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It’s all about the messaging.
Five months out from Election Day, that sentiment is clear on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill. Congressional leaders in both parties are sending strong signals with upcoming votes in the House and Senate, tying legislation to election year priorities.
IN THE SENATE, Republicans on Wednesday blocked consideration of legislation that would create a federal right to birth control, after they argued the bill was unnecessary and overly broad. The bill was part of an election year push for reproductive rights by Democrats, who want to get Republicans on the record opposing those efforts, especially as the GOP struggles with how to message its stance on reproductive rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade (The Hill).
“We’re gonna have Contraception Day here in the United States Senate, and everyone’s going to be put on record,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said at a press conference ahead of the vote. “And if they say it’s not under threat, then they should just vote yes, in order to reaffirm that right.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday he has also begun the process of moving forward on a package that would establish protections for receiving and providing in vitro fertilization services (Roll Call).
Senate Republicans are also increasing calls for Schumer to grant a floor vote to the House GOP bill that would sanction the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Democrats are highly unlikely to agree to (The Hill).
Politico: At least 128 members of Congress were targeted by an Israeli-linked operation to spread pro-Israel military content amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
IN THE HOUSE, election year probes abound. House Republicans have called university administrators, Cabinet officials and heads of federal agencies before panels. In a bow to the right of his party, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) named former Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to serve on the prestigious House Intelligence Committee, where spots have typically been given to lawmakers with backgrounds in national security and a bipartisan track record. The committee’s chair, Mike Turner (R-Ohio), found out about Johnson’s changes from news accounts.
The selection of two close Trump allies comes as Johnson has signaled his willingness to use the full force of the House to aid former President Trump’s bid to reclaim the Oval Office (The Hill and ABC News). Some Republicans worry that agencies will balk at cooperating with the committee because of its new members and that Perry will leak sensitive information to contacts outside the panel (Politico).
▪ The Hill: Jackson, formerly a White House physician during the administrations of former Presidents Obama and Trump, calls Biden’s mental health a “national security” issue.
▪ The Hill: House Republicans on Wednesday referred the president’s son, Hunter, and President Biden’s brother, James, to the Justice Department amid accusations of misleading Congress during investigations they claim are part of an impeachment inquiry aimed at the president.
▪ The Hill: House Republicans say they aren’t finished with Anthony Fauci and want to bring criminal charges against the nation’s former top infectious diseases official.
3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:
▪ Aboard Boeing space capsule Starliner, two NASA astronauts launched to the International Space Station on Wednesday. It was a long time coming for the aerospace giant. An issue detected in flight since launch of the craft: Helium leaks. Docking is scheduled at 12:15 p.m. EST.
▪ A 59-year-old died from avian influenza (H5N2) in Mexico City, Mexico, April 24, a first fatality in a human from the bird influenza subtype. A source of the virus is unknown. Avian flu has been confirmed in cows, goats and poultry in the U.S.
▪ Congress is poised to let benefits for victims of U.S. nuclear testing lapse if lawmakers cannot reach an agreement in the days ahead.
80 YEARS SINCE D-DAY: The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, delivered five allied naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France, and would usher in the beginning of the end of World War II. Eight decades later, Biden, world leaders and members of Congress will gather in Normandy today alongside the surviving veterans — many of them now more than 100 years old.
But commemorations for the event, likely the last major milestone for nearly all who participated in the invasion, come amid the backdrop of another tumultuous war, this time in Europe’s far east between Russia and Ukraine. One veteran returning to the beaches today is Tony Pagano, who spoke with The Hill about the significance of the trip and reconnecting with other veterans.
“I can’t believe I’m 98,” Pagano said. “I remember different things and I have nightmares once in a while. But [returning to France] just reinforced my relationship with the material, the guns I’ve seen, the rifles.”
📺 Biden taped an interview with ABC News for broadcast today while in Normandy.
LEADING THE DAY
© The Associated Press / Seth Wenig | Former President Trump in New York May 30.
POLITICS
Trump has said he’ll unveil his choice to be vice president close to or during the Republican National Convention, which begins July 15 in Milwaukee. With little more than a month to go (and with a criminal sentencing scheduled in Manhattan on July 11), the presumptive nominee’s search for a running mate entered a new phase with a short list of prospects and campaign outreach to some, NBC News reports.
Traditionally, selecting a running mate is a “do-no-harm” campaign choice. Voters historically do not vote for presidential candidates based on vice presidential picks. But the selection carries more weight for Trump, who will be 78 next week. And if he wins, he would be constitutionally barred from seeking another term.
One of those who has received a request for vetting details is North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, according to NBC. Burgum, described as a Trump loyalist unlikely to overshadow the former president, did not comment.
