The Archive

IN THIS EDITION

The politics of saving Mike Johnson

Senate braces for turbulence on FAA reauthorization

Krishnamoorthi makes some waves

Members advocate for Andretti; NFL presses Congress on drones

Rounds discusses 2024, FAA reauthorization and AI

THE TOP

The politics of saving Mike Johnson

Happy Wednesday morning.

At some point soon, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is likely to ask for a vote on her motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson. Greene is holding a news conference at 9 a.m. today. We’re told that Greene will provide a much clearer picture of if and when she plans to seek a vote on Johnson’s future.

But some of the air was let out of Greene’s balloon on Tuesday when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top Democrats said they’d save Johnson if necessary. So Johnson will remain as speaker barring some extraordinary reversal.

We wanted to spend a few minutes this morning going over the decision-making process on this, the politics for both sides and what’s next for Johnson and the Democratic leadership.

1) How Democrats decided to save Johnson. Jeffries’ statement that he, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar would vote to table any motion to vacate was released just as Democrats were wrapping up a caucus meeting. The overwhelming sentiment inside the meeting was that saving Johnson should come at a price. Several Democrats said they wanted Republicans to set aside overly partisan messaging bills and put bipartisan priorities — including the Affordable Connectivity Program — on the floor.

But in reality, the decision to back Johnson was long in the works. Jeffries had been signaling it publicly and privately for weeks. It was discussed at a Democratic leadership meeting on Monday night. Jeffries was getting pressure from rank-and-file Democrats to make a statement as they watched Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and other colleagues say on TV they weren’t going to let Greene oust Johnson.

And although the Democratic leadership used Tuesday’s meeting to “hear people out,” the leadership statement on Johnson was drafted the night before. The leadership trio only released it after they judged the mood in the caucus.

Knowing he had the freedom to make the statement was a power move by Jeffries.

2) What if Greene keeps trying to oust Johnson? One of our big questions right now is what happens if Greene or other conservative hardliners keep trying to oust Johnson? Will Democrats keep stepping up to save him?

We put that question to Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar. They pointedly didn’t say their vow to save Johnson extends beyond this one instance.

→	Jeffries: “The statement speaks for itself at this particular point in time. That’s the only thing that’s in front of us. That’s the only thing that we have evaluated.”

→	Clark: “We would take it up with the caucus and address it. This is very much circumstance driven.”

→

Aguilar: “If [Greene] keeps doing this every week, then that’s something that the speaker is going to have to think through. I mean, this is their rule structure that they created. It seems like that would be the solution. But, you know, I didn’t write those rules. So that’s something he’ll have to navigate.”

3) The politics for Greene. For Greene, the threat of ousting Johnson is in many ways more useful than the reality of actually ousting him. Greene gets far more attention — and presumably raises way more money — when she’s trying to dump Johnson. Just take a look at the news conference this morning, which is certain to be packed.

The House Democratic leadership’s statement backing Johnson was an absolute gift for Greene. Now the contrast she is trying to draw is clear — Johnson is a Republican speaker who can only stay in office with Democratic support.

Johnson told our friend Blake Burman of NewsNation that Greene is not a serious lawmaker.

4) The politics for House Democrats. Backing Johnson certainly isn’t an easy pill to swallow for House Democrats, especially when they’re getting nothing new in return. But Johnson did move the FY2024 spending bills and Ukraine funding, huge Democratic priorities. The White House badly wanted the FISA reauthorization package too. Johnson made it happen.

This also helps some of the party’s more vulnerable moderates. Democrats are positioning themselves as the adults in the room looking to prevent new GOP chaos.

5) The politics for Johnson. We’ve often wondered about Johnson’s longevity if he’s kept in the job by Democrats. There’s an argument to be made that now, with the GOP conference so fractured, this is the only way for him to survive. And the only way for the House GOP not to completely bottom out is for Johnson to stay speaker with Democratic support.

More: The House will vote just once today. The main attraction is a bill expanding the definition of antisemitism for the Education Department in response to the pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses nationwide.

Opposition was growing on the House Democratic side late Tuesday. A lot of Democrats are eyeing whether Jeffries offers a more full-throated endorsement of the measure which is authored by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.).

– Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan

TODAY: Join us at 9 a.m. ET for a conversation with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). Punchbowl News founder and CEO Anna Palmer and senior congressional reporter Andrew Desiderio will sit down with DeLauro to discuss the news of the day, national security modernization and warfighter readiness in the United States. Afterward, Henry Brooks, president of power & controls at Collins Aerospace, will join Anna for a fireside chat. RSVP now!

