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THE TOP
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Happy Monday morning.
The House and Senate are back in town beginning today for a three-week sprint before the midterm elections. There are 57 days until Election Day.
The Capitol is returning to normal – almost.
The public will be allowed into the Senate chamber starting today as part of the “Phase 3” reopening, the Sergeant at Arms told Senate offices last week. Beginning 30 minutes before the Senate comes into session, two public galleries will open to visitors. These galleries will remain open until adjournment. When the Senate isn’t in session, the galleries will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Tickets are available through Senate offices.
On the House side, we expect that the Sergeant at Arms will announce the “Phase 3” reopening this week as well, according to Democratic aides. And starting today, members can bring tour groups into the House public galleries while the chamber is in session. A member or staffer must stay with those visitors while they’re in the galleries. Members can also make appointments to bring tour groups onto the floor when the House is out of session.
House and Senate office buildings are open to the public from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
One of the biggest challenges in fully reopening the Capitol is staffing levels for the U.S. Capitol Police. The Jan. 6 insurrection and Covid-19 pandemic were both brutal on the Capitol Police. USCP Chief Tom Manger says the force is still short more than 200 employees despite efforts to step up recruiting.
New Covid infections remain a major problem for the force as well. Just in the last two weeks, 36 USCP officers have contracted Covid, we’re told.
There’s no shortage of Covid cases among lawmakers either. Two senators tested positive last week – Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) – while a third, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), contracted Covid while in India. Ossoff quarantined in that country and is expected to return to the United States this week. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) also announced they’d tested positive.
These latest moves by the House and Senate come as the Supreme Court will reopen to the public for the first time in two-and-a-half years when it begins a new session in October. The White House is already open for public tours.
If and when those tens of thousands of federal employees begin coming back downtown en masse is an open question that a lot of Biden administration officials, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and local businesses would like to see answered. So far, there’s not much from the White House on this.
→ | This is a big week for President Joe Biden. |
Biden will finally get his White House celebration for the Inflation Reduction Act. The president and Vice President Kamala Harris will headline an event Tuesday with lawmakers, advocates and guests on the South Lawn of the White House. “Thousands of people” are expected for this event, we’re told, although the details are still up in the air.
Biden will be in Boston on Monday to talk about the “Cancer Moonshot” at the JFK Library and Museum. It’s the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” speech. On Wednesday, Biden is in Detroit for the annual auto show. He’ll focus on domestic EV manufacturing in that appearance. On Thursday, Biden will speak at the “United We Stand Summit” to combat hate and extremism. Biden will also attend the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala. Biden meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday. And on Saturday, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden travel to England for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. That funeral will take place on Sept. 19.
→ | As for what’s happening on the Hill, there’s a lot of TBD right now. The Senate will take up several circuit court nominations this week while negotiations continue on a short-term government funding bill and same-sex marriage legislation. The House – back for the first time in a month – will vote on several transparency measures. |
Members will also vote on a bill by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) that says federal employees can’t be reclassified as “Schedule F” unless Congress approves. Former President Donald Trump issued an executive order on this shortly before he lost the 2020 election. It potentially could’ve allowed him to fire tens of thousands of federal workers. Biden rescinded the order when he came into office, but there are reports Trump will bring it back if reelected in 2024.
The continuing resolution to keep federal agencies open past Sept. 30 is still under discussion, and floor action isn’t expected this week. The end date for the CR is still likely to be Dec. 16. What will be attached to the CR is the sticking point.
The White House is seeking $47 billion in funding for Ukraine, Covid, monkeypox and disaster relief. The Covid funding request – as it has for months – is running into GOP opposition. Republicans believe that the White House should reprogram funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan to meet any needs for vaccines, tests and therapeutics.
Biden is seeking more than $13 billion in Ukraine-related funding as part of this latest package. Following the stunning battlefield successes by Ukrainian forces during the last few days – developments that have shocked official Washington – this request looks all but guaranteed. It was anyway. But winning makes it that much easier.
