy)   A message from The Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC):   POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER Three years old. Carter’s mother, LILLIAN CARTER, delivered Rosalynn and brought over 3 year-old Jimmy to come see the baby, according to Voice of America. 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.   A message from The Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC): Clean hydrogen can power the heavy industries our nation relies on with lower CO2 emissions. The Inflation Reduction Act is poised to jump-start the clean hydrogen economy in the US, and help decarbonize critical industries like refining, steel and fertilizer production. That’s why the Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition supports practical clean hydrogen rules. We can bring clean hydrogen to market faster using the clean power sources America already has today, and annually match that power to hydrogen production, while we invest in the clean hydrogen industry of the future. America can’t wait to start decarbonizing the industries our nation relies on. We're working to speed up America’s clean hydrogen economy.     Follow us on Twitter Eli Stokols @EliStokols Lauren Egan @Lauren_V_Egan Lawrence Ukenye @Lawrence_Ukenye   Follow us

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