Republicans return to roasting Biden regulations

By KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS and DANIELLA DIAZ

06/06/2023 07:40 AM EDT

Presented by American Health Care Association

With help from Nicholas Wu and Jordain Carney

Gas stove rules are under fire this week as House GOP bills hit the floor. (Francis Chung/POLITICO) | AP

LIGHT IT UP — If you thought that the debt vote was a sign of a new deal-making era about to dawn for Kevin McCarthy's House GOP, you would be wrong.

Debt-limit dealmaking is in the rear-view mirror and House Republicans are pivoting back to a familiar conservative agenda: taking aim at federal regulations and dialing up conflict with the FBI.

This week's House agenda leans into divisions and highlights the GOP's enthusiasm to use divisive issues to stake their positions heading into next year's elections, even if legislative efforts are doomed in a Democratically controlled Senate.

Gaslighting or cooked up? Republicans are moving bills later this week aimed at halting the Biden administration from regulating natural-gas-burning stoves, plus more sweeping legislation to roll back the executive branch's rulemaking powers.

The gas stove furor was sparked back in January when Consumer Product Safety Commission member Richard Trumka Jr. expressed a willingness to ban the appliances, statements that other administration officials quickly snuffed out. But once the narrative took hold and lit up their base, Republicans couldn't let it sit on the back burner.

"I’m sure my friends in the minority will dismiss these two bills as addressing a petty concern, but it's not a petty concern to the hard working Americans who will be impacted," House Rules Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Monday. "The last thing they need is to have the Biden administration's Green New Deal regulatory assault reach their kitchen appliances."

The draft rules targeted by the legislation only apply to new stoves, but Republicans on Monday used rhetoric about the Biden administration stopping Americans from using their current gas stoves. The administration, for its part, has said many appliances currently on the market would not qualify to be sold under the proposed regulations and Republicans also raised the alarm about the potential of driving up costs.

The view from New York: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who is a cosponsor of both gas stove bills, defended against Democratic claims that this issue is the latest front in GOP culture war fights.

"[The legislation] is necessary when you see what states like New York are doing, where they’re seeking to ban it," Lawler told Huddle in an interview. "I brought this up at the beginning of the year, and I had Democratic colleagues on the House floor saying ‘That's not true, nobody's doing that’ and then lo and behold, New York State in the budget did just that."

Fact check: True. New York became the first state in May to ban natural gas in most new buildings.

Who holds the reins: The REINS Act, sponsored by Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), was a hot topic during the debt limit debate. It would require congressional approval of any regulation with an estimated economic impact above $100 million before it could take effect. It was included in the House GOP debt limit bill, but was not included in the McCarthy-Biden debt limit deal that became law.

Many Republicans were mad that it didn't make the final deal and some see this week's vote as too little, too late.

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GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, June 6, where gas stove legislation is heating up, but an effort to oust McCarthy is fizzling.

MOTION TO (NOT YET) VACATE — House Freedom Caucus members did not discuss trying to strip McCarthy (R-Calif.) of his gavel during their regular fly-in day meeting on Monday night, several members, including Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.), told Jordain.

What the ultra-conservative group's next step would be after tensions spiked over the debt deal has been Washington's favorite parlor game of late. A few members of the group floated a trial balloon last week that they might force a motion to vacate and argued they needed to have a discussion this week.

But the likely doomed-to-fail bid appears to be quickly losing steam — at least for now. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who opposed the debt bill, said "there's a lack of trust" with GOP leadership but that there was "nothing about vacate the chair" in the Freedom Caucus's Monday meeting.

"On vacate the chair, who are you going to get?" Norman said, adding when asked if he thought there would be a discussion: "Not yet "

Another HFC member predicted that trying to force the issue now would result in a "stalemate" and a "vast majority" of Republicans would oppose such a move.

Instead, Freedom Caucus members said they are starting to strategize, including during Monday night's meeting, about how to handle the next big legislative fights, including a budget, a soon-to-be released tax bill and funding the government. In other words: Stay tuned.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), who floated a motion to vacate last week, did not attend the Monday night meeting and missed Monday votes — a couple of his colleagues said they heard he had travel issues.

McCARTHY SHOOTS DOWN SUPP — McCarthy watched Senate leaders talk about a defense supplemental spending bill last week after hawks balked at the spending caps in the debt limit deal, but he's not ready to fulfill any promises made in the upper chamber.

"Why do you move to a supplemental when we just passed [an agreement]?" the speaker told reporters. "If the idea of the supplemental is to go around the agreement we just came to, I think we’ve got to walk through appropriations." Nancy has more on McCarthy's stance.

