THE LAST GASP? … SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI is hosting Senate Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, White House COS MARK MEADOWS and Treasury Secretary STEVEN MNUCHIN to the Capitol today for another shot at striking a Covid relief deal. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m.
THE WHITE HOUSE wants President DONALD TRUMP to sign his executive orders as early as this evening to attempt to stop collecting the payroll tax, extend enhanced unemployment benefits, halt student loan payments and put in place an eviction moratorium. So progress needs to be made quickly to head that off.
PELOSI said at a noontime news conference that Democrats offered Thursday to decrease their ask by $1 trillion — it’s currently in the $3 trillion neighborhood — if Republicans increased theirs by $1 trillion to roughly $2 trillion. The administration said no. PELOSI positioned this as the central question going into today’s meeting.
WANT TO KNOW HOW CLOSE A COVID RELIEF DEAL WAS/IS? … WHEN MNUCHIN and MEADOWS left PELOSI’S office Thursday night, they suggested that they were mighty close on the small elements of a Covid relief bill, but miles apart on agreeing to the big elements like enhanced unemployment and state and local funding.
SO, THIS GOT US THINKING: How close are the two sides, really? Here’s what the negotiators told us this morning — and it does illustrate that there is a bunch of overlap:
BIG AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT …
— UNEMPLOYMENT: Republicans were at $400 for 20 weeks or 70% of wage replacement with a $600 cap. Dems were at $600.
— HOUSING: Not really all too close. Dems were pushing for rental assistance, and Republicans asked for the cost. The GOP offered an eviction moratorium.
— ELECTION FUNDING: Dream on. They were nowhere. Republicans were in the $400 million-$500 million neighborhood, and Democrats wanted $3.6 billion.
— EDUCATION: Lots of work remained here. Dems wanted $175 billion for K-12. They were discussing private school assistance, and were close to a deal on that, as well. Republicans were at $75 billion, which they calculated at $1,200 per student. There are also disagreements between the two parties on how it may be used.
— STATE AND LOCAL: Republicans were at $150 billion for a year and flexibility on the $112 billion that was unspent from the CARES Act. Dems have demanded $900 billion for two years, and PELOSI floated the idea of $500 billion per year. This is a new formulation.
— NATIONAL SERVICE: There had been some discussion about a new national service program for Covid tracers. Republicans are opposed.
AND ON THE REST …
— USPS FUNDING: This was pretty much buttoned up: $10 billion over two years. They are still awaiting language.
— COVID TESTING: They were quite close on point-of-care testing funding. MEADOWS said he would work with Democrats to provide 3 million point-of-care tests per day. No details yet on how or cost.
— OSHA: MNUCHIN said that he would be willing to talk about changes to OSHA, and MEADOWS said he had talked to Labor Secretary EUGENE SCALIA about enforcement. PELOSI likened SCALIA to DEBORAH BIRX: “He was appointed because he doesn’t believe in OSHA — he’s the same category as Birx,” PELOSI said.
— FOOD ASSISTANCE: They had all but agreed on 15% increase in SNAP funding through the end of the year, and Dems were open to negotiating on the rest of the funding.
— BROADBAND: The two sides were close to agreeing to $12 billion, and had shown interest in Sen. JOE MANCHIN’S (D-W.Va.) rural broadband plan. There is some resistance to this among Senate Republicans.
— PENSIONS: There is more work to do on this front.
— AIRLINES: It’s not entirely clear where both sides are on the airline money issue. It’s up in the air, no pun intended.
It’s time for updated internet regulations to prevent election interference. We’ve more than tripled our security and safety teams to 35,000 people, added 5-step political ad verification and partnered with security researchers, other tech companies and law enforcement to combat foreign election interference. What’s next? We support updated internet regulations.
WE’VE ALL BEEN IGNORING THE REALLY TOUGH QUESTION HERE: Would a deal of this magnitude stand a chance of getting any decent Republican support in the Senate? And, if it doesn’t, will TRUMP sign it? POLITICO ledeall from Marianne LeVine and John Bresnahan … Pelosi’s Dear Colleague
THE UPSHOT: “Why Black Workers Will Hurt the Most if Congress Doesn’t Extend Jobless Benefits,” by Emily Badger, Alicia Parlapiano and Quoctrung Bui: “Black workers disproportionately live in states with the lowest benefit levels and the highest barriers to receiving them. Without the $600 federal payments, the most an unemployed worker in Florida or Alabama can receive is $275 a week.” NYT
THE ECONOMIC PICTURE — “U.S. adds 1.8 million jobs in a sign that hiring has slowed,” by AP’s Christopher Rugaber: “At any other time, hiring at that level would be seen as a blowout gain. But after employers shed a staggering 22 million jobs in March and April, much larger increases are needed to heal the job market. The hiring of the past three months has recovered only 42% of the jobs lost to the pandemic-induced recession, according to the Labor Department’s jobs report released Friday.
