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PRESENTED BY

BY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN

THE TOP

President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress will be April 28. We reported several weeks ago that the White House was looking at scheduling Biden’s speech to Congress around his 100th day in office. April 28 is Biden’s 99th day as president.

We have a bunch of new information for you: The crowd for this Biden speech is expected to be far smaller than it usually would be for a joint session. Multiple senior aides tell us that only several hundred people would be allowed in the House chamber, and there will be strict spacing requirements on the floor.

According to a Capitol official involved in the planning, “there will be limits on the number of members and senators allowed to attend,” and lawmakers will be seated both on the floor and galleries above. Like other presidential addresses, this Biden speech will be designated a “National Security Special Event.” This formally puts the U.S. Secret Service in charge of “developing, exercising, and implementing security operations” for the event.

Side note: This will be the day after the House Republican retreat ends in Orlando.

INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Biden faces deep splits over Afghanistan withdrawal

President Joe Biden will give a speech today formally announcing his decision to start pulling all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan next month, with the withdrawal complete by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack. This is an enormous decision for the president, and it will end the longest war in American history. It’s not tied to “conditions” on the ground, meaning Biden is bringing U.S. forces back home regardless of the situation inside Afghanistan.

The president will also visit Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery today. That section of Arlington is where Americans killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried. More than 2,200 Americans have been killed during this conflict, with another 20,000 wounded. Hundreds of NATO troops have also died, while the number of Afghan dead runs into the tens of thousands. 

Biden’s move is one of the most significant of his presidency thus far. The Trump administration signed an agreement with the Taliban in February 2020 calling for the removal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 14 months, creating a May 1 deadline. Biden signaled weeks ago he was unlikely to stick to that timetable, while also making clear that he wasn’t going to push too far past that date. By extending the deadline for roughly another four months, the Biden administration hopes to conduct an orderly exit by U.S. and NATO forces, as well as thousands of Western contractors. With roughly 3,500 troops still in Afghanistan, there haven’t been any American combat deaths since the 2020 agreement.

While Republicans mostly panned the decision — no surprise there — Biden’s looming announcement exposes deep fissures within the Democratic Party.

Progressives praised Biden. They credit him with doing what former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump failed to do — ending the war in Afghanistan.

Yet the more “traditional” wing of the Democratic party’s foreign policy and national security establishment criticized the decision, or signaled only tepid support. These Democrats admit Biden faced an enormously difficult situation, yet many felt he risks throwing away 20 years of suffering and sacrifice for nothing. And they fear Afghanistan will again become a base for terror operations aimed at the West, including American targets.

Democratic Party leaders largely remained silent on Tuesday, waiting for Biden’s official announcement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan began calling key lawmakers on Monday and Tuesday to personally inform them of Biden’s decision.

The withdrawal in Afghanistan comes against the backdrop of renewed U.S. efforts to engage Iran on a nuclear accord, another enormously divisive issue for Democrats. And there are debates inside the party over defense spending and the makeup of U.S. military forces as the country reorients toward a “great power competition” with China — a “near peer” economically and militarily — and an increasingly hostile Russia.

→ Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the chair of the Armed Services Committee, seemed resigned to the decision, but he was modestly skeptical of Biden’s choice. “There is no easy answer,” Reed said.

→ Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee and a relative Democratic hawk, threatened to end U.S. aid if Afghanistan fails to retain changes instituted under Western pressure, such as women’s rights. Menendez told us he wanted to hear the “administration’s rationale” for pulling out U.S. troops. 

→ Sens. Maggie Hassen and Jeanne Shaheen, a pair of Democrats from New Hampshire, were highly critical of the decision. Shaheen said in a statement she was “very disappointed,” while Hassan was more negative: “Withdrawal of U.S. troops must be based on the facts on the ground, not arbitrary deadlines. After all that our service members have sacrificed, we must ensure that Afghanistan does not once again become a safe haven for terrorists who seek to harm America.” 

→ Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), one of Biden’s top Hill allies and a Foreign Relations Committee member, said the president didn’t rush his assessment on Afghanistan, and in his view, made the right call. “[Biden] rejected the false premise that he had to withdraw everyone by May 1 or stay indefinitely. He worked his way through a decision that… it’s a very difficult one,” Coons said.

→ Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) praised Biden for “making the brave and right decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and bring an end to the longest war in our country’s history.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said, “President Biden recognizes the reality that our continued presence there does not make the U.S. or the world safer.”

→ Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a longtime critic of the Afghanistan war, said, “I give the president tremendous credit. He did what other presidents have only talked about.”

→ Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, backed Biden. “I think it’s the appropriate thing ultimately to do,” Meeks said. “It’s been 20 years.”

There are some interesting dynamics to point out here when it comes to the state of the foreign policy debate on Capitol Hill:

Biden did little to build consensus with rank-and-file lawmakers before this leaked out. Many Democrats and Republicans alike were caught flat-footed by this historic news, although they were aware that Biden faced a rapidly approaching May 1 deadline.

Should Biden strike a new Iran nuclear deal, he’ll have to work mightily to bring Congress along. Both Menendez and now Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) opposed the 2015 agreement Obama reached with the Iranians, and the Israelis pressured their allies in Congress to say no as well. It’s not at all clear that Biden could make it work a second time, especially with the Republicans sure to be vehemently opposed as well.

