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PRESENTED BY

BY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN
WITH MAX COHEN AND CHRISTIAN HALL

THE TOP

Happy Monday morning. Congress is out of session this week. 

The crisis in Ukraine continues to grow more serious by the day. NATO announced early Monday morning that it’s “putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments in eastern Europe” as the Russian military buildup continues on the Ukrainian border. The State Department Sunday ordered home some employees, as well as family members of U.S. embassy staff in Kyiv. The Biden administration also re-issued a warning that it can’t protect Americans inside Ukraine in the event of a Russian attack. Other Western governments took similar steps.

This from the NYT’s Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt is a Cold War replay:

“President Biden is considering deploying several thousand U.S. troops, as well as warships and aircraft, to NATO allies in the Baltics and Eastern Europe, an expansion of American military involvement amid mounting fears of a Russian incursion into Ukraine, according to administration officials.”

The AP reported that Russia is conducting war games off the coast of Ireland. The Irish foreign minister said the maneuvers aren’t welcome. 

The coverage: WaPo; Bloomberg; CNN

House Democrats will introduce USICA bill this week 

News: A big USICA push. House Democrats will unveil their new version of USICA (U.S. Innovation and Competition Act) this week, according to multiple sources. The bill could hit the House floor as soon as next week. Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently listed a “competitiveness” bill as one of her top priorities, and House leadership and committees staffers have been scrambling to put the package together.

Remember: The Senate passed USICA with a big bipartisan vote in June after several weeks of amendment votes. It was a key issue for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, with Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) leading for the Republican side. The legislation is aimed at jumpstarting high-tech research and manufacturing – especially semiconductor chips and AI – in the United States to counter China’s growing prowess in these areas. The House passed a bipartisan bill several weeks later to ramp up spending for the National Science Foundation and Energy Department scientific research. The two chambers have failed to resolve their disagreements until now.

But with the Build Back Better Act stalled, the White House is pushing hard for Congress to pass a compromise USICA bill. The effort is being led by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. 

The White House is in desperate need of a win right now, especially if it has the prospect of providing some relief for supply chain problems. This could be a hard-fought battle, but getting it through Congress is a possibility. Will Republicans do a deal that helps Biden and Democrats in an election year? 

→ Anna will speak to Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. about global competitiveness, the future of USICA and much more. RSVP here for the virtual event.

PUNCHBOWL NEWS EVENTS!

A new week brings two new events happening in February. We’re excited to welcome Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sec. Gina Raimondo to the Punchbowl News stage for two timely conversations next month. 

First, we’ll interview Khanna on cybersecurity and the importance of privacy and security across all forms of Technology on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. EST. RSVP here!

Then, we’re hosting our first in-person event of 2022 on Wednesday, Feb. 16 with Raimondo on the future of American innovation. Join us in-person at The Roost or virtually at 9:00 a.m. EST. RSVP here!

Don’t forget to register for Punchbowl News’ events hub here to get notified about all upcoming events. We hope to see you there!

NATIONAL TREND

Welcome to the ‘Age of Censure’

The Arizona Democratic Party’s vote to censure Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) on Saturday over her refusal to support getting rid of the filibuster is a big deal. Sinema is up for reelection in 2024, and progressives in Arizona and nationally are calling for a primary challenger to the first-time senator. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) – who has been openly berating Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) after they voted with Republicans to keep the filibuster – said he’d  “be happy to support” a challenger to either of his colleagues if their opponents aligned with his views.

But Sinema is hardly alone. It’s become commonplace in the 117th Congress for lawmakers to be formally rebuked by their state, local or county parties.

The vast majority of the censured lawmakers are Republicans, of course. These Republicans voted for the impeachment or conviction of former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection by Trump supporters. And then there’s Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who was censured by the House after posting an animated video showing him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and threatening President Joe Biden.  

In the Senate alone, Sinema joins Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) in the “censured by their state party” column after they voted to convict Trump last year following his Senate trial. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) avoided that title, although they were criticized back home.

It’s kind of mind-blowing to consider that 5 percent of the current Senate has been censured by the same state organizations that helped elect them in the first place.

Over on the House side, GOP Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Tom Rice (S.C.) were censured by their state parties (and some county party organizations) following their votes for Trump’s impeachment. Cheney, of course, was later forced out of the House GOP leadership when she kept bashing Trump.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) was censured by several county parties but not the Illinois GOP.

In Michigan, the state Republican Party didn’t censure Reps. Fred Upton and Peter Meijer, but several county GOP parties did. Upton has actually been censured more than once by the Cass County GOP.

GOP Reps. Dan Newhouse and Jaime Herrera Beutler were “condemned” by the Washington State Party for their impeachment vote. A county party censured Herrera Beutler, while some Republican county officials called on Newhouse to resign.