NBC sources also place Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Ohio Sen. JD Vance on a shortlist, albeit one written in pencil. Others mentioned this year as possibilities: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Byron Donalds of Florida, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
What has Trump said about the names mentioned? “Gov. Burgum from North Dakota has been incredible. Marco Rubio has been great.” Noem? “I like her a lot.” Picking a woman? “I like the concept, but we’re going to pick the best person.” Donalds? “A superstar with a tremendous future.” Scott? “He has been much better for me than he was for himself. I watched his campaign, and he doesn’t like talking about himself. But boy does he talk about Trump.”
One caveat for Florida lawmakers such as Rubio and Donalds, if paired with Sunshine State resident Trump, is that candidates on a ticket from the same state could make things uncomfortable for the electoral system in the event of a close result Nov. 5, thanks to the 12th Amendment to the Constitution (Tampa Bay Times).
“LOCK HIM UP?” NOT OUT LOUD: Democratic lawmakers balk at saying whether Trump should be jailed after his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records (some members of Congress privately wonder why he wasn’t jailed after repeatedly violating a gag order during the Manhattan hush money trial). Democrats want to avoid any appearance they are trying to publicly influence the trial judge, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton and Mychael Schnell report. “Do I think he’s done enough to deserve to go to prison? Yeah, absolutely,” said one Democratic senator who requested anonymity and recalled the attack on the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021. “I have PTSD for almost a year walking down the hallway and envisioning what was happening in the rotunda.”
TRUMP’S STANDING WITH VOTERS: Did Trump’s conviction change voters’ minds? Early on, the answer appears to be an equivocal “yes.” In interviews with nearly 2,000 voters who previously took New York Times/Siena College surveys, Biden appeared to gain slightly, the Times reports.
An Emerson College Poll found Trump’s lead over Biden ebbing from 3 points in April to 1 point this week, suggesting a possible improvement for the president. A survey released Thursday showed support for the former president nationwide among registered voters at 46 percent, unchanged since the survey in April.
2024 ROUNDUP:
▪ Trump will campaign today in battleground Arizona, appearing at a town hall in Phoenix organized by conservative youth organization Turning Point USA.
▪ Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to curry favor with voters who are on the fence about Trump’s conviction, calling the prosecution and trial “profoundly undemocratic” and suggesting it was a political ploy by Democrats to damage the former president.
▪ Florida Republicans aimed to make voting by mail harder. It worked. The state could see a dramatic drop-off in the number of mail-in ballots used in this year’s presidential election, a decline that could hurt an already weakened Democratic Party.
WHERE AND WHEN
The House will meet at 2 p.m. Friday.
The Senate will convene Friday at 10 a.m.
The president is in Paris and will travel to Normandy for D-Day commemorations with first lady Jill Biden to mark the events of June 6, 1944. The president will participate in a greeting in Normandy with veterans and speak during the planned ceremony before a wreath-laying. The Bidens will be part of an international D-Day program before returning to Paris from Normandy.
Vice President Harris will lead a conversation at the White House about gun violence prevention ahead of National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will mirror the president’s travel schedule in France.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to warn about artificial intelligence used in finance during remarks at a Financial Stability Oversight Council conference with the Brookings Institution.
Economic indicators: The Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. will report claims for unemployment benefits filed during the week ending June 1. It will issue a separate report at 8:30 a.m. for the first quarter about productivity and costs.
ZOOM IN
COURTS
A Georgia appeals court Wednesday agreed to pause the Fulton County prosecutor’s election interference racketeering case against Trump to weigh his appeal seeking to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis (D) (The Hill). Trump and his legal team are challenging Willis after her admission of a romance with another prosecutor she brought into her office to lead the case against Trump and co-defendants. The election interference case is not expected to move to trial before Election Day.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) on Wednesday opposed Trump’s request to lift a gag order now that his trial for criminal falsification of company expense records ended last week with his conviction (ABC News).
In Florida, federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the Justice Department’s criminal case against Trump for retention of classified documents, on Wednesday reshuffled her schedule of hearings on various unresolved issues in the case. It’s another example of a criminal prosecution of Trump that is not expected to go to trial anytime soon (The New York Times).
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana sided with industry groups and struck down the Securities and Exchange Commission’s pro-investor rule about private funds and investment advisers. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), a senior member of the Banking Committee, called the court’s ruling “a real blow to consumers.” The rules would have required private equity funds and hedge funds to undergo annual audits, disclose all fees and expenses to investors, use realistic performance metrics, and disclose any sweetheart deals they give to preferential investors.
