NotedDC — GOP prepares to take on Stacey Abrams

As voters cast ballots in several key primary contests Tuesday, the GOP is already turning its attention to one key Democratic rival: Georgia’s Stacey Abrams.

Abrams, the Peach State’s presumed Democratic gubernatorial nominee and a star in the party, is making another run for governor after losing the 2018 general election.

Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp and former Sen. David Perdue (R) — battling for a chance to take on Abrams in November — slammed her this week after she said during a campaign event over the weekend that Georgia is “the worst state in the country to live,” citing incarceration rates and health care.

Abrams later called her remarks “inartful” but they sparked fierce backlash from Kemp, the odds-on favorite to win Tuesday’s GOP nomination, as well as Perdue, who is backed by former President Trump.

Kemp, who defeated Abrams in 2018, responded to the comments by saying at a rally Monday that he’s “glad we’re the No. 1 state in the country for business,” adding, “We are the best state in the country to live, work and raise our families in.”

The Georgia race will be one of the top gubernatorial battles to watch this summer.

Welcome to NotedDC: Your guide to politics, policy and people of consequence in D.C. Have some news, juicy gossip, insight or other insider info? Send us tips: Elizabeth Crisp and Kelsey Carolan. 

📨 Encourage your friends to sign up here: digital-stage.thehill.com/noted.

🇹🇼 Taiwan Caucus chair: Biden was right the first time

President Biden sparked confusion — even reportedly among some of his own aides — with his comment that the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s aid militarily if China ever invaded.

A leader of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus says Biden should have stuck to that position.

“I’ve always favored strategic clarity, letting [China] know clearly that we would be there to defend Taiwan if they attacked,” Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, told NotedDC.

While Chabot maintained that he wants to avoid direct military involvement, he “commended” Biden for his initial remark. But he said he was let down when the White House quickly walked it back and clarified it did not reflect a policy change.

• The U.S. had long held onto its “strategic ambiguity” policy, purposefully avoiding answering how the U.S. would respond if China invaded Taiwan, a U.S. ally and trade partner. 
  
• China does not consider Taiwan as an independent country, and Biden’s initial comment about Taiwan on his first presidential trip to Asia drew praise from both Republicans and some Democrats.
  
• “President Biden is right. Credible deterrence requires both courage and clarity – and Taiwan’s vibrant democracy deserves our full support,” Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted Monday.

Chabot also said the exclusion of Taiwan from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework showed “weakness and kind of cowering to China because we’re afraid we might offend them.”  

Read more on what the future of “strategic ambiguity” looks like from The Hill’s Morgan Chalfant, Brett Samuels and Amie Parnes. 

CATCH UP FAST

Biden’s four-day trip to Asia included meetings with the “Quad” alliance of leaders from India, Australia and Japan.

Here’s what you might have missed from the trip: 

• Biden met with U.S. Embassy staffers in Tokyo
• During the motorcade to the airport, Fujifilm office workers were spotted watching from their office building, and others lined the sidewalks to watch and take photos
• U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, a former mayor of Chicago and former Obama White House chief of staff, attended Biden’s airport departure
• China and Russia flew nuclear-capable bombers Tuesday in a joint military drill that came as Biden was in Japan, a senior administration official confirmed 
• Watch a video recap from The Hill: Wrapping up Biden’s first trip to Asia

The president left his digs at Tokyo’s Okura hotel on Tuesday for the lengthy flight back to the U.S., which required an hour-long refueling in Alaska.

Biden wasn’t spotted by reporters traveling with the president, per pool reports, but several of his top aides were seen on the tarmac.

The president is expected to address the mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas during remarks on Tuesday night.

Biden heads into Memorial Day weekend facing a series of major challenges, including a new mass shooting, record-high gas prices and inflation concerns.

He will be the featured speaker at the Naval Academy graduation on Friday in Annapolis, Md., and at the University of Delaware, his alma mater, on Saturday. 

