The Archive

IN THIS EDITION

Democrats slam Johnson over government-funding plan

News: CLF adds $16M to ad reservations

House preps more Israel bills as Gaza war drags on

What the swing states are seeing this week

THE TOP

Democrats slam Johnson over government-funding plan

Happy Tuesday morning.

The House and Senate are out this week. President Joe Biden is back in Washington. He will head to Wisconsin on Thursday and Michigan on Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris will be in New Hampshire on Wednesday and then travel to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Let’s talk about government funding and the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline. As we scooped for you in Monday’s AM edition, Speaker Mike Johnson is planning to put a short-term funding bill on the floor next week that keeps federal agencies open until March at Fiscal Responsibility Act levels minus the “side deals” worked out between Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

And in a nod to former President Donald Trump and the House Freedom Caucus, Johnson will attach the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in a federal election. This bill — authored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) — passed the House with five Democratic votes back in July.

We told you that would be a non-starter for Democrats and the White House. Today we’ll spell out why it’s DOA in the Senate — if it ever gets that far.

Senior House and Senate Democrats say the funding level proposed by Johnson and House GOP leaders — Fiscal Responsibility Act minus side deals — is inadequate. They’ve opposed all the FY2025 funding bills that House Republicans have pushed through the chamber at that level, arguing that these proposed measures are billions of dollars short of the agreed-upon funding levels.

The SAVE Act is also a huge problem for Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has refused to take it up, and Democrats dismiss it as a “scare tactic.” It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections and there’s no evidence that it’s a problem.

Here’s Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, on Johnson’s CR plan:

And here’s Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.):

And Schumer: “As we have said each time we’ve had a CR, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way and that is what has happened every time.”

So it’s clear that Johnson’s plan isn’t going to go anywhere even if the Republican leadership can successfully jam it through the House, which isn’t guaranteed at this point.

Roy is already preparing to blame Democrats if it can’t get through this House. This is how the Texas Republican responded to our Monday scoop about Johnson’s plan.

However, the overwhelming Democratic opposition makes it much more likely that any CR that’s eventually enacted will follow a traditional pattern for an election year. Meaning it will extend into early December, leaving both sides to hammer out an agreement on an omnibus package — or multiple minibuses — during the lame-duck session. In this case, there will be a new president coming into office, so there will be lots of focus on staffing up their new administration.

The good news for Johnson here is that he has enough time for Plan B on a CR if and when this effort fails to come together.

– John Bresnahan and Andrew Desiderio

2024

News: CLF adds $16M to ad reservations

News: The top House GOP super PAC is adding $16 million to its fall ad reservations as the Congressional Leadership Fund seeks to flip blue seats in November, according to a source familiar with the strategy.

Here’s where CLF is reserving ad space:

— $2.3 million in the D.C. media market aimed at Virginia’s 7th District. This is an open seat vacated by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), who is running for governor in 2025. Republicans feel confident that Army veteran Derrick Anderson can beat Democrat Eugene Vindman. This is a new reservation, whereas the other reservations below supplement an earlier round of CLF spending.

— $3.8 million in Philadelphia against Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) in the 7th District.

— $2 million in Detroit and $1.2 million in Lansing, Mich., for another open seat — Michigan’s 7th District — where Republican Tom Barrett is running against Democrat Curtis Hertel. Barrett lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) last cycle in one of the most expensive races of the year. Slotkin is now running for Senate.

— $1.8 million in Flint, Mich., for the open seat in Michigan’s 8th District, where Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet is up against GOP nominee Paul Junge. Junge lost to retiring Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) in 2022.

— $1.5 million in Omaha, Neb., to defend Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) in Nebraska’s 2nd District. Bacon is facing a rematch versus Democrat Tony Vargas in a seat President Joe Biden won in 2020.

— $1.1 million in Toledo, Ohio, against Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) in Ohio’s 9th District. Republicans are relieved that J.R. Majewski isn’t their nominee and instead can run with the more mainstream Derek Merrin.

— $682,200 in Norfolk, Va., to protect freshman GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans in her race against Missy Cotter Smasal in the 2nd District.

— $275,000 in Binghamton, N.Y., and $450,000 in Albany, N.Y., to help freshman GOP Rep. Marc Molinaro against Democrat Josh Riley in the 19th District.

— $300,000 in Des Moines, Iowa, to boost freshman Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) in the 3rd District race against Democrat Lanon Baccam.

— $180,000 in Scranton, Pa., hitting perennial GOP target Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.). Former President Donald Trump won the 8th District seat in 2020. This year, Republican Rob Bresnahan is challenging Cartwright.

— $150,000 in Denver against freshman Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s 8th District.

The $16 million boost supplements CLF’s initial $141 million reservation for the general election.

