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Presented by the BlueCross BlueShield Association: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Washington Feb 14, 2019 View in browser
By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and Daniel Lippman

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DRIVING THE DAY
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP on March 27, 2018, about last year's omnibus spending bill, which came in at 878 pages: "But I say to Congress: I will never sign another bill like this again. I'm not going to do it again. Nobody read it. It's only hours old. Some people don't even know what is in -- $1.3 trillion -- it's the second largest ever."

WELL ... Congress released its spending bill very, very late Wednesday night. It's 1,159 pages. It will get a vote today, first in the Senate, then in the House. Read the bill

IT SEEMS EXCEEDINGLY LIKELY THAT, by tonight, the government will be funded through September, and the two-and-a-half-month legislative impasse over DHS funding will be a thing of the past. There are a few dynamics to keep in mind as Washington moves forward:

-- TRUMP IS LIKELY TO TRY TO GET MORE MONEY for his border wall. There are several avenues he could go down. He could declare a national emergency, or issue an executive order. He could also try to shuffle money from other accounts. There's political and practical risk in all approaches. He could get challenged in court. He could chafe lawmakers on Capitol Hill. If he digs into military accounts, hawks won't be pleased. Democrats are going to keep a close eye on this process too.

-- THE DEBT LIMIT comes up at the beginning of March, and if you thought government funding was a potent legislative inflection point, the debt cap is far more dangerous. TRUMP has not played debt-limit chicken yet. But with Republicans in the House minority, and Democrats only now getting accustomed to the levers of power, who knows what might happen?

THE POLITICO GOVERNMENT FUNDING LEDEALL ... SARAH FERRIS, MELANIE ZANONA and JOHN BRESNAHAN: "Congress rushes to avert shutdown amid hopeful signs from Trump": "Congressional negotiators finalized a massive funding package just before midnight Wednesday, confident they'll have enough support to deliver it to President Trump's desk in time to avert a shutdown." POLITICO

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT: THE SENATE will move to pass this bill first today. THE HOUSE expects to take it up around 6:30 p.m., lining it up for a vote tonight at 9 p.m. or so. A big Senate vote is expected, and that could push the House totals up.

-- THINGS THEY COULDN'T AGREE ON: Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. They also weren't able to come together to support back pay for federal contractors.

KEEP AN EYE ON TRUMP TODAY. If he stays the course and doesn't say anything outwardly negative about the spending deal, House Republicans will likely vote for it in big numbers. If he gets wobbly in any way, then things will get really hairy.

NYT A1 ... PETER BAKER and MAGGIE HABERMAN: "As he inched closer to reluctantly accepting a bipartisan spending compromise without the money he demanded for his border wall, Mr. Trump offered no acknowledgment on Wednesday that his pressure tactics had failed even as aides sought to minimize the damage by tamping down criticism on the right.

"One call was made to Lou Dobbs, a favorite of Mr. Trump's whose Fox Business Network show he often tries to catch live. Another was placed to Sean Hannity, the Fox host who regularly talks with the president. The message: Mr. Trump deserved support because he still forced concessions that he would never have gotten without a five-week partial government shutdown.

"Even so, it was arguably the most punishing defeat Mr. Trump has experienced as president, and it left the White House scrounging for other ways to pay for a wall on the southwestern border and rethinking its approach to a Congress now partly controlled by Democrats. Mr. Trump's inability to reach a satisfying deal despite the negotiating experience he regularly touted on the campaign trail suggested that any aspirations of collaboration across party lines may be even more elusive than he had imagined." NYT

Happy Valentine's Day!

GABBY ORR: "'He was in his face': Trump fumes over abortion, courts evangelicals": "The night before last week's National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump was hosting religious leaders and lawmakers for dinner at the White House when he spotted Democratic Senator Chris Coons - and pounced. Trump confronted the Delaware lawmaker - who attended the event as the Prayer Breakfast's official Democratic co-chair - over the issue of abortion, creating a tense scene in the White House's Blue Room, according to three sources familiar with the exchange.

