No impeachment rush for Johnson

From: POLITICO Playbook PM - Friday Nov 10,2023 06:45 pm

Nov 10, 2023

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By Bethany Irvine

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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) addresses the media outside the U.S. Capitol Oct. 25, 2023.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) addresses the media outside the U.S. Capitol Oct. 25, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

SPENDING WATCH — The federal government is on track to shut down in seven days and less than 11 hours. Do you know where your continuing resolution is?

SLOWING HIS ROLL — The House GOP’s three-week struggle last month to select a new speaker all but halted momentum on their impeachment inquiry of President JOE BIDEN. And now that MIKE JOHNSON has the gavel, it’s not clear that the push will ever regain the same momentum.

WaPo’s Jacqueline Alemany reports today that Johnson has taken a more reserved tone toward the investigation, suggesting in a meeting this week with GOP centrists “that there is insufficient evidence at the moment to initiate formal impeachment proceedings.”

“Johnson appeared to agree with Republican lawmakers who argued that since Biden’s polling numbers have been so weak, there is less of a political imperative to impeach him,” Alemany writes.

Meanwhile, after the House Oversight Committee Chair JAMES COMER (R-Ky.) frustrated some of his colleagues after a bumbling first hearing back in September, “[t]he chorus of House Republicans urging caution in the inquiry has only grown since Johnson assumed the speaker’s seat, with some arguing that Republicans should not mimic what they viewed as politicized and rushed impeachments against former president [former President DONALD] TRUMP.”

Related read: “Inside Mike Johnson’s Ties to a Far-Right Movement to Gut the Constitution,” by Laura Jedeed in POLITICO Magazine

HOYER HEDGES — After news came Wednesday night that federal officials had chosen Greenbelt, Md., to be the new site for FBI headquarters, Rep. STENY HOYER (D-Md.) took to the airwaves on WAMU’s “The Politics Hour With Kojo Nnamdi” to tout the legacy-making victory and also face questions on his future in Congress.

On whether he now feels free to retire: “You know, what we have now is a big victory, and very frankly people were talking about my retiring 10 years ago and had I done that, I wouldn't have been around to celebrate this victory, so we'll, we'll see. …. I'm obviously gonna have to consider that but as you can see, I've been pretty active.

“At 84, I got remarried. I’m not giving up,” the former House majority leader said.

MANCHIN MUM — Following his bombshell retirement announcement yesterday, Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.V.) spoke today at a University of Georgia event on political civility and discussed his entry into politics (but, remarkably, not his surprise decision to exit or his possible future as a national candidate).

"I didn't get involved in politics because of party affiliation. I got involved in the political process because I wanted to change things,” Manchin said. Later noting he was “just mesmerized and so taken by surprise and how polarized the Senate was.” More from Anthony

Notably, to speak at the Georgia event, Manchin reportedly canceled plans to explain his retirement decision on his favorite home-state platform — the radio talk show hosted by West Virginia MetroNews’ Hoppy Kercheval.

Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line: birvine@politico.com.

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2024 WATCH

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY — The Democracy Alliance, a group that channels money from liberal megadonors, is eyeing seats in New York and California as a path for Democrats to regain the House in 2024, NYT’s Lisa Lerer scoops this morning: “According to a private memo circulated to members,” the group is aiming to win “back four seats in the state that Republicans flipped last year and to protect one that a Democrat narrowly held. A person with knowledge of the details who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the group was planning to raise $10 million for that coalition, called Battleground New York.”

More details: “Next year, along with focusing on the House races, the group plans to support President Biden’s agenda by investing in key swing states and liberal organizations that focus on voting rights. In total, the alliance donors plan to send tens of millions of dollars to Democratic and progressive groups working on the 2024 race.”

SURVEY SAYS — Seth Masket’s latest survey of Republican county chairs for POLITICO Magazine finds that they’re finally coalescing around Trump as the “invisible primary” door closes for everyone else. The latest data shows Trump “has gained people interested in him while losing detractors. And not only did he maintain his leading position, but he made greater gains than any other candidate over the past two months.”

DRILLING DOWN — “Trump turns to oil barons to boost his White House bid,” by WaPo’s Josh Dawsey and Maxine Joselow: “In recent weeks, Trump and his team have targeted donors from the oil and gas industry by holding two large events in Texas and calling some of the country’s richest executives. The campaign’s pitch has been straightforward: Trump is going to be the GOP nominee, so these donors should get on board now.”

‘BALLS’ AND STRIKES — “‘Speaking as a man’: Gendered insults at Republican debate highlight a risky strategy,” by WaPo’s Ashley Parker

CONGRESS

IMMIGRATION FILES — A group of senators, including Sens. MICHAEL BENNET (D-Colo.), JAMES LANKFORD (R-Okla.) KYRSTEN SINEMA (I-Ariz.) and THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.), are working over Veterans Day weekend to reach an agreement on asylum policy revisions targeted at curbing migrant crossings along the southern border, CBS News’ Camilo Montoya-Galvez writes: “[T]he compromise they're envisioning would be part of a broader national security funding package requested by President Biden that includes aid to Israel, Ukraine and border security money, which Senate Republicans have conditioned on significant restrictions on asylum.”

