| | | | | |  | | By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by Facebook | TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN entered Speaker NANCY PELOSI'S office at about 1:10 p.m. to present the administration's Covid relief offer. MNUCHIN didn't answer questions. THIS IS THE BIG NEWS HERE in Washington today. MNUCHIN confirmed this morning what we reported Tuesday: that his counter to PELOSI'S $2.2 trillion Covid relief offer will be in the neighborhood of the PROBLEM SOLVERS' $1.5 trillion deal. He said this at the DELIVERING ALPHA conference, which is run by our friends at CNBC. PELOSI FLATLY REJECTED that $1.5 trillion offer a few weeks ago, saying it was woefully inadequate. MNUCHIN met with White House chief of staff MARK MEADOWS on Tuesday afternoon and today as he prepped the deal. Democrats have long viewed MEADOWS as the impediment to a deal -- but he's been tasked with keeping the pulse of Congress, an institution he is close to. MNUCHIN doesn't have the trust that MEADOWS enjoys among Republicans in the Capitol. THERE ARE many open issues here. SOME NOTES … -- MNUCHIN'S OFFER has an "escalator clause," which could bump the topline up to $2 trillion. THE QUESTION becomes this: Does the "escalator clause" make Dems happy enough? Can PELOSI accept it? -- PELOSI told her fellow Democrats on a call this morning that the outstanding issues are state and local money and liability reform -- the same two issues that have been outstanding for months. REMINDER: Dems are now at $436 billion on state and local funding, while Rs were at $150 billion. (h/t the great HEATHER CAYGLE) -- SARAH FERRIS and HEATHER: "[Pelosi] also sought to assure her members that if talks do break down, the party is 'closer' to the inauguration of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who could help deliver expansive relief early next year. 'We will have our moment,' Pelosi said on the call, according to several people who dialed in." POLITICO -- IF A DEAL COMES TOGETHER, will Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL put something this big on the floor? It's far from clear to us. He has a busy Senate with SCOTUS hearings/confirmation. Plus, he's not taking the lead in these talks. What's more, the topline price tag is only part of the equation here: The component parts are also critical, and those do not appear to have changed appreciably. FOR EXAMPLE: Will the Dems come MCCONNELL'S way on a liability overhaul? -- THEN THERE'S THE PRICE TAG: SENATE REPUBLICANS are very wary of a $1 trillion bill, so can they swallow a $2 trillion bill? President DONALD TRUMP will have to lean in -- which he has not been willing to do in legislative debates. And it's not at all clear his involvement would do anything in any case. -- A DEAL NEEDS to come together today at some point. Preferably within the next few hours. MNUCHIN said this morning they are giving these talks "one more try." HERE'S THE 2,153-PAGE Dem Covid relief bill. It could be up for a vote tonight. | | | | A message from Facebook: How Facebook is preparing for the US 2020 election
— Launched new Voting Information Center
— More than tripled our safety and security teams to 35,000 people
— Implemented 5-step political ad verification
— Expanded efforts to fight voting misinformation
Learn about these efforts and more | | | ON THE PROUD BOYS COMMENT … SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.), via NBC's JULIE TSIRKIN: "I think he misspoke in response to Chris Wallace's comment, he was asking Chris what he wanted to say, I think he misspoke, I think he should correct it. If he doesn't correct it I guess he didn't misspeak." Good Wednesday afternoon. THE BIG QUESTIONS: WHO CAN VOTE -- "In 2020 Election, Florida Felon Voting Limits Could Sway State Outcome," by WSJ's Coulter Jones and Jon Kamp: "Two years ago, a referendum gave an estimated 1.4 million people who completed sentencing terms including prison, parole and probation the right to vote. … "New data from researchers at Georgetown University Law Center shows the [subsequent GOP] law could mean a large share of registered voters with felony records still face hurdles. The researchers identified about 14,000 people within this group who have registered to vote since the end of 2018, and among them at least 9,700, or 69%, still owed money, according to a Journal analysis of the researcher's data. … These would-be voters, who likely number in the hundreds of thousands, have faced difficulties in accurately figuring out what they owe with the registration deadline looming on Monday, advocates say." WSJ … AND HOW THEY CAN VOTE -- "Appeals court lets extended ballot-receipt deadline take effect in Wisconsin," by Josh Gerstein: "An appeals court has handed Democrats a temporary victory, turning down a bid by Republicans to block a federal judge's order that mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day be counted even if received up to six days after the election. … "The decision could set up a replay at the U.S. Supreme Court of a battle that played out in April, when the justices voted, 5-4, to overturn a pandemic-related order from the same district court judge in the same case." POLITICO SIREN -- AMERICA IN PAIN … NPR: "60% of households with children across the country that have lost jobs, or businesses, or have had wages reduced during the pandemic, according to a poll released Wednesday by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "The poll also found 74% of households with children that made less than $100,000 report facing serious financial problems." The poll -- TALLYING THE DAMAGE: "Economy plunges 31.4% in spring but big rebound expected," by AP's Martin Crutsinger: "The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that the gross domestic product, the economy's total output of goods and services, fell at a rate of 31.4% in the April-June quarter, only slightly changed from the 31.7% drop estimated one month ago. "The new report, the government's last look at the second quarter, showed a decline that was almost four times larger than the previous record-holder, a fall of 10% in the first quarter of 1958 when Dwight Eisenhower was president. Economists believe the economy will expand at an annual rate of 30% in the current quarter." AP COMING ATTRACTIONS -- "Trump plans big Wisconsin rallies despite White House task force calls for 'maximal' social distancing in the state," by WaPo's Michael Scherer and Lena Sun: "The task force has further flagged La Crosse and Green Bay, the metropolitan areas where Trump plans to gather thousands of supporters Saturday, as coronavirus 'red zones,' the highest level of concern for community spread of the virus … "Wisconsin is listed in the document as the state with the third-highest rate of new cases in the country … Ahead of Trump's scheduled rally in Green Bay, the Bellin Health System said Tuesday that its hospital in that city is at 94 percent capacity as covid-19 continues to spike in the community." WaPo | | | | HAPPENING THURSDAY - SOLVING THE DRUG PRICING PUZZLE: The cost of prescription drugs is top of mind for millions of Americans and a motivating factor in the upcoming election. Join POLITICO Thursday, Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. EDT for a conversation exploring ideas to make prescription drugs more affordable, including patent reform, how the FDA can build on its recent record of fast-tracking generic approvals, and the role of international price benchmarking. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | HUNT FOR A VACCINE -- "All Eyes Are on Pfizer as Trump Pushes for Vaccine by October," by NYT's Katie Thomas: "In media appearances and talks with investors, Pfizer's chief executive nearly always mentions a word that is so politically perilous, most of his competitors shy away from it: October. … [Albert] Bourla's statements have put his company squarely in the sights of President Trump … "And yet by all other accounts, the idea that it will be ready in October is far-fetched. Even if the vaccine shows promising signs in clinical trials — still a big if — the company will not have collected enough data by then to say with any statistical confidence that it is safe and effective. … By repeating a date that flies in the face of most scientific predictions, Dr. Bourla is making a high-stakes gamble." NYT THE TREATMENT PUZZLE -- "Remdesivir may not cure coronavirus, but it's on track to make billions for Gilead," by WaPo's Christopher Rowland: "The government is poised to end its control of distribution of the drug after Sept. 30, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said last week, pushing it into normal drug distribution channels. And Gilead, the drugmaker, has taken more steps on its application for full, fast-track Food and Drug Administration approval, which could further expand its use. "But for doctors and researchers, clinical studies have reinforced questions about the effectiveness of the drug and who is best suited to receive it. The most conclusive evidence shows it reduces hospital stays from 15 to 11 days but does not significantly reduce the odds of dying of the coronavirus. And advocates are also questioning whether Gilead's $3,120 price per course of treatment is justified, based on its modest benefits and previous taxpayer investments." WaPo HEADS UP -- "Spy community not postured to handle rising China threat, House Intel finds," by Martin Matishak PHARMA FILES -- "House panel says drugmakers inflated prices to boost profits and reap bonuses," by Sarah Owermohle: "Major pharmaceutical companies raised drug prices exponentially by hundreds or thousands of percent to boost profits and executives' bonuses, 'taking