| | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | | | BREAKING — A court filing today revealed that New York A.G. TISH JAMES subpoenaed DONALD TRUMP JR. and IVANKA TRUMP on Dec. 1 as part of the civil investigation into their father's business practices. But the two have refused to comply, and they're now considered "respondents" in the ongoing probe, per ABC's Aaron Katersky. The Trump children are planning to "file motions to quash the subpoenas." SCHUMER CRANKS UP THE PRESSURE ON VOTING RIGHTS — In a stark letter to his Democratic colleagues sent hours ago, Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER adds details to what we reported this morning regarding Democrats' new push on legislation dealing with voting rights and democracy. You should read the letter in full. After a year when voting rights and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol took a back seat to other legislative priorities, Schumer now lays out the stakes for the country in grave terms: "As we all are witnessing, the attacks on our democracy have not ceased. In fact, they have only accelerated. Much like the violent insurrectionists who stormed the US Capitol nearly one year ago, Republican officials in states across the country have seized on the former president's Big Lie about widespread voter fraud to enact anti-democratic legislation and seize control of typically non-partisan election administration functions. "While these actions all proceed under the guise of so-called 'election integrity', the true aim couldn't be more clear. They want to unwind the progress of our Union, restrict access to the ballot, silence the voices of millions of voters, and undermine free and fair elections. They wish to propagate the Big Lie perpetuated by the former president that our elections are not on the level." Schumer makes it clear that if the Senate cannot pass legislation to address what all 50 Senate Democrats believe is a serious threat, then he wants his colleagues to turn their attention to pressuring the remaining Democratic holdouts in the chamber to reform the filibuster. If a filibuster prevents action, Schumer writes, then "we as Senate Democrats must urge the public in a variety of different ways to impress upon their Senators the importance of acting and reforming the Senate rules." He has a new deadline for action: Jan. 17 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). Expect Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) to be hounded by reporters and Dem-aligned political groups over the coming days about whether they will consider a carve-out for any version of voting rights and democracy protection legislation. Realizing that there is no chance of garnering 60 votes for any of these packages, Schumer devotes much of the letter to making the case for a rules change and name-checks the late ROBERT BYRD , the most famous West Virginia senator before Manchin. Byrd was revered by Senate colleagues — Republicans and Democrats — as a guardian of ensuring the Senate's crucial role in American democracy. "The Senate was designed to evolve and has evolved many times in our history," Schumer writes. "As former Senator Robert Byrd famously said, Senate Rules 'must be changed to reflect changed circumstances.' Put more plainly by Senator Byrd, 'Congress is not obliged to be bound by the dead hand of the past.'" Over to you, Manchin and Sinema. | | A message from Facebook: Facebook puts your safety and security front-and-center
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But our work to stop bad actors is never done. Learn more about how we're working to help you connect safely. | | | SPEAKING OF THAT — Marianne LeVine reports: "A small group of Senate Democrats have met quietly with Manchin to gauge his openness to changing Senate rules. While an outright elimination is off the table, Democrats are trying to see whether Manchin and Sinema are open to other proposals, like bringing back the talking filibuster. Prior to leaving for a two-week recess in December, Democrats held several caucus discussions on the matter." Good Monday afternoon. This afternoon's White House press briefing has been canceled due to the snow day. The Senate has delayed today's 5:30 p.m. vote to tomorrow morning. BIG MOVE — Pulitzer-winning WaPo star David Fahrenthold is leaving the paper after 21 years to join the NYT as an investigative reporter in the Washington bureau, focusing on the Trump Organization and the misuse of nonprofits. Announcement JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH THE DAMAGE DONE — House Democrats consider Jan. 6 to be the night that essentially broke the chamber — and pushed many of them toward the exits, Sarah Ferris reports. More damaging than the insurrection itself were the votes by a majority of House Republicans not to certify JOE BIDEN's victory: "Those votes severely damaged trust among lawmakers. Without trust, it's become harder to get just about anything done on the House floor." Now, "radioactive personal toxicity" has created unprecedented gridlock on even the simplest of legislative tasks — perhaps for quite a long time to come. — Reps. TROY NEHLS (R-Texas) and SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.), who had both just entered Congress at the time, recount their Jan. 6 experiences and how that day has shaped the past year to NBC's Ali Vitali and Haley Talbot. FOLLOWING THE MONEY — It's become a well-worn narrative by now: Companies that initially pledged to withhold donations from Republican objectors to certifying Biden's win resumed giving them money in a matter of months. But Judd Legum reports in his Popular Information newsletter that it's not actually true: Most of those objectors have paid a real political/financial price. His full review of FEC filings shows that "corporate PAC contributions to Republican objectors have plummeted by nearly two-thirds" over the past year. Still, he writes that the real test is what they'll do this year. — Still, objectors got more than $8 million over the past year from top corporations and trade groups, including Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Motors and the American Bankers Association, per CNBC's Brian Schwartz. JAN. 6 COMMITTEE LATEST — The panel investigating what happened leading up to the Capitol breach now "has information from multiple sources with firsthand knowledge that describe what then-President DONALD TRUMP was doing during the riot," CNN's Jamie Gangel reports. QUOTE OF THE DAY — "We are probably in one of the most volatile, complex and dynamic threat environments that I have experienced in my career," top DHS official JOHN COHEN tells WSJ's Sadie Gurman and Alexa Corse in this look at the state of political violence in America and threats to lawmakers. One of the most challenging aspects for law enforcement is that many threats coming in these days aren't tied to any particular group — instead, they're diffuse and hard to connect to specific people. INSIDE THE USCP — A Capitol Police plan to use private security guards