The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Biden teases 2024 budget request

by Cate Martel - 03/07/23 12:30 PM ET

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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.

NEWS THIS MORNING

‘Can you see what’s in there?’

‘I’m trying! Hold me up higher!’:

President Biden’s budget will officially be unveiled on Thursday, but the White House offered a small preview on Tuesday morning. Among the provisions, the plan calls for efforts to secure the future of Medicare and reduce the deficit by $2 trillion over 10 years.

But Republicans already are taking aim at Biden’s proposal ahead of its release. The Washington Post reports more on the opposition here.

Yet as The Hill’s Emily Brooks and Aris Folley report: Even Republicans are split over versions of spending plans.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT BIDEN’S BUDGET:

A number you will hear: Biden will suggest raising taxes on Americans earning more than $400,000 to help fund Medicare. What we know so far about the proposal, via The New York Times’s Jim Tankersley and Margot Sanger-Katz

Read the White House’s fact sheet previewing Biden’s budget: The White House released it this morning.

^ But keep in mind: Think of Biden’s proposal as more of a policy wish list. Biden gives his budget request to Congress to consider and debate. For context: Here’s a look at Biden’s budget request last year

Why Biden’s budget announcement is a little unusual this year: Instead of unveiling his budget at the White House, Biden will travel to Philadelphia for an event. *cough, swing state, cough*

More on the significance of Biden’s setting, via The Associated Press’s Josh Boak and Seung Min Kim

It’s Tuesday! We’re Liz Crisp and Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

💌 Programming note

Heads up, 12:30 Report friends:

I’m taking some time off coming up, so tomorrow is my last day for a few months. I’ll have more news to share soon! A few of my colleagues are helping out with the 12:30 Report while I’m gone — you’re in great hands! I’ll be back this summer to help find ways we can make light of the absurdity that is often Washington, D.C., politics — and when the 2024 campaign cycle will be in full swing!

Who do you think will and won’t be running for president by August? Send me your predictions!They will be fun to compare then. Who knows, maybe it will still just be Marianne Williamson, Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. 😉

And in the meantime, send your comments, pitches and funny animal videos to Elizabeth Crisp.

Cheers!

Cate 💕

🤳 In Congress

Graham calls for legislation after four Americans kidnapped in Mexico

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says he will introduce legislation to “set the stage” for U.S. military force in Mexico, after four Americans were kidnapped by armed men this week.

The kidnapped four have been located — two of them dead and one seriously injured.

“I would put Mexico on notice,” Graham told Fox News host Jesse Watters. “If you continue to give safe haven to drug dealers, then you are an enemy of the United States.”

Graham said he plans to follow the advice of former President Trump on policy with the neighboring country. More details from The Hill.

Happening at 2:30 p.m. — Bracing for a crash:

The Senate Banking Committee is holding a hearing this afternoon on the debt limit and the ramifications if the country defaults.

Who’s testifying?: Moody’s Analytics’ Mark Zandi; Community Action Pioneer Valley’s Anat Weisenfreund; the American Action Forum’s Douglas Holtz-Eakin; The American Enterprise Institute’s Michael R. Strain and Arthur F. Burns; the National Women’s Law Center’s Amy K. Matsui.

The hearing starts at 2:30 p.m. et and can be streamed online here.

Keep in mind: The U.S. already hit its debt limit earlier this year, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen predicting a potential default by this summer if Congress doesn’t act.

So far, the White House wants a clean bill setting the new debt limit while House Republicans are digging in their heels for a deal that also would reduce spending. No significant movement has been made on that impasse.

To misquote Kesha — TikTok’s on the clock and the party *could potentially* stop:

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) are introducing a bill to reign in foreign technology companies, such as TikTok.

Timing: “Warner’s bill comes nearly a week after the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a Republican-sponsored bill that aims to do much of the same thing.”

What we know about the bill, via CNBC’s Christina Wilkie

Watch Warner’s 3 p.m. press conference: Here’s the livestream

‘A TIKTOK BAN WOULD MAKE FOR AN INCREDIBLY STRANGE DAY ON THE INTERNET’:

From New York Magazine’s John Herrman

‘WHITE HOUSE SAID TO CONSIDER PUSHING CONGRESS ON DEALING WITH TIKTOK’:

“In a strategy shift, the Biden administration is increasingly pointing to Congress to give it more legal power to deal with TikTok and other technology that could expose Americans’ sensitive data to China.” Full reporting from The New York Times’s David McCabe

🏃 2024

DeSantis dilemma: Can he appeal outside of conservative base?:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been signaling a likely bid for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, but the conservative firebrand has some Republicans wondering whether he’s too conservative to will a national election. The Hill’s Max Greenwood has more on the situation here.

