| | | | |  | | By Bethany Irvine | | | |  With the Nov. 17 cut off date just over two weeks away, Speaker Mike Johnson said there was a "growing recognition" that a continuing resolution might be necessary to avoid a shutdown. | AP | House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON held his first news conference since securing the gavel this morning, making a surprise appearance alongside the rest of the GOP leadership team. He proceeded to leave Capitol Hill scratching their heads on his new idea for handling the looming government funding deadline. With the Nov. 17 cutoff date just over two weeks away, Johnson said there was a "growing recognition" that a continuing resolution might be necessary to avoid a shutdown. OK, fine, all good. Then he told reporters he’s considering a “laddered" CR as a way to keep the government's lights on. Say what now? The details of the strategy remain eminently unclear, but Johnson said such a bill would extend “individual pieces of the appropriations process, individual bills,” suggesting that it would set staggered deadlines to pass each of the 12 yearly appropriations bills into law. In theory, this would give Congress an incentive to stick with the smaller bills rather than assembling them all into a big omnibus, which has become standard practice over the past two decades. In practice, the proposed system would create a rolling series of partial shutdown threats affecting different federal agencies at different times. And given Congress’ recent history with passing individual spending bills, it’s probably a recipe for a slow-motion debacle. In reality, the most likely result would be a quick government-wide shutdown if Johnson actually moves forward: “Democrats and the White House would never go for it. And a number of Republicans, particularly appropriators charged with overseeing those funding bills, would likely think it’s a bad idea,” Katherine Tully-McManus and Caitlin Emma write. "I think the speaker doesn't have a clue,” said Rep. ROSA DeLAURO (D-Conn.), the top Democratic appropriator. “That's 12 shutdowns. What are we talking about?" More from Johnson …
- On impeachment: Johnson described the corruption allegations that House investigators have leveled against President JOE BIDEN as "a very serious matter" and said “very soon we are coming to a decision” on whether to pursue articles of impeachment.
- On aid to Israel and Ukraine: “Israel doesn’t need a ceasefire, it needs its allies to cease with the politics and deliver support,” he said, adding that he would continue to paid any aid (or any new spending whatsoever) with offsets. Ukraine funding “will come in short order,” he added, but didn’t give a precise timeline.
TUBERVILLE TUT-TUTS STAFFER — Sen. TOMMY TUBERVILLE's communications director warned anti-abortion groups to "make clear" that GOP senators risk primary challenges if they back the new campaign to overturn his efforts to block military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy, Burgess Everett scoops. STEVEN STAFFORD wrote in the email, obtained by Burgess, that “it is imperative for all of the groups to make clear, in some words, that any Republican who votes for this will be primaried. … [T]hey only need nine squishes. And they will get there if we don’t act,” Stafford wrote, couching the words as “my opinion” and “my view.” The context: “It's a rare move for senators to float primaries against their own party members, and rarer still for staffers to do so. Senate ethics rules prohibit the use of ‘official resources’ including staff time and the trappings of the chamber to do political or campaign work … However, the Senate Ethics Committee seldom takes tangible action.” Even more context: Even more powerful Hill staffers have lost their jobs for engaging in similar freelancing. Expect Tuberville’s colleagues to take note of how he handles the situation. “He did a ‘no no,’’ Tuberville told Burgess in a brief interview. “It wasn’t my statement. I totally disagree with that. We’re teammates here.” Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line: birvine@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Amway: At Amway, our commitment to growth drives a better world. Powered by the passion of our people, Amway’s practices, like restorative farming, positively impact communities. We reveal real-life examples in our 2023 U.S. Impact Report here. | | | CONGRESS AFTERNOON READ — “Nancy Mace’s Staff Guide Shows Her True Priority: Nancy Mace,” by The Daily Beast’s Jake Luhut MEANWHILE ON THE LEFT — In the minority, Rep. BECCA BALINT (D-Vt.) and six other freshman progressives have formed a “clique of sorts” on Capitol Hill, leaning on one another for support as they struggle to find their place in a Congress overrun by Republicans, NYT’s Robert Jimison reports this morning. “The seven, like many liberals on Capitol Hill, have struggled to gain traction on what they came to Washington to accomplish. Of the 45 pieces of legislation members of the group have collectively introduced since the start of the 118th Congress, none has been signed into law. And only one, a measure from [Rep. MORGAN McGARVEY (D-Ky.)] to strengthen oversight of education benefits for veterans, has passed the House.” THE COMPARISON GAME — WaPo’s Jesús Rodríguez has a deep dive into Rep. BARBARA LEE’s views on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and its comparisons to 9/11. Lee, who was the only member to vote against a 2001 resolution allowing the use of open-ended military force against terrorist groups, urges caution when comparing the two events: ‘I’m not resisting it,’ Lee said when asked about the comparison. “But we’re not going to war. So that’s a big difference.” AI ON THE BRAIN — “Senators push to give Biden’s AI order more teeth,” by Rebecca Kern and Brendan Bordelon THE WHITE HOUSE TOP-ED — HUNTER BIDEN makes a forceful statement on the “weaponization” of his addiction struggles in politics in a new USA Today op-ed this morning: “What troubles me is the demonization of addiction, of human frailty, using me as its avatar and the devastating consequences it has for the millions struggling with addiction, desperate for a way out and being bombarded by the denigrating