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April 6, 2023
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PRESENTED BY
THE TOP
Happy Thursday morning from Simi Valley, Calif., once again, where Congress looked and sounded like it could actually work together on the most pressing global challenge of the 21st century: an emboldened China. And they’ve got President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan to thank for it.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan group that met here with Tsai and, at least temporarily, retreated from the partisanship that dominates Capitol Hill. McCarthy resisted taking shots at Democrats and the Biden administration despite ample opportunities to do so. And the Democrats who shared the stage with him showed similar restraint.
This was McCarthy’s first big foreign-policy foray as speaker. But it was also a chance for him to prove that, on one of the most vexing contemporary global challenges, lawmakers can show a united front. Tsai made it easy for them to do that, according to lawmakers who spoke with her on Wednesday.
McCarthy lamented that, through successive administrations, “America has not spoken with one voice” on China. That’s no longer the case, thanks in part to bipartisan cooperation as well as Tsai’s disciplined approach to her island’s most important strategic ally.
“Not very often does the world see Republicans and Democrats standing together on one issue,” McCarthy said, standing in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall at the Ronald Reagan Library. “One thing I would take pride in as an American — you’re watching your lawmakers stand together with both parties advocating greater democracy, with a plan to help deter any chance of a war in the future.”
McCarthy focused heavily on deterrence, insisting that if the United States prioritizes fortifying Taiwan now, Chinese President Xi Jinping would decide against any attempt to invade the self-ruling island in the future. Many Republicans we’ve spoken with on this issue believe it’s inevitable that China will move to bring Taiwan under its rule, most likely through military force.
“In a non-military sense, they’re already at war and the CCP has already launched a propaganda campaign designed to weaken their defenses and intimidate [Taiwan],” said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who chairs the China select committee.
Here’s Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) on why Democrats and Republicans are so aligned here:
We caught up with the lawmakers present for the meeting with Tsai — including Gallagher and Moulton – who detailed some of their behind-the-scenes conversations. According to multiple members, Tsai sought to reassure them about the will of the Taiwanese people to fight for their territory and their system of government. Her message was clear: We see China for what it is, a bully, and we need help.
“She said, ‘We will not act recklessly, nor will we allow ourselves to be bullied,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) noted of Tsai. “Their determination to defend their democracy is reinforced by support from the world, including the United States.”
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) told us that Tsai’s big asks on the military side were twofold. First, Taiwan needs to build up larger stockpiles of weapons in case of a conflict. And second, perhaps most importantly, Taiwan’s military needs “training, training, training.” Tsai brought up the idea of Taiwanese soldiers traveling to U.S. military facilities for training missions, as well as U.S. troops helming those efforts on the ground in Taiwan.
“She’s leading her country to be ready for any sort of conflict,” Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) told us. “They’ve seen what’s happening in Ukraine and I think there is a great sense of nationalism in Taiwan that exists.”
McCarthy report card: As we noted Wednesday, McCarthy was extremely careful with his prepared remarks in order not stray from long-standing U.S. policy toward Taiwan. When discussing the “special bond” between the two nations, McCarthy repeatedly noted that it’s a bond between “the people” of each country — a nod to the Taiwan Relations Act which stipulates that Washington and Taipei have no formal diplomatic relations.
At the same time, China’s aggressive posture toward Taiwan in recent years has caused Republicans and Democrats alike to re-evaluate the “unofficial” nature of the relationship. Last year, for example, the annual defense policy bill included an unprecedented allocation of military assistance aimed at fortifying Taiwan’s defenses. Congress has also approved more than $1 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan.
McCarthy also declined to lean into criticism of the Biden administration over its handling of the Chinese spy balloon incident. McCarthy commended the White House for working to speed up the delivery of weapons systems already approved for Taiwan. And he flat-out refused to entertain questions from the press about Tuesday’s indictment of former President Donald Trump.
McCarthy even got some praise from a rare source – former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi released a statement saying the meeting with Tsai “is to be commended for its leadership, its bipartisan participation and its distinguished and historic venue.”
— Andrew Desiderio
Mark your calendars! On Thursday, April 20 at 9 a.m. ET, Punchbowl News founders Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman will interview House Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). They’re going to dive into the challenges facing small business owners. This conversation is the first in a three-part series, Small Business, America’s Future. RSVP here.
OVERSIGHT WATCH
Raskin, Trump foe, finds a new moment
When House Democrats backed Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to be their leading voice on investigations, they ditched seniority considerations to select a member battle-tested in sparring with former President Donald Trump.
And as House Republicans seek to probe the Manhattan DA’s office following the Trump indictment, the fight is returning to familiar terrain for Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
The increased focus on Trump represents a continuation of Raskin’s main strategy during the opening months of the GOP majority — bring everything back to the former president. Even before Trump’s indictment captured global headlines, Raskin consistently used Jan. 6 and Trump’s actions that day as a counterforce against House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer’s (R-Ky.) moves.
“Almost everything [Oversight Republicans] are doing is an attempt to cover up their complicity with criminal violence and insurrection,” Raskin told us recently. “I think so much of the political theatrics we’re witnessing are just to cover up for their guilty conscience.”
When Comer held a high-profile hearing on Twitter’s alleged censorship of reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop, Raskin focused on Jan. 6. The Democratic witness, a former Twitter employee, slammed the tech company for its complicity in allowing Trump to encourage the violent attack on the Capitol.
