Playbook PM: Pelosi and Cheney put McCarthy on the spot with Jan. 6 committee

Jul 01, 2021

By Rachael Bade, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun

Presented by Facebook

Heads up: Trump Organization CFO ALLEN WEISSELBERG is expected to be arraigned at 2:15 p.m.

This morning, Speaker NANCY PELOS I named her eight appointments to the House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6. Her first seven slots went to Democrats:

— BENNIE THOMPSON (Miss.) will chair the panel
— ZOE LOFGREN (Calif.)
— ADAM SCHIFF (Calif.)
— PETE AGUILAR (Calif.)
— STEPHANIE MURPHY (Fla.)
— JAMIE RASKIN (Md.)
— ELAINE LURIA (Va.)

For her eighth pick, Pelosi appointed Wyoming GOP Rep. LIZ CHENEY . "We are very honored and proud she has agreed to serve on the committee," Pelosi said at a news conference alongside the other Democrats.

— Cheney, in a statement: "Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in a professional, expeditious, and non-partisan manner." Full statement

MEANWHILE, MCCARTHY FLAILING — "McCarthy threatens to strip GOP members of committee assignments if they accept an offer from Pelosi to serve on 1/6 commission," by CNN's Jamie Gangel

House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY continued to lash out at Cheney during his presser today, though he seemed to dispute reports that committee assignments are in jeopardy. "I'm not threatening anybody with committee assignments, what I'm saying is it's shocking to me that if a person is a Republican and they get their committee assignments from the Republican Conference, for somebody to accept committee assignments from Speaker Pelosi, that's unprecedented," McCarthy said.

— Rep. ADAM KINZINGER (R-Ill.), responding to McCarthy's threat: "Who gives a shit?" More from Sarah Ferris and Nicholas Wu

TRUMP ORG'S DAY IN COURT — "Top Trump Executive Allen Weisselberg Surrenders to Face Charges," by NYT's Ben Protess, William Rashbaum and Jonah Bromwich: "DONALD J. TRUMP'S long-serving chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, surrendered on Thursday to the Manhattan district attorney's office as he and the Trump Organization prepared to face charges in connection with a tax investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said.

"The exact charges were not yet known. Prosecutors were expected to unseal an indictment later in the day against Mr. Weisselberg and the Trump Organization, the real estate business that catapulted Mr. Trump to tabloid fame, television riches and ultimately, the White House."

BIG SCOTUS RULING ON VOTING RIGHTS — "Supreme Court sides with Arizona on voting restrictions," by Josh Gerstein: "The Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of the state of Arizona in a high-profile voting rights case, once again reining in the impact of the Voting Rights Act by taking a narrow view of when state voting practices can be held to violate the rights of minorities.

"The justices split 6-3 along ideological lines, with the Republican-appointed majority concluding that disparate impacts on minority groups would typically not be enough to render voting rules illegal under the act. The decision, in a pair of cases from Arizona about out-of-precinct voting and collection of mail-in ballots, could make it more difficult for voting rights activists to challenge a slew of new voting restrictions Republicans are seeking to implement in states across the country."

— "Supreme Court nixes California disclosure law in blow to dark-money opponents," by Josh Gerstein and Zach Montellaro

Good Thursday afternoon.

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SCALISE UPS THE PRESSURE ON CHAMBER-BACKED DEMS — In advance of the July Fourth break, House Minority Whip STEVE SCALISE is cranking up the heat on more than a dozen House Democrats who are supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, circulating a brief memo warning them to find a way to prevent what he calls the "business-crushing tax increases" that will be part of the reconciliation bill.

"Knowing of your interest in supporting America's businesses — we are sure you are aware the businesses community [sic.] strongly opposes the Biden multi-trillion dollar tax increase," Scalise wrote. "We want to provide some additional information about the real economic challenges facing the country… [E]mployers … can't find workers … [W]orkers … are worried their wages are worth less as inflation continues to creep up." The fuil memo

Consider it a warning shot to frontline Dems: The GOP will absolutely use their support of a looming Democratic reconciliation bill against them on the campaign trail. House Democrats already have an uphill climb in their battle to maintain control of the House in the 2022 elections, and these members will be among those most at-risk of losing their seats.

