IN MEMORIAM: “Alan K. Simpson, a Folksy Republican Force in the Senate, Dies at 93,” by NYT’s Robert McFadden: “Alan K. Simpson, a plain-spoken former Republican senator from Wyoming who championed immigration reforms and conservative candidates for the Supreme Court while fighting running battles with women’s groups, environmentalists and the press, died on Friday in Cody, Wyo. … Folksy, irreverent and sometimes cantankerous, a gaunt, 6-foot-7 beanpole with a ranch hand’s soft drawl, Mr. Simpson was a three-term senator, from 1979 to 1997, whom school children and tourists in the gallery sometimes took for a Mr. Smith-goes-to-Washington oddball, especially during his occasional rants against ‘bug-eyed zealots’ and ‘super-greenies,’ as he liked to call environmental lobbyists.”
Though history would suggest that Dems will fall in line behind Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, at this moment, we have yet to see publicly declared support. | Francis Chung/POLITICO
TICK, TICK … BOOM: As the midnight deadline to fund the government grows ever nearer, here’s where things stand …
The current proposal Dem leaders are eyeing would grant them the chance to vote on a four-week funding patch plus a series of proposed amendments in exchange for breaking the 60-vote filibuster threshold on the House GOP spending bill. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune “indicated that Democrats have not yet made a formal offer,” POLITICO's Jordain Carney reports. "At some point there's gotta be an offer on the table,” Thune said. "I think there could be an amendment vote or two."
The big question: Are there enough Senate Democrats willing to vote for cloture on the continuing resolution? Though history would suggest that Dems will fall in line behind Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, at this moment, we have yet to see publicly declared support from the eight Democrats needed for the CR to pass.
Most prominent Senate Democrats remain firmly in the “no” column.
Patty Murray (D-Wash.) posted on X this morning that “I am a firm 100% NO.”
Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) is a no, too.
Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), added that “If I weren’t a preacher, I’d tell you what kind of ‘no.’”
Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reportedly erupted in a private meeting over the lack of direction from on high, accusing party leaders of having “no strategy, no plan, and no message on this spending bill,” CNN’s Dana Bash reports.
THE SCHUMER FALLOUT: Among Hill Dems, there’s palpable frustration right now following Schumer’s announcement last night that he would support the CR and keep the government running.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pushed back on Schumer’s decision in a lengthy statement this morning, writing that while neither supporting the CR nor allowing the government to shut down are good options, the “false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable." She called on Democratic senators to follow the lead of veteran appropriators Murray and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in supporting an alternative “four-week funding extension to keep the government open” while negotiating a bipartisan agreement on a longer-term deal. More from POLITICO’s Nicholas Wu
More than 50 House Democrats are passing around a draft letter addressed to Schumer echoing Pelosi and “voicing ‘strong opposition’” to the funding measure, Axios’ Andrew Solender reports. "The American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican chaos," the lawmakers wrote. "Instead of capitulating to their obstruction, we must fight ... we urge you to reject the partisan continuing resolution." The full letter
Senate Democrats, though, are a bit more mum on Schumer’s position. Normally a chatty interviewee, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) declined to address the topic when asked: “I’m not a pundit. I won’t comment on other people’s votes.” Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) even reiterated his support for Schumer when asked about the criticism: “I have great confidence in the leader and I think he's [done] an outstanding job for the Democratic caucus and continues to,” Ossoff said.
What Trump says: President Donald Trump took to Truth Socia l this morning to congratulate Schumer on his decision to back the GOP spending bill, calling it a “smart move” that “Took 'guts' and courage!"
Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Did you catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse last night? Drop me a line at birvine@politico.com.
A message from the American Bankers Association:
Support the ACRE Act. Congress has a great opportunity to lift up rural America. By supporting the bipartisan Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act, lawmakers can lower the cost of credit for farmers and ranchers trying to navigate a challenging economic cycle. The legislation will also drive down the cost of homeownership in more than 17,000 rural communities across the country. Learn more about this important effort to support farm country.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund is out with a new TV and digital ad on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The 30-second spot argues that former Wisconsin AG Brad Schimel “wants to take away women’s abortion rights, while giving criminals a free pass to buy guns.” The ad will run through Election Day on broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms in the Madison market and on cable statewide. Watch it here
5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Protesters demand the release of Palestinian rights activist and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil from detention. | Jeff Coltin/POLITICO
1. AFTER MAHMOUD KHALIL: The detention of Khalil, the former Columbia student, Palestinian activist and green card holder continues to drive an enormous amount of discourse in Washington. But it may soon be one of several such cases known to the public rather than an outlier.
