| | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | |  | THE CATCH-UP | | | LATEST HILL MANEUVERINGS …
- The tax bill that passed the House could be in for some trouble in the Senate: Minority Whip JOHN THUNE (R-S.D.) said Republicans wouldn’t let it go through without amendments, as they want to toughen work requirements for the expanded child tax credit, per Burgess Everett. Finance Chair RON WYDEN (D-Ore.) isn’t saying yet what approach he’ll take to push the bill through the Senate.
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President Joe Biden's new executive order reflects growing fears that the West Bank attacks could spark into an even wider war. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo | MIDDLE EAST LATEST — President JOE BIDEN today got tougher on Israel, the U.S. ally whose war in Gaza has sometimes frustrated the administration, with an executive order targeting Israeli settlers who’ve attacked Palestinians in the West Bank. Our colleagues Nahal Toosi and Alex Ward scooped the EO, which slaps sanctions on settlers who have engaged in hundreds of attacks since the war started. Despite Biden’s significant and ongoing support for Israel, the move comes amid considerable pressure at home and abroad for the U.S. to take a more balanced approach to the war, with 25,000 Palestinians dead. The order, notably, comes with Biden heading today to Michigan, the site of perhaps the most significant Muslim/Arab American anger at Biden over the war. It’s a striking and “unprecedented” policy decision, “the most significant step any U.S. administration has ever taken in response to violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank,” Axios’ Barak Ravid writes. And it reflects growing American fears that the West Bank attacks could spark the region into an even wider war. In another notable remark, Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN told reporters today “we’re not doing enough” to aid Palestinians living through humanitarian catastrophe. (He also apologized for the secrecy around his recent hospital stay.)
| | | | A message from Instagram: Parents should be able to decide which apps are right for their teens.
Apps can teach teens skills or ignite their creativity. But with access to so many apps, parents should have a say in which ones their teens download.
That’s why Instagram wants to work with Congress to require parental approval wherever teens under 16 download apps.
Learn more. | | | At the same time, U.S. officials are still working to craft its response to the deadly drone attack on U.S. troops in Jordan — and per new reporting from CNN’s Natasha Bertrand and Katie Bo Lillis, the U.S. thinks the attack surprised and concerned Iranian leaders. Despite Iran’s support for a range of militias that have attacked American troops across the region, they write, Tehran leaders are getting “nervous” about some of their proxies, though it’s unlikely to “change its broader strategy of supporting” them. Back at home, Senate Foreign Relations Chair BEN CARDIN (D-Md.) told reporters that retaliatory U.S. strikes would likely last for more than two months — and that the Biden administration should therefore ask Congress for an authorization for use of military force. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS — As Republican STEVE GARVEY rises to become a serious contender in the California Senate primary, he’s attracting more scrutiny — including a big and brutal story this morning from the L.A. Times’ Nathan Fenno and Adam Elmahrek. They report that Garvey has had no relationship with two of his children despite their efforts, and that he cut off a third child without explanation 15 years ago. Though the MLB legend calls himself “a devoted family man,” he “has struggled with debt, been repeatedly sued, faced a bitter divorce, and got two women pregnant before quickly marrying a third woman, his current wife, in a scandal that briefly made him a national punchline in 1989.” Garvey