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DRIVING THE DAY
VERY NOTABLE QUOTABLE: Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) on President-elect JOE BIDEN’S CABINET to a few of us reporters Wednesday evening in the Capitol: “I think it’d be great to see a more cohesive vision across the entire Cabinet. You have an individual appointment here, an individual appointment there. We can wrestle about whether they are bold enough or ambitious enough, especially given the uncertainty and what kind of Senate we’re going to have.
“BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, I think one of the things I’m looking for, when I see all of these picks together is: What is the agenda? What is the overall vision going to be? I think that’s a little hazy. …
“I’M TRYING TO READ INTO, I guess like many other people, what is the overall message from the big picture in this entire Cabinet put together? And what is the agenda for it, because we have a person who has a more conservative history, that’s one thing, but what is the mission that they are being given in their individual agency, whether it’s Transportation, Defense, OMB, etc.? What is the mandate here? And, yeah, I just think that’s something that we’re looking to see is, it’s something that I hope will be pushed.”
BIDEN will travel to Atlanta on Tuesday for JON OSSOFF and RAPHAEL WARNOCK. VP MIKE PENCE will be in Georgia for a rally today.
SIREN … UP TODAY: “Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine faces last hurdle before U.S. decision,” by AP’s Lauran Neergaard and Matthew Perrone: “Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine faces one final hurdle as it races to become the first shot greenlighted in the U.S.: a panel of experts who will scrutinize the company’s data for any red flags.
“Thursday’s meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel is likely the last step before a U.S. decision to begin shipping millions of doses of the shot, which has shown strong protection against the coronavirus.
“The FDA panel functions like a science court that will pick apart the data and debate — in public and live-streamed — whether the shot is safe and effective enough to be cleared for emergency use. The non-government experts specialize in vaccine development, infectious diseases and medical statistics. The FDA is expected to follow the committee’s advice, although it is not required to do so.”
BEN SCHRECKINGER: “Justice Department’s interest in Hunter Biden covered more than taxes”: “The federal investigation into President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter has been more extensive than a statement from Hunter Biden indicates, according to a person with firsthand knowledge of the investigation.
“On Wednesday, Hunter Biden said he had been contacted about a tax investigation out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware.
“In addition to Delaware, the securities fraud unit in the Southern District of New York also scrutinized Hunter Biden’s finances, according to the person with direct knowledge of the investigation. The person said that, as of early last year, investigators in Delaware and Washington were also probing potential money laundering and Hunter Biden’s foreign ties. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
“In addition to the probe into Hunter Biden, federal authorities in the Western District of Pennsylvania are conducting a criminal investigation of a hospital business in which Joe Biden’s brother James was involved. Federal officials have asked questions about James Biden's role in the business, according to a second person with direct knowledge of that investigation, who said it remains ongoing.”
-- MORE DEETS FROM THE NYT, via ADAM GOLDMAN, KATIE BENNER and KEN VOGEL: “On Tuesday, prosecutors in Delaware served subpoenas, including at least one that sought information related to Hunter Biden’s taxes, two people familiar with the matter said. …
“The tax issues came to the attention of F.B.I. agents after they opened the money laundering investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial affairs in late 2018, under the attorney general at the time, Jeff Sessions, according to several people familiar with the inquiry.”
Good Thursday morning. HANUKKAH begins tonight.
ON COVID RELIEF … IF ANYONE AGREES ON ANYTHING, it’s that a Covid relief bill probably needs to come together in the next day or so for it to have a chance of becoming law. Why? Because it will need to be drafted. It will need time to get through two chambers. It’s Thursday. 8 DAYS until the presumptive end of the session.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI on Wednesday evening told a group of us it will come together “one way or another.” “It’s been moving,” she said. “We’re waiting to hear back on a couple of what the language is in certain things. It’s not just the idea, it’s the text. The famous text.”
WHEN TOLD that Republicans want PELOSI and Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL to get in a room to work this out, PELOSI said: “Is that what they think? Good for them. Tell them to go meet with MCCONNELL.”
