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Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It is Thursday! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe!
Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 589,893; Tuesday, 590,533; Wednesday, 590,941; Thursday, 591,953.
Senate Republicans are set to deliver their latest infrastructure offer to President Biden this morning amid rampant skepticism that the two sides can hammer out an agreement in the coming weeks.
Led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a group of Senate Republicans will present the White House with its counteroffer: a nearly $1 trillion package, focused on traditional infrastructure and paid for with roughly $700 billion in repurposed and unspent funds largely drawn from the coronavirus relief law enacted in March and more than $300 billion in proposed gas tax revenues. The proposed hike in taxes on gasoline, seen by some Democrats as regressive, is projected to contribute $40 billion annually over eight years.
According to one Senate GOP aide, the latest proposal, after initially beginning at $568 billion last month, is expected to be the group’s last bid, with senators in recent days arguing that it will include almost every item that Biden indicated would be needed for him to come on board.
“This is the ceiling,” the aide told the Morning Report. “This is a really good, really solid offer. We could pass the bill tomorrow. … If [Biden] turns this down, he’s doing what he’s done consistently so far. He’s running to the left to his $2 trillion-plus bill, which has a lot more for liberal priorities than anything resembling roads and bridges.”
The GOP’s effort comes at a critical juncture. Republicans have enlarged their offer and the White House on Friday trimmed its proposal from $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion, but that counter-move by Biden and his team was rejected by GOP senators, thus raising today’s stakes.
Politico: Why infrastructure talks are in real trouble.
Fox Business: White House likely to dispute GOP plan to pay for its $1 trillion infrastructure counteroffer.
Nevertheless, optimism is not exceedingly high. Republicans are pessimistic that their offer will actually move the needle in talks and believe it’s only a matter of time before Democratic leaders plow ahead with a package via reconciliation. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Tuesday that he plans to bring the issue up in the upper chamber after July 4.
Also waiting in the wings is a bill being crafted by a bipartisan group that includes Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). However, lawmakers indicate that the bill is on the back burner as Biden and Capito talks remain at the forefront.
While Capito’s offer takes the headlines, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved a $311 billion infrastructure bill for highways and roads, giving lawmakers another avenue to pass legislation (Politico).
Politico: Biden prepared to extend infrastructure talks.
CBS News: Senate Republicans to propose counteroffer on infrastructure closer to $1 trillion.
If Democrats do not proceed with a package via reconciliation, the White House could have a major decision to make as any bipartisan bill is unlikely to feature funds to combat climate change or for elder care. Both the Capito bill and the burgeoning bipartisan group are expected to avoid the subjects altogether, potentially leaving Biden with a tough decision: whether to jump on board with a consensus package and leave the key Democratic items on the cutting room floor or push for an all-encompassing bill and reject a bipartisan effort (The Washington Post).
The Hill: GOP backing down from threat to block Schumer’s China bill.
> Police reform: Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) on Wednesday said that negotiators have until the end of June to strike a deal on police reform legislation.
“I think it’s June or bust,” Scott, the lead GOP negotiator, told reporters on Wednesday when asked about a timeline. “I think we have three weeks in June to get this done.”
Scott’s comments come after he declined to publicly embrace the unofficial May 25 deadline pushed for by Biden and top Democrats who had hoped to be able to announce a deal by the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. On Monday, Scott released a statement on Monday with Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Rep. Karen Bass (Calif.), the lead Democratic negotiators, saying that they are making “progress” and “remain optimistic” while acknowledging that they are still working through “key differences” (The Hill).
> Commission struggles: Republicans are lining up to block the creation of a commission to probe the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. However, as The Hill’s Mike Lillis writes, the strategy is not without risks.
While sinking the commission would satisfy the Republicans’ short-term objective of appeasing former President Trump, it would almost certainly prompt Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to launch a special investigation of her own — one that could play to the long-term advantage of Democrats heading into the 2022 midterms (The Hill).
The Associated Press: Mother of cop who died after Jan. 6 urges 1/6 commission.
The Hill: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives nominee tells lawmakers he supports AR-15 ban.
NBC News: A quiet bipartisan effort on gun background checks may have a path to a deal.
The Hill: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) offers rare praise for the Biden administration’s response to the Myanmar coup.
RIP: Former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), 94, who served as a secretary of the Navy and was a former chairman of the Armed Services Committee before retiring from the Senate in 2009 also became Elizabeth Taylor’s sixth husband in 1976 after a whirlwind romance. They were divorced in 1982 (The Washington Post).
A MESSAGE FROM UBER
Meet Fallon. Delivering with Uber Eats helps her pay for college. “I like the flexibility of driving with Uber,” she says. “I can drive when I want to.”
*Driver earnings may vary depending on location, demand, hours, drivers, and other variables.
LEADING THE DAY
ADMINISTRATION: Responding to persistent questions about China’s role in the ongoing pandemic, Biden on Wednesday issued a 90-day order to U.S. intelligence agencies to continue investigating the origin of COVID-19, about which experts are divided, and report to him in August (The Hill).