— THE TARGETED DEMS INCLUDE: Reps. Colin Allred (Texas), Lizzie Fletcher (Texas), Haley Stevens (Mich.), Josh Harder (Calif.), Abby Finkenauer (Iowa), Cindy Axne (Iowa), Susie Lee (Nev.), Angie Craig (Minn.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Abigail Spanberger (Va.), Antonio Delgado (N.Y.), Elaine Luria (Va.), Dean Phillips (Minn.), Greg Stanton (Ariz.), David Trone (Md.).

POTUS IN SURFSIDE — "Biden Offers More Federal Support in Surfside Search and Rescue," by Bloomberg's Nancy Cook and Jordan Fabian: "'I think there's more that we can do,' [President JOE] BIDEN said Thursday during a meeting with Florida Governor RON DESANTIS and Miami-Dade County Mayor DANIELLA LEVINE CAVA. The president suggested the U.S. could pay for more — possibly all — of the rescue efforts.

"Biden and first lady JILL BIDEN traveled to south Florida to receive a briefing on the collapsed condominium tower and offer comfort to the community. … DeSantis thanked Biden for the federal response to the disaster, saying 'you recognized the severity of this tragedy from day one.'"

— CBS' @stevenportnoy: "Biden, meeting with first responders near Surfside, FL, offers his gratitude. 'What you're doing now is hard as hell,' he said. 'I just wanted to say thank you.'"

THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE — "U.S. jobless claims fall to 364,000, a new pandemic low," AP: "Last week's drop in jobless claims was steeper than economists had expected. Applications for unemployment benefits have now fallen in 10 of the past 12 weeks."

FED FILES — "'Jay's job to lose': Powell's reappointment by Biden as Fed chief hangs on inflation," by Victoria Guida: "Federal Reserve Chair JEROME 'JAY' POWELL, who worked in the GEORGE H.W. BUSH administration and was elevated to central bank chief under President Donald Trump, has been the strongest voice in reassuring financial markets and Congress that higher prices will ease as the economy fully emerges from the pandemic.

"That stance puts Powell in lockstep with the White House, which could smooth his path to reappointment by Biden, a pivotal decision that's due in the coming months. … Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN, Powell's predecessor at the Fed, has echoed the central bank chief's argument, and she will be crucial to the debate over whether to appoint him, according to a senior White House official."

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IMPRESSIVE FUNDRAISING HAUL IN MISSOURI — Everyone and their grandma is running in the Missouri GOP primary these days, but candidate ERIC SCHMITT just unveiled some eye-popping numbers that will set him apart in a crowded field.

Since announcing his candidacy at the end of March, he's raised $1.3 million — a number his campaign says is more than any other candidate for Senate in Missouri history. If you include super PAC money, his total jumps to $2.8 million. For reference, in 2017, Sen. JOSH HAWLEY'S exploratory committee raised $820,760 in its first quarter of existence, and Sen. ROY BLUNT, who's retiring, raised $542,034 over a similar timeframe during his initial Senate run.

The announcement comes as some Republicans in Washington are watching the state with concern. They'll take almost anyone but former Missouri Gov. ERIC GREITENS, who left office amid accusations of sexual assault and blackmail — and who is now vying for the Senate nomination by playing the Trump card to push his way back into power.

The big question right now is which of the multiple Republicans running for the position can stand out, raise money — and not be a liability for the party in the general election. Schmitt is trying to show he can be that guy.