WASHINGTON’S MOST EAGER MAN UPDATE -- “Mnuchin pushes relief checks over jobless aid,” by Victoria Guida: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday defended the Trump administration’s proposal to send one-time relief checks to millions of Americans rather than pouring more money into federal unemployment benefits, calling it a better way to get aid to struggling households.
“‘We obviously want to get people back to work,’ Mnuchin told reporters in a virtual gathering. ‘By sending out checks, we’re putting money into the economy for people. This will have the impact of creating demand, which will have the impact of creating jobs. We want to get people their jobs back.’ ‘We view this as a more effective way to get the money out quickly,’ he added.”
-- AS A BIPARTISAN SET OF NEGOTIATORS continue to try to find a deal on Covid relief, Sen. CHRIS COONS (D-Del.) worked over the Chamber of Commerce’s TOM DONOHUE on Wednesday. COONS asked DONOHUE to be neutral or supportive of the bipartisan bill.
LOL … ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: “Trump warns Georgia AG not to rally other Republicans against Texas lawsuit,” by Greg Bluestein: “President Donald Trump warned Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr not to rally other Republican officials against a long-shot Texas lawsuit seeking to toss out the state’s election results, according to several people with direct knowledge of the conversation.
“The roughly 15-minute phone call late Tuesday came shortly before U.S. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue issued a joint statement saying they ‘fully support’ the improbable lawsuit asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject election results in Georgia and three other battleground states that Trump lost.
“Earlier in the day, Carr’s office called the lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ‘constitutionally, legally and factually wrong.’ The complaint asks the justices to delay the Monday deadline for certification of presidential electors in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. … A person on the call between Trump and Carr described it as cordial. Trump told Carr that he’s ‘heard great things’ about him but that he’s picked up word that Carr was calling other attorneys general and urging them to stand against the Texas challenge. Carr told him that wasn’t true.”
NEXT UP IN TRUMP’S PRESSURE CAMPAIGN -- “Trump pressures congressional Republicans to help in his fight to overturn the election,” by WaPo’s Rachael Bade, Josh Dawsey and Tom Hamburger: “President Trump is shifting his focus to Congress after the courts roundly rejected his bid to overturn the results of the election, pressuring congressional Republicans into taking a final stand to keep him in power.
“Trump’s push is part of a multipronged approach as he also seeks to lobby state and federal lawmakers to give him cover for his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, as well as rally support for a last-gasp legal challenge in the Supreme Court that election law experts almost universally dismiss.
“The president has been calling Republicans, imploring them to keep fighting and more loudly proclaim the election was stolen while pressing them on what they plan to do. He spoke to Arizona GOP Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward and Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), head of the conservative Republican Study Committee, on Wednesday, and is expected to meet Thursday at the White House with several state attorneys general. Meanwhile, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer and point man in the legal fight, has been making similar calls from the hospital, where he is being treated for covid-19.”
NEW … CNN’S MANU RAJU: “GOP senators ready to acknowledge Biden won but struggle with Trump’s refusal to concede”: “A growing number of Senate Republicans are ready to publicly acknowledge what’s been widely known for weeks but what they’ve refused to say: Joe Biden won the presidency and will be sworn in on January 20.
“What they’re less certain about: What President Donald Trump will do after the Electoral College votes on Monday and how they plan to respond if he won’t concede after Biden is the official winner.
“‘Trump’s going to do what Trump is going to do,’ said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who has asserted that Biden will be the President-elect once the Electoral College votes on Monday, but told CNN that it’s Trump's call on conceding the race. ‘That’s the only answer I’m going to give you.’”
