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By Irie Sentner |
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THE CATCH-UP |
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, June 2. | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made no mention of the war with Iran during the opening statement of his first public hearing before former Senate colleagues since the war began — a conflict with such far-reaching economic consequences, some Republicans in the room could soon lose their jobs. “Our foreign policy is one that is solely focused on the national interest of the United States of America — on the defense of our country, both its military defense and our security, but also our economic security and the vibrancy of our economy,” he said this morning. He lauded the U.S. as “the world’s sole global superpower,” celebrated cuts to foreign aid, and joked that he looked forward to “probably half of your questions.” The questions he wasn’t looking forward to came quickly. “You were a senator. You sat on this committee, you sat on the Intelligence Committee” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the panel’s top Democrat. “You know as well as anyone that effective American foreign policy requires a strong partnership with Congress.” She said she had “a long list of unanswered requests” to the State Department, including briefings on U.S. force posture in Europe, displacement in the Iran war, Ukraine, sanctions, USAGM, the Romanian visa program termination and Venezuelan oil revenues. The deeply unpopular war has sent prices skyrocketing ahead of November’s elections — though President Donald Trump has said he isn’t concerned about Americans’ financial situations or the midterms as he pushes for a deal to end the war. Democrats wasted no time trying to score political points. “When I talk to my constituents, they ask for economic relief at home, not regime change in Havana or Caracas or Tehran,” Shaheen said. “Instead, you sent Congress a war powers notification saying we are not in active hostilities with Iran while the U.S. was conducting strikes against Iran and Iran was bombing U.S. embassies and bases throughout the Middle East.” Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who recently wrote an NYT op-ed blasting his party’s support of the Israeli government, called the war “a dumpster fire.” He added that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu “said he’s been waiting 40 years to do this. It turns out he finally found a president who was both stupid and reckless enough to join him.” And in an extended back-and-forth with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rubio declared the “war is over,” to which Booker retorted: “The war is not over. And yet the American people see how we're losing at the pump and with their costs, and yet this thing still hasn’t been resolved.” Rubio’s testimony came as negotiations with Tehran to end the war, now in its third month, appear stalled amid renewed tensions and cracks in the fragile ceasefire. The secretary of State presented an upbeat view of the status of talks, telling the committee that Tehran “agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention.” Rubio said a deal could come “today, it could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week” — but also cautioned there is no guarantee that any final agreement will be reached. Rubio revealed there were “indications” that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father and reportedly severely disfigured him, “is increasingly engaging at some level” in the negotiations. He emphasized the White House would not agree to relieve any sanctions on Tehran unless Iranian negotiators make major concessions on the country’s nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. More from POLITICO’s Felicia Schwartz Democrats appeared skeptical. “We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, and we’re in a stalemate with Iran,” Booker told Rubio. “And now we’re begging to get back into a deal that you all trashed in the first place.” Rubio replied: “There’s no one begging.” Good Tuesday afternoon. This is Irie Sentner. Get in touch.
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A message from Vapor Technology Association: The science is clear: Vaping saves lives, and youth vaping is at historic lows. Now Acting FDA Commissioner Diamantas must fix the broken system to save vaping: establish predictable scientific guidelines for PMTA review, enforce against illicit products that fail those standards, and protect adult Americans relying on flavored vapes to quit smoking. FDA policy must change to catch up to its own data. The window is open — act now. |
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8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW |
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1. PROMOTION FOR PULTE: Trump this morning tapped FHFA Director Bill Pulte to take over from Tulsi Gabbard as acting DNI, an unconventional choice that elevates the president’s loyal but controversial ally with no known background in intelligence to serve as the country’s top spy. Trump’s Truth Social post did not indicate he would nominate Pulte for the permanent DNI job — for which confirmation would be a tall order. Democrats are deeply suspicious of Pulte given his central role in Trump’s campaign to dominate the Fed, as are many Republicans, POLITICO’s Gregory Svirnovskiy and John Sakellariadis write. As housing chief, Pulte recommended DOJ investigate several of Trump’s perceived political enemies over unfounded allegations of mortgage fraud and promoted — then pulled back — a short-lived and unpopular White House idea for 50-year mortgages. Pulte has also stirred drama within Trump’s Cabinet: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly threatened to punch Pulte “in the fucking face” at a private dinner last year. 2. TRUMP SIGNS WATERED-DOWN AI EO: Trump today quietly signed an executive order to address cybersecurity threats from AI, but with less government scrutiny than the White House was set to impose last month, POLITICO’s Sophia Cai and Cheyenne Haslett scooped. Trump’s signature comes after a small, high-level meeting at the White House yesterday about next steps for the order. The EO asks some AI companies to submit their new models to a voluntary government review 30 days before releasing to the public — a departure from an earlier draft, obtained by Sophia, that called for a voluntary review as much as 90 days in advance. 3. FOR YOUR RADAR: “House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say,” by CNN’s Pamela Brown, Annie Grayer and Allison Gordon: “The sources … said the panel had made early reach outs in its attempt to follow up on a New York Post story, which alleged Gomez had been spotted kissing an aide, who worked for a different member of Congress, outside a backyard party in 2023. A Gomez spokesperson told The Post at the time that the accounts were ‘not true’ … In reaching out to look into that story, one of the sources told CNN, the panel learned of other allegations of sexual misconduct against Gomez that it is now investigating.” The response: “In a lengthy statement for this story, Gomez acknowledged having made mistakes that caused his family pain but said they had not violated the law or any House ethics rules. He said he would ‘cooperate with any Ethics Committee inquiry and provide it with whatever information it might need.’” 4. MEET AND GREET: Texas GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton is set to meet with Trump today at the White House for the first time since the president endorsed the controversial AG, who sailed to victory over Sen. John Cornyn in last week’s Republican runoff, Playbook’s Dasha Burns scoops. Paxton is also spending time on the Hill, looking to shore up relationships with GOP lawmakers, many of whom were supportive of Cornyn and skeptical of Paxton’s candidacy.