and near-constant coverage of me and my addiction on Fox News.” 2024 WATCH OFF THE FENCE — “Sen. Rick Scott Picks Trump Over DeSantis in Florida Showdown,” he Messenger’s Marc Caputo scoops: “While it’s unusual for [Rep. TIM] SCOTT [R-Fla.] to get involved in an in-state primary, his decision to endorse Trump’s presidential bid over [Flordia Gov. RON] DeSANTIS’s comes as little surprise … Scott has had a strained relationship with DeSantis ever since he ran to replace Scott as governor in 2018. And Scott has a longstanding friendship with Trump that the two struck prior to either running for political office.” HALEY’S HOLDOUTS — While many Republican donors are willing to unite behind former South Carolina Gov. NIKKI HALEY as a clear Trump alternative in 2024, they are holding back because they see the former president as the inevitable nominee, AP’s Thomas Beaumont and Steve Peoples report: “In many ways, Haley presents exactly what key Republican donors say they are seeking. … But just over 10 weeks before Iowa’s caucuses launch the GOP nomination calendar, none of the would-be Trump alternatives has broken out.” MIRROR, MIRROR — NYT’s Reid Epstein is up with a look at how Democratic Kentucky Gov. ANDY BESHEAR is battling for support for his re-election bid by mirroring Biden’s image as a strong leader through the pandemic. But with the White House deeply unpopular in the state, Beshear is doing “everything he can” to separate himself from the president. AD WARS — “Ramaswamy drops an 8-figure ad buy to close out the primary,” by Adam Wren And Lisa Kashinsky: “VIVEK RAMASWAMY is planning to spend a massive sum of money on an ad campaign designed to reverse his decline in the polls. …. [He] will drop an eight-figure buy across broadcast, cable, radio, digital and direct mail in two key early voting states. All told, the expenditure will be to the tune of as much as $8 million in Iowa and $4 million in New Hampshire, beginning Saturday.” JUMPING AHEAD — As if the 2024 presidential election wasn’t enough to absorb right now, Rep. RO KHANNA'S repeated trips to the early primary state of New Hampshire has fueled speculation whether he will run for president in 2028, Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser reports.
| | | | A message from Amway:   Powered by the best of our business & the passion of our people, Amway’s practices like restorative farming, positively impact communities every day. | | | TRUMP CARDS BALLOT BATTLES — A trial to remove former President DONALD TRUMP from the 2024 presidential ballot in Minnesota began today in the state Supreme Court. The arguments are similar to the ongoing case before the Colorado’s high court: Both suits contend that Trump should be disqualified from running because his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection violates the 14th amendment. Section 3 of the amendment specifies that anyone who’s "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" after previously being sworn an oath to the Constitution can’t run for office. But Trump’s lawyers are questioning the exact definitions, noting that “while the events of Jan. 6 devolved into a riot, they were not an insurrection in the constitutional sense,” AP’s Steve Karnowski and Nicholas Riccardi report. Of the many similar cases filed across the country, “[t]he Colorado and Minnesota cases are furthest along, putting one or both on an expected path to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has never decided the issue.” Meanwhile, in New York … Today is the second day of testimony from Trump's two sons in the $250 million civil fraud trial in New York against the former president and his family’s business dealings. Live updates from NBC News And in Florida … “Trump’s classified documents case schedule may be delayed, Judge Cannon says,” by WaPo’s Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett AMERICA AND THE WORLD STOCKING UP — South Korean military officials announced today that North Korea is likely to have sent a wide range of missiles and ammunition to Russia as it continues its invasion of Ukraine, AP’s Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung report: “North Korea has been pushing to expand cooperation with Russia and China in the face of protracted security tensions with the United States … Both Russia and North Korea dismissed the weapons shipment accusations as baseless.” BEYOND THE BELTWAY EYEBROW RAISE — “F.B.I. Raids Home of Eric Adams’s Fund-Raising Chief,” NYT’s William Rashbaum, Dana Rubinstein and Jeffery Mays scoop: “Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday searched the Brooklyn home of Mayor ERIC ADAMS’S chief fund-raiser, BRIANNA SUGGS. … The raid apparently prompted Mr. Adams to abruptly cancel several meetings scheduled for Thursday morning in Washington, D.C., to talk to White House officials and members of Congress.” IN THE BUCKEYE STATE — With early voting already underway in Ohio, complicated ballot language over the state’s controversial abortion amendment and misinformation from the GOP have left some abortion rights concerned, NYT’s Kate Zernike and Lisa Lerer report. The issue: “The amendment explicitly allows the state to ban abortion after viability, or around 23 weeks … unless the pregnant woman’s doctor finds the procedure ‘is necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.’ But that language does not appear on the ballot. Instead, voters see a summary from the Secretary of State, FRANK LaROSE … saying the amendment ‘would always allow an unborn child to be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability.’” DEMOCRACY DIGEST — “An election chief says the ‘big lie’ ended her career. She’s suing.” by WaPo’s Justin Jouvenal | | | | CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS TRANSITIONS — Kelly Ferguson is joining Proven Media Solutions as director of public affairs. She previously was health care practice VP at Venn Strategies. … Matt Hartwig is joining CGCN Group as a senior strategic comms adviser. He previously had his own consulting business and worked for Emergent BioSolutions. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producer Bethany Irvine.
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