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BY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN

THE TOP

News: House Republicans are expected to vote today on reversing their ban on earmarks for upcoming spending and infrastructure bills, according to multiple GOP lawmakers and aides.

If the GOP Conference overturns its ban — as the leadership expects they will — this would represent a major shift for Republicans, which banned the practice when they took the majority in 2011. It would also be the most significant shift in Capitol Hill governance in years. And it could put pressure on the Senate Republicans to follow suit, since both House Democrats and Republicans would be putting earmarks in bills.

Here’s how we see the massive shift:

→ Restoring earmarks would give Congress a bigger voice in directing the spending that it appropriates, and it would reassert the legislative branch’s power in Washington. Right now, lawmakers partake in a hazy process in which they try to influence how state and federal agencies spend they money they authorize. The GOP leadership’s argument as it tries to quietly build support for earmarks — referred to as “member-directed spending” — is just that: Let’s take control of how the money is spent instead of empowering the Biden administration.

→ Allowing earmarks would potentially help the leadership in both parties build support around spending bills. If members have projects and spending for their districts embedded in bills, they’re theoretically more likely to support them. 

→ Leadership would also gain in power, because they’d ultimately have the tacit authority to strip trouble-making lawmakers’ earmarks out of bills. Top appropriators would see their stock rise, as well. 

→ Earmarks would also give Republican appropriations lobbyists a new lease on life.

→ Of course, there’s a potential downside. The new earmark process has been designed so that no private companies can get money, only localities and quasi-governmental agencies. But anytime lawmakers have their hands in pots of money, there’s risk of abuse.  

There will be limits on earmarks. Members will have to declare publicly it’s their earmark and certify that they have no financial interest in the provision. As we noted, the money can’t go to a private company, just nonprofits or groups carrying out governmental functions. There will be a limit on how many earmarks a member can request. Just one percent of any spending bill can be set aside for earmarks.

“Major changes have been made,” said Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee. Granger said she is supporting the use of earmarks again, with the reforms now in place. “As long as we have those safeguards in there, I would,” Granger added.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other senior GOP lawmakers have been pretty quiet on the issue, although the Freedom Caucus and other conservatives oppose lifting the ban. The opposition is not nearly as noisy as it has been in past years.

How it will go down: One member of the House Republican Conference has to offer a motion to change GOP rules and get rid of the earmark ban. Five members would have to support the request. The important thing here is the vote has to be by secret ballot. If that’s the case, then earmarks will almost certainly be approved. There could be some internally maneuvering on this today, but it seems as if all parties want to get a vote out of the way. 

EASY AS ABC

Stephanopoulos gets Biden to make news

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos interviewed President Joe Biden Tuesday in Pennsylvania and the president made news on two fronts.

→ Biden said he would be in favor of reforming the filibuster.  “‘I don’t think that you have to eliminate the filibuster, you have to do it what it used to be when I first got to the Senate back in the old days,’ Biden said. ‘You had to stand up and command the floor, you had to keep talking.’ ‘So you’re for that reform? You’re for bringing back the talking filibuster?’ Stephanopulos asked. ‘I am. That’s what it was supposed to be,’ Biden said.”

But Biden’s suggestion is not quite an accurate description of how the Senate handled filibusters when he got there in 1973 and it wouldn’t be much of an improvement over the current system. In fact, it may be worse for reformers.

Depending on how a “talking filibuster” is structured, a group of senators could hold the floor for days or even weeks. Nothing could get done — no nominations or bills or treaties — since this faction would control the floor.

That’s why then Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.) changed the rule  in 1972 so that there could be “silent filibusters.” This allowed Senate business to continue while a filibuster was conducted on another track. It was considered a key reform at the time. Mansfield also changed the cloture threshold from 67 to 60 in 1975. 

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in 2012 proposed a “talking filibuster” requirement for “extended debate.” It would require at least 41 senators to vote to support the filibuster. Then at least one senator would be required to be speaking on the floor at all times in support of the filibuster. If there is no senator available to speak, a cloture vote would be held and a simple majority could cut off debate.

→ Biden also said he thought New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign if sexual assault allegations were proven true. Biden also said he thought Cuomo would “probably end up being prosecuted too.”

THE JMART REPORT

NYT says DiFi’s husband eyeing ambassadorship

Great scoop from Jonathan Martin of the NYT:

Richard Blum, a wealthy investor and the husband of Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, has indicated to President Biden’s advisers that he’s interested in being appointed to an ambassadorship, a move that would renew questions about Ms. Feinstein’s political future.

Mr. Blum, according to Democrats in California and Washington, is eyeing a European capital, a posting that could pave the way for the 87-year-old Ms. Feinstein to leave the Senate. In November, she agreed to relinquish her ranking position on the Judiciary Committee under pressure from Senator Chuck Schumer, now the majority leader, and other Democrats.

Should Mr. Blum, 85, be appointed and Ms. Feinstein join him overseas, it could solve an increasingly awkward problem for Democrats.

Senior party officials have been blunt in private about what they describe as the senator’s diminished acuity and are eager to replace her with a Black woman, of which there are none in the Senate after the departure of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Giving Blum an ambassadorial post could be a face-saving way to get the 87-year-old Feinstein out of the Senate — especially since she has indicated she has no interest in stepping down. Feinstein said on Tuesday that she had never spoken to California Gavin Newsom about his suggestion of replacing her with a Black woman and reiterated that she intends to serve out her term.

