| | | |  | | By Ali Bianco | | Presented by |  | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | ON DEADLINE: Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to terms to testify before the House Oversight Committee on their alleged ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs reports. The Clintons were delivered an ultimatum this morning — after their stunning 180-degree reversal yesterday when they agreed to testify — to commit to details on how they will comply with their congressional subpoenas by noon, Speaker Mike Johnson told POLITICO’s Meredith Lee Hill. Otherwise, Johnson said, Republicans would move forward with votes to hold them in contempt of Congress that were planned for tomorrow. The reversal comes after the Clintons for months resisted the subpoenas. The committee was looking for more clarification on whether the Clintons would accept the standard deposition terms — which include transcribed, filmed depositions with no time limits. Hillary Clinton is set to appear on Feb. 26 and Bill Clinton on Feb. 27. Chair James Comer said in a statement that the pair “completely caved” under the threat of contempt while adding that the depositions will bring accountability. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on Oversight, told reporters that the Clintons also asked for public hearings and that he “strongly supports” that request.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaking with reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: House Republicans narrowly squeezed through the procedural rule setting up a vote for final passage today on the spending package, as Johnson wrangled the votes to ensure the partial government shutdown doesn’t drag later into the week. Coming out of the House GOP meeting, leaders signaled they had the votes to adopt the procedural rule to move the spending package forward, Meredith reports. The rule was the tricky bit — and a nail-biter for Johnson as he held the vote open for the better part of an hour. Now that the rule is adopted, the final vote on passing the funding bill later today could see a smoother path, with Democratic votes potentially pitching in. But yet again, getting the necessary votes on the rule proved to be an all-hands-on-deck situation for Republican leaders. The morning was spent wrangling some on-the-fence GOP hardliners — who have not been fans of the idea of a continuing resolution for DHS funding and possible negotiations, per Meredith. Almost immediately, Johnson found himself in several back-and-forths on the floor with House Freedom Caucus members as he worked to flip several “no” votes to “yes.” And James Blair, President Donald Trump’s top political adviser, made calls to the holdouts during the vote, our colleagues report. And that’s on top of the wrangling that the GOP already had to do (with some help from the White House) to win over some members, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), pushing to attach the SAVE Act to the spending package. Luna emerged from a meeting with Trump saying she had “assurances” that there would be a “standing” filibuster in the Senate that could push forward the partisan elections bill. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune delivered a reality check this morning that he has not made a decision on bypassing the filibuster, telling POLITICO’s Jordain Carney that there would be “a conversation about it,” but “nothing decided.” One GOP senator told our colleagues that Luna “doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” On the other side of the aisle, despite voting against the rule, some Democrats have started publicly declaring their support for the package’s final passage. “Some members will vote yes, some members will vote no,” Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) told POLITICO’s Mia McCarthy. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries didn’t formally whip votes one way or the other at the caucus meeting this morning, per Meredith. But he did say he’ll be meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this afternoon. With the vote on passing the funding bill set for later this afternoon, the government appears on track to reopen soon — but the harder part may be yet to come. There are just 10 days to strike a deal on DHS funding, as Democrats dig in on their list of reforms. And that timeline doesn’t look likely to get extended: some senior Senate Democrats are already signaling they may not sign off on support for another CR when this one runs out, Semafor’s Burgess Everett reports. Good Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Send me your thoughts at abianco@politico.com.
