NotedDC — DeSantis’s profile rises with Martha’s Vineyard move

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is elevating his political profile even further as he leans into his decision to send two planes of migrants to the tiny Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard.

DeSantis, a one-time protégé of former President Trump, was already viewed as a likely top-tier contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination if he ran.

But the outsized attention surrounding his move last week to pay for sending a group of predominantly Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard — a haven for elites and a favorite vacation spot for many prominent Democrats — has pushed his star higher in GOP circles, even as it draws condemnation from Democrats and human rights advocates.

The decision and subsequent backlash has dominated the political conversation for days. DeSantis follows other Republican governors from border states who have sent migrants to more liberal “sanctuary cities” across the country, but the Florida governor is among those with the most clear aspirations for higher office. The move , which Democrats have derided as a “political stunt,” follows a similar playbook that Trump used during the GOP primaries in 2016 by focusing on border enforcement.

Still, the maneuver carries with it political risks for the GOP at a time when Republicans have been favored to win the House and have hoped to capture the Senate as well, building on increased support among Hispanic voters, among other groups. 

The Hill’s Rafael Bernal takes a look at what could be at stake as DeSantis, as well as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), send migrants from the U.S. southern border to Democratic-led cities in northern states.

For now, Republican leaders are hailing the move, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) among those applauding the governors’ efforts.

“I personally thought it was a good idea,” McConnell said Tuesday. “Out of desperation, a few governors along our southern border are now giving some Democrat-run states and cities just a tiny, tiny taste of what border communities have been enduring, literally, for years.”

Welcome to NotedDC, your guide to politics, policy and people of consequence in D.C. and across the U.S. Today’s newsletter comes from The Hill’s Liz Crisp.

💰 Congress barrels toward another stopgap

Congress must pass a short-term spending bill in the coming days to prevent a government shutdown at the end of next week, and Democratic leaders are voicing optimism that it will get done without a hiccup.

“We’re going to pass the [continuing resolution],” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters Tuesday. “We’re gonna pass one before the 30th through the House of Representatives.” 

BUT… It may not be smooth sailing in the Senate.  

GOP senators have threatened to tank a side deal that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) hashed out with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) because they feel burned by Manchin’s vote in favor of a sweeping climate, health and tax bill last month.

• Schumer has said he wants to get the Manchin proposal, which deals with energy permitting reform, into the must-pass stopgap measure.
  
• Dozens of Democrats in the House have warned against including such a deal in the funding bill, though it’s unclear if enough Democrats would vote against the bill to block its passage in the lower chamber.

At least 10 Senate Republicans would have to agree to vote in favor of the measure for its passage.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton has more on the situation here. 

🗳  HAPPENING IN THE HOUSE

House leaders held their weekly caucus lunches on Tuesday to set out the agenda for the coming weeks. Here’s what we’ve found out:

House Democratic Caucus vice chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) predicts the House will advance bipartisan reforms to the Electoral Count Act this week. The proposal has been hashed out by Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), both members of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said he remains confident in the GOP’s chances of taking back the House. And he predicted the first move they’ll make if they do: “We will end proxy voting.” 

🏠  COOLING OFF

Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) as well as Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale, Urban Institute vice president Janneke Ratcliffe and National Low Income Housing Coalition president Diane Yentel joined The Hill on Tuesday to assess the cooling housing market and its impact on affordability and accessibility. Watch the full event here.

EVENT INVITE

The Cost of Mental Health Inequities, Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 a.m. ET

Concurrent crises have brought new waves of mental health challenges in America – with about half of women and a third of men reporting declining mental health since the onset of the pandemic, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. What are the costs of mental health inequities today, and how might these costs grow if they go unaddressed? Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), NAMI’s Hannah  Wesolowski, Black Mental Health Alliance’s Andrea Brown and Satcher Health Leadership Institute’s Daniel Dawes join The Hill to explore the economics of mental health disparities. RSVP to attend or get livestream link.

🗽 Biden heads to UN for General Assembly address

President Biden will address the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday, giving him another opportunity to rally international support for Ukraine against Russia’s attacks.

“Among other things, he’ll offer a firm rebuke of Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine and make a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that we’ve seen the past several months,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in a preview of the remarks.

What it is: The General Assembly of the United Nations is made up of 193 member states. This is the first time the group will gather entirely in-person since the start of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago. 

Here’s what we’ll be watching: 

• How forcefully will Biden specifically go after Russian President Vladimir Putin? The two have long had an icy relationship.
  
• Will Biden address Taiwan’s situation after asserting this weekend that the U.S. will protect the island if China attacks?
  
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the gathering remotely Wednesday. 

Read The Hill’s primer on Biden’s address. 

NUMBER TO KNOW

49

Number of days until the midterm elections.

🏈  Ready to rumble

The Mean Machine (lawmakers and former NFL players) will face the Guards (Capitol Police officers) in the annual Congressional Football Game on Wednesday.

• The Congress team doesn’t have the best record in the series, having won only once in the past decade.
  
• Capitol Police won last year’s match-up in a game that raised more than $600,000 in tickets, private donations and corporate sponsorships. 

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at Audi Field. Tickets are $12.50 each with proceeds going to the Capitol Police Memorial Fund. 

Have some news, juicy gossip, insight or other insider info? Send tips: Elizabeth Crisp. And encourage friends to sign up here: digital-staging.thehill.com/noted.

See you tomorrow!


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