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CONSIDERING CONTEMPT FOR WRAY — The Oversight Committee will vote Thursday on holding FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress.

Lawmakers on the committee are irked by the bureau's decision not to give them a copy of an unreleased document that they say ties then-Vice President Joe Biden to a "bribery scheme" — without sharing key details about the explosive allegation behind it.

"At the briefing, the FBI again refused to hand over the unclassified record to the custody of the House Oversight Committee," Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said. "Given the severity and the complexity of the allegations contained within this record, Congress must investigate further." Jordain has the latest.

First term Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said Monday that "It's time to impeach

Joe Biden and begin a house cleaning of the DOJ now," piggybacking on the Wray action to call for Congress to impeach the president.

NDAA BACK ON TRACK — The House and Senate Armed Services committees will both mark up their competing versions of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act on June 21, according to schedules released Monday by the two panels – really testing if defense lobbyists and reporters can be in two places at once. The subcommittee markups will start next week, after being delayed again and again due to debt limit negotiations.

Let me root, root, root for the home team… Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before tonight's Nationals game against the Diamondbacks, per the team.

Beware of heavy machinery… Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Jordain Monday night that he was hit by a tractor (or at least hit by the fence that the operator hit directly) earlier in the day near the Folger Shakespeare Library. Jordain reports that Bacon was "fine but dusty" at Monday night votes.

Shine bright like a Dimon… Jamie Dimon, the chairman and chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase, will be meeting with the New Dems on Tuesday.

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QUICK LINKS

Lawyer says Rep. George Santos would go to jail to keep identities of bond cosigners secret, from Michael R. Sisak at The Associated Press

Intelligence officials say U.S. has retrieved craft of non-human origin, from Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal at The Debrief

Welcome to My Office: Rep. Jared Moskowitz has his sneakers on and is ready to work, from Mychael Schnell at The Hill

Congressional staff of Mass. lawmakers skews whiter than average, data analysis shows, from Tal Kopan and Jorja Siemons at The Boston Globe

As Blinken Visits Saudi Arabia, Human Rights Are Back in Focus, from By Dion Nissenbaum at The Wall Street Journal

TRANSITIONS

James Kwon is now communications director for Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.). He was most recently digital director and press secretary to Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.).

Kevin Spicer has been promoted to be chief of staff for Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (D-Ind.). He most recently was deputy chief of staff and comms director for the congressman.

Cameron Anders Clark is now D.C. scheduler for Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.). He most recently was staff assistant for the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee.

Peter Butkovich is a research assistant for the Senate Homeland Security Dems under Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.). He was previously a legislative manager for the law firm Dykema.

Kendall Mitchell has joined Bracewell as a principal in the Policy Resolution Group. She most recently served as communications director for Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and previously worked in comms at the Justice Department.

TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House convenes at 10 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. First votes are expected at 1:30 p.m. and last votes are expected at 4:00 p.m.

The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. and will vote at 5:30 p.m. on cloture on the nomination of David Crane to be Under Secretary of Energy.

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AROUND THE HILL

10 a.m. Majority Leader Steve Scalie (R-La.), GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) hold a press conference after a GOP Conference meeting. (HC-8)

10:45 a.m. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu will speak to reporters after a closed Democratic Caucus meeting. (Studio A)

10 a.m. House Oversight and Accountability National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on "Help Wanted: Law Enforcement Staffing Challenges at the Border." (2154 Rayburn)

10 a.m. House Transportation and Infrastructure Railroad, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee hearing on "Amtrak Operations: Examining the Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Efficiency and Service." (2167 Rayburn)

MONDAY’S WINNER: Garrett Riou correctly answered that Kay Bailey Hutchison was the first woman elected to the Senate from Texas.

TODAY’S QUESTION from Garrett: Who was the first southern, African American woman elected to the House of Representatives?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to [email protected].

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Follow Katherine and Daniella on Twitter @ktullymcmanus and @DaniellaMicaela

A message from American Health Care Association:

America's seniors need our help. The long term care community is facing a historic labor crisis that is forcing nursing homes across the country to limit new admissions, and for hundreds, close their doors. Facilities are doing everything they can to hire more caregivers, but with limited government funding, they can't recruit the staff they need.

A federal staffing mandate without resources would only make the crisis worse, forcing more nursing homes to close and limiting access to care for seniors. We need Washington to invest in long term care and our workforce to ensure seniors have the caregivers they need. Learn more.