| | | | A message from AHIP: 35 Million Seniors Could See Reduced Benefits and Higher Costs. Health plans welcome reforms to strengthen Medicare Advantage. However, a proposal for flat program funding at a time of sharply rising medical costs and high utilization of care will directly impact seniors' coverage. If finalized, this proposal could result in benefit reductions and higher costs for 35 million seniors and people with disabilities when they renew their Medicare Advantage coverage in October 2026. Learn more. | | | | | | 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | 1. IMMIGRATION FILES: DHS’ independent watchdog is investigating the use of force by immigration agents, with congressional Democrats packing on the pressure for the inspector general to expedite the process, NYT’s Michael Gold reports. The IG office began investigating last month — the day after Renee Good’s death — whether the department had properly reviewed complaints of excessive force by ICE agents and held them accountable. Wild story: As warrants come under the spotlight in DHS negotiations, WaPo’s John Woodrow Cox reports that the agency has also been deploying secretive administrative subpoenas to access information, which can be granted with little oversight. “Homeland Security is not required to share how many administrative subpoenas it issues each year, but tech experts and former agency staff estimate it’s well into the thousands, if not tens of thousands,” per WaPo. The view from the GOP: A majority of Republicans still support Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda in recent polls, NYT’s Ruth Igielnik reports. But there’s also a small and growing group within the GOP that believe the enforcement tactics have gone too far. The pushback: State legislatures across the country are grappling with legal gaps that make it next to impossible to sue federal officers over someone’s death, WSJ’s Lydia Wheeler and colleagues write. Some states are now taking up bills that could change that, though doing so could prompt the ire of the Trump administration — which happened for Illinois late last year when they passed a similar law. New York AG Letitia James announced today her office is deploying legal observers to document ICE raids, per NYT. The real-world impact: “Fearing ICE crackdown, immigrants nationally are avoiding treatment, sometimes with dire consequences,” by Stat’s Daniel Payne: “Doctors blame aggressive tactics for higher no-show rates and fewer kids getting shots.” 2. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: The U.S. military said today it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively approached” the USS Abraham Lincoln, AP’s Konstantin Toropin and Farnoush Amiri report. That action came within hours of Iranian gunboats trying to stop a U.S. oil tanker this morning, WSJ’s Benoit Faucon and colleagues report — both significant provocations as negotiations are expected to kickstart between the two countries this week. Separately, Iranian officials threatened to pull out of talks, per WSJ. Mood music: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had sounded an optimistic note earlier today on the possibility of negotiations, saying he supports “fair and equitable negotiations,” which are tentatively set for Friday, per NYT’s Sanam Mahoozi. Now, Iran wants to change the venue and format to negotiations, with Axios’ Barak Ravid reporting they want the talks to move to Oman in a bilateral format. Happening today: Special envoy Steve Witkoff is in Israel to meet with PM Benjamin Netanyahu, just a day after the opening of the Rafah border crossing, marking another essential step to complete the peace deal. 3. REBUILDING VENEZUELA: “Venezuela’s Authoritarian Grip Eases. But for How Long?” by NYT’s Simon Romero and colleagues: “Any relaxation of authoritarian restrictions could be reversed, of course, and pushback has already emerged from some in the government. But that such discussions are happening at all is a surprising reflection of how quickly the political landscape is changing in Venezuela as [Delcy Rodríguez] faces pressure domestically to ease repressive policies and improve the economy. … Some critics say she is simply making cosmetic changes, buying her time before U.S. officials coerce her into significantly loosening her grip on power.” All about oil: The Treasury Department is preparing to issue a general license to allow companies to pump oil in Venezuela as soon as this week, Bloomberg’s Patricia Garip and colleagues scoop. The new license could help attract companies with U.S. interests to help boost output from Venezuela. And the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela is also in the process of reopening with Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu leading the office. 4. EVEN MORE RARE EARTHS: The EU is pitching a partnership with the U.S. to source critical minerals as efforts continue to loosen dependency on China’s mineral supply, Bloomberg’s Alberto Nardelli and Jenny Leonard report. The EU’s proposal suggests exploring “joint critical-mineral projects and price support mechanisms” and notably “insists both sides respect each other’s territorial integrity,” an apparent nod to Trump’s recent threats to take Greenland.