THE SENATE

Senate braces for turbulence on FAA reauthorization

They’ll land the plane in the end, but it’ll be a bumpy ride.

That’s how senators see the next week and a half playing out as they try to pass a reauthorization bill for the FAA before the May 10 deadline.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune told us there are already as many as 20 requests for votes on amendments to the FAA bill, some of which aren’t directly related to the underlying legislation. That’s because senators see the measure as one of their final chances this year to pass long-stalled bipartisan legislation.

“This is, to use the oft-invoked analogy, one of the last trains leaving the station. And so everyone’s trying to get on board,” lamented Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who will manage the FAA bill for the GOP side.

Cruz, the top Republican on the Commerce Committee, told us he supports a “robust” amendment process. But there are already serious problems emerging.

This is news: Late Tuesday night, the Senate Commerce Committee pulled all of the legislation it was supposed to consider during a markup this morning.

Some of that legislation — including a spectrum bill and a measure to limit children’s social media use — was supposed to be considered in the form of amendments to the FAA bill.

As we wrote in the AM edition Monday, Senate leaders are preparing for the possibility that they’ll have to grant votes on legislation that could hitch a ride to the FAA bill in exchange for passing it sooner. Under regular order, Senate leaders estimate there isn’t enough time to clear it unless all 100 senators agree to collapse time.

To that end, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said late Tuesday he won’t agree to speed up final passage unless the Senate votes on his legislation to reauthorize a compensation program for victims of nuclear radiation. That bill cleared the Senate in March but hasn’t received a House vote.

Senators are also expecting they’ll get to vote on the Kids’ Online Safety Act as part of the package. The bill has enough co-sponsors to overcome a filibuster, so it would almost certainly pass as an amendment to the FAA bill.

In addition, there are several contentious fights underway over provisions included in the base text of the FAA bill itself, most notably the proposed addition of flight slots at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Taken together, these disputes have the potential to trigger a lapse in the FAA’s authority. And remember, an amended bill would still need to pass the House.

“The challenge with non-germane amendments is, where do you draw the line?” Thune said. “If they’re germane to the bill — dealing with the FAA, TSA or airlines in some way, that makes some sense. How much of the unrelated stuff is considered, I think will be up to debate.”

— Andrew Desiderio

WHAT HE WANTS

Krishnamoorthi makes some waves

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) is having something of a moment.

The Illinois Democrat, ranking member of the China select committee, was one of the key House players behind the swift passage of the TikTok ban bill. It was the first time that Congress had taken such a controversial action against a popular social media app. What TikTok and China will do in response has yet to be seen.

The China select panel is also holding a markup next week of the Biosecure Act, which prohibits federal contracts for biotech companies owned by foreign adversaries, including China. Krishnamoorthi is a co-sponsor of that bill.

On the political side, Khrishnamoorthi is co-hosting a dinner tonight for President Joe Biden that will rake in more than $1 million. Krishnamoorthi has already funneled $250,000 to the Biden Victory Fund.

Krishnamoorthi has raised more than $4.5 million for the DCCC. And he’s given and raised $650,000 to Frontline and Red to Blue candidates.

Perhaps most impressively, Krishnamoorthi is sitting on $16 million-plus in his reelection campaign. That’s a massive sum for a House member.

All of which has led other Democrats to ask what Krishnamoorthi wants. Is he preparing to run statewide? Is his future in the House?

In an interview, Krishnamoorthi downplayed any of that speculation, saying his focus is on helping Democrats win the House.

“Take back the House, keep the White House,” Krishnamoorthi said when asked about all the fundraising activity. “That’s why I am doing everything I can. We’ll do more as we go along. And we gotta see Speaker Hakeem Jeffries. Period.”

Krishnamoorthi’s bio reads like a movie script. Born in India, Krishnamoorthi moved to the United States when he was three months old. His family eventually ended up in Peoria, Ill. Krishnamoorthi got a degree in mechanical engineering from Princeton and then went on to Harvard Law School.

Krishnamoorthi met Barack Obama in 1998, serving as a researcher on the future president’s unsuccessful House bid in 2000. When Obama ran for Senate in 2004, Krishnamoorthi was policy director. Krishnamoorthi served in several posts in Illinois, ran for the House in 2012 and lost. In 2016, Krishnamoorthi ran again and won.