“Though the unemployment rate fell last month from 11.1% to 10.2%, that level still exceeds the highest rate during the 2008-2009 Great Recession.” AP
Happy Friday afternoon.
IN MEMORIAM … AP: “Ford, Bush presidential adviser Brent Scowcroft dies at 95,” by Douglass Daniel: “Brent Scowcroft, who played a prominent role in American foreign policy as national security adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush and was a Republican voice against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, has died. He was 95. Scowcroft died Thursday of natural causes at his home in Falls Church, Virginia, Bush spokesperson Jim McGrath said.
“Scowcroft was the only person to serve as national security adviser to two different administrations. His appointment by Ford in 1975 came as Scowcroft retired from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant general. He advised Bush, by then a close friend, during the four years of the Bush administration, 1989-93.”
THE REOPENING — NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO said he will allow schools to reopen in the fall.
HOOVER BUILDING READING — “Democrats turn up the heat on Wray over foreign campaign interference,” by Natasha Bertrand: “In a letter sent to Wray on Friday and obtained by POLITICO, Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed ‘growing concerns that foreign actors continue to target the November 2020 election,’ citing recent briefings from the FBI and intelligence community. …
“The senators’ Friday letter to Wray seemed implicitly directed at [Sen. Ron] Johnson and his investigation. … Democratic lawmakers remain unsatisfied with how little has been made public.” POLITICO
— “U.S. Postmaster DeJoy says election mail will not be slowed down,” by CNN’s Jessica Dean, Caroline Kelly and Cat Gloria: “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said that the US Postal Service is not ‘slowing down’ election-related or other mail and will undergo an ‘organizational realignment’ after the agency often criticized by President Donald Trump as a money-losing venture has faced doubts over its capacity to handle anticipated high numbers of mail-in ballots. … DeJoy also stressed that he would not act ‘based on any partisanship.’” CNN
FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK … JOSH GERSTEIN and KYLE CHENEY: “Appeals court rules McGahn must testify”: “A federal appeals court has upheld a House subpoena for testimony from President Donald Trump’s former White House counsel Don McGahn.
“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday, 7-2, that McGahn must appear and testify, but the court left open the question of what questions the former close adviser to Trump will be required to answer from House Judiciary Committee lawmakers. The Trump administration could ask the Supreme Court to step in to put the ruling on hold, which would head off the political spectacle of McGahn being called before a Democrat-led Congressional panel before the November election.”
THE LATEST IN HONG KONG — “U.S. Sanctions Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam Over China Crackdown,” by Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs, Nick Wadhams, Jenny Leonard and Saleha Mohsin: “The U.S. is placing sanctions on 11 top Chinese officials and their allies in Hong Kong, including Chief Executive Carrie Lam, over their role in curtailing political freedoms in the former U.K. colony, the Treasury Department said Friday. …
“Lam was sanctioned because she is ‘directly responsible for implementing Beijing’s policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes,’ the agency said. The 11 sanctioned individuals will have any property and assets in the U.S. frozen.” Bloomberg
TIKTOK FIRES BACK … MARTIN MATISHAK: “TikTok threatens legal action against Trump executive order”: “‘We will pursue all remedies available to us in order to ensure that the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and our users are treated fairly — if not by the Administration, then by the U.S. courts,’ the company said.” The blog post
HMM — “U.S. Government Contractor Embedded Software in Apps to Track Phones,” by WSJ’s Byron Tau: “A small U.S. company with ties to the U.S. defense and intelligence communities has embedded its software in numerous mobile apps, allowing it to track the movements of hundreds of millions of mobile phones world-wide …
“Anomaly Six LLC, a Virginia-based company founded by two U.S. military veterans with a background in intelligence, said in marketing material it is able to draw location data from more than 500 mobile applications, in part through its own software development kit.” WSJ
PANDEMIC FALLOUT — “Children Vulnerable to Abuse Are Imperiled as Caseworkers Stay Home,” by Garrett Therolf, Daniel Lempres and Aksaule Alzhan for the NYT in Tollhouse, Calif.: “As the virus continues to rage across the country, it is vital for child welfare workers to have regular in-person contact with at-risk children, those who study child abuse say. The pandemic has cut many children off from routine interactions with teachers, counselors and doctors who are required by law to report signs of abuse or neglect. …
“Now many vulnerable children are largely out of sight, many of them cooped up in crowded apartments, often cared for by parents reeling from job loss and all the other stresses brought on by a pandemic with no discernible end. Yet many child welfare workers … have stopped performing a broad range of essential duties that typically require in-person visits. The shift has been encouraged by the Trump administration.” NYT
VEEPSTAKES — “Progressives alarmed by Rice’s vast financial investments,” by Marc Caputo and Chris Cadelago: “They say her extensive past holdings in an array of industries at odds with liberal causes — particularly the Keystone [Pipeline] investment — could make her ill-suited to be vice president in a Democratic administration. …
“Progressive activists have started circulating dossiers among themselves that raise concerns about Rice’s holdings and foreign policy record. Left-wing Democrats — many of whom favor Rep. Karen Bass for VP — also said in interviews this week that they worried about the toll of recent critical stories examining the California congresswoman’s statements and record and complained that Rice had yet to face similar scrutiny.” POLITICO
— HOLLY OTTERBEIN: “More than 300 delegates to the Democratic National Convention and members of the Democratic National Committee have signed on to a statement pushing Joe Biden to choose Rep. Karen Bass as a ‘unity’ vice presidential pick, POLITICO has learned.”
