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January 20, 2023
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THE TOP
Happy Friday morning.
One of the most important people in the Capitol during the next two years will be Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Jordan is the chair of the House Judiciary Committee and the all-but-certain chair of the new “Weaponization of the Federal Government” subcommittee.
Lots of staff. Lots of resources. Subpoena power. Jordan has carved out a powerful fiefdom right in the middle of the new House GOP majority.
This isn’t the path that Jordan – a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus – was on just a few years ago. A highly polarizing figure, Jordan’s career was altered irrevocably by former President Donald Trump. Jordan, 58, has gone from a conservative rebel who helped take down a speaker to a GOP powerbroker who made sure Kevin McCarthy got the job this time.
The Judiciary Committee will be center stage for much of the House GOP’s efforts to investigate the FBI, Justice Department, Big Tech, immigration and more. If Republicans impeach a Biden administration official, it will go through Jordan’s committee.
Once bitter rivals, Jordan stuck by McCarthy throughout the California Republican’s tumultuous speaker bid, and he’s trusted within the speaker’s inner circle.
But this morning we’re going to focus on Jordan’s own orbit – the all-male crew around the Ohio Republican with whom he makes nearly all of his decisions.
There are three unique features of Jordan’s team, according to the multiple sources we talked to inside this network. One: Nearly all of Jordan’s aides – even his top communications hand – are lawyers. Two: Many of these aides have been with Jordan for years. Three: Jordan doesn’t make any decisions without the coterie of advisers weighing in. And if anyone disagrees, an entire effort could be scratched.
Jordan’s orbit
| → | Chris Hixon, staff director: Hixon, a graduate of George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, has been in the oversight world for 13 years, including a Senate stint. Otherwise, Hixon has worked alongside Jordan for a decade. |
| → | Tyler Grimm, chief policy and strategy counsel: Grimm handles coalitions, for lack of a better term. He’s in touch with conservative groups and K Street while also tracking what’s going on in the Senate. He’s in charge of any policymaking that comes out of the committee and provides Jordan with a read on who’s pushing what initiative and why. Grimm is also a graduate of George Mason’s law school. |
| → | David Brewer, deputy staff director: Brewer is in charge of all written products that come out of the Judiciary Committee. One Jordan insider said he’s the best writer that they have encountered. Brewer graduated from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University. |
| → | Steve Castor, general counsel: Castor gained fame during Trump’s first impeachment. Castor was the lead GOP counsel opposite now Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who then served under Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Castor is the committee’s top attorney and can often be found at Jordan’s side. He also coordinates with the GOP leadership. This is going to be a big task during the 118th Congress, with every House committee ready to launch its own investigations into the Biden administration. And he’ll likely have a key role on the “Weaponization” panel. Castor is a George Washington University Law School grad. |
| → | Russell Dye, communications director: Dye is very close to Jordan and has a keen understanding of how issues will play with the GOP’s right flank. Dye graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law. |
Outside the Judiciary Committee: Jordan’s personal office chief of staff, Kevin Eichinger, has been with Jordan for 15 years, beginning in the Ohio Republican’s office as an intern and working his way up. Ray Yonkura runs the House Freedom Fund, a Jordan-linked PAC. Yonkura is Jordan’s former chief of staff and remains heavily involved with his ex-boss’s political operation.
Jordan has been very successful on the fundraising side. Jordan’s ties to Trump boosted his national profile, and the money followed.
During the 2015-16 cycle, before Trump was in office, Jordan’s campaign raised just over $733,000. Last cycle, Jordan’s campaign raked in more than $14 million. Jordan ended November with more than $7.5 million in the bank. He raises millions of dollars in unitemized contributions of $200 or less, spending heavily on direct mail and online fundraising.
Previously a hardline conservative backbencher that leadership eyed warily, Jordan now enjoys the support of top House Republicans.
“Jim is as sharp as it gets on holding people accountable,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise told us. NRCC Chair Richard Hudson added it’s “gonna be exciting to see [Jordan] with subpoena power.”
“If anybody understands what to look for, it’s Jim Jordan,” Majority Whip Tom Emmer said.
Democrats, of course, have long derided Jordan as a radical intent on pursuing conspiracy theories featuring federal government overreach. Jordan’s counterpart atop Judiciary, Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), has said the Ohio Republican’s prized “Weaponization” committee is “based in mythology.” Jamie Raskin (Md.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, called the panel’s premise “dubious.”
In other news: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) will announce today if he is running for a third term during an event in Richmond. Our own Andrew Desiderio will be there for us. Read more about Kaine’s decision in the PM edition – including the Zoom meeting he scheduled with donors after his announcement.
– Jake Sherman, Max Cohen and John Bresnahan
THE AGENDA
House GOP’s gun and border bills likely to be delayed
House Republican leadership had an ambitious agenda for its first two weeks in the majority. GOP leaders put out a letter saying all the things they would do as soon as they took over.
Well, Republicans are already backpedaling on their promises on a few key bills.
Floor action on two of the leadership’s initial slate of proposals – a gun bill and a border bill – are being delayed at least another week, GOP and Democratic sources tell us.
The Illegal Alien NICS Alert Act and the Border Safety and Security Act are unlikely to come up next week, as the leadership is still trying to round up support for both measures.
Instead, House Republicans plan to consider legislation to limit withdrawals from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
This comes after House Republicans earlier were forced to postpone action on two pro-police measures because they hadn’t named members to the House Rules Committee. GOP leaders need to revise the proposals in order to garner 218 votes.
