| | | | |  | | By Anthony Adragna | | Presented by |  | | | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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House Republicans have scheduled a Wednesday vote on The Antisemitism Awareness Act, which boasts 13 Democratic co-sponsors. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | COMPETING PROPOSALS TO CURB ANTISEMITISM House lawmakers are looking to do more than just bloviate as college campuses struggle to address rising incidents of antisemitic harassment. But Democratic leadership has a problem with exactly how Speaker Mike Johnson plans to do it. Both Republicans and Democrats have widely criticized campus protests at Columbia University and beyond for antisemitic rhetoric as police have arrested hundreds of demonstrators around the country. Yet GOP leaders, most notably Johnson, have also called for university leaders to step down, implied that they would strip colleges of federal funding and said President Joe Biden should send in the National Guard. Democrats, still struggling with how to address their party’s split on Israel and Palestine, for the most part haven’t gone that far. “We're all about free speech … [But] calling on the university presidents to do their job to protect all their students is the right place for not just Republicans, but for all Americans,” Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.). Enter this week: House Republicans have scheduled a Wednesday vote on The Antisemitism Awareness Act, which boasts 13 Democratic co-sponsors. That measure, led by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), would use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws. “Congress must clearly define antisemitism, so universities are empowered to take appropriate and decisive steps to keep Jewish students safe and respond to exercises of speech so hostile and discriminatory that it is not covered by the protections enshrined in the First Amendment,” Rules Chair Michael Burgess (R-Texas) said on Monday. Why that matters: That would add heft to a 2019 executive order issued by then-President Donald Trump, which said the Education Department could adopt that definition. That same executive order was intended to prohibit universities from receiving federal funding if they allow antisemitic hate on their campuses, and this bill could seemingly open the door to targeting federal money to universities — a possibility Johnson floated last week. Another option: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is pushing Johnson to instead consider another bipartisan measure, The Countering Antisemitism Act. That legislation would establish the first-ever national coordinator to counter antisemitism, a softer approach that has several dozen Democratic and 14 GOP co-sponsors. Jeffries argued in a dear colleague letter Monday that “there is nothing scheduled on the floor this week that would accomplish the concrete, thoughtful strategies” to combat the antisemitic protests. As of now, the GOP-led legislation is slated for a vote on Wednesday. Johnson’s office did not respond to a question on whether they would consider tweaks to the current proposal or reach out to Jeffries. And there’s not widespread agreement among Republicans that they should pass a bill. Conservative Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told us he would look at the legislation but questioned lawmakers’ role here. “Congress always feels like they gotta do something. And the best thing we could do is to just is to do our job and do it responsibly, and to send a message in solidarity that we're standing with Israel,” Roy said Monday. — Anthony Adragna
| | | | A message from American Beverage: America’s leading beverage companies – The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo – are bringing you more choices with less sugar. From sparkling, flavored and bottled waters to zero-sugar sodas, sports drinks, juices and teas, Americans have more options than ever. In fact, nearly 60% of beverages sold today have zero sugar. Families are looking for more choices to support their efforts to find balance and America’s beverage companies are delivering. Explore choices at BalanceUS.org. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, April 29, where Washington has once again mostly skipped everything spring — and that is not cool, weather gods! FIGHT AND FLIGHT An old fight is back as Congress considers the FAA reauthorization: whether to add outgoing flights to Reagan National Airport, an issue that tends to personally benefit many of the lawmakers considering it. But key Capitol-area lawmakers would rather see that provision’s departure than herald its arrival. “It should go without saying that the safety of the traveling public should be a higher priority than the convenience of a few lawmakers who want direct flights home from their preferred airport,” four Democratic senators from Maryland and Virginia — Tim Kaine (Va.), Mark Warner (Va.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Ben Cardin (Md.) — wrote in a statement. Keep in mind: There are two, much larger airports in both of those states that are accessible from the Capitol, though not as close. A bipartisan, bicameral group of senior transportation lawmakers released compromise text early Monday morning following months of negotiations ahead of a May 10 deadline. Opponents of the additional DCA slots argue the airport is already overburdened. “The slots are really important. ... Five slots is hardly an earth-shattering change to DCA,” said Roy. — Anthony Adragna