WAPO FACT CHECKER: “Trump campaign ad manipulates three images to put Biden in a ‘basement,’” by Glenn Kessler
IMMIGRATION FILES — “DHS staffers say Trump appointees Wolf, Cuccinelli ignoring input on protests, immigration policy,” by NBC’s Julia Ainsley and Laura Strickler: “The sidelining by the Trump appointees is felt acutely in the agency’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, or CRCL, where employees hired to field complaints about DHS and review new policies believe they are not being heard …
“In recent months, CRCL has raised concerns about the development of a new use-of-force policy for Customs and Border Protection, the two current officials said, including concerns about the use of chemical deterrents against people trying to damage the wall on the southern U.S. border. But after raising those concerns, the office has yet to hear back.” NBC
— ICYMI … BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN: “Cuccinelli relaxed oversight of DHS intel office”
RACIAL RECKONING — “Black Lives Matter movement sparks ‘collective awakening’ on marijuana policies,” by Natalie Fertig: “Since protests began in early June, many states and municipalities have adopted new cannabis regulations. Nashville, Tenn., stopped prosecuting minor marijuana possession cases. Portland, Ore., redirected all cannabis tax revenue away from the Portland Police Bureau. Colorado’s Legislature passed a long-stalled proposal to address social equity and scrap old marijuana convictions, and Sonoma County, Calif., and New York state expanded their programs to erase cannabis criminal records.” POLITICO
— NYT: “Abolish the Police? Those Who Survived the Chaos in Seattle Aren’t So Sure,” by Nellie Bowles in Seattle: “Some even call for ‘abolishing the police’ altogether and closing down precincts, which is what happened in Seattle. That has left small-business owners as lonely voices in progressive areas, arguing that police officers are necessary and that cities cannot function without a robust public safety presence.
“In Minneapolis, Seattle and Portland, Ore., many of those business owners consider themselves progressive, and in interviews they express support for the Black Lives Matter movement. But they also worry that their businesses, already debilitated by the coronavirus pandemic, will struggle to survive if police departments and city governments cannot protect them.” NYT
CLIMATE FILES — “This giant climate hot spot is robbing the West of its water,” by WaPo’s Juliet Eilperin in Orchard City, Colo.: “A 20-year drought is stealing the water that sustains this region, and climate change is making it worse. … This cluster of counties on Colorado’s Western Slope — along with three counties just across the border in eastern Utah — has warmed more than 2 degrees Celsius, double the global average. Spanning more than 30,000 square miles, it is the largest 2C hot spot in the Lower 48, a Washington Post analysis found. …
“In Colorado, the rising temperature is forcing a reckoning in this conservative community. The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people across the West and in Mexico.” WaPo
AFTERNOON READ … GABBY ORR: “The Wedge Issue That’s Dividing Trumpworld”: “Next week, [the American Principles Project] will debut two ads in battleground Michigan that accuse former Vice President Joe Biden, who has generally used his platform to promote protections for LGBTQ youth, of endorsing ‘gender change treatments for minors,’ including surgery and hormone therapies for transgender youth. …
“[Terry] Schilling is hoping that stoking anxieties of suburban women and independents about gender nonconforming adolescents will persuade President Donald Trump to add one more front to his culture war reelection strategy. …
“But there is an enormous gulf inside Trump’s circle of campaign advisers and closest allies over whether, even at this fraught juncture, injecting transgender issues into the campaign is a potential key to victory or an act of self-destruction. A cohort of establishment Republicans, social libertarians and new GOP converts oppose the strategy. Among them are Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka.”
TRANSITIONS — Deshundra Jefferson is joining the Credit Union National Association as chief comms officer. She previously was traveling press secretary for Deval Patrick’s presidential campaign. … Lisa Steelman is joining the Association for Accessible Medicines as VP for state government affairs. She previously was SVP for alliance development and government relations at the Association of Dental Support Organizations.