POLITICO Playbook PM: Guess who’s fundraising for Liz Cheney

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NEW — PAUL RYAN is making clear where he stands in the ongoing intra-GOP battle over what to do about DONALD TRUMP. Ryan’s successor atop the House GOP, KEVIN MCCARTHY, may be walking a narrow line between the pro- and anti-Trump wings of the party, but the former speaker is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.) on March 25. Suggested contributions are $5,800 to co-host and $2,900 to attend. The invite (h/t James Arkin)

TRUMP TAKES HIS NAME BACK: Here’s a follow-up from our scoop this morning on Trump tightening his grip on the use of his name to fundraise. According to a Trump adviser, McCarthy’s NRCC recently asked about selling Trump merch like T-shirts, but team Trump said no. As we reported this morning, Trump advisers said he’s felt burned by leaders of the GOP who have been using his name to fundraise, and not defending him in the way that he wanted after Jan. 6. He also doesn’t want to see the money go toward Republicans who voted to impeach him. The NRCC didn’t get back to us.

COVID RELIEF LATEST — “Dems strike new unemployment benefits deal in $1.9T Covid bill,” by Caitlin Emma, Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett: “A new amendment readied by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) would change the aid bill’s boosted weekly federal unemployment payments from $400 weekly, as approved by the House, to $300. But the Senate’s deal would extend benefits through September instead of August, and the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits will now be non-taxable income. The agreement was hatched by both moderate and progressive Democrats.”

— CBS’ @Grace_Segers: “So, here’s the vote-a-drama that’s holding up the vote-a-rama. Carper amendment would cut UI benefit to $300, extend it thru Sept, and make first $10.2K non-taxable. Portman amendment would cut to $300, but cut it off earlier. Manchin might vote for Portman’s amendment.”

VOTE-A-RAMA HAS BEGUN, and in the first big vote, Democrats mustered only 42 votes in support of a $15 minimum wage. In addition to Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who’ve previously voiced skepticism, Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) voted no. (The vote is still open after two and a half hours.)

— MITCH MCCONNELL SPOX @DougAndres: “the Left has been relentlessly attacking Sen. Manchin as the obstacle in the way of their schemes to ‘overrule’ the parliamentarian. Turns out, it was never in the cards. Not even close!”

Press secretary JEN PSAKI previewed President JOE BIDEN’S week ahead: Next Monday, Biden will sign two executive orders focused on gender equity and opportunity for women, as well as visit a veterans vaccination center with VA Secretary DENIS MCDONOUGH. On Tuesday, he’ll stop by a small business that got a Paycheck Protection Program loan. On Wednesday, he’ll travel to Baltimore for an event with the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck. And on Thursday, he’ll deliver remarks on the anniversary of the pandemic shutdown.

— Psaki also said Biden will hold the first official news conference of his presidency by the end of the month.

TODAY’S JOBS REPORT, via AP: “U.S. employers added a robust 379,000 jobs last month, the most since October and a sign that the economy is strengthening as confirmed viral cases drop, consumers spend more and states and cities ease business restrictions.

“The February gain marked a sharp pickup from the 166,000 jobs that were added in January and the loss of 306,000 in December. Yet it represents just a fraction of the roughly 9.6 million jobs that the economy needs to regain to return to pre-pandemic levels. The pickup in hiring lowered the unemployment rate from 6.3% to 6.2%.”

— BEHIND THE NUMBERS: “Biden’s economic recovery imperiled by shrinking labor force,” by Megan Cassella: “The U.S. unemployment rate has steadily improved since coronavirus shutdowns first rocked the country last spring … But there’s a catch: The actual share of people in the labor force, either working or actively looking for work, has barely budged since June. …

“Just over 61 percent of working-age people were employed or searching for a job in January … down from 63.3 percent before the pandemic … The slow pace of people returning to the workforce could present a major obstacle to President Joe Biden’s plans for an economic recovery: If fewer people are working, the country’s overall productivity tends to drop, national income falls and the economy shrinks.”

ANDY SLAVITT announced two new mass vaccination sites at the Covid-19 briefing this morning: the Atlanta Falcons stadium and the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. Supported by FEMA, they’ll each be able to administer 6,000 shots daily. Public health officials said CDC guidance on post-vaccination activities is coming “soon” — but no more specific timeline. They also continued to sound the alarm on not reopening too early. New CDC study backing up what happens when restrictions are relaxed

TRADE WARS — “U.S. trade deficit up 1.9% in January on record goods imports,” AP

— “U.S., EU Agree to Suspend Tariffs in Boeing-Airbus Dispute,” Bloomberg: “The European Union and the U.S. agreed to suspend tariffs on billions of dollars of each other’s products, easing a 17-year transatlantic dispute over illegal aid to the world’s biggest aircraft makers. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to the move on a call Friday.”