TRUTH TALK: “Despite Trump’s venting and threats, Biden’s win is sealed,” by AP’s Calvin Woodard: “Biden’s victory was essentially locked in Tuesday by the so-called safe harbor deadline set by federal law for states to finish their certifications and resolve legal disputes. It’s an insurance policy to guard against Congress trying to manipulate the electoral votes that will be cast next week and sent to the Capitol for counting on Jan. 6.” AP
THE TRANSITION … A NEW APPROACH: “How Biden aims to Covid-proof his administration,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Daniel Lippman: “Small and infrequent public events. Repeated testing of staff, reporters and the president-elect. Aides debating policies and Cabinet picks without ever meeting face-to-face. Preparations for a pared-down, mostly virtual inauguration.
“Joe Biden’s team has meticulously carried the virus safety practices of his campaign over to the transition. And his staff plans to take that approach to the White House on move-in day — intent on setting a good example for the country and avoiding the dangerous and embarrassing outbreaks of Covid-19 that have infected dozens in President Donald Trump’s inner circle, most recently sickening his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.”
-- “Biden to name Hill staffer Katherine Tai for top trade job,” by Gavin Bade, Tyler Pager and Sabrina RodrÃguez: “President-elect Joe Biden will nominate House Ways and Means Committee trade lawyer Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative, according to two people familiar with the decision.
“Biden’s pick will be responsible for repairing economic ties with allies chastened by outgoing President Donald Trump’s trade wars while fulfilling his campaign pledge to stay tough on China.”
UP NEXT … A.G. PICK: “Biden team explores Sen. Doug Jones for attorney general nominee as the candidate list narrows to four names,” by WaPo’s Matt Viser, Matt Zapotosky and Amy Wang: “President-elect Joe Biden’s top advisers have asked at least one outside advocacy group for input about Sen. Doug Jones as a potential attorney general, one indication that his team is giving serious consideration to the Alabama Democrat as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
“Biden is not expected to make a decision this week, prolonging the debate both inside and outside his transition team over what will be one of the highest-profile roles in his administration. It has sent the wider legal and political worlds into a frenzy, with Biden’s close-knit advisers keeping a tight lid on their decision-making process amid widespread interest over who will lead a consequential department whose morale has plummeted under an assault from President Trump.” WaPo
BIG READ … NYT, A1 … HELENE COOPER: “‘Is Austin on Your List?’: Biden’s Pentagon Pick Rose Despite Barriers to Diversity”: “As a tall and imposing lieutenant general with a habit of referring to himself in the third person, General Austin was the director of the Joint Staff, one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes positions in the military. His No. 2 was also a Black man, Bruce Grooms, a Navy submariner and rear admiral. Larry O. Spencer was a lieutenant general who was the arbiter of which war-fighting commands around the world got the best resources. Dennis L. Via was a three-star general who ran the communications security protocols across the military.
“And Darren W. McDew, a major general and aviator with 3,000 flight hours, was a vice director overseeing the plans the Joint Staff churns out. At one point in 2010, the men thought they should capture the moment for posterity since nothing like that had happened before and likely would not happen again. They summoned the man who had made it happen, their boss, Adm. Mike Mullen, President Barack Obama’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, into a room for a photo. ‘What is this about?’ Admiral Mullen asked when he walked in. ‘History,’ General McDew replied.”
FOGGY BOTTOM REPORT: “Dismissing health concerns, State Department treats 200 guests to holiday drinks, tours and leftover ‘Be Best’ swag,” by WaPo’s John Hudson: “The State Department hosted roughly 200 guests Tuesday night at the presidential guesthouse despite concerns of public health experts and a new positive coronavirus case on the premises since last week, according to two U.S. officials.
“The party included a tour of the White House’s vaunted holiday decorations followed by a self-guided tour across the street at Blair House, where foreign diplomats, their families, U.S. staffers and friends and acquaintances of the State Department’s chief of protocol convened.
“A State Department spokesman said the ‘Holiday Cheer’ reception that typically follows the tour was canceled this year because of concerns about spreading the novel coronavirus, but two bars were set up in the guesthouse as the face-shield-wearing catering staff poured drinks into holiday-themed paper cups. Guests unmasked to consume the beverages, causing people to congregate and create occasional choke points, the two officials told The Washington Post. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
“About 200 guests attended, among them the ambassadors of Afghanistan, Egypt, South Korea and Guatemala, officials said.”
