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August 24, 2023
Presented by Apollo Global Management
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PRESENTED BY
THE TOP
Happy Thursday morning.
The second-tier Republican presidential candidates debated last night in Milwaukee. We’re not going to judge their performance or style. We’re not going to prognosticate whether they will be able to shrink former President Donald Trump’s massive lead.
But these debates are chock full of candidates making claims about what they would do legislatively if they were president. We’re here to judge those claims and make sense as to whether they’re grounded in reality.
Because presidential candidates campaign in fantasy and govern in reality — remember when Trump said he would have Mexico pay for the wall on the southern border? We thought we’d give the debaters a reality check.
Ukraine: Just two candidates on stage — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — said they would not approve additional funding for Ukraine. As of this moment, cutting off money to Ukraine doesn’t have requisite support in Congress. But as we’ve chronicled, GOP skepticism of Ukraine is building.
Ramaswamy argued that Ukraine is “not a priority” for the United States, while DeSantis caveated his answer by insisting that “I will have Europe pull their weight” in supporting Ukraine, though he didn’t get specific on how he’d do that. Ramaswamy was hammered repeatedly for his views on Russia and Ukraine by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Haley, who also served as U.N. ambassador, said Ramaswamy was “choosing a murderer” in Vladimir Putin, adding: “You have no foreign policy experience and it shows.”
Abortion: Former Vice President Mike Pence sought to distinguish himself from the rest of the pack on the abortion issue, saying he would back a federal ban on abortions past 15 weeks. He argued it’s a “moral issue.”
Pence said abortion should be banned after a baby can feel pain. These bills have been brought up in Congress and have never made it to a president’s desk.
Pence was responding to Haley, who injected some realism into the discussion on Wednesday night when she acknowledged that a federal restriction on abortion is a long shot, mostly because it would need 60 votes in the Senate. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also came out against a federal restriction on abortion, saying it violates states’ rights.
DeSantis also skirted a question on whether he would back a six-week federal abortion ban, saying he would leave it to the states. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said he would be in favor of a 15-week abortion ban “at a minimum.”
Shrink the federal workforce by 10%: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson — a former House Republican — referenced his proposal to reduce the size of the non-defense federal workforce by 10%. Not only is this unworkable, but Congress would never actually do this, and there’s very little that a president could do administratively to implement such a dramatic reduction of the federal bureaucracy.
Come on, Pence! The former House Republican Conference chair and vice president said he would close the Department of Education. Good luck getting that through any Congress — ever.
Hunter Biden: As we’ve covered extensively, House Republicans are squarely focused on investigations into President Joe Biden’s son. DeSantis clearly agrees, referencing Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals in his opening answer.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also referenced Hunter Biden, arguing that the now-collapsed plea deal between the president’s son and federal prosecutors is evidence of a politically-biased Justice Department.
Paging Christoper Wray: If Scott is elected president, he pledged to fire you! Not great for the FBI director’s job security. The line is indicative of the widespread angst Republicans have about the FBI and DOJ.
Scott also said he would fire Attorney General Merrick Garland. Most presidents change up the attorney general — and the rest of the Cabinet, for that matter — when elected. So we’re not quite sure where he’s going with that one.
This was just the first debate for a Republican field that’s losing to Trump by dozens of points. The next debate is Sept. 27 in California.
Non-debate news — senators in Ukraine: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) traveled to Ukraine this week and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Their visit comes at a critical time for Ukraine’s military, which is in the midst of a bloody counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Graham and Blumenthal have visited Ukraine multiple times together, and Warren is a new addition to the group. In a statement, Warren said her goal is to help pass the White House’s supplemental funding request for Ukraine, which totals around $24 billion.
— Jake Sherman, Andrew Desiderio, Max Cohen and Mica Soellner
New event in September! Punchbowl News founder and CEO Anna Palmer will interview Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. ET. The conversation will focus on modern agriculture, focusing on sustainable farming practices and innovation. Jessica Christiansen, head of sustainability & business stewardship at Bayer, and Kyle Bridgeforth, owner and operating partner at Bridgeforth Farms, will join Anna afterward for a fireside chat. RSVP here!
MAJORITY MAKERS
Gluesenkamp Perez’s guide to making inroads with conservatives
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) had a goal when she ran for Congress: keep weirdos out of office.
The Washington State Democrat, who stunned the Beltway last year after flipping a district won twice by former President Donald Trump, is showcasing her campaign playbook on how her party can make inroads with rural voters that have moved increasingly to the GOP.