BLUE COLLAR CUES — Proponents of aid to Ukraine are hoping to lure Republican support by offering various economic benefits, including money for a gunpowder factory in Speaker Johnson’s home district in northwest Louisiana, Bloomberg’s Steven Dennis and Roxana Tiron report: “The money for the Goex plant, located just 28 miles east of the newly elected speaker’s hometown, is intended to modernize and increase safety at the facility, which has had at least seven fires and explosions in the last 25 years, according to the Shreveport Times.”

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AMERICA AND THE WORLD

DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS — Biden and Chinese President XI JINPING are officially set to meet next week at the APEC summit in San Francisco, the White House announced this morning. The two are “prepared to bring up issues including Taiwan, election interference, the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas,” NYT’s Katie Rogers and Alexandra Stevenson report.

Meanwhile, a new survey from Morning Consult has found that attitudes in China have become friendlier to the U.S. in the past year, possibly as a result of Beijing's slowing economy: “In April 2022 more than 80% of Chinese respondents said they viewed the U.S. as an enemy, according to the poll. But by October 2023, that number had fallen to less than 50%,” Axios’ Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian notes.

Related read: “U.S. Seeks to Resume Military Dialogue with Beijing,” by NYT’s Helene Cooper

MIDDLE EAST LATEST — While Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN praised Israel this morning over its recent announcement to allow daily military pauses in Gaza, he also issued one of his harshest condemnations of the civilian death toll, saying that more has to be done to "minimize harm to Palestinian civilians,” CNN’s Jennifer Hansler reports from New Delhi.

“We want to do everything possible to prevent harm to them and to maximize the assistance that gets to them,” Blinken said, “To that end, we’ll be continuing to discuss with Israel the concrete steps to be taken to advance these objectives.”

Must-click visual: “The Tunnels of Gaza,” by NYT’s Marco Hernandez and Josh Holder

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES — NBC News’ Kevin Collier and Ken Dilanian are out with an exclusive on how federal officials have halted their election information outreach efforts to tech companies, including regular FBI briefings on foreign influence and other coordination programs following “years of sustained Republican attacks.”

The gist: “The GOP offensive started during the 2020 election as public critiques and has since escalated into lawsuits, governmental inquiries and public relations campaigns that have succeeded in stopping almost all coordination … The most recent setback came when the FBI put an indefinite hold on most briefings to social media companies about Russian, Iranian and Chinese influence campaigns.”

GET READY FOR POLITICO’S DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/14: Russia’s war on Ukraine … China’s threats to Taiwan … a war in Gaza. The U.S. is under increasing pressure to deter, defend and fight in more ways — but not everyone agrees how. Join POLITICO's 3rd Annual Defense Summit on November 14 for exclusive interviews and expert discussions on global security and the U.S.'s race to bolster alliances and stay ahead of adversaries. Explore critical topics, including international conflicts, advanced technology, spending priorities and political dynamics shaping global defense strategies. Don’t miss these timely and important discussions. REGISTER HERE.

TRUMP CARDS

GONE GIRL — WaPo’s Ben Terris and Josh Dawsey are up with a fascinating write-around from Palm Beach, Fla. on MELANIA TRUMP’s life outside of the spotlight amid her husband’s ongoing legal battles and second bid for the White House: “For months, the former first lady has been living in one of Mar-a-Lago’s many bedrooms, secluded and almost entirely out of the public eye. … The disappearing act extends beyond the trail and the trials. Outside the walls of the Trumps’ estate here in Florida, Melania hasn’t really been seen at all.”

On where she’s been: It’s not much of a mystery: She’s spent time at Trump Tower in New York, which she is said to prefer over the club in Bedminster, N.J. She’s been paid to attend a number of events … For the most part, though, she’s here, at Mar-a-Lago. If she’s missing, it’s only in the sense that she is not as present as she could be, if she wanted.”

On talk that she doesn’t support Trump: “One way or another, [former adviser and friend] STEPHANIE WINSTON WOLKOFF had a gloomy prediction for those fantasizing about Donald Trump losing a key endorsement amid his reelection campaign: Melania will continue to support her husband. ‘No amount of scrutiny, no amount of cheating, lying, stealing, you name it, will change that,’ she said.”

THE VEEPSTAKES FILE — “Rep. Elise Stefanik files ethics complaint against judge in Trump's civil fraud trial,” by NBC News’ Katherine Doyle

MEANWHILE IN FLORIDA — In a new order, U.S. District Judge AILEEN CANNON rejected Trump’s request to delay his May 2024 trial date for his classified documents case in Florida, with the caveat that she could revisit the request in a scheduled pre-trial conference in March, WaPo’s Devlin Barrett and Perry Stein report. As for who might appear on the stand at the trial, CNN’s Katelyn Polantz and Paula Reid scoop that a “plumber, a maid, a chauffeur and a woodworker are among Mar-a-Lago staffers and contract workers who federal prosecutors may call to testify … [and] offer the public a new level of insight into the exclusive club.”