| | | | POLITICO Governors Summit Join POLITICO's annual Governors Summit, held alongside the National Governors Association’s Winter Meeting, for a series of forward-looking conversations with governors from across the country about how state leaders are setting the agenda for America’s next chapter. Hear from Gov. Wes Moore (D), Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), and more. Register Now. | | | | | 5. TRAIL MIX: Rick Jackson is shaking up Georgia’s gubernatorial race, launching a Republican campaign in the stacked primary, the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Greg Bluestein reports. … Sue Altman launched a Democratic run in New Jersey’s 12th District, per the New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox. … And Brain Mock is running for Minnesota state Senate, after being convicted and imprisoned for attacking police officers during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, MPRNews’ Peter Cox reports. The new campaign blueprint: Democrat Analilia Mejia has taken to TikTok and other platforms to promote her campaign, gaining endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her “Zohran Mamdani-style” strategy, Bloomberg’s Nacha Cattan writes. Down in the Sunshine State: “3 Florida House Republicans are exiting Congress. Now the mess begins,” by POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard: “At least three House Republicans in Florida are moving on from Congress next year, creating an aggressive, crowded collection of hopefuls clamoring to fill the midterm openings — including a pardoned former felon, at least five Republicans who ran for office in other states and top party officials.” 6. VAX NOT: “RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers have a new mission,” by POLITICO’s Sophie Gardner: “The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has for decades served as an impartial outside group of experts to advise the government and reinforce public confidence that decisions on the vaccine schedule are backed by science. But the panel’s new chair, an evangelical pastor from Hawaii, pediatric cardiologist and Covid vaccine skeptic, says it needs to instead spend more time looking into vaccine side effects. Americans should view the panel ‘more as a safety committee,’ Kirk Milhoan told POLITICO. ‘Efficacy will be secondary,’ he said.” 7. ON DRUGS: “Congress is about to overhaul the drug market. Consumers may never feel it,” by POLITICO’s David Lim and Amanda Chu: “Congress is finally on the verge of passing legislation aimed at lowering prescription drug prices by targeting the intermediaries that help negotiate them. … The overhaul caps a yearslong push to crack down on the industry and arrives as players across the health care sector face intensifying scrutiny from lawmakers for their role in rising health care costs. … Yet it’s unclear whether new rules for pharmacy benefit managers … will meaningfully alter what most Americans pay for prescription drugs.” 8. SPORTS BLINK: DHS official Jeff Brannigan has held calls with local officials and the NFL indicating that ICE “does not plan to conduct any law enforcement actions” at the Super Bowl this weekend or in the lead-up, AP’s Steven Sloan and Steve Peoples reports. And while DHS officials say ICE is “not expected to be among more than a dozen DHS-related agencies providing security at the game,” the department has refused to publicly say whether federal immigration agents will be present. The intensified scrutiny comes after Corey Lewandowski said last year that ICE would conduct immigration enforcement around the game, and after halftime performer Bad Bunny criticized ICE during the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
| | | | A message from AHIP:  
| | | | | | TALK OF THE TOWN | | IN MEMORIAM — “Myra MacPherson, trailblazing Washington Post journalist, dies at 91,” by WaPo: “Myra MacPherson, a wide-ranging feature writer for The Washington Post’s Style section and an author whose books included a study of the competing demands of politics and marriage among power couples in Washington and a volume on the enduring traumas of the Vietnam War, died Feb. 2 in hospice in Washington. She was 91.” CRUSHED AT THE KENNEDY CENTER — “Trump’s Kennedy Center Shutdown Plan Jolts Workers and Performers,” by NYT’s Adam Nagourney and Julia Jacobs: “Leaders of the National Symphony Orchestra … told its musicians that the center had assured them it would help find other venues where they can perform while the renovation takes place. … The decisions have the potential to affect a raft of workers, including musicians, actors, stagehands, artistic programmers, security personnel and specialists in costuming, hair and makeup.” FOR ALL THE ZOO FANS — “An Asian elephant has been born at the National Zoo,” WaPo: “A 300-pound Asian elephant calf was born at the National Zoo early Monday, the zoo announced Tuesday morning. The calf, a female, is the first elephant to be born at the zoo in almost 25 years, and only the third born there in the zoo’s 136-year history.” MEDIA MOVES — Nick Pacilio has been promoted to SVP at Axel Springer, POLITICO’s parent company. He continues as head of U.S. comms. TRANSITIONS — Emma Romanowsky is now press secretary for Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). She most recently worked for Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and is a Bob Casey alum. … Rob Ganim is now COO of TowFLEXX Miltech. He most recently worked at Ganim Strategic Advisors. … Lee Jackson has launched Stonewall Strategies. He is a Glenn Youngkin alum. … … Greg Schultz is joining the Center for New Liberalism as senior adviser. He is a Biden and Obama campaign alum. … Austin Kruger is joining Summa Insights as a partner. He most recently worked at the NRSC and is an NRCC alum. … Jake Morel is now press secretary and digital director for Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.). He previously worked for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn’t happen without our deputy editor Garrett Ross.
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