| | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | | | SCOOP — Our own Alex Isenstadt writes in with some news: Former President DONALD TRUMP began meeting this week with would-be GOP primary challengers to his arch-nemesis, Wyoming Rep. LIZ CHENEY — and a new potential candidate has emerged. BO BITEMAN, a conservative state senator regarded as a likely contender, was among those Trump sat down with Tuesday at his Bedminster, N.J., golf club. Trump also met with two announced candidates — attorney DARIN SMITH and state Rep. CHUCK GRAY, both of whom came armed with private polling showing Cheney in poor shape. On Monday, he hosted CATHARINE O'NEILL, a potential candidate and former Trump administration official. Trump is hoping that his eventual endorsement helps to winnow down the field, and a person familiar with the meetings said that each of the candidates vowed to drop out in the event they fail to win his support. Backstory from Alex and Ally Mutnick HABEMUS BIF — There was no plume of white smoke rising from the Capitol earlier today, but a momentous event occurred: Senate negotiators and the White House have agreed to a final(ish) version of the bipartisan infrastructure framework. While we still don't have legislative language, the agreement is complete enough that Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said he will move to a cloture vote as early as tonight, seemingly with the knowledge that 10 Republicans and all 50 members of the Democratic Caucus will advance the legislation. More from Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett — Sen. THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.) said today that he will vote to advance the package. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) said he's "inclined" to vote yes. Even South Dakota's JOHN THUNE — the No. 2 Republican in Senate leadership — said he's open to voting for the bill. It looks like Schumer will have the votes. — "We have an agreement, we're moving to a motion to proceed tonight," Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) told reporters, brimming with excitement after weeks of hearing doubts about her ability to make this happen. — We'll know a lot more after the Senate Democrats finish a 1 p.m. special caucus meeting. We've been bullish this week that the BIF deal would come together, despite the usual turbulence that accompanies the final stages of a major negotiation. — The main reason for optimism has been that the key players — President JOE BIDEN, Schumer, Sinema, Sens. ROB PORTMAN (R-Ohio), MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah), JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) — repeatedly made it clear that they wanted the deal. Despite the public airing of grievances over the last few days — and some salty background quotes to try and gain some political leverage — there hasn't been a moment where any of the key parties came close to walking away from the deal. — The loudest voices in opposition to BIF have come from progressives in the House, right-wingers in the Senate and Trump. Notably, none of them are involved in the BIF discussions. Read Meridith McGraw on Trump's new attempt to sabotage the Biden infrastructure deal — Moreover, the policy details that were being fought over never seemed very substantial considering how badly Biden wanted — needed — this to come together. There's still a long road ahead for this package — a fraught amendment process, escalating attacks from Trump and his media allies, an uncertain path in the House — but as long as BIF has the same level of political support from Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress, it'll likely survive. Good Wednesday afternoon. | | A message from Facebook: The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too
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– Reforming Section 230 | | | CONGRESS This morning on the Senate floor, Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL threw his support behind a bipartisan agreement to bolster funding for Capitol security and Afghan special immigrant visas. Speaker NANCY PELOSI at her presser called the deal a "good step forward," though she said it wouldn't cover all the needs. — BUT, BUT, BUT … Katherine Tully-McManus (@ktullymcmanus): "Seven GOP senators have placed a hold on the supplemental Capitol security funding bill over the funding for Afghan SIV visas, included in the measure according to @SenShelby." Over in the House, things are … not going smoothly. Pelosi, asked this morning about House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY'S claim that a mask mandate is against the science, told reporters: "He's such a moron." — As part of a protest by some GOP lawmakers over the House's new mask rules, Rep. CHIP ROY (R-Texas) forced a vote on a motion to adjourn. — The Daily Beast's @sambrodey: "How the re-imposed House mask requirement is going: eyewitness tells me that LAUREN BOEBERT, when offered a mask just now by a floor staffer, threw it back at them." — CNN's Daniella Diaz (@DaniellaMicaela): "Reps. JARED HUFFMAN and BYRON DONALDS just got in a yelling fight outside the House floor. Huffman (wearing a mask) yelled at Donalds and said he was selfish for not wearing a mask. Donalds yelled back: 'Don't be worried about me! Mind your business!'" FERCALICIOUS — Forget the BIF and all those mask spats. This video of Rep. SEAN CASTEN (D-Ill.) has to be the most unexpected moment of the day in Congress. THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY'S PENNSYLVANIA EVENT — "Buy American: Biden to increase the share of U.S.