PELOSI INTERVIEW

USA Today chats with the speaker 

USA Today’s Susan Page and Ledyard King:

In a wide-ranging interview, Pelosi described a historic start for the new Congress and President Joe Biden, one "on par" in ambition and impact with the first 100 days of FDR and LBJ. She called Biden skilled in Washington politics and bolder in policy than many expected. "Transformative and visionary and experienced," she said. … 

“The one thing among our members that is consistent is – we must find the truth," she said. While she has pushed for creation of an independent panel, she said that goal could also be reached through investigations by the standing committees of Congress, some now underway, or by a select committee.

She compared the prospective select committee to the controversial one established by a Republican majority to investigate the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

“It’s always an option," she said. "It’s not my preference in any way. My preference would be to have a commission.” But that proposal has been stalled in partisan disputes over the scope and structure of the panel. 

NEW POWER SCOOP

House Financial Services Republicans gets a new staff director

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is appointing Matt Hoffman as the new GOP staff director on Financial Services. 

Hoffman is at the BGR Group, a lobbying firm, and was previously the policy director for the Senate Finance Committee, as well as serving as an adviser to former Speaker Paul Ryan. 

This is a big job for a bunch of reasons. Financial Services is a top committee with lots of power. McHenry — with Hoffman’s help — could be running it in the next Congress. Furthermore, McHenry is a former member of leadership who could easily seek to return there in the future, so his policy staff is critical.

FORTIFYING THE CAPITOL

DeLauro says Capitol security spending bill is coming soon

House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut said a supplemental spending bill meant to pay for security improvements to the Capitol would be released during this congressional work period, which lasts until April 22.

“That’s my hope,” she told us in an interview Tuesday night.

The bill is likely to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 billion to fortify the Capitol and add new officers to the Capitol Police force.

THE MONEY GAME

→ Senate watch: Rep. Steve Stivers, a Republican who is thinking about running for Senate in Ohio, raised $1.4 million and has $2.4 million in the bank. That’s a strong showing for a candidate who did not put in any of his own money. 

→ Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) raised $126,245 and has $2.8 million on hand.

→ Former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) gave $250,000 to the University of Georgia. He has $440,180 on hand.

→ Former Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) still has $645,824 on hand in his campaign account. He retired in 2014.

→ Former Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) $458,096 in her account.

MOMENTS

10 a.m.: VP Kamala Harris will hold a virtual roundtable with experts on the Northern Triangle. … House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (Wyo.) will speak after their closed party meeting.

10:15 a.m.: President Joe Biden will receive his daily intelligence briefing.

10:30 a.m.: House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) will speak after their closed party meeting.

11 a.m.: The Covid-19 team will brief reporters. 

Noon: Jen Psaki will brief reporters. … Speaker Nancy Pelosi will swear in Julia Letlow (R-La.) to the House.

2:15 p.m.: Biden will speak about his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan. 

3:05 p.m.: Biden will visit Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery.

From the White House, via Hans Nichols of Axios: “Tomorrow morning, the President will accompany the First Lady to an appointment for a common medical procedure at an outpatient center in Washington, DC.  Afterward, the President and the First Lady will return to the White House to resume their normal schedule.”

WHITE HOUSE VISITOR LOG

The Problem Solver Caucus — a bipartisan group of House lawmakers — is going to the White House today to meet with W.H. Chief of Staff Ron Klain and Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti. The PSC is chaired by New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer and Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Expect talk about infrastructure.

CLIP FILE

NYT

→  “With Afghan Decision, Biden Seeks to Focus U.S. on New Challenges,” by David E. Sanger

→  “Will Afghanistan Become a Terrorism Safe Haven Once Again?” by Julian Barnes and Eric Schmitt: “The Sept. 11 attacks led American troops into Afghanistan in 2001 for what became a two-decade war. Now President Biden’s decision to withdraw military forces has prompted a central question: Will the threat of terrorism against America re-emerge from Afghanistan? The answer is no, at least not right away. But over the longer term, the question is far more difficult to answer. The United States could find itself pulled back into Afghanistan much as it was in Iraq, some current and former officials warned.”

→ “Capitol Police Told to Hold Back on Riot Response on Jan. 6, Report Finds,” by Luke Broadwater

→  “Indicted Gaetz Associate Is Said to Be Cooperating With Justice Dept.” by Mike Schmidt and Katie Benner

WaPo

→  “Following withdrawal announcement, battle to determine Afghanistan war’s legacy begins,” by Greg Jaffe: “The easy, obvious and probably inevitable legacy of America’s two-decade-long war in Afghanistan is the recognition that there are limits to U.S. military power, especially when it comes to altering the culture and internal politics of other countries.

“This conclusion, shared by politicians as disparate as President Biden and former president Donald Trump, isn’t entirely wrong. But it also fails to recognize the missed opportunities, the blunders and even some of the successes of the longest war in American history, according to senior military officers who fought in the conflict and civilian officials who tried to rebuild Afghanistan.

“It is a view of the Afghanistan war that distorts more than it clarifies and potentially sets up the United States for failures the next time it is pulled into a guerrilla conflict, these officials said.”

WSJ

→  “IRS Chief Says $1 Trillion in Taxes May Go Uncollected Each Year,” by John McCormick

→  “U.S. Chamber Urges Lawmakers to Oppose Democratic-Backed Voting Bill,” by Alexa Corse

AP

→  “Iran president calls 60% enrichment an answer to ‘evilness’” by Jon Gambrell in Dubai

Politico

→  “New details shed light on Gaetz’s Bahamas trip,” by Marc Caputo and Matt Dixon

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