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Joe: ‘We out!’: |
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© Giphy President Biden is expected to announce today that he will order all U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan by September. https://bit.ly/3e5oTpU Keep in mind about this September: It marks the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. |
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| WATCH BIDEN’S UPCOMING REMARKS TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT HE SAYS: |
| Biden’s remarks are expected to begin at 2:15 p.m. EDT. C-SPAN livestream: https://bit.ly/3mK343c |
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| JUST RELEASED — EXCERPTS OF BIDEN’S AFTERNOON REMARKS: |
| The gist: Biden will say that he refuses to pass the responsibility of the Afghanistan war to a fifth president. https://bit.ly/3dhcikx Biden will say: “We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result … I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.” |
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How lawmakers are reacting to that news — *not* *well*: |
| Republicans and some Democrats are pushing back on President Biden’s decision. https://bit.ly/3e5oTpU Why: Lawmakers “warn that leaving too early or without the right conditions could result in a sharp backslide.” From Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): “Precipitously withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan is a grave mistake. It is a retreat in the face of an enemy that has not yet been vanquished and abdication of American leadership.” |
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| ^ SO NOW, SENATORS WILL BE BRIEFED ON BIDEN’S PLAN FOR AFGHANISTAN: |
| Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told CNN's "New Day": "There are questions that remain. ...The administration has agreed to a classified briefing for all senators, which we'll have shortly so questions can be answered.” https://bit.ly/3dfTBgR By the way, we don’t know when the briefing will happen or who will conduct the briefing. We just know that a briefing by the administration will happen. |
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WATCH LIVE: The Hill's virtual Sustainability Imperative summit starts today! |
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Environmental sustainability is no longer optional; it's become an imperative. Join The Hill for a national multi-day virtual event including multiple tracks of programming featuring fireside chats with policy leaders and practitioners in the sustainability ecosystem including White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, former GE CEO Jeff Immelt, Gov. Jay Inslee, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, fashion designer Tracy Reese and many more. View the full schedule |
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| INTERESTING READ — ‘WILL AFGHANISTAN BECOME A TERRORISM SAFE HAVEN ONCE AGAIN?’: |
| Via The New York Times’s Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt, “Not likely, at least in the short term, intelligence officials assess. But stopping terrorism groups over the long term could be more difficult.” https://nyti.ms/3smbAqm |
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Happening on April 28: |
| President Biden is expected to address Congress on April 28, which is close to his 100-day mark in office. https://bit.ly/3g6slDy How this came about: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) invited Biden to speak. |
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| Happy Wednesday! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook. Did someone forward this to you? Want your own copy? Sign up here to receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox daily: http://bit.ly/2kjMNnn |
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Kevin Brady has had his fill: |
| Via The Texas Tribune’s Abby Livingston, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) announced this morning that he will retire from Congress at the end of his term. https://bit.ly/3asCbw3 “First elected in 1996, Brady is one of the most senior members of the Texas delegation and a powerful player within the House Republican conference.” Is this retirement surprising?: No. “The announcement was widely expected as he was facing a term limit in his role as the top Republican at the House Ways and Means Committee, which legislates tax law.” Via The Hill’s Cristina Marcos, Brady acknowledged that the term limit played a role in the decision to retire: "Did that factor in? Honestly, some," Brady said. https://bit.ly/3mLKDv6 |
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Bernie Madoff has died: |
| Via CNBC’s Marty Steinberg, “Bernard Madoff, mastermind of the biggest investment fraud in U.S. history, ripping off tens of thousands of clients of as much as $65 billion, died Wednesday. He was 82.” https://cnb.cx/3gaHT9q Keep in mind: “Madoff was serving a 150-year sentence at the prison, where he had been treated for what his attorney called terminal kidney disease … He pleaded guilty in 2009 to a scheme that investigators said started in the early 1970s and defrauded as many as 37,000 people in 136 countries over four decades.” |
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Spotted: Mitch McConnell repeatedly whispering to himself, ‘I will not take the bait. I will not take the bait. I will not take the bait.’: |
| The Hill’s Amie Parnes and Alexander Bolton give an inside look at the surprisingly close relationship between President Biden and key centrist Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.). https://bit.ly/2Q5VF2h How they’re similar: “Manchin has always seen himself in the Biden mold: Someone who is willing to cross party lines to find a compromise. They share the same first name and working-class roots, as well as a willingness to work together on heated issues including gun reform.” Why it’s particularly interesting: Manchin has been seen as the impediment for passing Biden’s own agenda. For example: “Manchin opposed a $15 federal minimum wage, doesn’t want to raise the corporate tax to 28 percent as proposed by Biden and wants to keep the filibuster, which requires Democrats to get 60 votes on major legislation to steer bills to Biden’s desk.” |
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Tidbit from Billy Evans’s memorial service yesterday: |
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© Twitter And here’s a photo of U.S. Capitol Police Officer William “Billy” Evans’s son wearing a police hat: https://bit.ly/3deU4jq |
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Another tidbit — I see what he did there: |
