The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Hearing to focus on play-by-play of Trump on Jan. 6

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* 

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically. 

HAPPENING THIS WEEK 

Just like this season of ‘Stranger Things,’ we are entering Volume 2 of Jan. 6 hearings: 

The Jan. 6 hearings resume this week with two hearings, one of which will reportedly happen during prime time.

What to expect this week: Portions of recorded testimony from former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who spoke with the committee last week. 

The expected theme of Tuesday’s 1 p.m. hearing: The role of far-right extremist groups. Think: Proud Boys and Oath Keepers 

When is the prime-time hearing?: It hasn’t been formally announced, but multiple news outlets are reporting that Thursday’s hearing will happen during prime time. That hearing is expected to focus on former President Trump’s actions as the riot unfolded. 

➤ MORE ON WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS WEEK’S J6 HEARINGS: 
Via The Hill’s Mike Lillis and Rebecca Beitsch 

➤ ‘MEET THE KEY PLAYERS IN THE NEXT JAN. 6 HEARINGS’:
From Politico’s Kyle Cheney, Betsy Woodruff Swan and Nicholas Wu

Just now — Biden’s target is on assault weapons: 

“President Biden on Monday capped off a celebration of a recently passed bipartisan gun safety law with a call to take further action, including a ban on assault weapons.” 

The event: Biden held an event on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 

From Biden: “We’re living in a country awash in weapons of war. What is the rationale for these weapons outside war zones? … Assault weapons need to be banned. They were banned. I led the fight in 1994. And then under pressure from the NRA and the gun manufacturers and others, that ban was lifted in 2004. In that 10 years it was law, mass shootings went down.”  More from Biden, via The Hill’s Brett Samuels 

Watch Biden’s full remarks

IT’S MONDAY. Welcome back! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

🧾 In Congress 

➤ BESIDES THE JAN. 6 HEARINGS, WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS?:

Abortion bills: The House is expected to consider — and pass — two bills to protect access to abortion. These bills would need 60+ votes to clear the Senate, which is unlikely, but House Democrats are set on passing anything they can.  

Alert system for active shooter situations: The House will vote on the Active Shooter Alert Act, a communication system for alerting individuals when an active shooter is nearby. 

Senate noms: The Senate is returning with a slew of nomination votes. Including: “Steve Dettelbach, who President Biden nominated to serve as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).” 

More on what is happening on Capitol Hill this week, via The Hill’s Mychael Schnell 

One! More! Try!:

“Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is making a last-ditch effort to pass a budget reconciliation bill during the July and early August work period.” 

What’s on the table?: A proposal to lower the cost of prescription drug costs, extending Medicare’s solvency and potentially raising taxes on the wealthy.

How would Schumer get there?: Continuing negotiations with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

The outstanding issues that are holding up a reconciliation bill, via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.

🐘 In the GOP 

Trump’s lawyers spoke with the DOJ:

Via The Hill’s Harper Neidig, “Federal prosecutors revealed on Monday that the Justice Department interviewed former President Trump’s attorney last month regarding their contempt case against Stephen Bannon.” 

Why this is worth noting: “The revelations come less than two days after Bannon’s lawyers said in a letter to the House Jan. 6 select committee that their client is now willing to testify before the panel, partly because Trump decided to ‘waive’ any assertions of executive privilege over his former adviser.” The full story 

More on Bannon’s sudden willingness to testify publicly, via The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld 

➤ THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS ARGUING BANNON’S REVERSAL IS A STUNT: 
Via NBC’s Ryan J. Reilly, “The Justice Department said the Trump associate’s purported desire to reverse his stance and testify before the House Jan. 6 committee is nothing more than a ‘last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability.’”  

What the DOJ is claiming: That Trump “never invoked executive privilege over any particular information or materials.” How this fits into the Jan. 6 investigation 

Interesting observation — Soooo, who would staff Trump’s next election bid?: 

“Key players in former President Trump’s last campaign have quietly distanced themselves from the president, raising real questions about who would staff his campaign as he edges closer to a bid for reelection in 2024.”  