at some secondary posts around the Capitol is drawing a sharp rebuke from the police union, Daniel Lippman and Nicholas Wu report. KNOWING ASHLI BABBITT — Jan. 6 revisionists have tried to claim Babbitt, who was killed as she stormed the Capitol last year, as a martyr. But AP's Michael Biesecker explores her personal history leading up to the insurrection and finds a more complicated portrait of a woman with a track record of "erratic and sometimes threatening behavior," including "making violent threats." He also interviews for the first time the woman who was the subject of a Babbitt road-rage incident that led to several charges. ANOTHER POLL — Sixty-four percent of Americans in a new NPR/Ipsos poll say they think American democracy is "in crisis and at risk of failing," per NPR's Joel Rose and Liz Baker. Republicans are especially worried. The poll | | | | POLITICO TECH AT CES 2022 - We are bringing a special edition of the POLITICO Tech newsletter to CES 2022. Written by Alexandra Levine and John Hendel, the newsletter will take you inside the most influential technology event on the planet, featuring every major and emerging industry in the technology ecosystem gathered together in one place. The newsletter runs from Jan. 5-7 and will focus on the public policy related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the Summit. | | | | | POLITICS ROUNDUP GOP VS. BIG TECH — In the wake of Twitter banning Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE's (R-Ga.) personal account for spreading Covid-19 misinformation, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY today put out a lengthy statement on "Twitter's continued and dangerous efforts to silence Americans." Though he didn't mention Greene by name, he said, "Diversity of opinion is the lifeblood of our democracy. And yet that fundamental American value is under assault by Big Tech." The full statement WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE … The far-right/pro-Trump/conspiracy-theorist realms of the political internet are in disarray, squabbling for attention, influence and money, reports WaPo's Drew Harwell . The turf wars are arriving in the vacuum left by QAnon's fake leader, "Q," who's been silent for a year, and Trump's departure from office. "The result is a chaotic melodrama, playing out via secretly recorded phone calls, personal attacks in podcasts, and a seemingly endless stream of posts on Twitter, Gab and Telegram calling their rivals Satanists, communists, pedophiles or 'pay-triots' — money-grubbing grifters exploiting the cause." BOTTOMS UP — N.Y. Mag's Zak Cheney-Rice has a big feature exploring why Atlanta Mayor KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS hung it up last year just as her national profile was rising. "My assessment has not been any different than SIMONE BILES's or NAOMI OSAKA's or CALVIN RIDLEY's, any number of other people who said, 'I'm putting my emotional and mental health first,'" she tells him. But he writes that her departure also raises a deeper question about crime, policing and race: "whether the demands of being a Black mayor are at odds with making those cities work for all Black people." THE PANDEMIC GETTING A BOOST — The FDA today authorized Pfizer/BioNTech booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds. That means the group could start getting (third) shots in arms as early as this week. Next the matter goes to a CDC advisory panel, probably meeting Wednesday, and then CDC Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY. But there remain some "outstanding questions about the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis," writes Stat's Helen Branswell , which could affect the CDC panel's decision. CORONA AT THE CAPITOL — The congressional attending physician said today that the positive rate for those tested for the coronavirus at the Capitol has leaped to 13%, with the Omicron variant accounting for the majority of cases. POLICY CORNER THE MEAT OF THE MATTER — Ahead of Biden's meeting today with family and independent farmers and ranchers, the White House announced it's sending $1 billion to independent meat and poultry producers. The money, which comes from the American Rescue Plan, is intended to strengthen competition and ease prices, amid ongoing inflation/supply chain woes and renewed antitrust fervor in Washington. More details from CNN | | | | 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. | | | | | AMERICA AND THE WORLD TO CATCH AN INSIDER — The Russian tech businessman VLADISLAV KLYUSHIN whom U.S. feds arrested last month isn't just an accused hacker and insider trader — he's also a prominent link to high levels of the Russian government. Klyushin is now "the highest-level Kremlin insider handed to U.S. law enforcement in recent memory," report Bloomberg's Henry Meyer, Irina Reznik and Hugo Miller, and if he cooperates in exchange for leniency, he could become a real intelligence coup for the U.S. In particular, "he could provide Americans with their closest view yet of 2016 election manipulation." NUKING THE NUKES NUKE — A year after Biden took office intending to make a historic pivot away from nuclear weapons, growing aggression from Russia and China has slowed momentum for big policy changes, AP's Robert Burns reports. The upcoming nuclear posture review, which could arrive as soon as this month, will provide more clarity. PLAYBOOKERS MEDIA MOVES — WaPo named three new deputy managing editors in a big expansion of its masthead: Sharif Durhams, who's been managing editor of the News & Observer and Herald-Sun; Monica Norton, who's been deputy local editor for planning and enterprise; and Mark Smith, who's been director of social and operations on the audience team. Announcement … CNN is adding former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone as a law enforcement analyst and Trump campaign alum David Urban as a political commentator. TRANSITIONS — Kirsten Hartman West is now a principal of public affairs at Cornerstone. She previously was deputy chief of staff for Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.). … Sam Sadle is now senior director of North America public policy at Sonder. He previously led government relations and market entry strategy for the Americas and Asia Pacific at Lime. … … Abigail Kane is now a special assistant for policy in the office of the assistant secretary of Defense for legislative affairs. She previously was a legislative aide for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). … Haley Meyers is now a management and program analyst with congressional affairs at the HUD Office of Inspector General. She previously was a legislative aide for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). ENGAGED — Ty Bofferding, comms director for Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Kenna Maranto, senior sales account specialist at Lamar Advertising, got engaged over the holidays while in Baton Rouge, La. The two met in 2017 at Washington Mardi Gras. 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