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© Twitter And here’s a photo of Scalise holding the milk carton: https://bit.ly/3mQhuyP |
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| NEW — KAMALA HARRIS WILL VISIT MEXICO AND GUATEMALA SOON: |
| “Vice President Harris said Wednesday she will travel soon to Mexico and Guatemala as part of her efforts to address migration from the Northern Triangle region of Central America to the U.S.” https://bit.ly/3uP6JQ3 Harris told reporters this morning: "Our focus is to deal with the root causes, and I’m looking forward to traveling, hopefully as my first trip to the Northern Triangle stopping in Mexico and then going to Guatemala sometime soon.” |
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WATCH LIVE: The Hill's virtual Sustainability Imperative summit starts today! |
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Environmental sustainability is no longer optional; it's become an imperative. Join The Hill today for a national multi-day virtual event including multiple tracks of programming featuring fireside chats with policy leaders and practitioners in the sustainability ecosystem including White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, former GE CEO Jeff Immelt, Gov. Jay Inslee, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, fashion designer Tracy Reese and many more. View the full schedule. |
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| LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS | |
We’re nearing what could be a frustrating stage in the pandemic — more doses than arms: |
| Via The Hill’s Niall Stanage, “Vaccine hesitancy is on its way to becoming the main hurdle in the fight against the virus, experts say.” https://bit.ly/3deoxyi How so: “Vaccinations are becoming more plentiful. The nation has recently been averaging more than 3 million vaccination shots per day, bringing relief to people desperate for protection … But what happens when all those people are vaccinated? Millions of Americans seem likely to decline the vaccine — and their reluctance is only heightened by any bad news, such as the suspension of the J&J vaccine.” How this could play out: https://bit.ly/3deoxyi |
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| WHAT THE J&J PAUSE MEANS FOR THE VACCINE ROLLOUT: |
| Via The Hill’s Peter Sullivan: https://bit.ly/3a6vSxO |
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| FIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE J&J VACCINE HOLD: |
- Who made the decision to pause and why?
- Who is impacted?
- How long will the pause last?
- Will the pause impact the U.S.’s vaccine supply and ability to reach the goal of 200 million doses in President Biden’s first 100 days?
- How could the pause affect vaccine hesitancy across the country?
What we know about each, via The Hill’s Justine Coleman: https://bit.ly/3tdPgR0 |
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| IF YOU’VE RECEIVED THE J&J VACCINE AND HAVE QUESTIONS: |
| Here’s a helpful segment on WAMU Radio: https://bit.ly/3than4U |
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| CASE NUMBERS: |
| Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 31,350,152 U.S. death toll: 563,510 Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y |
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| VACCINATION NUMBERS: |
| Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 192 million shots have been given. Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 3.38 million doses For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million. Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH |
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A combination high-five, fist bump, half-hug, pat-on-the-back might be in order: |
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© Giphy Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is seeking to end his running feud with President Trump, which escalated this weekend when the former president insulted him as a ‘dumb son of a bitch’ and a ‘stone-cold loser’ for not backing his false claims about the election.” https://bit.ly/32djwzx McConnell says he wants no part in a feud with Trump: “What I’m concentrating on is the future and what we are confronted with here is a totally left-wing administration, with a slight majority in the House, a 50-50 Senate trying to transform America into something no one voted for last year,” McConnell told reporters. “That’s what I’m concentrating on,” he said, ignoring a follow-up question on Trump. How this could play out: https://bit.ly/32djwzx |
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This is VERY cute — and impressive that he doesn’t lose his train of thought!: |
| His son starts to appear around the 90-second mark. 
© Twitter Watch: https://bit.ly/3uPBBQB |
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It’s amazing how different the street looks now, but I can still see it: |
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© Twitter ^For reference: Here are photos of those buildings now: https://bit.ly/3tgSKlW |
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| Today – Friday: The Hill is hosting a virtual event, “The Sustainability Imperative.” Details and how to RSVP: https://bit.ly/3wZ80pQ The House and Senate are in. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C. 10 a.m. EDT: Vice President Harris convened a virtual roundtable on the Northern Triangle. 10:15 a.m. EDT: President Biden received the President’s Daily Brief. 11:45 a.m. EDT: Two roll call votes in the Senate. 3:05 p.m. EDT: President Biden visits Arlington National Cemetery. 3:30 p.m. EDT: Two roll call votes in the Senate. The Senate’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/3scY3RP 4:30 – 6 p.m. EDT: First and last votes in the House. The House’s full agenda: https://bit.ly/3mLhkc4 |
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| 10 a.m. EDT: Day 13 of the Derek Chauvin trial. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3mMVFAd 11 a.m. EDT: The White House COVID Response Team held a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3tiIbPf 12:30 p.m. EDT: White House press secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/2Qpoabe 2:15 p.m. EDT: President Biden delivers remarks on Afghanistan. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3mK343c |
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| NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...: | |
| Today is National Pecan Day. |
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| And to get you through your Wednesday afternoon, here’s a man taking his pet goose on a walk: https://bit.ly/3mK4GtQ |
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