One way she is doing that is spending her August recess talking to voters in conservative-leaning areas of her district and introducing herself on an individual level, rather than what others paint her out to be.
“I felt like Fox News had really taken the field to defining what it means to be a Democrat,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in an interview. “And [I thought] even if I’m not able to win this seat, at least it’s a chance to say we work in the trades, we live in rural communities and we’re your neighbors.”
So far, Gluesenkamp Perez has held three town halls in rural areas of her district, where she explained her votes on breaking with her party on various issues. Her opposition to student debt relief earned her applause at a Packwood town hall, according to a local outlet, The Chronicle.
She also met with local farmers to talk about their wants in the agriculture funding bill, visited small businesses and discussed how the federal government can help with police retention issues with local law enforcement.
Gluesenkamp Perez, of course, has become known as a Democrat to watch on the House floor due to her independent streak of voting against usual party line stances.
She voted in favor of a GOP-led bill that sought to prohibit the Biden administration from banning gas stoves, legislation to repeal the D.C. criminal code revision and the National Defense Authorization Act that was chalk full of culture war amendments pushed for by the House Freedom Caucus.
The lawmaker credits growing up in a family with differing perspectives as a way she’s been able to be open-minded to those who think differently than her. In high school, Gluesenkamp Perez was part of both Young Republicans and Young Democrats clubs.
“I really value being able to respect people who view issues differently than I do,” she said.
Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), who co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition with Gluesenkamp Perez, said her colleague is mindful about considering her independent voters.
“She’s a deep thinker on policy issues,” Peltola told us. “She’s really looking at the different things we are working on and where the rubber meets the road.”
But, Gluesenkamp Perez is not without her critics – on both sides of the aisle.
The House GOP campaign arm has already gone after the lawmaker, tying her to the most extreme of her party. A source familiar with the National Republican Congressional Committee’s plans said Gluesenkamp Perez’s district will be one of the most heavily invested in next year.
Progressive activists also targeted the lawmaker. Her local auto shop was flooded with a wave of negative online reviews over her position on student debt forgiveness.
While Republican sniping is expected, Gluesenkamp Perez said she won’t allow her leftwing critics to bother her either.
The Washington Democrat says she defends peoples’ right to express themselves, though suggested people do it in a way that reflects the values they preach.
“Attacking a small business fails to honor our larger Democratic values,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. “It’s not going to change the way I vote. I don’t lose sleep over it.”
— Mica Soellner
REMEMBRANCE
Former Pelosi aide dies at 79
Bernie Raimo, a longtime and trusted aide to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, died Tuesday at 79.
Niels Lesniewski of CQ/Roll Call reported that Raimo, who retired in 2019, died of a stroke.
Raimo was one of the many aides on Capitol Hill who operated behind the scenes, helping the institution run smoothly.
He worked for Pelosi for 15 years, serving as her counsel in the majority when the California Democrat was speaker and the minority when Pelosi was leader. Raimo also worked on the House Intelligence Committee and the predecessor to the House Ethics Committee.
Here’s Pelosi’s statement:
— Jake Sherman
PRESENTED BY EMERGENT
A leader in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
THE MONEY GAME
US Open meets Democratic fundraisers
If you’re a tennis fan, then you know the last week in August means the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. If you’re looking to support some House Democrats while you’re enjoying the action, then we have some events for you.
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is hosting an event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 30. The special guest is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and tickets go for $5,000.
Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) is also hosting an event on Aug. 30, combining the U.S. Open festivities with a Queens food tour. Attendance will set you back $2,500 a ticket.
— Max Cohen
DOWNTOWN DOWNLOAD
Moët Hennessy, a massive multi-national holding company, has registered to lobby. Kate Coler, a former deputy undersecretary at USDA and aide on the Senate Agriculture Committee, will lobby on “[f]ederal regulations and legislation relating to trade and market access, responsible consumption of wine and spirits, and environmental initiatives such as soil health.”
Former Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) and his former chief of staff Dave Natonski have signed up to lobby for Deloitte. They will be working on “[l]egislative activity related to accounting and tax professions including appropriations, tax policy, and the Federal government market.”
— Jake Sherman
PRESENTED BY EMERGENT
As a leader in the fight against the opioid epidemic, Emergent is committed to access and awareness of NARCAN® Nasal Spray – soon available OTC.
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Presented by Apollo Global Management
Learn how Apollo is rethinking retirement income to last the modern lifespan. Think It New.