📺 Here come the Jan. 6 hearings

The House select committee probing the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack will hold six public hearings in June, The Guardian reported Monday. Here’s what to expect:

When will they be held? The first and last hearing will be held in primetime on June 9 and June 23. The others will start at 10 a.m. on June 13, 15, 16 and 21. All are scheduled to last around 1.5 to 2.5 hours, according to The Guardian.

What will be the focus? The hearings are expected to present the committee’s findings on how former President Trump and his allies attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Much of the committee’s investigation has relied on witness testimony through subpoenas and White House phone and visitor logs. 

Who is the committee waiting on to testify? Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.) are scheduled to testify Thursday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Friday and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) on May 31. 

It is unclear whether they will comply with the subpoenas. Brooks told NBC News Tuesday he never received a letter, even though committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss) addressed one to him on May 12.

Looking ahead: The committee has its eyes on Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) for information after it claims it reviewed video footage of him giving a tour the day before the attack, which he denies. If Loudermilk doesn’t voluntarily testify, a subpoena might not be out of the question. 

🎥 Media shakeups

Chris Stirewalt, who was ousted from Fox News, is making his way back onto television as NewsNation’s new political editor, where he is expected to provide analysis throughout the election cycle.

His abrupt departure from Fox came after he correctly called Arizona for then-candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 election, angering avid Fox News viewer President Trump and his allies.

Another Fox News alum, Greta Van Susteren, will join Newsmax for her new show “The Record with Greta Van Susteren.” She will join her former Fox News colleagues Eric Bolling and James Rosen at the conservative network. 

And MSNBC confirmed that former White House press secretary Jen Psaki will be joining the network. She will get her own show early next year but will appear on NBC platforms and programs starting in the fall as part of its politics coverage.

Keep up with the latest media news from The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo

💊 The next health crisis

Lawmakers are turning their attention to trying to prevent other public health crises following the COVID-19 pandemic, including infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) told editor-in-chief Bob Cusack during The Hill’s Antibiotic Resistance: A Looming Public Health Crisis event Tuesday that it presents a “global opportunity for us to lead in terms of innovation.” 

The PASTEUR Act, which Bennet introduced in December 2020, would allow the government to enter subscription contracts with manufacturers for “critical-need” antimicrobial drugs. 

Bennet said it would help “smaller drug companies in particular know that they’re going to stay in business while they work on something that may not be that important to us today but can be very important to us tomorrow.” 

Bill sponsor Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) warned that bacteria are “evolving at a very quick rate for a lot of different reasons,” saying new technologies are needed.

Bennet said he thinks the pandemic has made many on the Hill “change the way they think about things,” suggesting more Americans want investments in public health. 

Watch the rest of Tuesday’s event here

RACES TO WATCH TONIGHT

Tuesday’s primaries include a number of key races. Here’s what to watch:

Georgia: Beyond the gubernatorial battle, the Peach State also has a high-profile Senate race this year. Trump has endorsed NFL legend Herschel Walker, a Republican who is polling with a strong lead. The winner will face Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) in the fall. Warnock was the first Black senator elected from Georgia last year.

Texas: On the GOP ballot for Texas attorney general, incumbent Ken Paxton faces a challenge from George P. Bush, son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush. Bush is currently the state’s land commissioner and seen as a possible rising star in the Bush political dynasty, but Trump has backed Paxton in the race.

Alabama: Republican Sen. Richard Shelby is leaving an open seat in the Senate that could ultimately prompt a June 21 GOP runoff. Former Shelby aide Katie Britt is seen as the slight favorite over rivals Mike Durant and Rep. Mo Brooks. Trump initially endorsed Brooks but took it back over Brooks’ position on the 2020 election.
 

Arkansas: Trump’s one-time White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, is the favorite for the GOP nomination in the race for Arkansas governor. Incumbent Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) is term-limited. Five candidates are jockeying for the Democratic nod.

Stay with TheHill.com for the latest and recommend NotedDC to others: digital-stage.thehill.com/noted. See you tomorrow.

VIEW THE FULL EDITION HERE