Floor action on the CR will begin in the Senate, likely next week. As always, nothing can happen in the Senate without consent. There is no danger of a shutdown, of course. It’s just that lawmakers need to get a deal before they can go home to campaign.
→ | A same-sex marriage bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised a vote on same-sex marriage bill this month. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are floating a “religious liberty” amendment to the underlying proposal. The earliest that floor action is likely on this measure – if there’s an agreement – is late in the week. |
→ | New Hampshire primary. Granite State voters will decide who takes on Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan in November, in addition to deciding the GOP challengers for Democrats Chris Pappas and Ann Kuster. |
Democrats have spent millions of dollars boosting retired Army Gen. Dan Bolduc in that primary, gambling the pro-Trump candidate would be an easier opponent than New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse. Morse has the support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and GOP Gov. Chris Sununu, although Bolduc – who lost the Republican primary in 2020 – is leading in the polls.
There are primaries in Rhode Island and Delaware as well on Tuesday, which is the last primary day of the year.
Heads up: We will have a special Tally edition tomorrow ahead of another primary day.
– John Bresnahan
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PUNCHBOWL NEWS X TEXAS TRIBUNE
We’re going to Austin for the Texas Tribune Festival!
We’re so excited to be a sponsor of the Texas Tribune Festival on Sept. 22-24 in Austin, Texas. Here’s the rundown of everything happening in the Punchbowl News tent on Sept. 24. RSVP to join us live!
→ | One-on-One with Adam Schiff (D-Calif.): 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (All Central Time) |
The California lawmaker starts us off by discussing the Jan. 6 investigation, the war in Ukraine and combating misinformation.
→ | The Red Team: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. |
Conversation with Texas Republican congressional candidates Wesley Hunt, Monica De La Cruz and Morgan Luttrell.
→ | The Blue Team: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. |
Conversation with Texas Democratic congressional candidates Greg Casar and Jasmine Crockett.
→ | Taking the Heat: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. |
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg will talk climate.
→ | The Book on Trump: Part Two: 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. |
Peter Baker and Susan Glasser close us the day with a convo about their book “The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021.”
PLUS: Food, five different raffles, and more! Let us know if you’re interested in joining.
👀
Who we’re watching
→ | Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine): Collins is the lead Republican on the same-sex marriage proposal. Collins needs to find a way to get to 10 GOP votes. Collins and two Democratic colleagues – Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona – have been working behind the scenes to craft a “religious liberty” amendment to try to assuage Republican concerns. If a deal is going to happen, it needs to happen this week. |
→ | Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell: The Consumer Price Index data for August will be released on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. Needless to say, this is a huge moment politically and economically. There have been some signs inflation is moderating, especially with falling gas prices, although housing and food costs continue to soar. The Federal Open Market Committee next meets on Sept. 20-21. Will Powell support another big rate increase of 75 basis points, as the market anticipates, or will the rate hike be more moderate? |
→ | Russian President Vladimir Putin: Ukraine’s battlefield successes of the last few days have shocked Moscow and the West. Putin still has a much bigger and better armed military overall, but its performance during the Ukrainian conflict has been disastrous. With the war going badly, Putin has turned his nation’s oil and natural gas exports into an economic weapon, pushing Europe to the brink of a recession. Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week during a security conference in Kazakhstan. |
– John Bresnahan
📅
What we’re watching
→ | Tuesday: The Senate Banking Committee has a hearing on new financial products. The Senate Judiciary Committee will have a Twitter whistleblower testify. |
→ | Wednesday: House Natural Resources has a hearing on the role of public relations firms in preventing action on climate change. Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) is chairing this hearing. |
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will have a hearing on social media’s impact on homeland security. Senior representatives from Meta, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube will testify.
Senate HELP will have a hearing on monkeypox. Dr. Anthony Fauci, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf will testify.
The House Ways and Means Committee will have a hearing on the future of U.S.-Taiwan trade. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will have a hearing on protecting private information from hostile foreign powers.