"Trump leaned in close to Coons, who calls himself 'a practicing Christian and a devout Presbyterian,' and laced into the Democratic senator over controversial moves to change statewide policies on abortion that have roiled New York and Virginia politics in recent weeks. 'He was in his face about it,' said one person familiar with the exchange. The person described Trump as extremely 'worked up.'" POLITICO

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MORE SCHUMER 2020 RECRUITING -- "O'Rourke meets with Schumer to discuss 2020 Senate bid," by Nolan McCaskill: "Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke last week to discuss a possible 2020 Senate campaign against GOP Sen. John Cornyn, according to a source familiar with the meeting. ...

"O'Rourke and former Obama Cabinet secretary Julián Castro - who has announced his own White House bid - are considered by many Democrats to be the party's best prospects for defeating Cornyn. A spokesman for O'Rourke did not return a request for comment on the meeting. Schumer's office declined to comment." POLITICO

THE NEW MAJORITY ...

-- MICHAEL STRATFORD: "House Democrats make first major move to tighten gun laws": "House Democrats took their first steps as a new majority on Wednesday to tighten federal gun laws, underscoring their commitment to act on a top priority a day before the first anniversary of the deadly mass shooting at a Parkland, Fla., high school.

"The Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would expand federal background checks for firearm purchases. The legislation, which now heads to the House floor but stands virtually no chance in the Senate, makes good on Democrats' promises to move swiftly to combat gun violence since taking control of the chamber this year." POLITICO

-- HEATHER CAYGLE and SARAH FERRIS: "Pelosi's freshmen fracture amid GOP pressure": "Speaker Nancy Pelosi has another rebellion in her ranks. And there's no easy way to quash it. House Democrats have repeatedly faced surprise Republican floor attacks since taking control of the chamber, part of a bid by the GOP to target their most vulnerable members and fracture the party. Just six weeks in, the GOP effort has been an astonishing success - dividing Pelosi and her top deputies and pitting members of the freshmen class against each other.

"At issue is a wonky procedural tactic that Republicans have weaponized to split Democrats on a range of thorny issues, from sexual abuse to anti-terrorism funding. Roughly two dozen Democrats have so far bucked their party and sided with Republicans on the votes.

"As the GOP continues to peel off rank-and-file Democrats, party leaders have grown alarmed - and are increasingly engaged in finger-pointing about who is to blame for the disunity and what to do about it, according to interviews with nearly two dozen Democratic lawmakers and aides." POLITICO

2020 WATCH -- "Trump campaign zeroes in on 3 Democratic 2020 foes," by Alex Isenstadt: "Donald Trump's political advisers are homing in on three declared Democratic candidates who they believe are the most viable at this early stage of the campaign.

"The reelection campaign has begun compiling opposition research on Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker and is eyeing opportunities to attack them. The effort began over the weekend when the Trump campaign sent out a news release ahead of Warren's launch criticizing her past claims of Native American heritage.

"Trump's advisers are certain the list of announced Democratic candidates will grow exponentially before the first primary debate in June, and that their targets are certain to fluctuate over time. Yet the early assessment provides a window into how Trump world views the emerging Democratic field - a sprawling, largely undefined group that lacks a clear front-runner." POLITICO

-- STAFFING UP: "Gillibrand adds top national, New Hampshire staff to 2020 campaign," by Elena Schneider: "The new additions to Gillibrand's campaign are Semedrian Smith, national political director; Danielle Duffy, chief operating officer; Gavrie Kullman, digital finance director; Pat Devney, New Hampshire state director; and Shannon McLeod, New Hampshire political director." POLITICO

THE INVESTIGATIONS ...

-- AP'S CHAD DAY: "Judge finds Manafort lied to investigators in Russia probe": "The four-page ruling hurts Manafort's chance of receiving a reduced sentence, though Jackson said she would decide the exact impact during his sentencing next month. It also resolves a dispute that had provided new insight into how Mueller views Manafort's actions as part of the broader probe of Russian election interference and any possible coordination with Trump associates.

"Prosecutors have made clear that they remain deeply interested in Manafort's interactions with a man the FBI says has ties to Russian intelligence. But it's unclear exactly what has drawn their attention and whether it relates to election interference because much of the dispute has played out in secret court hearings and blacked out court filings.

"In her ruling Wednesday, Jackson provided few new details as she found there was sufficient evidence to say Manafort broke the terms of his plea agreement by lying about three of five matters that prosecutors had singled out. The ruling was largely a rejection of Manafort's attorneys' argument that he hadn't intentionally misled investigators but rather forgot some details until his memory was refreshed." AP

-- CNN'S KARA SCANNELL and ERICA ORDEN: "Justice Department investigating leak of confidential Michael Cohen bank record": "The Justice Department is investigating the leak last year of confidential reports about Michael Cohen's personal bank records which led to revelations that the former Donald Trump lawyer was profiting by selling his access to the White House, two people familiar with the matter say. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office in the Northern District of California are leading the criminal investigation, one of the people said, and criminal charges in the case could be announced soon." CNN

-- CNN'S EVAN PEREZ and LAURA JARRETT: "Exclusive: William Barr gears up to take the reins on Mueller probe and pick a top deputy": "The most pressing question Barr will face is how much information should be included in a report to Congress based on the findings from Mueller. ... Barr has also begun discussions on a successor to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has overseen the Mueller probe for most of its existence. ...

"Jeffrey Rosen, the deputy transportation secretary who was confirmed by the Senate in 2017, has emerged as the top contender for the job, multiple sources familiar with the discussions tell CNN. Rosen previously served as general counsel at the Transportation Department and in the Office of Management and Budget in the administration of President George W. Bush." CNN

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TRUMP'S THURSDAY -- The president will participate in an anti-abortion conference call at 11:45 a.m. in the Oval Office. He will meet with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen at 2:45 p.m. in the Oval Office.
PLAYBOOK READS


PHOTO DU JOUR: A soldier takes a selfie with VP Mike Pence and Karen Pence in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday. | Michael Sohn/AP Photo

ON THE BORDER -- "Rep. Adam Kinzinger deployed to U.S.-Mexico border," by Brent Griffiths: "Kinzinger was deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border earlier this week with his Air National Guard unit, his office announced on Wednesday evening. 'The Congressman is humbled to serve his IL-16 community here in the People's House and equally proud to serve as a reconnaissance pilot in the Air National Guard,' Kinzinger's communications director, Maura Gillespie, said in a statement." POLITICO

HMM ... "Trump's DHS Guts Task Forces Protecting Elections From Foreign Meddling," by The Daily Beast's Erin Banco and Betsy Woodruff: "Two teams of federal officials assembled to fight foreign election interference are being dramatically downsized, according to three current and former Department of Homeland Security officials. And now, those sources say they fear the department won't prepare adequately for election threats in 2020. 'The clear assessment from the intelligence community is that 2020 is going to be the perfect storm,' said a DHS official familiar with the teams.

"'We know Russia is going to be engaged. Other state actors have seen the success of Russia and realize the value of disinformation operations. So it's very curious why the task forces were demoted in the bureaucracy and the leadership has not committed resources to prepare for the 2020 election.'" The Daily Beast

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K STREET FILES -- "Zinke teaming up with Lewandowski at D.C. lobbying firm," by Theo Meyer: "Ryan Zinke, who resigned as interior secretary last year amid scandal, is teaming up with Corey Lewandowski, President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, to work as senior advisers at Washington lobbying firm Turnberry Solutions. ... Lewandowski claimed [in late 2017] he had 'nothing to do with Turnberry Solutions,' but allowed Turnberry lobbyists to work out of the Capitol Hill rowhouse where he stayed when he was in Washington." POLITICO

FOR YOUR RADAR -- "FEMA Administrator Brock Long resigns," by Matthew Choi: "Long, appointed by President Donald Trump, oversaw the administration during violent hurricane seasons that battered Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas and during some of the worst forest fires in California history. FEMA's slow response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico became a point of fierce criticism against Trump and his administration. Long also came under criticism for his personal use of official cars to commute between Washington and North Carolina." POLITICO

-- "Union demands apology after seeing Confederate book displayed in congressman's office," by CNN's Ellie Kaufman: "The American Federation of Government Employees is asking Rep. Drew Ferguson for a formal, public apology after its members said they found the book 'General Robert Edward Lee; Soldier, Citizen and Christian Patriot,' which presents Confederate ideology. Union members said that the book -- published in 1897 -- was displayed open to a page reading, 'The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially, and physically.

"'The painful discipline they are undergoing is necessary for their instruction as a race, and, I hope, will prepare and lead them to better things.' In a statement provided to CNN Wednesday by his spokesman, Ferguson, the Republican chief deputy whip, said he was unaware the book was even in his office and that it has since been removed." CNN
PLAYBOOKERS
SPOTTED: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in a wheelchair Wednesday at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, en route to a Heritage Foundation event.

SPOTTED at a reception and dinner at the Metropolitan Club on Wednesday night hosted by Concordia celebrating the visit of Colombian President Ivan Duque: Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Will Hurd (R-Texas), Greg Pence (R-Ind.) and French Hill (R-Ark.), Matthew Swift ...

... Luis Alberto Moreno, Bret and Amy Baier, Morgan Ortagus, Luis Almagro, Chris and Kathleen Matthews, Nick Logothetis, Jack Keane, Margaret Brennan, Carlos Holmes, Colombian Ambassador Francisco Santos, Josh Rogin, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker, Sam Brownback, Connie Mack, Patrick Steel, Michael Crowley, Jane Harman, Jay Collins and Evelyn Farkas.

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Sheldon Silver turned 75 ... Matt Sheffield, a producer for The Hill TV (hat tip: sister Carrie) ... Nick Baer

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Martha Raddatz, ABC News' chief global affairs correspondent and "This Week" co-anchor. What she's been reading recently: "'Virgin Galactic's Rocket Man' -- The New Yorker. Nick Schmidle writes a very long but riveting article that is this generation's 'The Right Stuff' about the pilots who are risking it all to make commercial space travel a reality. I am obsessed with space travel and the backstories of these astronauts." Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Michael Bloomberg is 77 ... Carl Bernstein is 75 ... Stephen A. Schwarzman is 72 ... Hugh Downs is 98 ... Oscar Ramirez, new founder of Fulcrum Affairs, is 44. He's celebrating by "spending the evening on a Pisco Sour tour of DC topped off with karaoke" (h/t Casa Valmirez) ... Michio Aida of the WH office of digital strategies (h/t Ory Rinat) ... Ed Patru, principal at Direct Communications Company and a DCI Group alum ... NYT's Alan Blinder ... former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is 72 ... Karen Anderson, senior director for policy, communications and external affairs at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (hubby tip: Lyndon Boozer) ... POLITICO's Kat McKibben ... Katie
Childress ... Andrew LaCasse is 33 ... Jon Sawyer, executive director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting ... Dave Cuzzi ... Sakina Jaffrey ... John Buckley ... Marty Markowitz is 74 ... Steve Tisch is 7-0 ... Fresh Air's Terry Gross is 68 ... Jacob Luneau ... Ryan Blake, government affairs at the Consumer Bankers Association (h/t Cassie Blake) ... Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is 52 ...

... Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is 7-0 ... Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) is 78 ... Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) is 47 ... Erik Potholm, a partner at SRCP Media, celebrating by skiing in Deer Valley, Utah (h/t wife Erica Potholm) ... Paul Miller and Mitch Moonier of Miller/Wenhold Capitol Strategies (h/ts John Byrd) ... Brooke Lierman (h/t Kyle) ... Evan Kraus ... Pete Solecki ... Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the Partnership for a New American Economy, is 39 ... Dan Walsh ... Hannah VanHoose ... Bobby Honold ... HHS' Caitlin Patenaude, who recently married Jon Vannoy -- pic by Steph Sorenson ... Brittany Candrian Richman ... Cristina Marcos ... Amanda Litman, co-founder and executive
director of Run for Something ... Rod Lamkey ... Mark Elliot ... Sharon Daniels ... Matt Angle ... Galen Main ... Carlos Sanchez ... Colin Van Ostern ... Jenny Nielsen ... Daniel Stublen ... John Vockley ... Neal Mann ... William Beach ... Griff Hathaway ... Lindsay Jackson ... Mike Inganamort ... Brianne Carter ... Sheila Riggs ... Kate Sullivan ... Jen Pihlaja (h/ts Teresa Vilmain)

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