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PRESENTED BYBY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN THE TOPNews: White House Counselor Steve Ricchetti and Acting OMB Director Shalanda Young will brief House Democrats Tuesday on the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. This meeting will be in the CVC Auditorium Tuesday at 9 a.m. It’s the first in-person meeting for House Democrats in 15 months. The last time they had an in-person meeting was March 10, 2020, and they had a whip meeting March 11, 2020. We don’t have to tell you this, but this is a critical topic at a critical time. The Families and Jobs plans are the core of President Joe Biden’s agenda and a lot of members of Congress are wondering about the path forward. This duo — Ricchetti and Young — will be able to shed light on the White House’s strategy as we get into the middle of June. The House officially returns Monday evening, and it’s already clear that the chamber will be resuming it’s march down the path of grudge, resentment and hostility. And that’s just the Democrats! Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has been clashing with fellow House Democratic leaders over her continued criticism of Israel, a hugely sensitive topic within both the caucus and broader Democrat Party. She’s gotten backup from Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who said “House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color.” Reps. Ayannah Pressley (D-Mass.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have all come to Omar’s defense in the back-and-forth with the leadership. While Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and party leaders tried to defuse some of the tension in a statement Thursday, and Omar “clarified” her remarks that began this latest controversy, it’s clear this situation is nowhere close to being done. We’ve had some conversations with House Republicans that would lead us to believe that some GOP lawmaker will move to strip Omar of her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. This will be a test. Senior House Democratic aides privately wonder if they’ll be able to prevent some of their rank and file from voting with the GOP here. Or alternatively, some Democrats may not vote, which is equally as bad for Omar. This moment of disunity comes at a perilous time for Democrats. Pelosi has a four-seat majority, and she can hardly afford to lose a single Democrat on any bill. On deck potentially are police reform, the FY 2022 budget, spending bills, a large China-related package, a massive infrastructure bill, reconciliation and more. The Squad — which has expanded to seven members this Congress — has been generally supportive of the leadership and Biden this year. There was a moment last month when it looked like they were going to bring down a $1.9 billion Capitol security funding bill due to concerns about more money going to the U.S. Capitol Police. In the end, AOC, Tlaib, and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) voted present, while Omar, Pressley and Bush voted no. Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) votes yes. The bill ended up passing by a single vote, but the episode showed that the leadership is essentially powerless without them. The Squad, if it chooses to, could run the House. Ocasio-Cortez also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris this week for saying “Do not come” to potential migrants during a trip to Guatemala. AOC called the remarks “disappointing.” But the bloody Israel-Hamas conflict exposed the real faultline inside the House Democratic Caucus, one that remains open. Some Squad members and other progressives went to the House floor to criticize the overwhelming Israeli military response to thousands of Hamas rockets being launched from Gaza toward Israeli cities and population centers. Omar called Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that killed civilians “an act of terrorism.” Other Democrats, some of them Jewish or pro-Israel — once a virtual default positon inside the caucus — slammed their progressive colleagues’ remarks. “No one should defend Hamas. Ever,” Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) tweeted at one point. Republicans and the conservative media, of course, have tried to play up these internal Democratic divisions. And since the GOP Conference has its own huge problems — see Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (Fla.) on that — we expect House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to push hard on the Omar issue next week. PRESENTED BY FACEBOOK The internet has changed a lot since 1996 – internet regulations should too It’s been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations passed. See why we support updated regulations on key issues, including: – Protecting people’s privacy WHAT PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS READ LAST NIGHT What to think of this new bipartisan infrastructure framework First of all, you should subscribe to Punchbowl News Premium because we’re in the middle of a crazy legislative period and that’s our specialty. Anyway, Premium subscribers had this info last night — the details of the Trying Ten’s infrastructure framework. In short, a group led by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) came up with an infrastructure framework. Our view is it’s significant because no one else has come up with a framework. But at the same time, it’s not all too significant — and we’ll tell you why in a minute. First, here are the highlights of the deal: → It’s focused on traditional physical infrastructure. → No tax hikes. → $579 billion in new spending above the baseline. → The cost is $974 billion over five years. → It is $1.2 trillion when extrapolating out over eight years like the Biden admin prefers. How do they pay for it? Here’s where the very real problems lay. According to sources familiar with the proposal, this bipartisan plan is fully paid for and doesn’t cause any increase in the federal deficit. The money comes from: → “Unused” Covid relief funds. → An “infrastructure bank” or “revolving loan fund” where states borrow the money they need for projects. → Public-private partnerships. → Indexing the federal gas tax. There was no breakdown available on how much money comes from each area. The White House and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill aren’t interested in diverting unused Covid money to fund this package, so that’s a big problem. And the White House says that indexing the gas tax is a non-starter, as they believe it violates the president’s pledge not to raise taxes on people making less than $400,000. So two of the revenue streams are dead, according to Democrats. This all means there’s a long, long way to go from this proposal to legislation that can actually get through the Senate and the House. But hey — one group came up with a plan! So that’s something. LAUNCHING TUESDAY … The world won’t be the same after COVID-19 … and that’s a good thing. After more than a year of being in our