Now in his fourth term, the 50-year-old Krishnamoorthi has seats on the Intelligence and Oversight panels, plus his China select committee post. Krishnamoorthi is the first South Asian American to hold such a position on a congressional committee.

Despite the bitter partisanship of the 118th Congress, Krishnamoorthi said he and former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who chaired the China select committee, were able to get past that because the lawmakers and aides involved believe it’s vital to countering China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. That extends to the other panels they worked with as well, including Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and especially Energy and Commerce.

Krishnamoorthi noted that he and Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), who succeeded Gallagher as the select committee chair, plan to keep that effort going.

“I think the work speaks for itself,” Krishnamoorthi said. “It’s been one of the most bipartisan, productive committees in all of Congress at this point… Mike Gallagher’s leadership is going to be missed, but John Moolenaar is going to bring the same bipartisan approach to the committee.”

– John Bresnahan

SPORTS X CONGRESS

Members advocate for Andretti; NFL presses Congress on drones

We love sports at Punchbowl News. It’s even better when sports and Congress intersect. On that front, we have two bits of news for you today.

Andretti watch: Rep. John James (R-Mich.) is leading a bipartisan group of members demanding answers from the owners of Formula 1 on why the Mario Andretti-backed General Motors team was denied admission to the prestigious racing series.

The members wrote to the head of Liberty Media Corporation — which controls Formula 1 — and said the denial represents “anti-competitive actions.” The letter also accuses Formula One Management of potentially violating antitrust laws and bowing to the influence of European race teams.

The team, a combination of Andretti Global and General Motors, would have competed with the first American-built and designed engine in Formula 1 history. Andretti met with House members on the Hill on Tuesday to lobby support for his team. He was escorted by Miller Strategies, which is run by GOP super-lobbyist Jeff Miller.

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) also signed on to the letter.

James is hosting a press conference on the Hill today with Andretti about his team’s exclusion from F1.

NFL drones on: The NFL is again pressing Congress for help dealing with drones as the problem is growing worse for teams around the country.

We told you last year about this issue. At that time, there were more than 2,500 drone incursions over NFL stadiums.

According to the NFL, the number of such incidents rose to more than 2,845 this past year, a nearly 11% increase.

“The drone numbers continue to go up,” noted Brendon Plack, the NFL’s senior vice president for public policy and government affairs.

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty to illegally flying a drone over January’s AFC championship game in Baltimore.

The FAA reauthorization bill includes language widening the agency’s ability to issue temporary flight restrictions (TFR) around largely attended events.

And there’s a “counter-UAS authorities” provision — unmanned aircraft systems — covering the Homeland Security and the Justice departments. The current authority expires on May 11 but would be extended until Oct. 1 under the new legislation. The league is seeking a long-term extension and expansion of this provision.

In addition, the NFL wants lawmakers to grant state and local law enforcement agencies the authority to stop these flights. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) pushed a bill on this during the last Congress but it never made it to the floor. The NFL is seeking to add this to the FAA bill.

“The threat is serious,” noted Ken Edmonds, another top NFL lobbyist. “They can be weaponized.”

— Max Cohen and John Bresnahan

THE CAMPAIGN

Retiring Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) is appearing as a special guest for her chosen successor in New Hampshire’s 2nd District, Colin Van Ostern.

In the month since launching his campaign, Van Ostern has already raised an impressive $500,000. The open seat is expected to be competitive in November, while still favoring Democrats. Check out the invite.

Ad watch: Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) launched a $785,000 media ad buy accusing his primary challenger Brandon Herrera of mocking veterans.

The ad features several veterans endorsing Gonzales and plays a clip of Herrera jokingly calling himself an honorary veteran because “I often think about putting a gun in my mouth.”

Gonzales will face Hererra on May 28 in a runoff primary election.

Hererra is endorsed by several House conservatives, but Gonzales still has a steep fundraising edge over his Republican challenger.

— Max Cohen and Mica Soellner

PUNCHBOWL NEWS EVENTS

Rounds discusses 2024, FAA reauthorization and AI

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) joined us Tuesday for a wide-ranging conversation on the top issues dominating Washington and the future of artificial intelligence.

Rounds said AI holds great potential to enhance U.S. national defenses, help workplaces become more efficient and significantly improve treatments for illnesses like cancer.

The conversation with Rounds was part of our continuing series, The AI Impact, which explores the way technology is revolutionizing how businesses, nonprofits and the government operate.

If you missed the event, you can watch the full video here.

MOMENTS

CLIPS