THE MARCH TO MAR-A-LAGO

Trump appearing at Max Miller dinner

Max Miller, a former White House aide to Donald Trump, is running in a primary against Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who supported impeaching the 45th president. Gonzalez is a well-liked former Ohio State football star who played in the NFL and later graduated from Stanford Business School. 

As you see above, Trump is going all in to boost Miller and defeat Gonzalez. 

MOMENTS

8 a.m.: President Joe Biden will attend mass in honor of St. Patrick’s Day in Wilmington, Del. 

9:40 a.m.: Biden will leave Wilmington for D.C. He’ll get his daily briefing en route to D.C..

10:35 a.m.: Biden will arrive at the White House.

11 a.m.: The Covid team will brief. 

1 p.m.: Biden will host Micheál Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland, for a virtual bilateral meeting.  

3 p.m.: Jen Psaki and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will brief.

CLIP FILE

NYT: “8 People Killed in Atlanta-Area Massage Parlor Shootings,” by Richard Fausset in Acworth, Ga. and Neil Vigdor in New York : “Eight people were shot to death at three massage parlors in the Atlanta area on Tuesday evening, the authorities said, raising fears that the crimes may have targeted people of Asian descent. Six of the people killed were Asian, and two were white, according to law enforcement officials. All but one were women.

“A suspect, identified as Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, Ga., was captured in Crisp County, about 150 miles south of Atlanta, after a manhunt, said the authorities, who had earlier released a surveillance image of a suspect near a Hyundai Tucson outside one of the massage parlors.”

“U.S. Punishes 24 Chinese Officials on Eve of First Talks Under Biden,” by  Steven Lee Myers, Austin Ramzy and Lara Jakes in Seoul: In diplomatic terms, the timing of the action was pointed and clearly intentional, continuing a testy start to relations between the Biden administration and China after a tumultuous four years under President Donald J. Trump.

“The State Department announced that it would impose financial sanctions on a raft of officials, including a member of the Communist Party’s 25-member Politburo, Wang Chen, over an issue that Beijing has repeatedly said was an internal political matter. Several officials named in the latest list had been barred earlier from traveling to the United States under sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in December.”

“How Cuomo’s Team Tried to Tarnish One of His Accusers,” by Maggie Haberman and Jesse McKinley: “Days after Lindsey Boylan became the first woman to accuse Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of sexual harassment in a series of Twitter posts in December, people tied to the governor started circulating an open letter that they hoped former staff members would sign.

“The letter was a full-on attack on Ms. Boylan’s credibility, suggesting that her accusation was premeditated and politically motivated. It disclosed personnel complaints filed against her and attempted to link her to supporters of former President Donald J. Trump. … 

“Multiple drafts were created, and Mr. Cuomo was involved in creating the letter, one of the people said. Current aides to the governor emailed at least one draft to a group of former advisers. From there, it circulated to current and former top aides to the governor.”

WaPo: “Republican attorneys general threaten key element of the $1.9 trillion stimulus,” by Tony Romm and Jeff Stein: “Twenty-one Republican state attorneys general on Tuesday threatened to take action against the Biden administration over its new $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus law, decrying it for imposing ‘unprecedented and unconstitutional’ limits on their states’ ability to lower taxes.

“The letter marks one of the first major political and legal salvos against the relief package since President Biden signed it last week — evincing the sustained Republican opposition that the White House faces as it implements the signature element of the president’s economic policy agenda.”

“Migrants are not overrunning U.S. border towns, despite the political rhetoric,” by Arelis R. Hernández in San Antonio

WSJ: “FTC Prepares to Take Tougher Stance on Pharmaceutical Mergers,” by Brent Kendall and Jared S. Hopkins

“U.S. Stock Futures Edge Down Ahead of Fed Decision": “U.S. stock futures ticked lower as investors awaited the latest policy decision from the Federal Reserve. Futures on the S&P 500 were down 0.1% and futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded flat. The contracts don’t necessarily predict market moves after the markets open.”

AP: “US: Putin approved operations to help Trump against Biden,” by Eric Tucker

Politico: “Senate Republicans plot their Covid aid payback,” by Burgess Everett and Caitlin Emma

“Warnock win unleashes flood of Black candidates,” by Maya King, Holly Otterbein and James Arkin

THE WASHINGTON GAME

With any new Congress comes a slew of new lobbying registrations. A ton of fresh business has been created by this president and the Democratic Senate.

Two interesting trend lines we have noticed this month. 

The Managed Funds Association — which represents hedge funds — has brought on two more lobbying firms, Empire Consulting Group and Porterfield, Fettig & Sears. Also, Robinhood, which was on the hot seat last month in a blockbuster House Financial Services hearing has added some new firepower with the Sternhell Group’s registering to “advocate on issues related to the regulation of broker-dealers, securities trading, and capital markets.” 

ICYMI: General Motors is going all-in on electric vehicles not only in Detroit, but in Washington as well. This month, the car company has hired: Resolution Public Affairs, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Fierce Government Relations, Missy Edwards Strategies and Elevate Government Affairs. 

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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images