Who Trump sources think will play a major role: “Susie Wiles, the chair of Trump’s Save America PAC. Wiles managed Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) first gubernatorial campaign and played a leading role in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) statewide campaign. She also served as a strategist based in Florida for Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.” 

And: “Taylor Budowich andLiz Harrington have served as spokespeople for Trump and his leadership PAC and could both work in similar roles on any campaign, sources said.” 

Trump aides who have been slowly distancing themselves, via The Hill’s Brett Samuels 

➤ ‘CANDIDATE CHALLENGES, PRIMARY SCARS HAVE GOP WORRIED ABOUT SENATE CHANCES’:
From The Washington Post’s Michael Scherer, Colby Itkowitz and Josh Dawsey

🐐 In the Democratic Party 

Joe isn’t the most popular rn: 

Via The New York Times’s Shane Goldmacher, “President Biden is facing an alarming level of doubt from inside his own party, with 64 percent of Democratic voters saying they would prefer a new standard-bearer in the 2024 presidential campaign, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll, as voters nationwide have soured on his leadership, giving him a meager 33 percent job-approval rating.” 

Americans are pretty pessimistic: “Only 13 percent of American voters said the nation was on the right track — the lowest point in Times polling since the depths of the financial crisis more than a decade ago.” 

More takeaways from The New York Times/Siena College poll

🩺 The latest with abortion 

The first potential over-the-counter birth control pill:

Via The Hill’s Peter Sullivan, “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday received an application for the first over-the counter birth control pill.” 

What we know: “The application for a daily birth control pill available without a prescription comes from the drug company HRA Pharma. The FDA will likely take months to review the application but the application itself is an important milestone.” What to expect 

➤ ‘STATES WITH ABORTION BANS RISK LOSING THEIR ECONOMIC EDGE’:
Via The New York Times’s Alexander Burns, “The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has prompted Democratic governors to pitch their states as better alternatives for business.” What this could mean for red and blue states

🦠 Latest with COVID 

➤ BY THE NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 88.1 million 

Death toll: 1,015,568 

Current hospitalizations: 31,425 

Shots administered: 597 million 

Fully vaccinated: 67 percent of Americans 

CDC data here.

🐥Notable tweets 

Lol: 

TIME’s Eric Cortellessa tweeted, “This weekend in Rehoboth, a secret service officer on POTUS’s detail fell off his bike with Biden a few feet behind him. ‘It wasn’t me!’ Biden screamed to onlookers.”

⏱On tap 

The Senate is in. The House is holding a pro forma session. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C.

• 9 a.m.: Biden received the President’s Daily Brief. 
• 3 p.m.: The Senate returns from recess.
• 5 p.m.: Biden and Harris receive a briefing from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officials and preview the first images from the Webb Space Telescope.  
• 5:30 p.m.: The Senate holds a cloture vote on a nomination. Today’s Senate agenda 
• Wednesday: The Hill is hosting an event, “Securing America’s Retirement.” Featured speakers: Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), BPC chief economist Jason Fichtner and Ohio School Employees Retirement System’s Farouki Majeed. Details and RSVPs 
• July 19: The Hill is hosting an event, “America’s Unfinished Business: The Hill’s Future of Health Care 2022.” Featured speakers: Anthony Fauci, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, AMA president Jack Resneck and Mark McClellan. Details and RSVPs 

All times Eastern.

📺What to watch 

• 11 a.m.: Biden hosted an event commemorating the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Biden and Harris spoke at the event. Livestream 
• 3:45 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing. Livestream

🧁 In lighter news 

Today is National Blueberry Muffin Day. 

It’s almost Black Friday in July:

Here’s a list of some of the best Prime Day 2022 deals, via Wirecutter. 

When is Prime Day?: July 12-13 

And to leave you with a smile, here are two bunnies enjoying a wholesome morning together.