DRIVING THE DAY
HOW FITTING that the final moments of this weeklong effort to try to squeeze a $2 trillion coronavirus bill through Congress are a complete mess.
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS were concerned that a lawmaker or two may try to scuttle a voice vote on the legislation and force a full roll-call tally. The GOP is focused on Rep. THOMAS MASSIE (R-Ky.), a libertarian with little concern about his standing with the leadership. He didn’t respond to calls and emails, and neither did his office. Democrats are also concerned they may have a rogue lawmaker or two in their ranks. So rank-and-file Democratic and Republican lawmakers were trying to find a way to get back to D.C. for today after Speaker NANCY PELOSI and other leaders signaled they should return if they could. Two hundred and sixteen is the quorum as of now, but it could drop to 215 if MARK MEADOWS resigns at the beginning of the session. Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris on the mess
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-- THE PLAN, via the Steny Hoyer team: “Here’s how we expect [Friday] to go: the House will convene at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. We will propound a unanimous consent agreement to call up the bill and set up debate. We will go straight into debate, and there will be up to two hours of debate, which will be managed by Mr. Hoyer on the Democratic side. We expect to use most, if not all, of that debate time. We will see if the bill can pass by voice vote or if a Republican forces a recorded vote. Stay tuned for additional guidance.”
-- BTW: EVERYONE wants this bill passed today. If they don’t get a quorum and need members back for a vote Saturday, a few people have suggested sending military jets to pick up clusters of lawmakers.
… BUT WE’RE ALMOST THERE. This bill is going to pass, whether it’s today or Saturday. The new rules for people going to the Capitol today
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: For an accord of this magnitude to come together in such a spectacularly short window requires an almost acrobatic performance by five key people and institutions: Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL, PELOSI, Senate Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY and the White House.
THEY DON’T WORK TOGETHER SEAMLESSLY -- and certainly didn’t here. But we did learn a good deal about them, their station in today’s power dynamics and the many layers they have to contend with while performing their daily duties. That last point is important: It’s easy to try to oversimplify a performance as good or bad -- and we’re guilty of that probably more than anyone. BUT EACH OF THESE PEOPLE is juggling a multitude of political considerations that complicate or enhance their efforts.
MCCONNELL: The Senate majority leader made a bet early on in this process: He wasn’t going to hold talks with the leadership, but instead would try to build coalitions inside the rank and file to get the bill through. But after a weekend of those talks -- and they were fruitful -- PELOSI reappeared, and she and SCHUMER had opinions about the bill and what they wanted changed. So when MCCONNELL says that PELOSI returned from San Francisco with her own set of ideas, he was right -- and few were actually surprised.
MCCONNELL had to contend with the fact that STEVEN MNUCHIN, the administration's top negotiator, was forced to deal with CHUCK SCHUMER to craft a deal that could get 60 votes. But MCCONNELL was always in the loop -- he never had to quell a revolt in his ranks, and the bill largely mirrored what he envisioned at the front end. Worth noting: MCCONNELL is in cycle and the Senate is up for grabs.
SCHUMER: This was, no doubt, a huge stage for SCHUMER. He was the key to 60 Senate votes, and made sure everyone knew it. It helped to have an ideologically flexible president in the White House who desperately needed a deal.
SCHUMER drives Republicans nuts. He uses the media to his advantage, and he doesn’t play by their rules. He defeated two procedural votes that MCCONNELL put up. He dragged out negotiations on what the GOP considered to be minor points, and then later bragged about all the concessions he got. But he found a groove with President DONALD TRUMP and MNUCHIN, and that could last. SCHUMER is up for reelection in 2022, and everything he does in the Capitol is under a microscope from the left. Tick tock from NYT’s Carl Hulse and Emily Cochrane, which focuses on Schumer
PELOSI: The speaker cut the deal on Phase Two, so she was always going to be less involved when the action shifted to the Senate. But SCHUMER stood strong in her stead, and she was able to sell Phase Three as a victory to the House rank and file. TRUMP’S willingness to spend copious amounts of money in the middle of an election year is helpful, too. Just one problem: The president apparently can’t stomach giving her a call. PELOSI said Thursday that she anticipates taking the lead on the next round of stimulus, so he may want to find her number.
MCCARTHY: The House minority is always a bit of a backwater, so MCCARTHY is at the table, but has a quieter voice than the other leaders. But, as always, he’s a key conduit to the president, and with his new pal MARK MEADOWS as chief of staff, he not only has TRUMP’S ear but also his top aide’s, as well. One thing to keep an eye on: McCarthy seems skeptical of another round of big spending. And in Republicans’ minds, the House is up for grabs, and that’s something that McCarthy is always intently focused on.