© The Hill / Samantha Wong; and Adobe Stock | Deepfakes and artificial intelligence are affecting young students.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
SCHOOL BULLYING: Students are quickly learning the ease with which artificial intelligence (AI) can create nefarious content — from deepfake sexual images to sham voice recordings — opening a new world of bullying that neither schools nor the law are fully prepared for (The Hill).
“We have to try to get ahead of that challenge because I think it’s really undermined kids’ mental wellbeing, and I see very few organizations or people that are really focusing in on that,” said Alex Kotran, co-founder and CEO of the AI Education Project. “I just worry that this is no longer a future state, but very much a clear and present danger that needs to be sort of taken ahead of.”
▪ The New York Times: A group of current and former OpenAI employees is calling for sweeping changes to the artificial intelligence industry, including greater transparency and protections for whistleblowers.
▪ CNN: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is expected to warn bankers and tech executives that while AI could open the door to vast rewards for the financial system, the technology also threatens to introduce new dangers.
ELSEWHERE
© The Associated Press / Miriam Alster | President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv in October.
INTERNATIONAL
THE U.S. IS CONTINUING TO PUSH Hamas to agree to the cease-fire proposal Biden outlined Friday, saying the militant group’s stated opposition to the deal has yet to be officially transmitted. The White House has said it has “every expectation” that Israel will, if Hamas does, accept the U.S.-backed cease-fire plan, negotiated with mediators Qatar and Egypt.
“The ball is in Hamas’s court,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told ABC News on Wednesday. “Israel has accepted the proposal. The world has endorsed the proposal. Now it’s time for Hamas to say yes to it.”
The plan has been described as a proposal supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, yet everything he has subsequently said about it has been a mixed signal. Agreeing to it risks a revolt by ultranationalists who could topple his government’s ruling coalition, and, crucially, the plan does not contain a solution to a key impasse between Israel and Hamas: whether the truce would be permanent and involve a complete withdrawal of Israel’s military from Gaza (USA Today). In an effort to revive the stalled talks, CIA Director William Burns is in Doha, while White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk arrived in Cairo on Wednesday. Arab mediators said that Biden has pressured Middle Eastern leaders to reach a deal by next week (The Wall Street Journal).
▪ Reuters: Israel hit a Gaza school on Thursday in an airstrike that it said targeted and killed Hamas fighters, while a Hamas official said 40 people including women and children were killed as they sheltered in the U.N. site.
▪ The New York Times: A cease-fire in Gaza might be the easy part. Fulfilling it will be harder.
Ukrainian officials are pressing the U.S. and other countries to ramp up their F-16 pilot training, saying the current pipeline isn’t producing enough aviators to fly the jets that will be soon donated to Kyiv (Politico).
▪ The Hill: Ukrainian children participate in a camp, put on by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, to help them recover from more than two years of war and the trauma it has caused.
▪ The Hill: The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv is warning dual U.S.-Ukrainian citizens they will no longer be able to depart the war-torn country if they are otherwise eligible for conscription.
OPINION
■ Biden is right: It’s time to end the awful Gaza war, by David Ignatius, columnist, The Washington Post.
■ India reminds the world it is more than Modi, by Mihir Sharma, columnist, Bloomberg Opinion.
THE CLOSER
© The Associated Press / Chief Photographer’s Mate Robert M. Sargent, U.S. Coast Guard via AP, file | On June 6, 1944, the first wave of allied assaults hit the beaches in Normandy, France, in a massive campaign by land, air and sea to push German occupying forces into retreat from Europe.
Take Our Morning Report Quiz
And finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by World War II history, we’re eager for some smart guesses about D-Day.
Be sure to email your responses to asimendinger@digital-staging.thehill.com and kkarisch@digital-staging.thehill.com — please add “Quiz” to your subject line. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
D-Day, the beginning of an unprecedented World War II battle to wrest western Europe from Nazi control, was given what code name by the allies?
- Operation Overtake
- Operation Overlord
- Operation Overboard
- Operation Overlook
A supreme command team formed in December 1943 to plan the naval, air and land operations for the 1944 D-Day assault in France was led by _____________.
- French Gen. Charles De Gaulle
- British Gen. Bernard Montgomery
- U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Canadian Gen. Henry D. G. Crerar
Following the allied plan among 12 nations that launched on D-Day, how long did it take before Victory in Europe (V-E) Day?
- Three months
- Six months
- Eleven months
- Twenty-four months
Late on D-Day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to the nation for the first time about the massive operation that had been kept secret. Which of the following is FALSE about that address?
- He spoke to Americans by radio
- He warned that “men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war”
- His remarks were in the form of a prayer
- First lady Eleanor Roosevelt joined her husband to add a few encouraging words
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