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POLITICO Live June 10: POLITICO's Energy Summit will convene administration officials, lawmakers, industry executives and more for urgent conversations on what’s next for the nation's energy agenda – including energy investments, climate goals, and more. Register to attend now. |
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5. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Abdul El-Sayed is leading the Michigan Democratic Senate primary field in a new internal poll of likely voters, Playbook’s Adam Wren scoops. El-Sayed leads the pack with 34 percent compared to Rep. Haley Stevens at 31 percent and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow at 19 percent — with 15 percent undecided. The poll was conducted by Lake Research Partners from May 26-28 of 600 voters with a margin of error plus or minus 4 percent. The polling memo 6. 2028 WATCH: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is sitting on a mountain of cash and now has plans to use it, Adam reports. After Kelly announced six House Democratic endorsements yesterday, a source familiar with his strategy tells Playbook the endorsements come with $2,500 direct contributions as well as a fundraising email from Kelly’s own list. And it’s just the beginning: Expect a few waves of upcoming endorsements. 7. IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU: The National Rifle Association is going through a dramatic breakup as the group’s charitable arm splits from its political wing and rebrands itself as the 1791 Foundation, WSJ’s Zusha Elinson reports. “The fracture comes after the NRA sued the NRA Foundation in January, alleging that a ‘disgruntled faction of former NRA directors’ had seized control of the charity, positioned it as a direct competitor and misused some $160 million in funds,” per WSJ. 8. IOWA INSIGHT: The marquee matchup in Iowa tonight is the Democratic Senate primary. Democrats believe the national attention could boost energy and drive turnout — both tonight and down the road. “A lot of excitement around this primary because it represents what we might be able to get done in November,” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart told Playbook contributor Roxy Ekberg, who’s covered Iowa for years. Republicans are fired up too: Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement the party’s “grassroots, bottom-up movement” and Republicans’ enthusiasm is focused on November. It’s then that Democrats see an opportunity to flip the 1st Congressional District, where incumbent GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won by less than one point in 2024. And if Democratic frontrunner Christina Bohannan secures the nomination tonight, it will mark the third time Miller-Meeks and Bohannan face off against each other.
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A message from Vapor Technology Association: Youth vaping is at its lowest level in over twelve years — a direct result of common-sense restrictions that the vapor industry championed. The FDA's own data tells a clear story. Yet policy has failed to keep pace with science.
With new leadership now in place, Acting Commissioner Diamantas has a narrow and consequential window to deliver real reform built on three pillars: transparent, evidence-based scientific standards for PMTA review so e-cigarette manufacturers know exactly what is required; consistent enforcement against bad actors failing those standards— the actual source of the problem; and surgical enforcement criteria that target predatory design and youth-facing marketing, not the compliant products millions of American smokers depend on.
Protecting youth and preserving adult consumer access are not competing goals. A real and well-designed regulatory framework achieves both. The science is clear. The leadership is in place. It's time to fix the system and save vaping. |
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TALK OF THE TOWN |
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WHCD, ROUND 2 — The White House Correspondents’ Association will host another dinner on July 24, WHCA President Weijia Jiang announced today, making good on Trump’s vow to reschedule the gala after it was thrown into chaos by an attempted shooting in April. “We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for,” Jiang wrote in an email to WHCA members. More from POLITICO’s Cheyanne Daniels FOR YOUR RADAR — “Utility bills in D.C. are rising. Here’s what to know,” by WaPo’s Kendall Staton: “Residents should set aside an extra $19 roughly as D.C. Water and Pepco prepare to tack about $10 each onto monthly bills. Both companies cited inflationary costs and supply chain strain as reasons for the increase.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Kate Tyrrell, a senior bank regulatory official, has been tapped as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s new chief of staff, POLITICO’s Michael Stratford and Daniel Lippman scoop. Tyrrell most recently served as chief of staff at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency where she oversaw day-to-day operations and policy coordination. Her appointment fills a key front-office role as Treasury’s policy portfolio has broadened significantly under Bessent, with the agency playing a larger role on trade, financial regulation and artificial intelligence. More from Michael and Daniel for Pros TRANSITIONS — Frank Cassidy, Trump’s federal housing commissioner and HUD assistant secretary for housing, has left the administration and returned to the commercial real estate finance industry. … Palmer Rafferty has joined the Structured Finance Association as director of advocacy. He previously worked on government affairs and public policy at TransUnion, and before that held senior roles in the Senate and House advising lawmakers on financial services, economic and other policy issues. POLITICO MOVES — Jacob Wendler has joined our Influence team as a reporter and lead author of the daily newsletter. He has been a breaking news reporter at POLITICO since November and is a Bloomberg News and Forbes alum. … Oliver Ward will join our Trade team next week as lead author of Morning Trade. He most recently was trade editor at Agri-Pulse, and previously worked at Inside U.S. Trade and the Peterson Institute for International Economics. WEDDING — Ryan Altman, vice president of government affairs for J.A. Green & Co. and Dorothy Clark, senior government and industry affairs manager for Land O'Lakes, got married on May 9 in Minnesota. They met while working for Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). Pic … Another pic 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 editor Giuseppe Macri and deputy editor Garrett Ross.
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Catch up on Season 1 of On the Road with Jonathan Martin POLITICO Politics Bureau Chief Jonathan Martin hits the road for candid conversations with key political players in the places they call home. Watch Season 1 for conversations with Govs. Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, JB Pritzker and more on the issues shaping American politics — with plenty of local flavor along the way. Watch Season 1 now. |
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