— Max Cohen and Jake Sherman

EVENTS, EVENTS, EVENTS!

This week: Punchbowl News is heading to Austin, Texas! Join us on Thursday, Sept. 5, starting at 9:30 a.m. CT for a full day of programming at the Texas Tribune Festival. Punchbowl News is, again, a media sponsor this year. Don’t miss unforgettable conversations about the issues that matter to national politics. Tickets are available now.

And don’t forget about our event Friday in Alabama! Punchbowl News founder and CEO Anna Palmer will discuss the small business ecosystem in Alabama and the state’s economic future with Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.). Join us at 1:15 p.m. CT/2:15 p.m. ET in Birmingham, Ala., or on the livestream. RSVP here!

Next week: Punchbowl News HQ at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference! We are excited to announce our “Punch Up” activation in partnership with Chime on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

This exciting event will feature can’t-miss editorial conversations on financial access and digital banking, including a one-on-one interview with New York Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks, great networking, activations, music and delicious food and drinks. Our HQ will be located just steps away from the Convention Center at the Unconventional Diner. Learn more about the event and RSVP.

Later this month: Join us on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 9 a.m. ET for a conversation with Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.). Punchbowl News founder and CEO Anna Palmer will sit down with Bice as a part of our series, “The Future of Defense Aviation.” The series covers the state of play, legislative landscape and key players central to defense aviation. RSVP now!

WASHINGTON X THE WORLD

House preps more Israel bills as Gaza war drags on

House Republican leadership is likely to bring up another bill addressing the situation in Israel and antisemitism later this month, according to several sources familiar with the plan.

Next week, the House is going to be focused on a host of bills aimed at China or bashing the Biden administration policy toward the country’s most powerful rival.

But after that, House Republicans want to put at least one bill on the floor to try to highlight the party’s support for Israel while dividing Democrats. The Republican leadership hasn’t yet decided what bills they may put on the floor, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Speaker Mike Johnson, who is in Italy this week for the G7 parliamentary meeting, said in a statement that the “United States Congress will continue to stand with our ally Israel and work to bring all remaining hostages home.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition will hold its annual meeting in Las Vegas this week. Former President Donald Trump and Johnson will address the group via satellite, while a number of top House and Senate GOP lawmakers will be there. We’re sure to hear tons of incendiary comments on how President Joe Biden — and by extension, Vice President Kamala Harris — have failed to support one of America’s most important allies.

Yet the political and military situation in Israel is bad and getting worse. This could impact how Congress reacts in the coming weeks.

Catching you up: Six hostages — including dual American-Israeli citizen Hersh Polin Goldberg — were murdered by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli soldiers found the six bodies in a tunnel near Rafah. Hamas has said that they have instructed their soldiers to kill hostages if Israeli soldiers are approaching.

Biden said Monday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing enough to free the remaining hostages. Asked by reporters on Monday night when he planned to speak to Netanyahu, Biden responded “Eventually.” Biden repeated the same one-word answer when pressed for more details, per the White House pool reports.

The Washington Post reported that the White House — working with Egyptian and Qatari officials — is preparing a “take it or leave it” offer for Hamas.

Biden and Harris huddled Monday morning at the White House with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NSA Jake Sullivan, CIA Director Bill Burns, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Harris’ national security adviser Phil Gordon and Brett McGurk, White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu said Monday he would not give up on controlling the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt, a newfound sticking point in the ceasefire talks.

A defiant Netanyahu also slammed his critics following massive protests inside Israel: “No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me. But no one will preach to me.”

– John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman

THE CAMPAIGN

What the swing states are seeing this week

In Wisconsin, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is running ads defending her record on the U.S.-Mexico border. These ads give a good sense of the political terrain Democrats are fighting on in battleground states.

In the new spot, a group of Wisconsin sheriffs vouch for Baldwin’s work fighting fentanyl trafficking.

“Every day we battle illegal drugs coming into our community and we know the attacks on Tammy Baldwin are not true,” one law enforcement official says. “We’ve come a long way from the ‘defund the police’ movement of summer 2020.”

Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and a Frontline Democrat, is airing an ad touching on his work to lower drug costs. Horsford touts his support for reducing prescription drug prices and cracking down on landlords. Plus, the Nevada Democrat says he’s secured millions of dollars in funding for police and border enforcement.

In New Mexico’s 2nd District, the NRCC is running a joint ad with former Rep. Yvette Herrell’s (R-N.M.) campaign focusing on economic issues. The ad spotlights a single mother who says she’s a lifelong Democrat but will vote for Herrell this year because things are too expensive.

Herrell is running against freshman Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), who beat Herrell in 2022.

— Max Cohen

MOMENTS

CLIPS