ROCHELLE WALENSKY’S CHALLENGE — “CDC chief tries to rebuild her agency’s reputation — and morale,” by Erin Banco: “[S]he must find a way to convince Americans to stay vigilant after a year of masks and social distancing — and sift through rapidly changing science to guide policies aimed at saving lives. That alone is a round-the-clock job. But Walensky also faces the task of rebuilding trust and morale within the CDC …

“[She] has already embarked on a listening tour at agency headquarters in Atlanta … But officials at the CDC and other federal health agencies said she has yet to lay out a vision for the CDC’s response to Covid-19 and beyond. They worry the agency will again be beholden to the White House … One of the ways Walensky plans on correcting the missteps of the prior administration is by engaging with career scientists and promoting their work.”

JAN. 6 FALLOUT — “Former impeachment manager files federal lawsuit against Trump for the Capitol riot,” NYT: “The suit brought by Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, accuses Mr. Trump and key allies of inciting the deadly attack and conspiring with rioters to try to prevent Congress from formalizing President Biden’s election victory.”

— NEW DETAILS EMERGE: “Officers maced, trampled: Docs expose depth of Jan. 6 chaos,” AP: “Two firefighters loaned to Washington for the day were the only medics on the Capitol steps Jan. 6, trying to triage injured officers as they watched the angry mob swell and attack police working to protect Congress.

“Law enforcement agents were ‘being pulled into the crowd and trampled, assaulted with scaffolding materials, and/or bear maced by protesters,’ wrote Arlington County firefighter Taylor Blunt in an after-action memo. … Even the attackers sought medical help, and Blunt and his colleague Nathan Waterfall treated those who were passing out or had been hit. But some ‘feigned illness to remain behind police lines,’ Blunt wrote. The memo is one of hundreds of emails, texts, photos and documents obtained by The Associated Press.”

FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK — “Charter jets, dinners with Trump: New details surface in Antrim County election lawsuit,” Traverse City Record-Eagle: “Political operatives working on behalf of a man who filed an election lawsuit against Antrim County, identified themselves to township officials as representing Rudy Giuliani’s legal team, and accessed official election data in at least one township, according to local officials. …

“Among those arriving Nov. 27 by chartered jet, was attorney Katherine Friess, a Washington, D.C. lobbyist with past ties to Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, who local officials said ‘bragged’ about dining with President Donald Trump and Giuliani the evening prior to her arrival.”

FILIBUSTER DEATH WATCH — “Pressure grows on Biden to end the filibuster,” WaPo: “Liberals have long pushed for sweeping changes like expanding the Supreme Court, ending the electoral college and banning gerrymandering. But as Biden faces a critical stretch of his presidency, even moderate Democrats are urging more immediate changes — particularly rewriting the filibuster, so that at the very least fewer bills need 60 votes to pass the Senate. …

“Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a centrist, said Wednesday she wants to ‘get rid of the filibuster,’ her toughest comments to date on the matter. By Thursday, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced via social media that she, too, now wants to abolish the filibuster … Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), also a moderate, told The Washington Post he could envision the Senate changing the filibuster if bills are floundering. … For now, the White House is keeping its option on the table. ‘One thing that is nonnegotiable is him delivering for the American people,’ said Emmy Ruiz, the White House political director.”

— TOP-ED: “How Dems Can Turn Filibuster Reform Into the ‘Moderate’ Option,” by Eric Levitz in N.Y. Mag: “[If Joe] Manchin is earnestly concerned with defending long-standing Senate traditions and promoting bipartisan debate, then Democrats could simply restore the more rigorous requirements for sustaining a filibuster that prevailed through most of the 20th century. …

“Alternatively, Democrats could bring back the ‘present and voting’ standard, which would similarly require the minority party to maintain constant vigilance in order to obstruct pending legislation. … Georgia senator Raphael Warnock has floated a less elaborate path forward: If the Senate has a special filibuster exemption for budgetary bills, why shouldn’t it also have one for democracy reforms?”

WHAT THE LEFT IS WATCHING — “Matt Duss expected to remain on Bernie Sanders’ staff,” Jewish Insider: “Amid new tweets critical of the Biden administration, Duss is now distributing a letter on Capitol Hill calling on the U.S. to pressure Israel on vaccines.”

KNOWING MIKE DONILON — “Quiet and low profile, Mike Donilon is Biden’s White House ‘wise man,’” Boston Globe: “Last year, as the pandemic hemmed Joe Biden’s campaign appearances inside the boundaries of his Delaware home base, anxiety-ridden Democrats groused he wasn’t doing enough to seize control of the presidential race. With adverse headlines piling up, the presidential candidate asked his friend and chief campaign strategist what his team was doing about it. ‘I hope we’re doing nothing,’ said the strategist, Mike Donilon, according to another Democrat close to him. ‘I hope you’ll ignore this.’