declined to comment. Garvey has vaulted into a tie for second place in a new poll that our colleague Dustin Gardiner scooped, battling with Democratic Rep. KATIE PORTER to land the second runoff spot against Democratic Rep. ADAM SCHIFF, the frontrunner. With shades of CLAIRE McCASKILL, who famously worked to boost the opponent she wanted to face, Schiff has launched a new TV ad that highlights Garvey’s conservative bona fides and support for DONALD TRUMP. That miffed Porter, who called the spot “brazenly cynical.” Good Thursday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: POLITICO’s California Playbook newsletter provides a front row seat to the most important political news percolating in the state’s power centers, from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley. Authors Lara Korte and Dustin Gardiner deliver exclusive news, buzzy scoops and behind-the-scenes details that you simply will not get anywhere else. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the game! | | | | | | | 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW | | |  Fulton County, Georgia, DA Fani Willis isn't stepping back from her big 2020 election case. | Dennis Byron-Pool/Getty Images | 1. NOT BACKING DOWN: Fulton County, Georgia, DA FANI WILLIS won’t step down from her sprawling 2020 election racketeering case amid allegations of an improper relationship, CNN’s Zachary Cohen scooped. That’s partially because having to hand the case over to someone else could delay or effectively end her high-profile prosecution of Trump and others she accuses of trying to overturn the 2020 election, Willis believes. “Instead, Willis is preparing to counter arguments from Trump and other co-defendants, not by necessarily disputing claims about the relationship [with NATHAN WADE] but by arguing that defense attorneys seeking to remove her are wrong on the law.” 2. PAYBACK’S A BITCH: KEVIN McCARTHY may be gone from Congress, but he’s far from done in trying to exact revenge on the eight Republicans who booted him from the speakership, Ally Mutnick and Olivia Beavers report. BRIAN WALSH is leading an effort from McCarthy’s allies to primary the “Gaetz Eight” — in particular Reps. ELI CRANE (R-Ariz.), BOB GOOD (R-Va.) and NANCY MACE (R-S.C.), whom they see as the most vulnerable. They haven’t yet landed a strong challenger to Crane. But the maneuvering shows that the “struggle between burn-it-down hardliners and more establishment conservatives is alive and well.” Notable quotable: “One of the most dangerous things that you could do is have an untethered McCarthy,” says Rep. GARRET GRAVES (R-La.). 3. COURT CASES TO WATCH: “Republican lawsuits challenge mail ballot deadlines. Could they upend voting across the country?” by AP’s Christine Fernando, Emily Wagster Pettus and Jack Dura: “A lawsuit filed last week in Mississippi follows a similar one last year in North Dakota, both brought in heavily Republican states before conservative federal courts. Democratic and voting rights groups are concerned about the potential impact beyond those two states if a judge rules that deadlines for receiving mailed ballots that stretch past Election Day violate federal law. They say it’s possible such a decision would lead to a nationwide injunction.” 4. TECH HEARING FALLOUT: There’s some renewed momentum on the Capitol Hill to pass legislation imposing new rules on tech platforms to safeguard children online, NYT’s David McCabe and Cecilia Kang report. Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.) says yesterday’s big Senate Judiciary hearing “felt like a breakthrough,” after years of congressional failure to take action on a range of tech issues. “Child safety is a personally relatable and visceral topic that is an easier political sell than some other matters, online safety experts and lawmakers said.” Still, the process to push legislation through both chambers and get leadership on board could be circuitous, especially against a powerful tech lobbying field.