THE WHITE HOUSE: There were two Trump officials who made this deal happen: MNUCHIN and ERIC UELAND. Let’s start with MNUCHIN. The Treasury secretary gets mocked relentlessly by Republicans and Democrats alike on Capitol Hill. They say he acts like an investment banker -- he labeled his initial offer to the Hill with the header “key terms.” But he works like a banker too. He’s meticulous, thorough and sharp. Many -- including us -- have doubted him. But he has proven himself as the administration’s main conduit to the Hill, albeit not without UELAND. The White House’s legislative liaison was there the whole time -- could you imagine MNUCHIN in a room with SCHUMER without supervision?
NEW … BEN WILLIAMSON, a longtime aide to MARK MEADOWS, will start at the White House Monday as senior adviser to MEADOWS and deputy assistant to the president.
STRIKING NYT FRONT: They used their lead column to graphically depict the 3.3 million jobless claims announced on Thursday, the most in U.S. history. NYT A1
Good Friday morning. WHAT A MONTH this week has been.
WHAT’S ON THE PRESIDENT’S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 1:12 a.m.: “Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet. China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!”
-- ABOUT THAT CALL: “U.S., China Trade Blame for Coronavirus, Hampering Global Economy Rescue,” by WSJ’s Bob Davis and Lingling Wei: “Chinese President Xi Jinping has been on a telephone spree this month, dialing the leaders of coronavirus-battered France, Italy, Spain and Germany with offers of support, including masks and other medical equipment. One phone number he hasn’t tried is Donald Trump’s.
“The two leaders finally spoke by phone on Friday Beijing time, in a call Mr. Trump initiated after earlier in the week indicating plans to speak with Mr. Xi, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. The previous time the leaders of the world’s two largest economies had talked was in early February when the virus was ravaging China but not the U.S. The two talked about whether China would still buy as many farm goods as it promised in a trade deal.” WSJ
CHINESE STATE MEDIA … GLOBAL TIMES EDITOR HU XIJIN (@HuXijin_GT): “Don't you feel embarrassed talking about testing? The US just tested 300,000 people by March 24, while China has tested millions, at least 10 times that of the US or more. Your bragging needs treatment.”
AP: “U.S. cases now most in world, U.S. capital sees more infections,” by Yanan Wang in Toronto: “The United States’ caseload of coronavirus infections surged to the most in the world and its capital reported more infections, as Italy shut most of its industry and masses of Indian day laborers received food rations after a lockdown put them out of work.
“Increases in the number of cases have been expected as testing becomes more available. The U.S. passed China with more than 85,000 cases, and Italy also exceeded 80,000, the three countries together accounting for almost half of the world’s infections from the new virus. …
“Washington, D.C., confirmed 36 new cases Thursday, raising its total to 267. The district is under a state of emergency, its major attractions like the Smithsonian museums and National Zoo closed and White House and Capitol tours cancelled. Police have blocked off streets, bridges and traffic circles to prevent crowds coming to see Washington’s blooming cherry blossom trees.” AP
THEY JUST OK’D A $2 TRILLION BILL … NYT’S DAVID SANGER, MAGGIE HABERMAN and ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS: “After Considering $1 Billion Price Tag for Ventilators, White House Has Second Thoughts”: “The White House had been preparing to reveal on Wednesday a joint venture between General Motors and Ventec Life Systems that would allow for the production of as many as 80,000 desperately needed ventilators to respond to an escalating pandemic when word suddenly came down that the announcement was off.
“The decision to cancel the announcement, government officials say, came after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it needed more time to assess whether the estimated cost was prohibitive. That price tag was more than $1 billion, with several hundred million dollars to be paid upfront to General Motors to retool a car parts plant in Kokomo, Ind., where the ventilators would be made with Ventec’s technology.”
-- LAST NIGHT on “HANNITY,” the president said this: “I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?”
WSJ: “Global Stocks Rise After U.S. Rally,” by Chong Koh Ping: “Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region mostly traded higher Friday, following a rally in U.S. markets as the government moved closer to approving the largest economic-relief package in history.
“Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 3.9% higher, taking its weekly gains to more than 15%, its first weekly rise since early February. South Korea’s Kospi Composite also broke a streak of down weeks, adding 9.7% over the last five days. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and the Shanghai Composite Index rose about 1% on Friday, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 5%.”
BEN WHITE: “The mammoth $2 trillion rescue package on the brink of heading to President Donald Trump’s desk would plug some of the massive holes coronavirus is ripping through the American economy.