These delays don’t mean Republicans won’t ultimately be able to pass all these proposals. Such hiccups are pretty common for any new majority. And GOP-controlled committees such as Oversight and Accountability have already scheduled their first hearings. That’s a key priority for McCarthy and the rest of the leadership. The delay could be partially chalked up to the lengthy speaker race and populating of committees.
– Jake Sherman, Heather Caygle and John Bresnahan
THE SENATE
Menendez quashes Turkey’s F-16 dream — again
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is once again at the center of a diplomatic spat between the United States and Turkey.
The New Jersey Democrat and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced this week that he’ll continue to block the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. This came after the Biden administration informally notified Congress that it wants to move forward with the $20 billion transaction.
It’s yet another setback for both the Biden administration and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose government is still resisting formal approval of Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership applications even as it pushes for the F-16 purchase.
In a statement, Menendez cited Erdoğan’s “alarming and destabilizing behavior” and suggested that Turkey should not be considered a “trusted” NATO ally — a notable criticism given its refusal to ratify the newest members of the alliance.
Menendez continued:
Foreign military sales require signoff from the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee — also referred to as the “Four Corners” — so Menendez’s objections will likely continue to doom the effort.
The State Department could declare a state of emergency in order to circumvent the congressional review process — as it did under former President Donald Trump to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia — but that’s seen as unlikely.
The Biden administration views the F-16 sale as a way to repair the relationship between the two nations, one lawmaker told us. U.S. officials are wary that Turkey hasn’t formally signed off on Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to the NATO alliance. There are concerns that Turkey is holding their NATO memberships hostage in order to extract concessions from those two countries as well as from the United States — like the F-16 sale.
It’s a reflection of the increasingly strained relationship between Washington and Ankara, a notable rift between two NATO members. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Washington Wednesday, and these issues were surely on the agenda for that session.
Separately, Menendez applauded the Biden administration’s proposed sale of F-35 aircraft to Greece, which has been the victim of thousands of airspace encroachments by Turkey in recent years. Menendez called Greece “a trusted NATO ally and enduring partner.”
Of note: Menendez’s GOP counterpart on the committee, Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, met with Erdoğan at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Erdoğan also met with Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) there.
— Andrew Desiderio
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
Jessica Floyd joins Punchbowl News
We’re super excited to announce that Punchbowl News has hired Jessica Floyd as press and booking manager. Jessica was most recently at SKDK. A New York native, Jessica was born and raised on Long Island. We’re absolutely thrilled to have her join our team — and look forward to her reaching out to many of you for events, bookings and more.
Interested in joining Punchbowl News? We’re currently interviewing for a reporter and digital web producer to join our growing editorial team. Apply here.
THE GETAWAY
House Republicans heading to Orlando for annual retreat
The Congressional Institute, which runs the House GOP retreats, is holding the annual Republican legislative retreat March 19-21 in Orlando, Fla.
House Republicans have traditionally held their retreats closer to D.C. – Philadelphia, Baltimore and Williamsburg, Va. – but in recent years, they’ve shifted the events to Florida. Last year, the GOP was in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and the year before, they were also in Orlando.
Separately, the annual NRCC fundraising retreat is President’s Day Weekend in Key Biscayne, Fla., and the Elected Leadership Committee retreat is in Amelia Island, Fla., this weekend.
– Jake Sherman
PRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
Read API’s plan to learn more about how we can Make, Move and Improve energy.
Mayorkas defends approach to southern border in speech to mayors
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas cast immigration as a global issue Thursday, even as the United States struggles to get a handle on the humanitarian crisis at its southern border.
Mayorkas, who spoke at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ meeting, has been a long-running target of conservative ire over the southern border.
There have already been calls from hardline Republicans to impeach Mayorkas. And we expect he’ll be a major focal point in GOP oversight investigations in the 118th Congress.
The DHS secretary tried to contextualize migration as a worldwide phenomenon, not just impacting the United States:
In an appeal to Congress, Mayorkas described the American immigration process as “a broken system in desperate need of legislative reform.” (Check out our reporting from last week on the emerging bipartisan group of senators hungry for an immigration deal.)
On a less defensive note, Mayorkas also touted a new policy announced by the DHS last week that will extend whistleblower protections to non-citizen workers, including from deportation.
“We welcome partnership with your labor enforcement agencies to ensure vulnerable workers are aware of the protections available to them and predatory employers are held accountable,” Mayorkas said.
– Brendan Pedersen
THE CAMPAIGN
Here’s an interesting new effort from the Republican Main Street Partnership, the group associated with “pragmatic” conservatives in the House GOP Conference. RMSP is running a national digital ad campaign on the debt limit, seeking to cast President Joe Biden as the bad guy in the scenario.
The ads call on Biden to “come to the table to address the debt ceiling or Americans will suffer.”
We reported in Thursday’s Midday edition that White House officials and Speaker Kevin McCarthy have begun discussing the possibility of a meeting between the speaker and the president in the near future.
The RMSP framing is notable because many of the group’s members are endangered Republicans facing tough reelection campaigns in 2024. The fight over the debt limit will be politically fraught for many GOP members, and the messaging here is an opening look at how Republicans will play this crucial issue.
— Max Cohen
PRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
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Punchbowl News Presents
By transforming bill tracking and floor action with expert analysis from the Punchbowl News team, The Portal delivers concise, curated insights that cut through the noise, helping policy leaders win. Request a demo today.