“It was steadying advice, guidance that prioritized a longer view of a stability-starved electorate and Biden’s strengths as a candidate. And it was vintage Donilon, the 62-year-old architect of Biden’s campaign messaging, who has been a stalwart presence in the president’s world for much of their 40-year relationship.”

HOT ON THE RIGHT — “GOP seizes on women’s sports as unlikely wedge issue,” by Gabby Orr: “Eager to find a winning culture war issue, former President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders are increasingly touting themselves as champions of women in sports by pushing back against President Joe Biden’s efforts to expand transgender rights. …

“Some Republicans say touting the issue will unite two key elements of a winning electoral coalition: the party’s socially conservative base, which mostly rejects the expansion of gay and transgender rights, and more moderate voters in the suburbs, who are less reliable GOP supporters but may revolt against what they see as Democratic overreach. … But Republicans’ claim as defenders of women’s sports is a tenuous one, at best.”

THE MAIL-IN QUESTION — WSJ: “The presidential-election results left the impression that mail-in voting increased turnout and propelled President Biden to victory. But the reality is that voting by mail didn’t do either, Stanford researchers say in a new paper based on the latest data. That finding is notable because mail-in voting has become a controversial topic as many state legislatures debate restricting its use in future elections.” The paper

— “‘A great clash’: Mail-in voting emerges as main target in renewed voting-rights battle,” ABC

BEYOND THE BELTWAY — “The Promises to Coal Country Are Familiar, but Can Biden Deliver?” NYT: “[A]fter generations of promises, communities once reliant on coal mining are understandably skeptical. Administration after administration has tried to bring the region sustained prosperity, yet many communities remain on the brink.

“In eastern Kentucky, the poverty rate in several counties exceeds 30 percent. Unemployment is among the highest in the nation. And an outward migration over several decades has cut the populations of some counties nearly in half, leaving local governments strapped for tax revenue and struggling to fund essential services. … Without direct federal help, local residents and experts say, people living in those communities could suffer increasingly dire consequences as the nation moves away from coal for good.”

MARINE ONE WOES — “Biden’s New Helicopter Still Risks Scorching White House Lawn,” Bloomberg: “President Joe Biden may have to wait months longer to ride on a new Marine One helicopter … The Marine Corps and company officials say they hope to identify potential solutions as soon as June to the unsightly problem of burned grass caused by spinning rotors and engine exhaust, which has bedeviled the chopper for two years.”

MEDIAWATCH — CNN’S @brianstelter: “Just in: @alexi is leaving Axios and joining Condé Nast as the new editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. Anna Wintour: ‘Alexi has the powerful curiosity and confidence that embodies the best of our next generation of leaders.’” Announcement

— Matt Fuller is joining The Daily Beast as politics editor. He currently covers Congress for HuffPost.

— “Reporter faces trial in case seen as attack on press rights,” AP: “The case of Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri, who was pepper sprayed and arrested while reporting on a clash between protesters and police, will highlight an aggressive response by Iowa authorities against those who organized and attended protests that erupted last summer and occasionally turned violent.

“Sahouri and her former boyfriend are charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts, misdemeanors that could bring fines and up to 30 days in jail. They face an estimated two-day trial at Drake University in what the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker says could be the first for a working journalist nationwide since 2018.”

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE: Jaclyn Gelfond is now deputy director of presidential advance at the White House. She previously was deputy director of advance for the Biden campaign and worked in advance for Biden in the Obama White House. Susanna Billings is now associate director of advance and trip manager at the White House. She most recently was deputy director of travel operations for the Biden campaign.

TRANSITIONS — The DNC is adding three new staffers in the office of Chair Jaime Harrison: Kabir Thatte as director of scheduling and advance, Ashleigh Lancaster as executive assistant to the chair and Ashley Floyd as fundraising consultant.

FOGGY BOTTOM ARRIVAL LOUNGE — The State Department has released a list of political appointees, including Bill Russo as deputy assistant secretary in the bureau of global public affairs, Allison Peters as senior adviser in the bureau of international narcotics and law enforcement, Daniel Ricchetti as a senior adviser in the office of the undersecretary of state for arms control and international security and Sam Salk as White House liaison. The full list

STAFFING UP — The White House announced a slew of new policy staffers, including Charles Anderson and Sam Berger on the Covid-19 response team, Philip Giudice, Chiraag Bains, Kelliann Blazek, Pronita Gupta, Catherine Oakar, Alex Pascal, Erin Pelton, Erika Poethig, Donald Sherman, Terri Tanielian, Maureen Tracey-Mooney, Justin Vail and Libby Washburn on the Domestic Policy Council, and Leandra English, Seth Harris, Daniel Hornung, Elisabeth Reynolds, Samantha Silverberg and Tim Wu on the National Economic Council.