→ | Thursday: The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has a hearing on Big Oil and the climate. Senate Foreign Relations has a hearing on U.S. policy toward Venezuela. SEC Commissioner Gary Gensler will be on the Hill for a Senate Banking Committee oversight hearing. |
– Jake Sherman
PRESENTED BY BLACKSTONE
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DOWNTOWN DOWNLOAD
→ | Pepsico has hired Cassidy and Associates to lobby on “recycling and plastic waste reduction.” |
→ | The Lexington Airport has hired Phil Maxson of Cumberland Gap Consulting. Maxson was chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. |
THE CAMPAIGN
→ | New: The DSCC is airing a new attack ad dinging Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters for his ideas on revamping Social Security. |
“Blake Masters wants to cut taxes for billionaires,” the ad’s narrator says.”And to pay for it? He said he’d cut our Social Security and privatize it.”
The spot is part of the Democratic group’s $33 million independent expenditure reservation.
→ | Ryan Zinke, the former GOP congressman from Montana and Interior secretary, is running an ad linking his opponent, Democrat Monica Tranel, to the Inflation Reduction Act. Tranel, of course, wasn’t in Congress when the bill was passed. |
→ | Democrat Michael Franken, running against Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is airing a new ad in Washington asking people to donate to his campaign. It is, of course, unique to run an ad in D.C. for a race in Iowa, but we guess he knows where the money is. |
→ | The Congressional Leadership Fund is running a spot in Boston to boost Matt Mowers over Karoline Leavitt in the GOP primary to take on Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.). |
– Jake Sherman and Max Cohen
MOMENTS
9 a.m.: President Joe Biden will get his daily briefing.
9:40 a.m.: Biden will leave the White House for Andrews, where he’ll fly to Boston. Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle on Air Force One.
12:45 p.m.: Biden will speak at Logan International Airport about the bipartisan infrastructure law.
1:30 p.m.: Biden will leave Logan for the JFK Library and Museum.
4 p.m.: Biden will speak about the “Cancer Moonshot.”
6 p.m.: Biden will attend a DNC reception.
7:10 p.m.: Biden will leave Boston for Andrews, and will arrive at the White House at 9:05 p.m.
CLIP FILE
NYT
→ | “Expanded Safety Net Drives Sharp Drop in Child Poverty,” by Jason DeParle |
→ | “Ukraine Routs Russian Forces in Northeast, Forcing a Retreat,” by Andrew E. Kramer in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and Andrew Higgins in Warsaw, Poland |
WaPo
→ | “White House alarm rises over Europe as Putin threatens energy supply,” by Jeff Stein |
WSJ
→ | “Inflation Showed Signs of Easing in Several Industries in August,” by Jon Hilsenrath |
AP
→ | “Americans give health care system failing mark: AP-NORC poll,” by Amanda Seitz |
Politico
→ | “More Republican money flowing to Arizona’s Senate race,” by Natalie Allison |
LA Times
→ | “USC scandals assume starring role in L.A. mayor’s race, with Bass, Caruso pointing fingers,” by Matt Hamilton, Julia Wick and Benjamin Oreskes |
Philadelphia Inquirer
→ | “‘Women are the reason we can win,’ John Fetterman says at packed abortion-rights rally in Montco,” by Julia Terruso |
PRESENTED BY BLACKSTONE
Blackstone is investing to help power the modern economy, focusing on the sectors and themes where we see the greatest potential for growth. This approach has led us to invest in entrepreneurs advancing how we use technology to connect, scientists developing novel therapeutics for patients, and businesses creating a more sustainable future. We’re investing in the companies and leaders who are shaping the future, and we’re dedicated to providing them with the partnership and resources they need to help accelerate their growth.
Over Blackstone’s more than 35-year history, we have remained committed to this long-term investment approach — because building successful, resilient businesses can lead to better returns for our investors, stronger communities, and economic growth that works for everyone. Learn more.
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. Political ads courtesy of AdImpact.
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