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | COWBOY HOVDE Arizona residents may have seen a peculiar face on their airwaves recently: Eric Hovde, a GOP Senate candidate running for office in … Wisconsin. The Senate hopeful remains CEO and chair of Sunwest Bank. And despite carpetbagger allegations, Sunwest ads starring Hovde are continuing to air out west in Arizona as recently as this month, per analytics reviewed by Inside Congress. In one, Hovde is wearing a cowboy hat and riding a horse outside an Old-West-style saloon as patrons raise a ruckus over their bank services (words can’t really do this justice, so please watch for yourself). Off to the side, two big bankers — one of whom strongly resembles the Monopoly Man — are guffawing. Hovde and a child sidekick eventually lasso the “big bankers.” Hovde quips: “Your big bank got you tied up? Come to Sunwest. We’re the best.” In another ad, Hovde is propped up against a desk wearing a cowboy hat and says, “I”ve had a lot of fun making these silly commercials.” He then goes on to promote the bank's lending and encourages customers to “come to Sunwest.” While it’s not unusual for non-incumbent political candidates to continue working while running for office, it’s a tricky line for Hovde. He’s already faced massive backlash from Democrats who argue he primarily lived in California prior to running for office. Ads starring Hovde continuing to run in another state — out west, no less — contributes more fodder to Democrats’ case. Sunwest has locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho and Utah, per its website. — Ursula Perano A RARE HONOR Col. Ralph Puckett, Jr., the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, lay in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, a rare honor bestowed upon just seven people before him. “America gets to show our thanks to the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War,” Johnson said at a ceremony honoring Puckett, joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Jeffries and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Puckett passed away April 8 at the age of 97. President Joe Biden awarded him the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony in May 2021. — Anthony Adragna
| | | | A message from American Beverage:   | | | | | Anyone want a signed picture of a horse from Ted Cruz? Tim Sheehy wished for each of the components of the foreign aid package to be voted on separately, breaking from Montana Sens. Jon Tester (D) and Steve Daines (R), who supported it as written. West Virginia Democratic Senate candidate Don Blankenship has a bunch of new…. err creative television ads. Protests appear to be coming to the Congressional Baseball Game in June.
| | | | A message from American Beverage: Families are looking for more choices to support their efforts to find balance. That’s why America’s beverage companies are now offering more than 600 brands with less sugar or no sugar at all, and our actions are making a real difference.
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Learn more at BalanceUS.org | | | QUICK LINKS How TikTok Lost the War in Washington, from Georgia Wells and Kristina Petersen at The Wall Street Journal House Republicans’ Bench Thins — Yet Daredevils Can’t Quit Skydiving from the Wall Street Journal’s Katy Stech Ferek Government spy power deal hands hidden hope to Trump allies from Jordain Carney and John Sakellariadis Beating cancer used to be bipartisan. What happened? from Erin Schumaker Top ‘Democrat for Cruz’ Accused of Sexual Harassment, from William Bredderman at The Daily Beast This congresswoman was born and raised in Ukraine. She just voted against aid for her homeland, from Isabella Volmert at The Associated Press
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. POLITICO Pro dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | TRANSITIONS Sarah Troutman (Markley) is now director of government relations at the One Campaign. She previously was a professional staff member for the House Foreign Affairs GOP. Bridgett Frey is the FAA assistant administrator for communications in the Office of Communications. Before joining the FAA, Frey spent over a decade working in Congress, as communications director for Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and the House Budget Committee. TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are in session. TUESDAY AROUND THE HILL 10 a.m. — The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability hosts bipartisan roundtable with family members of American citizens detained and held hostage abroad (Rayburn 2172) 1 p.m. — House Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano hosts press conference on ending veteran homelessness (House Triangle)
| | | | FRIDAY’S ANSWER: Heather Stegner was the first to correctly guess that Colorado was the second state to grant women full voting rights. TODAY’S QUESTION, from the Hill team: In what year did the Senate first invoke cloture and what was the subject it was invoked on? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