PREPARING FOR THE DELTA VARIANT AND BEYOND — "Biden admin preps for next pandemic as Delta variant surges," by David Lim: "Federal health officials, along with testing labs and test makers, are weighing how to implement the lessons they have learned from this pandemic to prepare for the next one. That includes what types of government incentives could help keep companies prepared to quickly develop tests in the face of a new emergency, and whether to stockpile key testing supplies. …

"But with newer variants like Delta circulating, the administration must also ensure that existing tests are capable of detecting emerging strains — and maintain enough testing capacity to detect and tamp down new bursts of infections."

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMERS SEE A PATH — "The only Trump-era achievement Democrats are eager to replicate," by Marianne LeVine: "As police reform talks edge closer to collapse and Democratic priorities from gun control to immigration stall, the Senate is chugging ahead on an overhaul of the U.S. criminal justice system that advanced under Trump. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) described criminal justice reform as a 'personal priority' for himself and his GOP counterpart, Iowa Sen. CHUCK GRASSLEY. …

"Backers of this year's criminal justice legislation acknowledge it's a more modest effort than the 2018 criminal justice reform bill, a rare moment of unity during Trump's presidency. They also admit that getting Senate GOP buy-in might be tougher without Trump around. But advocates argue that the current bills mark a necessary next step and that Congress has little time to act to build on the Trump-era law known as the First Step Act."

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LOOK WHO'S BACK — "Progressive Charles Booker Is Running For Senate Against Rand Paul In Kentucky," by HuffPost's Travis Waldron

2021 WATCH — "GOP candidate's private equity resume draws scrutiny in Va.," by AP's Steve Peoples and Sarah Rankin in Richmond: "Beyond mobile home parks, [GLENN] YOUNGKIN helped Carlyle make money for investors by targeting nursing homes, auto parts manufacturers, energy companies and even a business that produces 'less-lethal' weapons used by governments that have cracked down on democracy advocates. …

"There are no allegations of illegality or wrongdoing, but Youngkin's political aspirations have drawn new scrutiny to his dealings at the Washington-based investment firm, where he generated a net worth estimated at over $300 million before retiring as co-CEO last summer. Perhaps not since former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, now a Utah senator, has a candidate sought higher office with such strong ties to the world of private equity."

HEAT AND DROUGHT TO RAISE PRICES — "Drought's Toll on U.S. Agriculture Points to Even-Higher Food Prices," by WSJ's Danny Dougherty and Peter Santilli: "Roughly 9.8% of the U.S. is currently in what climate experts refer to as exceptional drought, the most severe designation, which is characterized by widespread crop and pasture losses and shortages in reservoirs, streams and wells amounting to water emergencies.

"About 44% of the nation is experiencing some level of drought, with a further 13% currently affected by drier-than-normal conditions. … The current drought is on pace to be one of the worst ever. One of the hardest-hit states is California, home to about 70,000 farms and ranches with a combined output of about $50 billion a year."

— "Underpaid firefighters, overstretched budgets: The U.S. isn't prepared for fires fueled by climate change," by WaPo's Sarah Kaplan in Portland, Ore.

MEDIAWATCH — "Meghan McCain announces that she is leaving 'The View,'" by CNN's Oliver Darcy: "MEGHAN MCCAIN, the conservative personality and co-host of ABC's 'The View' who clashed with her colleagues on and off set, announced Thursday that she is leaving the show.

"'I'm just going to rip the bandaid off,' McCain said at the top of the show. 'I am here to tell all of you, my wonderful cohorts and viewers at home: This is going to be my last season here at "The View."' McCain said it was 'not an easy decision' and that she will be with 'The View' until its current season ends at the end of the month."

DEMOCRACY WATCH — A new advocacy group, the Partnership for American Democracy, is launching today, billing itself as a "coalition of coalitions" that aims to shore up democracy across five areas: civic education, national service, bridge building, effective governance and combating mis-/disinformation and strengthening local journalism. Diana Aviv is the founding CEO, and POLITICO alum Mollie Bowman is director of special projects. Their site

TRANSITIONS — Arianna Jones is now comms director for Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). She is the former deputy campaign manager for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. … Emily Flower is now deputy press secretary for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. She most recently was legislative correspondent for Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.).