“I have now asked the Intelligence Community to redouble their efforts to collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion, and to report back to me in 90 days,” Biden said in a statement (Reuters and The Associated Press).
The Chinese embassy in Washington said it is unhappy with Congress and the White House because of the U.S. approach to the origins debate (Reuters).
Global scientists and public health experts believe determining how the novel coronavirus initially infected humans in Wuhan could help prevent the next such worldwide health crisis. One theory is that COVID-19 evolved naturally from animals such as bats and infected humans. Another theory is that the pathogen found its way out of a Wuhan virology laboratory into the population, and the Chinese government has not been transparent about what it knows.
The quest by the World Health Organization (WHO) and global disease detectives to definitively answer questions that have swirled since January 2020 took on a partisan tilt in the United States, particularly among conservatives and China critics. But lawmakers from both parties in Congress are now weighing investigatory or oversight hearings. They are unlikely to obtain any new data or evidence from China, but they can seek documents and intelligence reports from the executive branch, reports Politico.
WHO issued an extensive but inconclusive report with China’s input in March following an international investigation. The global public health agency called for further studies.
The Hill and The Kansas City Star: The Senate unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday requiring Biden to declassify specific information collected since last year by U.S. intelligence on the possible origins of COVID-19.
The Hill’s Niall Stanage, in his latest Memo, explores how Biden’s immigration policies and executive challenges are inviting criticism from all sides.
U.S. communities are reporting a surge in violent antisemitic attacks and slurs related to the 11-day clash between Israel and the Palestinians, now quieted by a cease-fire (The New York Times). The Hill’s Alex Gangitano reports that while the president has condemned domestic attacks aimed at Jews, Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups would like to see the president take action, such as nominating a special U.S. ambassador at large to monitor and combat antisemitism.
The Associated Press: The U.S. military is permeated with deep-rooted racism and discrimination, according to interviews in all branches, documents and examinations of databases and policies that in some cases do not track key information, such as the number of troops ousted from the military for their extremist views.
The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports from Cleveland, where Biden travels today, noting that the president eventually must decide whether or when to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed on the European Union by the Trump administration.
If he lifts the tariffs, he risks the ire of communities in swing states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, where the U.S. steel industry says it has benefited from Trump’s tariff policies. If Biden keeps the tariffs in place, he adds to tensions with European partners and the larger U.S. business community. “It’s just a challenging issue because obviously for steel manufacturers, for steelworkers, for people who work in that industry who want to see more jobs created, increased prices are more good news,” said Democratic strategist Mark Nevins. “On the other hand for consumers, one of the downsides of the trade wars is that increases prices for consumers.”
The White House is making plans for Biden to meet with Queen Elizabeth II next month when he is in the United Kingdom for the Group of Seven summit, which takes place in Cornwall in a few weeks (CNN).
IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES
CORONAVIRUS: Booster shots may not be needed! Immunity to the coronavirus lasts at least a year, possibly a lifetime, improving over time especially after vaccination, according to two new studies. Together, the studies suggest that most people who have recovered from COVID-19 and who were later immunized will not need boosters (The New York Times).
Cities & states: On a rolling schedule, Washington, D.C., will begin closing walk-up COVID-19 vaccine sites in June. The inoculations continue to be free at pharmacies, clinics and health care centers across the nation’s capital, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). Vaccine locations are listed at vaccines.gov. Free pick up and drop-off locations for Test Yourself DC are listed at coronavirus.dc.gov/testyourself. About 42 percent of the city’s population has been inoculated to date. … New York state will raffle 50 full-tuition scholarships by random drawing for 12- to 17-year-olds beginning today through July 7. Entrants must get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the next six weeks to be eligible for the scholarships to any SUNY or CUNY college in the state. The random drawings will be conducted every Wednesday and include 10 four-year scholarships each week, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) (NBC New York). … Pennsylvania is the 10th state to hit Biden’s 70 percent vaccination goal (The Hill). … Ohio, which established a Vax-a-Million lottery, on Wednesday announced the first two winners, Abbigail Bugenske near Cincinnati, who won $1 million in a drawing based on her recent vaccination, and Joseph Costello near Dayton, who will receive a full-ride college scholarship (The Associated Press).
Welcome back: The Smithsonian Institution plans this summer to have all 19 of its museums open for the first time since March 2020 (The Hill). In Washington, it’s no secret that the most popular exhibit at the reopened Smithsonian National Zoo is 9-month-old baby panda Xiao Qi Ji. (A playtime video with an empty pink milk crate is a hit this month on Twitter.)
*****
POLITICS: Senate Republicans view a special grand jury investigation into Trump’s business practices as more evidence that Democrats want to keep Trump in the spotlight to drag them down in the midterm election.
As The Hill’s Alexander Bolton writes, Republicans think the investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. will only further deepen partisan divisions over the 45th president and believe that even if he’s indicted, it won’t diminish him as a political force in the coming years.