| | | | A message from Instagram:   | | | 5. THE OTHER TAX BILL: “A New Global Tax Is About to Raise Billions. The U.S. Is Missing Out,” by WSJ’s Richard Rubin, Jennifer Williams and Paul Hannon: “U.S. companies that enjoyed single-digit tax rates in some foreign countries now must pay at least 15% in each. But even though Treasury officials were crucial in forging the international accord and President Biden has pushed to implement it, Congress hasn’t changed U.S. tax law to conform to it. Republicans generally oppose the global deal, contending that Biden administration negotiators gave away too much of the U.S. tax base. So for now, the U.S. isn’t directly collecting any money from domestic or foreign companies because of the deal.” 6. RUNNING UP A DEBT: “Gov. Jim Justice Is Beloved in West Virginia. Just Not by His Creditors,” by WSJ’s Julie Steinberg and Kris Maher in White Sulphur Springs: “[T]he [JIM] JUSTICE empire is also well-known around the state for its unpaid bills. Justice, his family and his companies have piled up hundreds of millions of dollars in liabilities to banks, coal companies and federal and state regulators, some of which the Justices are now disputing. … Court documents and people knowledgeable about his companies describe a perpetual scramble to try to keep those bills paid.” Justice declined to comment. 7. FEELS LIKE JANUARY 2021: When Trump goes on federal criminal trial for election subversion as soon as next month, the D.C. courthouse just steps from the Capitol will likely be ringed with security measures reminiscent of the period around Jan. 6, WaPo’s Spencer Hsu, Rachel Weiner and Peter Hermann report. Officials are debating how far they should go to ensure safety, from metal fencing to temporary street closures. Some changes could begin in the coming weeks, though most aren’t likely to ramp up until the trial’s start date is confirmed. 8. SURVEY SAYS: A smattering of notable polls today you should be aware of: AP/NORC finds voters’ feelings about the economy ticking up, but not transferring to Biden. … Trump is way up in the South Carolina primary, per WaPo/Monmouth, but one-third (!) say they won’t vote for him in November if he’s convicted … Sen. SHERROD BROWN (D-Ohio) is slightly ahead of his GOP opponents but within the margin of error, while Trump is beating Biden handily in the state, per Emerson. … Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) looks comfortable against either of his Dem challengers, per the University of Houston.
| | | | CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Aidan Maese-Czeropski seems to be in the clear legally. Donald Trump’s case against Christopher Steele was tossed out by a British court. Marjorie Taylor Greene wants to censure Ilhan Omar despite new reports that her remarks were mistranslated. Greene and Mike Collins also want to deport Omar, a U.S. citizen. Coleman Hughes is charting a new path for young Black conservatives. Liz Truss is coming to CPAC. Rashida Tlaib raised big bucks. IN MEMORIAM — “Anthony Cordesman, security analyst who saw flaws in U.S. policy, dies at 84,” by WaPo’s Brian Murphy OUT AND ABOUT — The nonprofit Pink Eraser Project, which Kristen Dahlgren is leaving NBC News to create in an effort to accelerate breast cancer vaccines, celebrated its launch at Jupiter Terrace at 30 Rock on Tuesday night. SPOTTED: Lester Holt, Rebecca Blumenstein, Morgan Radford, Stephanie Gosk, Joe Fryer, Katy Tur and Tony Dokoupil, Rehema Ellis, Harry Smith, Savannah Sellers, Vicky Nguyen, Natalie Azar, Meghan Rafferty, David Ushery and Erica Hill. — SPOTTED at a National Academy of Social Insurance reception Tuesday for Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley: Max Richtman, Rebecca Vallas, Kathleen Romig, Nancy Altman, Bob Blancato, Indi Dutta-Gupta, Tracey Gronniger, Larry Atkins, Donna Butts, Shai Akabas, Claire Green, Bill Arnone, Scott Frey, Stephanie Ferguson, Terry Gerton, Howard Fluhr, Brian Coyne, David Wittenburg, Chad Bolt, Chris O’Flinn, Joel Eskovitz, Tyler Bond, Melissa Grober-Morrow and Jim Palmieri. — SPOTTED at a launch party for éxito & co., celebrating founder and CEO Daiquiri Ryan Mercado, at Never Looked Better yesterday: Maria Mercado, Evelyn Nieto, Jose Mercado, Norberto Salinas, Alisa Valentin, K.J. Bagchi and Bacilia Angel. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Tim Monahan is joining Atlas Crossing as SVP of government affairs. He previously was a senior adviser to both Speaker Mike Johnson and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and is a House Administration and House Appropriations alum. TRANSITIONS — Former Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño is now a partner at Reed Smith. He most recently has been a partner at Steptoe & Johnson. … TaNisha Cameron is now senior comms adviser to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. She previously worked on the comms team for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Julie Samuels of Tech:NYC 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, producer Andrew Howard and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook PM mischaracterized the occasion for Molly Jong-Fast and Noah Schactman’s “A Party for No Reason,” despite organizers’ initial approval of the language in the newsletter.
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