GET READY FOR THIS … TEXAS TRIBUNE: “GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson readies 2021 lobbying blitz to bring casinos to Texas,” by Patrick Svitek and Mitchell Ferman: “Las Vegas Sands, among the world’s largest gaming companies, has set its sights on legalizing casinos in the state with a stable of high-powered lobbyists for the upcoming legislative session — and on Tuesday, a public acknowledgment of its ambitions.
“Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands’ top lobbyist, said the company was pursuing Texas as one of only a few expansion opportunities, along with places like Japan, Brazil and New York. ‘We view Texas as a worldwide destination and one of the top potential markets in the entire world,’ Abboud said during a conference hosted by the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. ‘Texas is considered the biggest plum still waiting to be out there in the history of hospitality and gaming.’”
TRUMP’S THURSDAY -- The president will have lunch with state attorneys general at 12:45 p.m. in the Cabinet Room. He will deliver remarks at the Congressional Ball at 8:15 p.m. in the Grand Foyer. PENCE will lead a roundtable on Operation Warp Speed and vaccine distribution with South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster in Greenville, S.C. He will then deliver remarks at a Defend the Majority rally in Augusta, Ga. He’ll return to Washington afterward.
BIDEN and VP-elect KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President’s Daily Brief. Afterward, they will meet with transition advisers.
PLAYBOOK READS
JOHN HARRIS column: “Relax, a Trump comeback in 2024 is not going to happen”: “Donald Trump lost the presidency, but his opponents so far have not achieved the victory they want most: A fatal puncturing of the Trump movement, a repudiation so complete that it severs his astonishing grip on supporters and leaves him with no choice but to slink offstage and into the blurry past.
“For now, Trump dominates conversations about both present and future. His outlandish claims that he won the election except for comprehensive fraud have helped raise more than $200 million since Election Day. Many of his partisans share his dream of recapturing the presidency in 2024. For those who despise him, to paraphrase a famous Democratic speech, it seems clear the work goes on, the cause endures, the fear still lives, and the nightmare shall never die. Except it will die — most likely with more speed and force than looks possible today.”
BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- “Newsom faces new pressure to name Black woman to Harris seat,” by Carla Marinucci in Oakland, Calif.: “California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing new pressure to name a Black woman to the Senate seat held by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris — even as expectations grow that he’ll pick Secretary of State Alex Padilla for the role.
“Newsom received letters this week from two women’s groups insisting he ensure the seat go to a Black woman. Harris, who must step down before taking the oath of office in January, is the only Black woman in the Senate. More than 100 women affiliated with Let’s Win with Black Women, a national collaborative of leading black women, urged the governor to select either Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland or Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles.”
VALLEY TALK -- “Facebook Hit With Antitrust Lawsuits by FTC, State Attorneys General,” by WSJ’s Brent Kendall and John McKinnon: “The Federal Trade Commission and 46 states sued Facebook Inc. on Wednesday, accusing the social-media giant of buying and freezing out small startups to choke competition.
“The FTC’s sweeping antitrust case seeks to force Facebook to unwind its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram, two of its landmark deals. The states filed a separate and similar lawsuit, alleging a lack of competition has harmed consumers, including by weakening privacy protections.
“The lawsuits come weeks after the Justice Department brought a case alleging Google was illegally maintaining a monopoly in its search business. Collectively, the cases reflect U.S. concern about the power of dominant online platforms.”
N.Y. MAG’S JONATHAN CHAIT in conversation with former President BARACK OBAMA
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- WaPo’s JOSH ROGIN has a new book coming out March 9: “CHAOS UNDER HEAVEN: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the Twenty-First Century.” Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt says it’s “filled with shocking revelations drawn from Josh Rogin’s unparalleled access to top U.S. officials from the White House to deep within the country’s foreign policy machine.” Javelin’s Keith Urbahn and Matt Latimer sold it to HMH. Preorder
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].
