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PRESENTED BY

BY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN

THE TOP

We are 600 days from the midterm elections — it was a good hook, relax, we don’t have a countdown clock. 

But try to answer this: What do Republicans stand for as a party? 

We ask because as the 117th Congress unfolds, and lawmakers continue to process what happened on Election Day and Jan. 6, we’re trying to get a sense of what the political landscape is like in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s presidency. Democrats, of course, will follow President Joe Biden’s lead — a surprisingly progressive approach to governing that’s designed to be a blend between compassion and competence. We’ll see if he and they can pull it off.

The Republican Party, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have any unifying theme or issue. Trump is gone from Washington for the moment, but very much in the mix of the national political scene. And despite his popularity with the base, the GOP Establishment is done with the former president. Trump was more of a negative power than a positive one in most instances anyway, and whatever agenda he had was about himself, not the Republican Party as a whole.

So where does that leave the party? We’ll try to get at that here:

→ Republican used to be for fiscal discipline and balanced budgets, but they no longer are. Their 2017 tax cuts blew up the deficit, and they had no problem running up the red ink under Trump. They can’t make a case for fiscal discipline anymore. 

→ Defense policy: They were once strongly pro-NATO, and believed America should be a muscular and interventionist presence on the foreign stage. But those ties frayed, and those beliefs faded under Trump. Republicans used to warn against cozying up to dictators. See Trump again.

→ Trade policy: Trump blew up decades of Republican orthodoxy on the benefits of free trade. Now some Republicans are for tariffs, others are not.

→ Health policy: Where do we start here? GOP leaders have claimed they would put forward and pass an Obamacare replacement plan for the last 11 years. We’re still waiting.

→ Science: Republicans were once strong supporters of premier federal institutions like the CDC and NIH. Now, a big chunk of their party sees top scientists as quacks, and polls show that something approaching 40% of self-identified Republicans are hesitant about taking the Covid-19 vaccine.

→ Separation of powers: Republicans said Trump was justified in unilaterally diverting funds approved by Congress for different programs for the border wall. Now Biden has canceled border-wall construction, and Republicans are complaining that he is violating the law. 

→ Picking winners and losers: There was a period of time not too long ago where Republicans criticized Democrats for what they saw as overzealous intervention into the private sector — picking winners and losers, they said. This would be a tough argument to make now, as the GOP had no problem when Trump called CEOs and voiced opinion about private and public companies.

→ There’s a massive gulf between state and local GOP officials and Washington, D.C., policy makers. Mayors and governors gladly took the recent stimulus funds included in the American Rescue Plan. D.C. Republicans voted against it. 

→ Immigration: This may be the most dramatic change of all. Former GOP Presidents including Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush spoke frequently about how valuable immigrants were for refreshing and renewing American society. Trump blew all that up. He got to the White House by demonizing Mexicans and Muslims, and he made sure the rest of the party toed that line. Now where is the GOP on major immigration issues? Are they for welcoming foreign students who study in America as permanent citizens (a huge plus for the country)? Are they for a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers or undocumented immigrants? What about reforming asylum laws? Refugees? Work visas? There is a wider ideological gulf internally between Republicans on this issue than between the two parties.

→ The GOP still revolves around one figure: Trump. There are many who want that to end, but they’re too afraid to say it because they fear the backlash from the base.

They don’t have to figure this all out now. For now, Republicans are in the minority. They’re an opposition party, and it’s easy to be against Biden. But at some point, they’re going to have to resolve these ideological and policy disputes if the GOP is to survive as an effective partner in the two-party system. And it won’t be easy.

Of course, the GOP is the favorite to win the House in 2022. And they may be able to capture the majority without having any ideological north star — history would indicate that’s the case. 

→ One final point: On Wednesday, 12 House Republicans voted against a resolution awarding gold medals to the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department for their heroism during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack because they didn’t like the word “insurrectionists” used to describe the Trump supporters involved in the incident. And one, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, complained about describing the Capitol as the “temple of democracy” as a “little too sacrilegious for me.” That pretty much sums it up.

NEWS

Alabama GOP Rep. Mo Brooks is running for the Senate

GOP Rep. Mo Brooks is running for Senate, and former Trump adviser Stephen Miller will be there for the launch.

Brooks posted a notice on Wednesday night announcing a “Campaign Rally and Announcement” for March 22 in Huntsville. The event will be held at “Bullet and Barrel,” an indoor shooting range.

The flyer doesn’t say specifically that Brooks is running for Senate, but GOP sources assure us that the 66-year-old lawmaker is getting into the race. GOP Sen. Richard Shelby announced in February that he’s retiring, which leaves an open seat in deep red Alabama. Whoever wins the Republican primary will be a huge favorite to win the 2022 election.

Katie Boyd Britt, Shelby’s former chief of staff, and Secretary of State John Merrill are considered two possible candidates, as are several other members of the Alabama congressional delegation. Brooks, however, looks to be moving quickly on his own candidacy. 

With Miller in attendance and the event being held at a gun range, immigration and guns are likely to be two key campaign themes for Brooks — familiar topics for the sixth-term lawmaker. Brooks’ House web page rails against “Socialist Democrats” and “illegal aliens,” which he believes are the source of much of America’s ills. Brooks is staunchly pro-life and is a big booster for defense spending. He serves on the Armed Services and Science, Space and Technology committees.

Brooks will clearly make a play for Trump-voter support in the Alabama GOP primary. He repeatedly and falsely claimed that the November election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Brooks also came under heavy criticism for giving a speech at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse before the attack on the Capitol. “Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass!” Brooks said in his address.