-made parts for government purchases," by USA Today's Maureen Groppe: "Products the federal government buys would need a higher share of U.S. parts to qualify as 'made in America' under new rules the Biden administration will propose Wednesday. … "While current rules require 55% of a product, such as a government vehicle, to have been made in America, Biden wants to immediately raise that to 60%. The threshold would increase to 75% by 2029 … [Administration] officials described those, and other changes included in the proposal … as the biggest update to the Buy American Act statute in nearly 70 years." | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | PANDEMIC AN ALLY ON THE RIGHT … "McConnell aims to boost U.S. Republican vaccination rate by countering 'bad advice,'" by Reuters' David Morgan: "McConnell blamed misinformation for the low rates of COVID-19 vaccination among Americans … McConnell, who was vaccinated for COVID-19 in December and has been promoting vaccinations in public remarks ever since, plans to run 60-second radio ads on more than 100 Kentucky radio stations in the coming days promoting the vaccine with money from his re-election campaign." … AND AN OBSTACLE ON THE LEFT: "Biden's talk of vaccine mandates sends labor into disarray," by Rebecca Rainey and Natasha Korecki: "A steep divide has emerged among labor unions — as well as between members and leaders — over whether to require workers to be vaccinated. On Tuesday, AFL-CIO President RICHARD TRUMKA said he would support a mandate … But Trumka's position was at odds with some of the AFL-CIO's largest members, including the American Federation of Teachers … Other unions have also voiced opposition. "Behind the scenes, labor leaders and White House officials clashed after Biden on Tuesday publicly stated that the White House was considering vaccine mandates for federal employees. … [The] labor movement [is] still grappling with the public health crisis and the reality that a notable percentage of its diversified membership opposes being forced to get the shot." WATCH: Are vaccine and mask mandates legal? The rising threat of coronavirus variants, particularly the delta variant, have forced employers to consider new mask and vaccine mandates. The most newsworthy announcement came from the VA, which has given all physical care workers an eight-week deadline to get vaccinated. The VA is the first federal agency to put a vaccine mandate in place, signaling what a lot of experts said could be a national pivot to such requirements. As new mandates roll across private industry and governments, Ryan breaks down who is issuing them and if they are even legal in the U.S. | 
| LOOMING QUESTION — "Will the Delta Variant Wreck the Recovery?" by NYT's Neil Irwin in The Upshot: "So far, the recovery remains robust by most available data. Real-time indicators of business activity show little evidence that Americans are pulling back their economic activity in any meaningful way. But while there is no reason to expect a repeat of the huge disruption of 2020, the new variant puts at risk the kind of rapid recovery that has been underway for months." NEW BOOSTER DATA — "Pfizer data suggest third dose of Covid-19 vaccine 'strongly' boosts protection against Delta variant," CNN: "The data posted online … suggest that antibody levels against the Delta variant in people ages 18 to 55 who receive a third dose of vaccine are greater than five-fold than [when simply] following a second dose. … The data have not yet been peer-reviewed or published." The data BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TO LONDON — "U.K. poised to end amber list quarantine for people vaccinated in U.S. and EU," The Guardian AMERICA AND THE WORLD BLINKEN ABROAD — "Blinken pulls India closer amid challenges in Afghanistan, China," by WaPo's Gerry Shih POLITICS ROUNDUP LOOK, BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT! — "Supreme Court approval dips with Democrats, Republicans equally unhappy, poll finds," USA Today: "Americans' approval of the nation's highest court dipped to its lowest point in four years in a Gallup poll Wednesday, falling below 50% for the first time since 2017. Forty-nine percent approved of the job the justices are doing, down from 58% a year ago." The poll — THE STEP BACK: "U.S. Supreme Court's 'shadow docket' favored religion and Trump," by Reuters' Lawrence Hurley and Andrew Chung: "A Reuters analysis of emergency applications over the past 12 months offers a glimpse into the full range of parties seeking urgent relief from the top U.S. judicial body through the shadow docket. The justices have increasingly relied upon this process to make rulings in a wide array of cases without the normal deliberative process involving public oral arguments and extensive written decisions. "The analysis found that the court repeatedly favored not just religious groups — another example of the expansive view it has taken in recent years toward religious rights — but also former President Donald Trump's administration, while denying almost 100 applications by other private individuals or groups." 