When Oversight Republicans rebuked the District of Columbia’s attempt to rewrite its criminal code, Raskin pivoted to the Trump-inspired Capitol riot. The Maryland Democrat said it was hypocritical for Republicans to decry a rise in D.C. crime after leading a delegation to visit Jan. 6 defendants in a city jail.
“Their whole counterfeit, tough-on-crime act is an attempt to distance themselves from what they did — they either participated in or apologized for a violent insurrection against the union,” Raskin insisted.
And when Republicans’ first Oversight hearing of this Congress centered on Covid-19 waste, fraud and abuse, the Democratic response was simple: Trump was president during the first year of the pandemic, including when huge federal aid packages were enacted.
“Republicans that are trying to make points on Joe Biden have zero credibility, because at every single solitary turn, they have forgotten that Donald Trump did it first,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), a member of the Oversight panel, told us. “They have amnesia. I’m starting to kind of feel bad for them because Donald Trump is just this thing that undermines all of their credibility.”
Raskin, a former constitutional law professor who won election to the House in 2016, made his name in Congress by taking on Trump. Raskin served as the lead impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial following the Jan. 6 insurrection. And when then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi formed the Jan. 6 select committee, Raskin was a star of the high-profile effort.
Raskin faced off against Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) for the top Democratic slot on Oversight last year. Raskin’s experience advocating for Democrats on the national stage and his messaging skills were seen as valuable assets, outweighing the decades that Connolly and Lynch had served on the panel.
Now in the ranking member role, Raskin is at the frontlines of the Democratic pushback to the wide range of Comer-backed probes into the White House. It’s safe to say Raskin hasn’t been impressed.
“They have 40 or 50 different things going on, and nobody can follow any of it and it doesn’t add up to anything,” Raskin said of Comer’s efforts. “So that’s why it’s such a flop.”
— Max Cohen
THE HOUSE MAJORITY
Vulnerable Republicans mum on Trump’s defund the police push
There are 18 House Republicans who represent districts President Joe Biden won in 2020. And they’re going to have trouble creating separation between themselves and former President Donald Trump following his felony indictment in New York City for allegedly falsifying business records.
We wondered how those 18 members would reply to Trump’s Wednesday morning Truth Social post, where he called on Hill Republicans to “defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses.”
The answer – just three would go on the record distancing themselves from Trump’s screed.
It’s just the latest instance where Trump’s political goals have diverged from the Republican Party’s as a whole. Trump’s efforts to push election deniers in last year’s Senate races cost Republicans a shot at the majority in that chamber. He also led Republicans to losses during the 2018 and 2020 cycles, although not as badly as some GOP lawmakers feared.
The situation worsened Thursday when NBC reported that Judge Juan Merchan has received threats since Trump’s arrest. Trump has called Merchan – who is overseeing the case – “a Trump-hating judge.”
Rejecting Trump’s demand to defund law enforcement should be a slam dunk.
Yet the silence from the majority of the vulnerable Republicans is evidence of the hold Trump still has on the party. Many of these members know that while they represent moderate districts, they’ll need to maximize GOP turnout in 2024.
| → | Dan Kranz, a spokesperson for freshman Rep. Marc Molinaro, said the New York Republican doesn’t support defunding the DOJ and FBI. Kranz added Molinaro “has never and isn’t going to start responding to every Tweet from other politicians, presidents, and candidates for office. He was elected to address the issues facing Upstate NY — not to be a political pundit.” |
| → | Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) simply said, “I don’t support defunding law enforcement.” |
| → | Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer spokesperson Aaron Britt told us the Oregon Republican doesn’t support Trump’s calls to defund the DOJ and FBI. |
The offices of GOP Reps. David Schweikert (Ariz.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), John Duarte (Calif.), David Valadao (Calif.), Mike Garcia (Calif.), Michelle Steel (Calif.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Tom Kean (N.J.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), George Santos (N.Y.), Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Brandon Williams (N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Jen Kiggans (Va.) didn’t provide any comment on whether they back Trump’s calls to defund the FBI and DOJ.
On the merits of the Trump indictment, it’s been equally quiet from House Republicans.
Here’s Molinaro, one of the House Democrats’ campaign arm’s top targets in 2024
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) recently faced criticism from right-wing radio host Joe Giganti over his silence on Trump. Giganti blasted Gallagher for not responding to the “tyranny” against the former president. Gallagher has indicated that he won’t support Trump next year because of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Gallegher provided a statement to us that didn’t name Trump.
“The American people expect our Justice system to treat everyone equally, and this decision raises serious questions about the political motivations behind the prosecution,” Gallagher said.
Other rank-and-file Republicans showed similar caution.
“You would hope that our legal system doesn’t stray into the political realm,” said Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.). “To me, this is very political as far as this particular charge goes, but we’ll see. Again, I want to read the indictment and see exactly what it says.”
— Max Cohen, Mica Soellner and Andrew Desiderio
PRESENTED BY TIKTOK
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THE CAMPAIGN
Public safety and crime are playing a major role in political races across the country. Check out these two new ads we noticed from Democratic candidates.
First, here’s a spot from John Weinstein, a Democrat who is running for county executive in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh.
And here’s one from Leirion Gaylor Baird, the incumbent mayor of Lincoln, Neb., in support of her bid for re-election.
– Jake Sherman
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Presented by Apollo Global Management
One size rarely fits all. That’s why Apollo provides custom capital solutions designed to help companies achieve their ambitious business goals. Think Credit New