Reps. John Katko (R-N.Y.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) haven’t been censured back home.

No one can top the Ohio GOP, however. The state party censured Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) and the nine other House Republicans who backed impeachment for Trump. Gonzalez was the only lawmaker from Ohio.

WELCOME TO MIAMI

NRCC boots conspiracy theorist from annual donor retreat

The NRCC held its annual donor retreat this weekend at the seaside Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne, Fla. During a Saturday morning political briefing by top NRCC staffers, conspiracy theorist and former GOP congressional candidate Laura Loomer raised her hand and asked why the party doesn’t focus its energy on trying to defeat Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and other Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.

Almost immediately, NRCC Chair Tom Emmer of Minnesota moved to shut down the conversation and said the party committee doesn’t play in primaries. Loomer, a self-described “proud Islamophobe” who was trounced in a 2020 election for a House seat in South Florida, appeared to have someone filming the interaction, sources told us.

Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), both of whom serve on the Jan. 6 select committee, remain members of the House GOP Conference even as Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy faces growing calls for their outster. Cheney is running for reelection while Kinzinger is retiring.

The NRCC wasn’t aware that Loomer was going to be at Saturday’s event. Loomer showed up with a donor who has given $15,000 to the committee this cycle. Loomer told the Daily Beast that she was with one of the party’s biggest donors, which is not true; a $15,000 donor is relatively small for the NRCC these days.

The NRCC later booted Loomer from the retreat. 

Collecting chits: Leadership hits the road for cash

One of the ways we are going to cover the election – and chart power in D.C. – is by keeping tabs on where the leadership is traveling to raise money when they’re not in D.C. Raising money for super PACs, the party committees and individual lawmakers is the lifeblood of leadership politics. It’s simple; Lawmakers exist to win re-election and serve in the majority. Winning re-election takes money. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi will speak at a virtual event this week with Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly for the Democratic Party of Illinois. She will also host a DCCC California “Speaker’s Cabinet” virtual political update with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.).

The GOP leadership is in Miami today for the Elected Leadership Committee’s annual planning retreat. 

This week: McCarthy will head to Texas to fundraise. He has stops in Houston and Dallas. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and NRCC Chair Tom Emmer will be in Florida. 

Are you a member of Congress or do you work for a member of Congress who is doing interesting things on the fundraising front? Let us know. Send us an email. You can reply here or email Jake directly. 

Speaking of leadership, House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries has this story to deal with in his hometown New York Post: 

→ “Rep. Hakeem Jeffries pays just $200 in property taxes thanks to sweetheart subsidy law,” by Carl Campanile and Jon Levine

→ Now this is interesting. Meidas Touch describes itself as “pro-democracy, next-generation super PAC founded by three siblings (and lifelong Democrats) with the primary goals of protecting American democracy, defeating Trumpism and holding Republicans accountable.” They have a positive "Let’s Go Brandon" ad attempting to boost President Joe Biden. Thanks to our friends at AdImpact for this one.

DOWNTOWN DOWNLOAD

→ World Central Kitchen, Jose Andres’ non-profit, has signed up Monument Advocacy to lobby on “food and agriculture policy.” This is the first time World Central Kitchen has had a registered lobbyist.

FRONTS

MOMENTS

10:05 a.m.: Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will leave Los Angeles for Milwaukee.

10:30 a.m.: President Joe Biden will arrive at the White House from Camp David.

11:30 a.m.: Biden will get his intelligence briefing.

1:30 p.m.: Jen Psaki will brief.

2:20 p.m.: Harris will get a tour of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program building.

3 p.m: Harris will speak about the new infrastructure law. EPA Administrator Michael Regan will also be there.

5 p.m.: Biden will meet with members of his administration on his “efforts to lower prices for working families.”

5:15 p.m.: Harris and Emhoff will leave Milwaukee for D.C.

CLIP FILE

NYT

→ “Biden’s Pandemic Fight: Inside the Setbacks of the First Year,” by By Michael Shear, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Sharon LaFraniere and Noah Weiland

→ “Top Jan. 6 Investigator Fired From Post at the University of Virginia,” by Mike Schmidt

→ “As U.S. Strikes Syria Prison Held by ISIS, Young Detainees Are Caught in Crossfire,” by Jane Arraf in Baghdad

WaPo

→ “How Trump’s flirtation with an anti-insurrection law inspired Jan. 6 insurrection,” by Devlin Barrett and Spencer S. Hsu

WSJ 

→ “U.S. Food Supply Is Under Pressure, From Plants to Store Shelves,” by Jesse Newman and Jaewon Kang

AP

→ “Democrats make surprising inroads in redistricting fight,” by Nicholas Riccardi and Bobby Caina Calvan

Politico

→ “Trump followers zero in on secretary of state campaigns,” by Zach Montellaro

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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images