In the March 7 letter to DHS officials that set in motion Khalil's arrest, Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified another legal permanent resident for deportation, The Atlantic’s Nick Miroff scoops. “In addition to the two names in Rubio’s initial letter, the State Department has also sent the names of ‘one or two’ more students whose visas it has revoked, according to the DHS official, who described the first group of names as an opening move, with ‘more to come.’”
The second green-card holder targeted has not been named by officials, who “did not know whether the person is a current or former Columbia student, or had been singled out for some other reason. The person has not been arrested yet.”
Watch this space … Wielding federal search warrants, DHS agents also searched two dorm rooms of students on Columbia’s campus today, per NYT’s Jenny Gross. In a note to students, interim university president Katrina Armstrong said that no students were detained and nothing was taken by the agents, but she did not specify the target of the warrants.
How it’s playing on the Hill: More than 100 House Democrats issued a letter to Trump officials today condemning Khalil’s arrest and calling the administration's “use of a Cold War-era section of the Immigration and Nationality Act to deport” Khalil as the “playbook of authoritarians,” POLITICO’s Myah Ward scoops.
2. STORMING THE IVORY TOWERS: In a substantial escalation of its crusade against campus diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the Education Department announced a tranche of investigations into more than 50 universities for violating last month’s warning that “they could lose federal money over ‘race-based preferences’ in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life,” AP’s Collin Binkley reports. “Most of the new inquiries are focused on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business.” The investigations are aimed at a range of schools, including “major public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State and Rutgers, along with prestigious private schools like Yale, Cornell, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”
3. FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE: Though Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled that he is not yet on board with the White House’s proposed ceasefire agreement to temporarily halt the war with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters today that Putin has “expressed solidarity with Trump’s position” on the matter, WSJ’s Georgi Kantchev reports. Peskov added that while “there are reasons to feel this cautious optimism,” there is a lot left to do in order to reach an agreement.
Cautious optimism from the West Wing: Trump wrote today in a Truth Social post that the U.S. “had very good and productive discussions” with Putin yesterday, and “there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end. Trump also claimed to have urged Putin to save the lives of “thousands of Ukrainian troops” who were encircled by Russian forces.
Survey says: Recent polling shows that a majority of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling Russia and Ukraine. “A new poll from CNN released Friday found 59 percent of Americans said it’s not too likely, or not at all likely, that Trump’s approach will bring long-term peace to Ukraine, with 41 percent saying it’s at least somewhat likely,” POLITICO’s Ali Bianco reports. “Asking voters about the Oval Office blowout between Trump and Zelenskyy, [a Quinnipiac poll found] 58 percent of voters disapproved of how Trump handled it, while 35 percent approved.”
4. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Hamas leaders announced they will release Edan Alexander, the last living U.S. citizen held hostage since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel, NBC News’ Chantal Da Silva reports. Hamas also said they will release the bodies of four dual nationals, though spokesperson Hazem Qassem cautioned that “nothing has been finalized.” In a statement posted by the group on Telegram, Hamas also suggested it is ready to begin negotiating a second phase to its ceasefire deal with Israel.
5. TERMS OF THE CONTRACT: With thousands of federal workers out of jobs following Trump and Elon Musk’s sweeping terminations, contractors and private-sector firms are on shaky ground as they navigate an uncertain future, NYT’s Noam Scheiber reports. As “it became clear that Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk would rein in federal agencies, the share prices of publicly traded contractors like Leidos and Booz Allen Hamilton plummeted.” But stock analysts “said they were generally bullish on the companies’ prospects, and the contracting “industry has arguably survived worse, including spending cuts from a deal between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans.”
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WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — David Wilezol is now a speechwriter to the president and national security adviser at the White House. He most recently was founder and president of Seventh Floor Strategies and is an American Foreign Policy Council alum.
STAFFING UP — The Department of Labor today announced senior political appointees including: John Clark, Amy Simon,Marek Laco, Amanda Wood Laihow, Michael Asplen, Joe MacFarlane, Brian Walsh, Elisabeth Messenger, Courtney Parella, Aaron Britt, Jihun Han, Rebecca Wright, Courtney Walter, Colton Duncan, Peyton Smith and Jonathan Snare.
TRANSITIONS —LilaNieves-Lee has returned to Visa as VP and head of federal U.S. government engagement. She most recently was staff director for the Senate Banking Committee and is a Trump USTR alum. … Matthew Manning is now government relations lead for Overland AI. He previously was founder of Legisential and is a Jimmy Panetta alum.
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A message from the American Bankers Association:
Urge Congress to support the ACRE Act which will lower the cost of credit in rural America.Learn more.