'AUDIT' WATCH — "DOJ fires warning shot against 'unusual' post-election ballot reviews," by Josh Gerstein and Zach Montellaro: "The Justice Department on Wednesday issued another warning aimed states conducting or considering audits of ballots tallied in last year's election, reminding election authorities that allowing ballots to be mishandled can violate federal law." | | | | Be a Policy Pro. POLITICO Pro has a free policy resource center filled with our best practices on building relationships with state and federal representatives, demonstrating ROI, and influencing policy through digital storytelling. Read our free guides today . | | | | | POLICY CORNER A DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE PUSH — "Biden pushes for stronger cybersecurity in critical infrastructure, wants companies to do more," CNBC: "Biden will sign a national security memorandum on Wednesday that aims to strengthen cybersecurity for critical infrastructure … The memorandum directs the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce to develop 'cybersecurity performance goals for critical infrastructure.' "The order also establishes an industrial control system cybersecurity initiative … [A senior] official stressed that while the directives may be voluntary, the federal government 'cannot do this alone' and called on the private sector to 'do their part.'" IMMIGRATION FILES — "50,000 migrants released; few report to ICE," by Axios' Stef Kight: "About 50,000 migrants who crossed the southern border illegally have now been released in the United States without a court date. Although they are told to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office instead, just 13% have shown up so far." BEYOND THE BELTWAY THE NEW POLITICS OF CRIME — "Gun violence is up across the country. It's changing mayoral politics," by Lisa Kashinsky: "It's a far cry from the calls to 'defund the police' that took center stage in these cities just last summer. But the sobering reality of rising gun violence and flagrant theft is changing the conversation, pushing candidates to get tougher on crime in Democratic-leaning cities." MEGATREND — The LGBTQ Victory Institute's Out for America report tallies 986 out queer elected officials nationwide — a 17% rise over a year prior, though still far below parity with the American population. The report TRUMP CARDS WHAT JARED IS UP TO — "Jared Kushner to leave politics, launch investment firm - sources," by Reuters' Steve Holland: "[He's] in the final stages of launching an investment firm called Affinity Partners that will be headquartered in Miami. Kushner … is also looking to open an office in Israel." PLAYBOOKERS COMING ATTRACTIONS — The second annual virtual 19th Represents Summit announced the lineup for its Aug. 16-20 event. Big names include Michelle Obama, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, Fort Worth, Texas, Mayor Mattie Parker, Nikole Hannah-Jones and Sherrilyn Ifill. The full lineup SPOTTED at a Latino Victory gathering with Congressional Hispanic Caucus members at Zaytinya on Tuesday night: Luis Miranda, Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Capricia Marshall and Nathalie Rayes. THE BOOK PARTY CIRCUIT — WaPo CEO/publisher Fred Ryan hosted a party on the newspaper's roof deck Tuesday night for Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker's new book, "I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year" ($30). SPOTTED: Sally Buzbee, Sharon Rockefeller, Maureen Dowd, Col. Dave Butler, Michael LaRosa, Dan Balz, Andrea Mitchell, Jeh Johnson, Bob Barnett and Rita Braver, Sally Quinn, Ben and Joanne Ginsberg, Steve Ginsberg, Kris Coratti, Yasmeen Abutaleb, Damian Paletta, Josh Dawsey, Kimberley Fritts, Danielle Burr, Carrie Budoff Brown, Heather Podesta, Tammy Haddad, Jessica Nigro, Carol Melton, Stephanie Cutter, Mandy Grunwald, David Chavern, Betsy Fischer Martin and Jonathan Martin, Jonathan Swan, Shawn McCreesh, Jesse Rodriguez, Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, Ken Strickland, Craig Gordon, Sara Murray, Jeremy Diamond, Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, and Geoff Bennett. WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Aaron Shroyer has been detailed to the White House, where he is now a policy adviser for the Domestic Policy Council focusing on housing and urban policy. He most recently was special adviser to the assistant HUD secretary for policy development and research. MEDIA MOVE — POLITICO associate editor and White House correspondent Anita Kumar will move into a new role as the newsroom's first-ever senior editor for standards and ethics, Matt Kaminski announced in a newsroom note this morning. TRANSITIONS — Kate Lynch is joining the Klein/Johnson Group as a principal. She previously was a government affairs consultant at Cascade Associates and director of government affairs at the Federal Performance Contracting Coalition. … Shailen Bhatt is leaving the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, where he's president and CEO, to take a leadership role in AECOM's global transportation business. | | | |   | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |
