The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – House boots Greene from committees; Senate plows ahead on budget

 

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Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 441,324; Tuesday, 443,355; Wednesday, 446,885; Thursday, 450,797; Friday, 455,869.

The House on Thursday voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), best known for past incendiary statements and an embrace of QAnon, from a pair of committees. Eleven Republicans joined all House Democrats in rebuking the first-term member. 

The House voted largely along party lines, 230-199, to strip Greene from membership on the House Education and Labor Committee and the Budget Committee a day after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and GOP members declined to take action. 

As The Hill’s Cristina Marcos and Mike Lillis write, Democrats implored their GOP colleagues to hold members to a minimal standard: the stripping of committees for any member that has endorsed political violence or embraced dangerous conspiracy theories, including the suggestion that school shootings were staged, QAnon or the Sept. 11 attacks were a hoax. 

Some lawmakers have argued that Greene should not have been stripped of her committee assignments because the remarks came before she was a sitting member of Congress. 

LIST of House Republicans who voted with Democrats: Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Carlos Giménez (Fla.), Chris Jacobs (N.Y.), John Katko (N.Y.), Young Kim (Calif.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.), Chris Smith (N.J.) and Fred Upton (Mich.).

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who prevailed during a conference-wide vote seeking to remove her from GOP leadership on Wednesday, voted against Greene’s removal from the pair of panels. 

Niall Stanage: The Memo: Marjorie Taylor Greene won’t slink away.

The Washington Post: Republicans worry their big tent will mean big problems in 2022 elections. 

Before Thursday’s vote, Greene said on the House floor that she regretted her past statements, including her belief in QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory. Referring to tragic events she previously rejected as myths or government-created, Greene said mass school shootings, such as in Parkland, Fla., in 2018, are “absolutely real” and the terror attacks on 9/11 that killed more than 3,000 people “absolutely happened. 

“I was allowed to believe things that weren’t true and I would ask questions about them and talk about them and that is absolutely what I regret,” Greene said. 

Notably, Greene’s speech did not address or apologize for past indications of support for violence against Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), former President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal: Liz Cheney wins one for sanity. 

 

 

> COVID-19 relief bill: Senate Democrats approved a budget resolution early Friday morning that will allow them to pass coronavirus relief without GOP support, allowing them to pass a bill with a simple majority.  

The budget is a first step to Democrats being able to bypass the 60-vote legislative filibuster as they race to pass President Biden‘s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal by mid-March. Republicans have balked over the price tag and fumed over the process, forcing Democrats to take dozens of votes in an hour-long session before passing the budget (The Hill). 

The Hill: House will have to vote on budget a second time as the GOP notches wins.

The New York Times: Senate votes against a federal minimum wage hike during the pandemic as Biden’s economic plan moves forward. 

The budget process also provided a glimpse at the early jockeying for the 2024 presidential contest, giving potential GOP candidates the opportunity to stake their claims during the vote-a-rama session, as The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports.

The budget process gives GOP White House hopefuls a chance to distinguish themselves from rivals and take the lead on hot-button topics, such as illegal immigration. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has a proposal to prohibit people who entered the country illegally from receiving stimulus checks. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wants to shield small businesses from tax increases during the pandemic. The votes could define some of the early battle lines ahead of the presidential race.

> Jobs: At least 9 million people remain unemployed but claims for jobless benefits filed last week show some improvement for workers compared with the last two months (CNBC). The government today will report on U.S. employment in January, which analysts believe will show gains. 

The Hill’s Jordain Carney reports on divisions among Senate Democrats tied to Biden’s proposed $15 per hour minimum wage, which could fall by the wayside if Democrats decide to use a tool known as reconciliation with all its budgetary rules about passing legislation with a simple majority vote. The wage hike has the support of Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and members of the Senate leadership.   

The Washington Post: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Thursday unveiled a proposal to provide $3,000 per child to millions of Americans as part of a coronavirus relief bill. The senator gave his bipartisan endorsement to a provision of Biden’s $1.9 trillion measure. 

The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s plan for reopening schools faces challenges. Republicans see an opening to exploit divisions between the Biden administration and usually supportive teachers unions who are concerned about safety for educators during the pandemic. 

> Impeachment trial: It took no time at all for Trump attorney Bruce Castor, a trial attorney and former prosecutor and Pennsylvania politician, to reject Democrats’ request that Trump testify under oath during his second impeachment trial, which begins next week. There was no chance that Trump would testify and Democrats knew that before making their request. Castor called the request “a publicity stunt in order to make up for the weakness” of a case that attempts to convict Trump as a private citizen on a charge of inciting insurrection against the United States while serving as president (The Associated Press).  

Politico: Trump’s allies fear the impeachment trial could be a PR nightmare.

 

 

LEADING THE DAY

ADMINISTRATION: In the first major foreign policy speech of his term, Biden on Thursday announced the United States will end its support for the prolonged Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen (pictured below in December) and signaled to the world that Trump’s “America first” approach to policy is part of the past (The Associated Press).  

While withdrawing support for Saudi Arabia in the civil war in Yemen, the Biden administration said it intends to help the kingdom boost its defenses against any further attacks from Yemen’s Houthis or outside adversaries. The assurance is seen as part of an effort to persuade Saudi Arabia and other combatants to end the conflict, which the United States joined in 2015. Biden argues that the conflict has “created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.” The United States has been accused of being complicit in Saudi Arabia’s air bombardment of civilians in Yemen (The Guardian).

The president also promised to work with allies to respond effectively to the pandemic and climate change and he announced a freeze on Trump’s planned troop redeployments from Germany (The New York Times). 

The United States is sending “a clear message to the world: America is back,” Biden said, repeating a 2020 campaign theme. “We’re going to rebuild our alliances. We’re going to re-engage the world.” 

The president, who has been in office for two weeks, gets high marks for his job performance from 61 percent of Americans, a level of job approval that eluded Trump during his term, according to a new survey (The Associated Press). Since Jan. 20, a rising number of people believe the country is on the right track (RealClearPolitics).  

Even at a moment of deep national divisions, those numbers suggest Biden, as with most of his recent predecessors, may enjoy something of a honeymoon period. Nearly all modern presidents have had approval ratings averaging 55 percent or higher over their first three months in office, according to Gallup polling. There was one exception: Trump.

 

 

 

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IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

CORONAVIRUS: Johnson & Johnson applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, putting the U.S. on the verge of greenlighting a third shot to combat the pandemic. 

The pharmaceutical giant’s application came less than a week after it released data showing its vaccine has a 66 percent efficacy versus the virus. The shot would be the first to be approved by the FDA since Moderna’s vaccine was on Dec. 18. Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine received approval on Dec. 11 (The Hill).  

The pending approval of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine would be a major boost for the U.S.’s efforts to corral the pandemic. Unlike shots by Pfizer and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine requires only one dose that can be stored at temperatures between 36 and 46 degrees, easing the burden for hospitals and pharmacies doling out the shots. 

While Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine reported a smaller efficacy than Pfizer and Moderna’s shots, experts say the burgeoning shot cannot be compared against the others. Johnson & Johnson’s shot requires only one dose and the trial was conducted when there were significantly more cases and as variants emerged.  

Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters last week that the main takeaway from Johnson & Johnson’s data was that the shot is 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease, reducing deaths along the way. 

“That will alleviate so much of the stress and human suffering and death in this epidemic,” Fauci said (CNBC). 

Forbes: The process of preparing and filing for an application could take a week or two, after which the FDA review and potential approval is likely to take another two to three weeks. For perspective, the FDA review process took about three weeks for Pfizer and slightly less for Moderna. Considering this, it’s likely that the Johnson & Johnson shot should be approved for use by March.

The New York Times: The FDA says it is preparing a plan as virus variants gain a foothold in the United States.

The Hill: AstraZeneca approvals abroad fuel debate over speeding U.S. process.

 

 

> Statewide efforts: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) on Thursday reissued a statewide mask mandate, reintroducing the requirement for indoor public spaces shortly after Republican legislators voted to overturn a previous health emergency order imposing face coverings.

The mask mandate was initially repealed after lawmakers overturned the original emergency order that was put in place 10 months ago. An hour later, Evers announced a new order including a face mask requirement.

“Wearing a mask is the most basic thing we can do to keep each other safe. If the Legislature keeps playing politics and we don’t keep wearing masks, we’re going to see more preventable deaths, and it’s going to take even longer to get our state and our economy back on track,” Evers said in a video statement as part of the new order (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  

Meanwhile, the Biden administration’s coronavirus response team is evaluating the logistics of mailing out millions of face coverings to the public, but no decision has been made, and the proposal hasn’t yet reached the president for final approval, a White House official told NBC News (The Hill). 

The Associated Press: Global consulting firm McKinsey and Co. agrees to pay nearly $600 million over its role in the opioid crisis.

 

The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@digital-release.thehill.com and aweaver@digital-release.thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! 

 

OPINION

We need a constitutional amendment defining “high crimes and misdemeanors,” by Mark J. Rozell and Paul Goldman, opinion contributors, The Hill. https://bit.ly/3pP2LFe

The American system fueled global wealth — time to reclaim it, by Robert Hockett, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/3cIPNF1

WHERE AND WHEN

The House meets at 9 a.m. 

The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. on Monday and will resume consideration of Denis McDonough’s nomination to serve as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.  

The president and Vice President Harris will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 9:15 a.m. They will meet at 9:45 a.m. with House Democratic leaders and the chairs of House committees working on a coronavirus relief measure. Biden will speak at 11:45 a.m. about the economy and reference the government‘s release this morning of January employment data. Harris will join the president for his remarks in the State Dining Room, as will Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. At 3 p.m., the vice president and Yellen will participate in a virtual roundtable with local Black Chambers of Commerce to promote passage of a coronavirus relief bill. The president will depart the White House after 5 p.m. to fly to Wilmington, Del. 

The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m. and will include Jared Bernstein, member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The COVID-19 response team will brief reporters at 11 a.m. 

Economic indicator: The Bureau of Labor Statistics at 8:30 a.m. will report U.S. employment in January. Analysts’ forecasts vary widely but job growth is anticipated. 

INVITATIONS to The Hill’s Virtually Live events: 

✓  Tuesday, at 1 p.m., “Complex Generics & the Prescription Drug Landscape.” Reps. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and the Food and Drug Administration’s Sally Choe talk with The Hill’s Steve Clemons about how complex generic medical alternatives can impact and potentially enhance the American health care system. RSVP HERE. 

✓  Thursday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m., “COVID-19 & the Opioid Epidemic.” Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) and a panel of experts will discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the opioid epidemic and the path to saving lives. RSVP HERE. 

Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features news and interviews at http://digital-release.thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. EST at Rising on YouTube. 

 

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ELSEWHERE

➔ POLITICS: Former Vice President Pence plans to join the conservative Heritage Foundation as a distinguished fellow. Pence, who is now residing in Virginia, plans to return this summer to Indiana with wife Karen Pence and is expected to compete for the presidency in 2024 (Politico). … Amy Acton, the former head of pandemic response in Ohio, announced that she is leaving her spot at a nonprofit to explore a run for the state’s Senate seat as a Democrat to replace Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who is retiring from Congress (The Associated Press). … Florida-based Smartmatic USA, a voting technology company, is suing Fox News, three of its hosts and two former lawyers for Trump, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The complaint, filed in New York state court, seeks $2.7 billion and charges that defendants conspired to spread false claims that the company helped “steal” the U.S. presidential election (The Associated Press). 

 

 

➔ COURTS: A litigious conservative doctors’ group that challenged the broad scientific consensus around vaccines sued Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), claiming the House Intelligence Committee chairman’s successful campaign to get Amazon, Facebook and Google to downgrade anti-vaccine content on their platforms amounted to censorship. Such court fights have grown more prominent (The Hill).  

➔ STATE WATCH: The most dysfunctional legislature in America (i.e. in Alaska, reports The Hill’s Reid Wilson) is at it — or rather not at it — again. At a critical moment in Alaska’s history, as the state charts a path that will determine its fiscal health for decades to come, the state House of Representatives cannot agree on a temporary leader. The battle for control has dragged on for a month, and there are no signs it will end any time soon.

➔ SPORTS: Super Bowl LV, America’s biggest sports weekend, begins Sunday night on CBS between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A couple of notes ahead of kickoff: The game may take place in temperate Tampa, but Kansas City is favored to take home a second straight Lombardi Trophy. According to oddsmakers, the team is a three-point favorite, with bettors able to pick the Chiefs on the moneyline at -166 (as of this morning). Degenerates can also grab Tampa Bay at +144, if they choose. The over/under is 55.5. The weather forecast is promising with early thunderstorms on Sunday likely to give way to partly cloudy skies by evening. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (Fanduel and ESPN).

THE CLOSER

And finally … Congratulations to Morning Report Quiz winners who guessed correctly while matching recent headline-grabbing quotes with the female lawmakers who said them. 

This week’s news trivia champs: Susan Reyes, Donna Minter, Dan Mattoon, William Slay, John Wilcox, Mary Brule, Candi Cee, James Egan, Joanna Gwozdziowski, Tim Aiken, Mary Anne McEnery, Susan Olson, Pam Manges, Wilma J. Sanders, John van Santen, Terry MacDougall, Jarrod Bolden, Passepartout Too-Too, Patrick Kavanagh, Eric Lanter, Mary Frances Tucco, Paula Hassinger, Daniel Bachhuber, Norm Roberts, Susan Kahil, Ed Hodder, Ilene Kantrov, Marsha Corrocher, John Donato, Luther Berg, Juanita Bryant, Terry Pflaumer, Joseph Fleischman, Michael Palermo, Tyranieri, Richard Frankenstein, Matthew DeLaune, Anita Bales, Elizabeth Murphy, Rich Gruber, Richard Baznik, Nicola Dawkins, John N. Dziennik Jr., Allen Reishtein, Victoria Gasaway, Kane Martin, Joe Erdmann, Sandy Walters, David Anderson, Richard Clermont, “ToMo Updates,” Enzo De Palma, Sherri Escobar, Jeanne Kosch and Jack Barshay.

They knew that Greene said (B): “This war on our second amendment is going to continue and must be fought. I am told that Nancy Pelosi tells Hillary Clinton several times a month that ‘we need another school shooting’ in order to persuade the public to want strict gun control.”

Cheney said (D): “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. I will vote to impeach the President.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) (pictured below) said (A): “I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there’s common ground, but you [Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)] almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out. … Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that aren’t trying to get me killed. In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign.”

Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) said (E) (and was questioned about her remarks during her recent confirmation hearing to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development): “Those who are bent on choosing [the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s] successor have no decency. They have no honor. They have no integrity. … They want to take away our healthcare. They don’t want to help people who are in trouble. They don’t care about people who are unemployed. All they want to do is win. But what do they win? What have they won for this Nation? They just want to benefit themselves. … They are a disgrace to this Nation.” 

Speaker Pelosi said (C): “The enemy is within the House.”