full advantage' of Medicare rules, a House panel said Wednesday. "The House Oversight and Reform Committee this morning reported the findings, the first from its 18-month investigation into a dozen drug companies' pricing practices, ahead of two days of hearings with the manufacturers. The initial documents focus on Bristol Myers Squibb and Celgene — which Bristol acquired last year — along with Teva Pharmaceuticals. They will likely be followed by another pack on Thursday as executives from Amgen, Mallinckrodt and Novartis AG are scheduled to testify Oct. 1." POLITICO IMMIGRATION FILES -- "U.S. Refugee Backlog Swells, Leaving Families Waiting to Reunite," by WSJ's Michelle Hackman: "The U.S. has admitted just under 11,000 refugees during the fiscal year ending Wednesday, the smallest number in the refugee program's 40-year history, according to State Department data. … "The slowdown has compounded a backlog of refugees who have been vetted but are waiting, sometimes years, for a place in line. As of this month, about 120,000 refugees are on a list for possible resettlement in the U.S. … The reductions in the refugee-admission ceilings have come as the number of refugees fleeing violence and persecution around the world has swelled to 71 million people." | | | | NEW EPISODES: LISTEN TO POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has always been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but in 2020 many of those issues have exploded. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions, and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe now for Season Two, launching Oct. 21. | | | | | THE FOX NEWS PRESIDENCY … WAPO, via Yeganeh Torbati, Juliet Eilperin, Lisa Rein and Josh Dawsey: "A two-page White House memo that directed federal agencies to halt 'un-American' and 'divisive' employee training has led to widening confusion and cancellations across the government, as stumped officials are unsure how to respond but fearful of backlash from President Trump. "The directives have proved so divisive that they became a flash point in the presidential race Tuesday night, with the candidates clashing over Trump's intentions. … It also triggered a backlash within the White House's Office of Management and Budget, with some career employees complaining policy is being set based on what the president sees on conservative cable networks — and OMB officials are happily going along with it." BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- "Court Packing? It's Already Happening at the State Level," by Governing's Billy Corriher: "Some critics argue that adding seats to the court, in an effort to diminish or reverse its conservative majority, would mean abandoning a longstanding norm against court packing. In recent years at the state level, however, some Republican politicians have already abandoned such norms. … "In Florida, Iowa and other states, Republican legislatures have changed the rules for judicial nominating commissions to give governors more control. High-court justices have been threatened with impeachment for issuing rulings that legislatures didn't like. Some Republican legislatures also have added seats to their states' supreme courts to create new conservative majorities that are still in power today." Governing -- ERIC GELLER: "The 6 key races you haven't heard of that may help decide how we secure our elections: The secretaries of state on the ballot in November are using election security to make their case as voters increase scrutiny of their work." MEDIAWATCH -- "Digital News Startup Axios Weathers Covid With Sponsored Newsletters," by WSJ's Lukas Alpert: "The company has avoided staff reductions and is on track to take in about $58 million in revenue in 2020, up more than 30% compared with the year before, and is on target with its prepandemic projections, largely because of the success of its sponsored-newsletter business … "Newsletter sponsorships contribute more than 50% of the company's total revenue, the people said, and now Axios is looking to expand. Early next year, the company said, it plans to establish two-person newsletter teams in several local markets, starting with Minneapolis; Denver; Tampa, Fla.; and Des Moines, Iowa." WSJ FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- Scott Reed is restarting Chesapeake Enterprises, a corporate lobbying and consulting firm where he is chair and founder. He will also continue to run the Susan Collins 1820 super PAC in Maine. He previously was the senior political strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which he left after it endorsed Democrats. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Lin Whitehouse of Rep. Jim Clyburn's (D-S.C.) office (h/t James Liska) | | | |   | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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