NEW … Max Angerholzer is now CEO of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, succeeding interim CEO Andy Card. He most recently was EVP of the Institute of International Education.
-- Lisa Turner is the new executive director of Lesbian Political Action Committee. She previously was political director. Laura Ricketts has been elected incoming chair of the board of directors.
TRANSITIONS -- Michael Pillsbury will be chair and Lisa Gordon-Hagerty will be a member of DoD’s Defense Policy Board. Pillsbury currently is a China policy expert at Hudson Institute. Gordon-Hagerty previously was National Nuclear Security Administration administrator. … McKinley Lewis will be comms director for Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). He currently is SVP of accounts at On 3 Public Relations. Sarah Schwirian and Clare Lattanze will also move up to become deputy comms director and press secretary, respectively, for Scott. …
… Eric Edwards will be president of Mercantile Bank International. He is currently managing director and head of government affairs at FS Investments, which he’ll leave at the end of 2020, and is a Hill veteran and Goldman Sachs alum. … Caleigh Bourgeois is joining kglobal as an account supervisor in its energy practice. She previously was an Emmy-winning broadcast reporter for KWTV, WBND, Scripps and others.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Kevin Curran, executive director of Let’s Win, Virginia! and a Bush 43 White House alum, and Sarah Curran, director of programs and partnerships at Women’s Public Leadership Network, on Sunday morning welcomed Josephine Blair “Joey” Curran, who came in at 8 lbs, 11 oz. Pic … Another pic
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. What she’s watching for in the Biden presidency: “I’m watching for continued reaction among Democratic grassroots to national-level abortion absolutism -- leading to increased Democratic support in states for party moderation and middle-ground legislation on abortion. Increasing pressure on national party to accept popular later term limits and non-discrimination (gender, disability, ethnicity) measures.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) is 71 … Megan Whittemore, COS for Perdue … Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) is 7-0 … Symone Sanders, incoming senior adviser and chief spokesperson for the VP … Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) is 6-0 … Rep. Harley Rouda (D-Calif.) is 59 … Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) is 51 … “Dateline NBC” correspondent Andrea Canning … Patrick O’Neill, managing principal at Public Strategies Washington … Hope Hodge Seck … Mike Shields, founder of Convergence Media and a CNN political commentator … POLITICO’s James Arkin, Katie Fossett and Erin Durkin … Justin Ahn … Fox News’ Mike Emanuel is 53 … Christina Coloroso, executive director of Analyst Institute … Mercury CEO Kieran Mahoney (h/t Jon Haber) … Steve Johnston of FlexPoint Media (h/ts Peter Donald and Tim Burger) … Ellie Cohanim … David French, SVP of government relations at the National Retail Federation …
… Chris McGrath … Nathan Daschle, president and COO of the Daschle Group … Jorge Neri … Alice Cohan … Michelle Mayorga … Rick Siger … Mitchell Schwartz (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … former Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) is 67 … Pennsylvania state Rep. Greg Rothman … Kip Wainscott … Robert Maguire … Michael Bodley … Mitchell Rubenstein … Shawn Stafford … Lucy Buckman … Jasper Craven ... CNN’s Alex Koppelman and Kristin Wilson Keppler … Marc Mezvinsky is 43 ... Jeff Greene is 66 ... Ivan Seidenberg is 74 … Jennifer Cox … Ryan Beene ... Jackie Etter-Krause ... Gigi Anders ... Melissa Harrison … Matt Huckleby, ED of the Indiana GOP ... Lisa Rowan ... Tom Zampino ... Ellie Bartow ... Matthew Gagnon is 4-0 ... Hanna Ewell … Susan Milligan, senior writer for U.S. News & World Report ... David Kieve … Laura De Castro … Doug Badger ... Scott MacKay ... Jess Peterson
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