Brooks, though, has adamantly denied what he calls “vicious and scurrilous fake news media and Socialist Democrat attacks” that he played a role in or helped instigate the deadly insurrection. Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) filed a censure resolution against Brooks for his speech, but that effort appears to have stalled.

New: Joe Trippi is starting a super PAC aimed at defeating Republicans who voted against certifying the election of Joe Biden as president. The effort is called Operation 147. Of course, many of these Republicans are from conservative districts where that vote is applauded, and the voters aren’t going to be looking to Trippi or his group for a cue on who to vote for.

CALIFORNIA BRAWL

McCarthy trying to force Swalwell off Intelligence Committee

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is set to introduce a resolution today calling for Democrats to remove Rep. Eric Swalwell from the Intelligence Committee over his ties to an alleged Chinese agent.

Democrats say they have no intention of booting Swalwell, and the issue has led to ugly accusations back and forth between the two California pols. 

Swalwell told us he didn’t want to talk about the issue, except for noting that McCarthy “is a 14 carat liar.” Swalwell has also tweeted about McCarthy “There is no dumber man in America than this loser.”

As for McCarthy, he insists the issue “is not about Eric Swalwell. But if an individual could not get a clearance in the private sector, they shouldn’t be on Intel. I don’t think it’s that difficult.”

Axios reported in December that Swalwell was among a group of Bay Area Democrats targeted by a Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christina Fang. Fang was allegedly an operative for China’s Ministry of State Security, its version of the CIA.

In 2014, Fang helped bundle checks for Swalwell’s campaign, and she later placed an intern in his office.

In 2015, the FBI alerted Swalwell of its concerns about Fang, who it had been monitoring. Swalwell cut off contact with her, and he’s not suspected of any improper actions. The Intelligence Committee was made aware of the incident at the time, and Swalwell has served on the panel with no issues.

McCarthy said he’d not been aware of the incident until the Axios story ran — something Democrats say is not true. He and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have had a classified briefing on the matter.

“I don’t think that person [Swalwell] should be on Intel,” McCarthy added. “Based upon the information I was given and the speaker was given by the FBI, there is no way he should be on that committee at all.”

MOMENTS

9:30 a.m.: President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris will receive the daily intelligence briefing.

10:30 a.m.: Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer will speak about immigration legislation. Other Democrats will be in attendance. … Harris will hold a ceremonial swearing in for Deb Haaland as Interior secretary.

11:15 a.m.: Harris will meet with female labor leaders in her ceremonial office.

11:30 a.m.: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will hold a press briefing.

12:30 p.m.: Jen Psaki and HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge will brief.

1:15 p.m.: Biden and Harris will receive a Covid-19 briefing.

2:15 p.m.: Biden and Harris will receive an economic briefing

3:15 p.m.: Biden will give a statement about vaccinations.

6:15 p.m.: Harris will hold a ceremonial swearing in for Katherine Tai as USTR. 

The Senate will confirm Xavier Becerra as HHS secretary today. Will California Gov. Gavin Newsom name Rep. Adam Schiff as attorney general?

AMERICA TODAY

Also: Thursday listen: Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) spoke with former President Bill Clinton for his podcast in an episode focused on the tragic rise in Asian hate crimes.

CLIP FILE

NYT: “White House to Spend Billions to Increase Virus Testing and Ease Reopening,” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg: “ The Biden administration, moving to address a lag in coronavirus testing that is hindering the reopening of schools and the economy, said Wednesday that it would invest $10 billion to ramp up screening of students and educators with the goal of returning to in-person learning by the end of the school year.

“Congress approved the $10 billion expenditure when it passed President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which he signed into law last week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will distribute the money to states in early April and will spend an additional $2.25 billion to expand testing in underserved communities beyond the schools, officials said.

“How far those moves will go toward reopening schools and reviving the economy is unclear. Experts say the United States does not have nearly enough rapid tests to conduct the kind of routine screening the administration envisions to allow students and teachers to safely return to the classroom.”

“Suspect in Atlanta Spa Attacks Is Charged With 8 Counts of Murder,” by Richard Fausset, Campbell Robertson, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Sean Keenan in Acworth, Ga.: “A gunman’s rampage that killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, in the Atlanta area this week has set off a new wave of fear and outrage among Asian-Americans, coming in a year of anti-Asian violence across the country.”

“House Renews Landmark Domestic Violence Bill, but Obstacles Wait in Senate,” by Nick Fandos

“Proud Boys Leaders in Four States Are Charged in Capitol Riot,” by Adam Goldman and Alan Feuer

WaPo: “Postal Service finds no evidence of mail ballot fraud in Pa. case cited by top Republicans,” by Jacob Bogage and Shawn Boburg: “U.S. Postal Service investigators found no evidence to support a Pennsylvania postal worker’s claim that his supervisors had tampered with mail-in ballots, according to an inspector general’s report — allegations cited by top Republicans to press baseless claims of fraud in the presidential election.”

“House members could get a coronavirus vaccine. But a quarter of them have not,” by Marianna Sotomayor and Paul Kane 

“Irish humor, Irish temper: How Biden’s identity shapes his political image,” by Matt Viser

AP: “Asian Americans grieve, organize in wake of Atlanta attacks,” by Terry Tang

Politico: “The Capitol’s new Covid divide: Getting back to normal,” by Sarah Ferris and Melanie Zanona

LAT: “As Newsom recall hits milestone, Democrats scramble for united front to keep governor in office,” by Faith Pinho

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