According to GOP lawmakers, a lot depends on what Vance is able to prove in court if he brings a criminal case against Trump, his business associates or the Trump Organization itself, but they argue it’s too early to assess whether a criminal indictment against Trump — or even a conviction — will inflict any serious damage on Trump’s popularity with the GOP base. One Senate Republican who requested anonymity said Trump would have to be “in jail” to be neutralized as a political force.
John Kruzel, The Hill: What we know about the grand jury in Trump probe.
The Hill: 66 percent of GOP want Trump to run for reelection: poll.
The Washington Post: Michigan’s top election official and Dominion warn counties about the risks of vote audits by outside groups.
The Hill: Two-thirds of Republicans think Biden’s victory was not legitimate: poll.
Roll Call: Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.) accused of bribing potential primary opponent not to run.
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!
OPINIONS
San Jose mass shooting demands action on gun control, by the editorial boards of the Mercury News and East Bay Times. https://bayareane.ws/3foliWb
Kevin McCarthy, meet Dr. Frankenstein, by Karen Tumulty, columnist, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/2RGupsg
Stock buybacks aren’t holding back worker wages, by Noah Smith, columnist, Bloomberg Opinion. https://bloom.bg/3yEcpiF
A MESSAGE FROM UBER
Meet Fallon. Delivering with Uber Eats helps her pay for college. “I like the flexibility of driving with Uber,” she says. “I can drive when I want to.”
*Driver earnings may vary depending on location, demand, hours, drivers, and other variables.
WHERE AND WHEN
The House meets Friday at 10 a.m. for a pro forma session. Lawmakers resume legislative work in the Capitol next month.
The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. to resume consideration of the Endless Frontier Act.
The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 10 a.m. Biden will travel to Cleveland to deliver remarks at 2:20 p.m. about the economy at Cuyahoga Community College. He’ll be back at the White House this evening.
Vice President Harris will meet with private sector leaders to discuss economic development in Central America at 4 p.m.
First lady Jill Biden will travel to Michigan and Missouri to tour COVID-19 vaccination clinics today. She will tour Grand Rapids Community College’s clinic downtown this afternoon and later arrive in Kansas City, Mo., to visit the vaccination clinic at Metropolitan Community College’s Penn Valley campus. She will return to Washington tonight.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will appear in Albuquerque, N.M., for a campaign event with Democrat Melanie Stansbury ahead of next week’s special election to fill the seat vacated by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Economic indicator: The Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. will report filings for unemployment benefits during the week ending May 22. Analysts anticipate another weekly drop in claims as U.S. hiring improves.
Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features news and interviews at http://digital-release.thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. ET at Rising on YouTube.
ELSEWHERE
➔ MASS SHOOTINGS: A California transit employee on Wednesday shot and killed eight co-workers in San Jose and wounded another before taking his own life in the latest of a spate of deadly mass U.S. shootings, prompting the state’s governor to ask: “What the hell is wrong with us?” (Reuters). Maintenance worker Samuel Cassidy, 57, shot virtually everyone on the morning shift at the light rail maintenance yard, including some employees he had worked with for years. He also set his own house on fire (The Los Angeles Times). … Pelosi said on Wednesday that she was “personally devastated” by the latest mass shooting in her state (The Hill).
➔ TECH: Russia and Iran are the biggest sources of fake Facebook accounts and pages used to mislead users, according to a new report released by the company. A third of the 150 networks that the company shut down between 2017 and 2020 for “coordinated inauthentic behavior” came from the two countries. Inauthentic networks involve accounts, pages and groups that use fake accounts to mislead users. The U.S. was the most popular target, followed by Ukraine (The Hill). … Facebook will roll out the option to hide “like” counts on posts across the platform and Instagram for all users this week, the company announced Wednesday. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the new feature is geared toward decreasing stress tied to social media (The Hill).
➔ ENTERTAINMENT: Amazon said on Wednesday that it will buy MGM Studios for $8.45 billion, turbocharging its streaming ambitions (CNBC).
THE CLOSER
And finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by the annual tradition of paying homage to America’s war dead, we’re eager for some smart guesses about Memorial Day.
Email your responses to asimendinger@digital-release.thehill.com and/or aweaver@digital-release.thehill.com, and please add “Quiz” to subject lines. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
Memorial Day was originally called ______?
- Honor Day
- Decoration Day
- Heroes Day
- None of the above; it was always called Memorial Day.
Memorial Day, observed on the final day in May, officially became a federal holiday in what year?
- 1867
- 1902
- 1954
- 1971
Some who participate in Memorial Day ceremonies wear a red poppy. Why?
- To emulate an ancient Celtic rite once thought to ease passage to the afterlife
- It’s a WWI and American Legion tradition inspired by the 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields”
- Poppies are a brightly colored, common springtime weed across the U.S.
- To symbolize relief from pain because opium comes from poppies
Many Americans associate the Memorial Day holiday with advertised sales for which product, according to Consumer Reports?
- Bank certificates of deposit
- Back-to-school clothing and gear
- Traditional wrist watches
- Mattresses