DeSantis, 44, would be a major contender against former President Trump if DeSantis decides to jump into the race. He’s made a national name for himself in recent years through culture wars over COVID-19 regulations, targeting LGBT issues and, more recently, crime in major cities in other states.

❄️ In other news

Winter’s not over yet!

Though it seemed like spring was maybe, finally, here, there’s this: Another cold snap is coming. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, as reported by CNN, people should prepare for “below-average temperatures for much of the country beginning this weekend and lasting for much of next week, and possibly beyond.” More from CNN here.

‘Mostly peaceful chaos’: Fox News airs the first of Carlson’s Jan. 6 footage

Fox News’s Tucker Carlson, who was granted exclusive media access to thousands of hours of footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, aired his first segment Monday night.

The response has been, mixed, to say the least. Unsurprisingly, many Republicans have pushed that the footage has vindicated the Jan. 6 rioters. Democrats, meanwhile, have argued that there’s nothing new or surprising and that it has been selectively edited to carry the narrative that the people who stormed the Capitol were peaceful.

Carlson, himself, deemed the day’s events as ‘mostly peaceful chaos’ — in his words: “‘Deadly insurrection.’ Everything about that phrase is a lie. Very little about Jan. 6 was organized or violent. Surveillance video from inside the Capitol shows mostly peaceful chaos.”

What’s next?: Additional footage is expected to be released on his program through this week. More from The Hill here.

REACTION FROM FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP:

Former President Trump called for all of the people serving time behind bars over their actions at the Capitol that day to be released — and for the prosecution of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Trump posted on Truth Social: “Great courage shown by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in releasing the surveillance footage to Tucker Carlson so that our Country, and indeed the World, can see what really went on during the January 6th events.”

Read Trump’s full posts, via Mediaite

‘Dilbert’ creator Scott Adams: Outrage mostly from white people:

Cartoonist Scott Adams appeared on NewsNation’s “CUOMO” this week to respond to the recent backlash he’s faced over a racist rant last month.

“It’s almost entirely white people that canceled me,” Adams told host Chris Cuomo on Monday. “Black America is actually completely fine, both conservative and liberal, if they see the context.”

Adams came under fire after a Feb. 22 episode of his YouTube show, during which he urged white people to stay away from Black people.

“I don’t think it makes any sense as a white citizen of America to try to help Black citizens anymore. It doesn’t make sense,” Adams said in the rant. “There’s no longer a rational impulse.”

Newspapers across the country dropped his long-running “Dilbert” comic strip after the remarks.

Adams told Cuomo that he was intentionally trying to be controversial.

“I was trying to attract attention so that I could have a productive argument,” he said.

More from their interview here via The Hill.

🦠 COVID-19

NUMBERS IN THE U.S.:

Cases to date: 103.5 million

Death toll: 1,117,856

Current hospitalizations: 8,639

Shots administered: 672 million

Fully vaccinated: 69.3 percent of Americans

CDC data here.

Notable tweets

Biden and Schumer practice their surprise party reactions

C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman tweeted side-by-side photos of President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Capitol Hill last week, basically swapping facial expressions. Photos of their excitement

ANOTHER TIDBIT FROM BIDEN’S CAPITOL HILL VISIT:
NBC News’s Julie Tsirkin tweeted, “Biden just walked into the Foreign Relations Committee meeting room — a panel he chaired and was a long-time member of in the Senate. He smiled after [Punchbowl News’s John Bresnahan] said: ‘Your old stomping grounds, Mr. President.’” Photo

⏱On tap

The House and Senate are in session. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C.

10 a.m.: TheSenate met to take up judicial nominations.
10:15 a.m. Biden and Harris received the Presidential Daily Briefing.
11:30 a.m.: The Senate held two roll call votes, followed by weekly caucus luncheons. Today’s Senate agenda
2 p.m.: The House meets to take up cybersecurity and veterans-related bills.
2:15 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.: The Senate votes on more nominations.
6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes of the day. Today’s House agenda

All times Eastern.

📺 What to watch

1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds her daily press briefing.Livestream
2 p.m.: Senate GOP leaders hold news conference. Livestream
2:30 p.m.: Senate Democratic leaders hold news conference.Livestream
3 p.m.: Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) holds a news conference on TikTok. C-SPAN livestream