homes, we have changed, as have the cities and towns in which we live and the places we work and play. Welcome to The Bounceback, presented by Google — an exclusive Punchbowl News look at five city mayors and governors and how they are helping their communities recover and prosper. Check out our first profile in Punchbowl News AM on Tuesday. BIDEN ABROAD The coverage: NYT: “America May Be ‘Back’ in Europe, but How Much Has Really Changed?” by Mark Landler in Falmouth, England Politico Europe: “Rain, rivalries and renewal as G7 meet in England: Enthusiasm and apprehension as Biden brings US back to global table,” by David Herszenhorn in Falmouth, England FT editorial: “G7 leaders need to lift their game: A failure to adequately address vaccine shortages and climate change would be disastrous” SNEAK PEEK NEWS: Details on Garland’s speech on voting rights Attorney General Merrick Garland will give a policy address on voting rights at 2 p.m. at Main Justice today, announcing “steps the department is taking to secure and expand the right to vote for all Americans, including in states seeking to curb voter access,” according to a DOJ official. The official added that Garland “will also speak to the upcoming redistricting cycle, the first since 1960 to proceed without the protections of the Voting Rights Act.” Following former President Donald Trump’s false claim that the November election was stolen, a number of GOP-run states have enacted tougher voting rights laws. While Democrats in Congress have been pushing a massive election reform bill to counter that — the For The People Act — Republicans in Congress are vehemently opposed and are blocking its passage. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is also opposed. The Biden administration, however, is preparing to use its authority under current law to make sure voters, especially in minority communities, can get to the polls next year. Redistricting is another issue where Republicans have an advantage this cycle. Several red states are picking up seats in this round of redistricting, and blue states are losing them. Since the 2013 Supreme Court decision striking down the “preclearance” requirements in nine Southern states with a history of racial discrimination, Democrats remain concerned about voting rights for minority groups. LEAK HUNT Trump admin. sought records from Apple on Dems in Congress The New York Times broke a huge story Thursday night on a leak hunt by the Trump administration that targeted at least two Democratic members of Congress who serve on the House Intelligence Committee — Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both of California. It’s clear that Democrats in Congress are going to investigate this incident, so we will be hearing much more about it in the coming days and weeks. Take it away Katie Benner, Nick Fandos, Mike Schmidt and Adam Goldman:
Schiff was mentioned in the story as having his records seized, while Swalwell said in a TV interview that he was targeted by DOJ as well. This is a huge troubling episode, especially since DOJ found no information tying leaks to the House Intelligence panel. And this latest revelation follows reports that the Trump Justice Department went after phone and computer records of reporters from the New York Times, Washington Post and CNN. In both cases, gag orders were placed on the companies that the DOJ sought records from, according to news reports. Schiff, in a statement, accused Trump of using the Justice Department “as a cudgel against his political opponents and members of the media. It is increasingly apparent that those demands did not fall on deaf ears. The politicization of the Department and the attacks on the rule of law are among the most dangerous assaults on our democracy carried out by the former President.” Schiff added: “Though we were informed by the Department in May that this investigation is closed, I believe more answers are needed, which is why I believe the Inspector General should investigate this and other cases that suggest the weaponization of law enforcement by a corrupt president.” In her own statement, Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the Trump administration’s efforts to investigate Schiff and Swalwell “harrowing.” “I support Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s call for an investigation into this situation and other acts of the weaponization of law enforcement by the former president,” Pelosi said. “Transparency is essential.” MOMENTS All times eastern standard time. 7:15 a.m.: President Joe Biden will receive his intelligence briefing. 8:55 a.m.: Biden will leave St. Ives for Carbis Bay, where he’ll arrive at 9 a.m. 9:20 a.m.: Biden will take a family photo with G7 leaders. 9:45 a.m.: Biden will attend the G7 summit. 10:30 a.m.: VP Kamala Harris will speak in D.C. about “the Administration’s historic investments in child care and families at a child care center.” 11:25 a.m.: Biden will leave Carbis Bay for St. Ives. 12:40 p.m.: The Bidens will leave St. Ives for Bodelva. 1:15 p.m.: The Bidens will “participate in a reception, family photo, and dinner with other G7 leaders and the Royal Family.” 4:10 p.m.: The Bidens will leave Bodelva for St. Ives, where they will arrive at 4:30 p.m. CLIP FILE NYT → “Texas Says It Will Build Border Wall With Mexico,” by Edgar Sandoval and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in McAllen, Texas → “6 Men Said to Be Tied to Three Percenters Movement Are Charged in Capitol Riot,” by Alan Feuer and Mathew Rosenberg → “An Oregon lawmaker is ejected from office for helping a crowd breach the State Capitol.” by Mike Baker WaPo → “Gore pressed Biden to stick with climate plans as liberals fear White House is softening its agenda,” by Jeff Stein, Juliet Eilperin and Tyler Pager WSJ → “Covid-19 Deaths This Year Have Already Eclipsed 2020’s Toll,” by Jon Kamp, Jason Douglas and Juan Forero → “Amazon Faces Possible $425 Million EU Privacy Fine,” by Sam Schechner Politico → “Jason Miller to head tech startup that could become Trump platform,” by Alex Isenstadt and Meridith McGraw PRESENTED BY FACEBOOK Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations 2021 is the 25th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the last major update to internet regulation. It’s time for an update to set clear rules for addressing today’s toughest challenges. See how we’re taking action on key issues and why we support updated internet regulations. PUNCHBOWL NEWS EVENTS Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined us for a virtual Punchbowl News pop up event yesterday focused on the economy, opportunity zones and private equity. The American Investment Council partnered with us to make the conversation possible. He had some newsy things to say about tax increases, conversations with the Biden administration and more. Enjoying Punchbowl News AM? Subscribe 10 friends with your unique link (below) and get a Punchbowl News hat! Your referral link is: Or share via You currently have: 0 referrals
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