“But the massive effort — the largest single injection of federal cash into the economy in U.S. history — will do nothing to flip the switch back on for an economy enduring the swiftest paralyzation any major developed nation has ever seen.
“The third phase of the government’s coronavirus response amounts to 10 percent of America’s total economic output for an entire year. But many economists believe it will need to be followed by a fourth phase and possibly more after that. That’s because damage is mounting across the U.S. and around the globe — even beyond the workers laid off and businesses shut down — with longer-lasting consequences that policy makers likely can’t even see yet.” POLITICO
THE QUESTION EVERYONE IS ASKING -- “Not all or nothing: Anti-virus lockdowns could lift slowly,” by AP’s Christina Larson and Ricard Alonso-Zaldivar: “Scientists are reluctant to predict exactly when restrictions could be safely loosened, but based on what they’ve observed in China -- the first country struck by the new virus -- some relief could come approximately six to eight weeks after lockdowns are implemented. That is based on the assumption that cases could peak two or three weeks after lockdowns begin, and gradually decline for the next two or three weeks.
“While we may yearn for a clear timeline for when life will return to normal, scientists say that isn’t exactly the right question. Routines won’t resume exactly as they were for several months, or longer – but that doesn’t mean we’ll all be stuck in total lockdowns until then.” AP
-- THE DETAILS: “Trump pushes to open parts of country as governors in hard-hit states warn more needs to be done to combat pandemic,” by WaPo’s Bob Costa, Laura Vozzella, Josh Dawsey and David Nakamura
-- THE POLITICS … GABBY ORR: “We don’t want to be tone-deaf’: Trump allies test coronavirus messaging”: “President Donald Trump wants to reopen parts of the U.S. economy hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Allies close to his 2020 campaign operation are raising red flags — warning it could be imprudent to inject more uncertainty into an already unpredictable crisis.
“Those concerns intensified this week when Trump identified Easter Sunday as his target date for relaxing some of the social distancing guidelines his administration has put in place to slow the spread of the virus. The prospect of watching Americans shuffle into ‘packed churches’ on April 12, an image Trump said he hopes to see, has alarmed some of his closest supporters who fear that rushing to end the economic clampdown — without full support from public health experts — could have catastrophic consequences on his bid for reelection.:
TRUMP’S FRIDAY -- The president has nothing on his public schedule.
-- THE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE will hold a briefing at 5 p.m.
SUNDAY SO FAR …
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“Fox News Sunday”: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin … Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan … Thomas Inglesby. Panel: Marc Thiessen, Kristen Soltis Anderson and Juan Williams. Power Player: Joel Osteen.
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“Face the Nation”: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin … David Heymann … Scott Gottlieb.
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“This Week”: Panel: Jon Karl, Jennifer Ashton and Tom Bossert.
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“Inside Politics”: Seung Min Kim, Kaitlan Collins, Dr. Ashish Jah and Dr. Megan Ranney.
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“Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren”: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) … Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
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Sinclair TV
“America This Week with Eric Bolling”: Larry Kudlow … Peter Navarro … Ronna McDaniel … Dr. Dave Campbell … Dr. Todd Dorfman … Sebastian Gorka ... Ameshia Cross.
PLAYBOOK READS
RYAN LIZZA: “Inside Joe Biden’s bizarre coronavirus bunker”: “The Biden campaign has been studying the ’18 midterms. No, not the ones two years ago when Democrats took over the House by aggressively recruiting moderates and sweeping swing districts across the country, a precursor to Biden’s own centrist strategy in the Democratic presidential primaries this year.
“They’ve been studying the midterms of 1918, the year of the Spanish flu pandemic when large gatherings were banned in many places and candidates were forced to invent new ways to communicate with voters and run their campaigns. Turnout plummeted that year to 40%, from 50% in the 1914 midterms. ‘We went back and looked at voting in 1918,’ said Anita Dunn, one of Biden’s top advisers, ‘where of course turnout was down, but the election was still held, and Congress was still seated.’
“Dunn was already a bit of a Spanish Flu dilettante. When she worked in the Obama White House, she had studied the 1918 pandemic to help prepare the response to the outbreak of H1N1 in 2009. ‘In 1918, you had the initial wave in the spring that was very severe and receded,’ she said. ‘And then, it came back powerfully when the weather got cold again in September, October, November with actually a bigger wave. There was a false sense of, “OK, it’s over.”’ One big lesson she took away from that history: ‘Nobody knows how this one is going to behave.’” POLITICO
-- CNN is hosting a town hall with BIDEN on Friday night. BIDEN will appear from his home in Delaware, and ANDERSON COOPER will moderate.
BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN: “Coronavirus outbreak is reshaping terrorist plots, DOJ says”
SOUNDS FAMILIAR ... AP/SAO PAULO: “Brazil’s governors rise up against Bolsonaro’s virus stance”: “Brazil’s governors are defying President Jair Bolsonaro over his call to reopen schools and businesses, dismissing his argument that the “cure” of widespread shutdowns to contain the spread of the new coronavirus is worse than the disease.” AP
ACROSS THE POND -- “Merkel’s moment of truth,” by Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin: “Just when it looked like Angela Merkel was going to ride quietly into the sunset, fate intervened.
“Two weeks ago, the German leader’s biggest worry was finding a successor and a life after politics. Now she finds herself in the center of what many consider the most serious global crisis since World War II.” POLITICO Europe
FROM DANIEL LIPPMAN -- VIRGINIA BONEY has been abruptly pushed out of the White House, where she was special assistant to the president for legislative affairs and the NSC’s top legislative affairs staffer, according to two people familiar with the matter. A few sources said that she had a rocky rapport with others in the office -- something the White House denied. Boney declined to comment.
A WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON said: “Virginia continues to be a valued staffer who believes in President Trump and will continue to serve him.” A senior administration official also said: “You don't survive under three national security advisers for three years if you’re not a team player.” Boney moved into a senior adviser role at the Department of Veterans Affairs last week.
MEDIAWATCH -- Erica Morrison is now an audio host/producer at POLITICO. She most recently was a reporter covering race and identity for Oregon Public Broadcasting.
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].
DHS ARRIVAL LOUNGE -- Joshua Whitehouse is now the White House liaison for DHS. He previously was comms director for Robert Burns’ New Hampshire congressional campaign in 2018. He has worked in advance for the White House and was special assistant at USDA. He’s a former New Hampshire state representative.
TRANSITION -- Nick Ryan is now a senior campaign adviser at New Politics. He previously was campaign chief for Andrew Yang’s campaign.
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Katie Johnson, associate at Jenner & Block. What she’s reading: “I’m reading ‘The Source of Self-Regard’ by Toni Morrison, a collection of her essays and speeches, including her Nobel lecture. She’s always been one of my favorite writers, but I had only ever read her novels. And even though she’s gone, we have this capstone of a glorious life spent teaching us, as she wrote, ‘Danger of losing our humanity must be met with more humanity.’ In this moment where we’re all, literally, forced apart, we need Toni Morrison’s wisdom more than ever.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Mary Louise Kelly, host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” who swapped a Jackson Hole ski week for a staycation (h/t husband Nick Boyle) … Brad Rateike, founding principal of Bar Communications, is 39 … Natalie (Buchanan) Joyce, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s deputy COS for member services … Sally Kohn, who’s asking people to donate to ofwemergencyfund.org … Rachel Semmel, comms director at OMB (h/t Mary Vought) … MSNBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff is 37 … Steve Atkiss … Meredith Artley, editor-in-chief and SVP of CNN Digital Worldwide … Frank Sadler … Liz Johnson, comms director for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) … Kaiser Health News’ Shefali Luthra … Alberto Martinez, EVP for public affairs at Targeted Victory … Whitney Smith, press secretary for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) (h/t Elizabeth Gregory) … POLITICO’s Stephanie Beasley, Alexandra Glorioso and Kameryn Stanhouse …
… Betsy Martin of the George W. Bush Presidential Center … former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) is 62 … Quentin Ariès … Stefanie Berger (h/t Ryder and Josie) … Jonathan Beam ... Niki Christoff, SVP for strategy and government relations at Salesforce … Anne Marie Gunther … Allison Bumgardner … Lane Bailey, CEO of the Advocom Group … Danny Golden, senior partner at Akin Gump … Walt Mossberg is 73 … Lisa Zhang … Alex Aragon, manager of public affairs at the American Gaming Association … Billy Moore ... Mara Vandlik ... Ilya Aspis … David Mitrani … William Fine ... Mark Bergman is 38 ... Lauren Dikis ... Elizabeth Kaplan ... Morgan Manousos ... Edelman’s Erin Schwille … Roll Call’s John M. Donnelly ... Laura Driscoll ... Quentin Aries ... J.B. Jennings ... Vlad Gutman-Britten … Mac Schneider is 41 … John Pomfret is 61 … Scott Giles ... Rachel O’Brien … Julie Hendricks-Atkins … Butch Ekstrom
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One last hurdle - Politico
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