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PLAYBOOK EXCLUSIVE -- VALERIE JARRETT’S NEXT ACT -- Valerie Jarrett, the longtime senior adviser to President Barack Obama, has signed with CAA, the top Hollywood talent agency. CAA will represent Jarrett for speaking engagements and on any and all matters regarding her transition into the private sector. CAA has been pushing more aggressively into the political realm, recently signing former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) after she left Congress.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- PEYTON MANNING TO SPEAK TO GOP -- Peyton Manning, the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, is scheduled to speak at the joint Senate-House GOP retreat in Philadelphia this week, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan. Manning is part of a lineup that includes President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. The retreat begins Wednesday and ends Friday morning.
Good Tuesday morning. Welcome to weekday two of Trump’s tenure. The president is hosting a meeting this morning with “automobile industry leaders.” He will meet with Reince Priebus, his chief of staff, and sign an executive order in the Oval Office. Trump will speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and huddle with newly sworn-in CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Senate leadership is also heading to the White House in the late afternoon, and then Trump will meet one on one with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
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AN OPENING SALVO -- “Senate Democrats to Unveil $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan,” by NYT’s Jennifer Steinhauer, Steve Eder and Helene Cooper: “Daring Mr. Trump to make good on his grand infrastructure promises, Senate Democrats on Tuesday will unveil a trillion-dollar plan to rebuild the nation’s roads, railways, airports, waterways and sewer systems over 10 years. ... The plan dedicates $180 billion to rail and bus systems, $65 billion to ports, airports and waterways, $110 billion for water and sewer systems, $100 billion for energy infrastructure, and $20 billion for public and tribal lands.” http://nyti.ms/2jXuRPK
-- NOTE: Democrats do not control either chamber of Congress or the White House, but their votes will likely be necessary for a big infrastructure package. So look at this as a list of ideas that might be incorporated into a package at some point. Not an offer that will be considered as a whole.
CABINET WATCH -- Tom Price, Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary nominee, is scheduled to testify this morning before the Senate Finance Committee. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s budget pick, is slated to testify before the Senate budget panel and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley has her committee vote today, and might even get confirmed as U.N. ambassador on the floor later today.
BIG STORY IN WSJ IN ADVANCE OF TRUMP’S MEETING WITH AUTOMAKERS -- “AUTOMAKERS IN THE CROSSHAIRS,” by WSJ’s Mike Colias, Christina Rogers and Joann Lublin: “Auto executives typically spend the end of the year prepping for product debuts and thinking up ways to spark sales. This time around, Detroit’s chiefs devoted considerable time to trying to figure out how to deal with the nation’s new commander in chief. Union bosses are being called in to consult on how to reshuffle factory work, board members are trying to figure out who has friends in President Donald Trump’s new administration, and task forces have been created to monitor his Twitter account. At a dinner party during the Detroit auto show earlier this month, Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Mark Fields said he reread Mr. Trump’s ‘The Art of the Deal’ over the holidays. He first read it in the 1980s, but wants to better understand the new occupant of the Oval Office. ...
“Few industries have spent as much time in Mr. Trump’s crosshairs as the U.S. auto sector. Less than a decade after U.S. auto makers bounced back from near catastrophe thanks to a bailout from Washington, they have been rattled by a series of tweets by Mr. Trump accusing them of not being sufficiently committed to U.S. jobs and investment, given their heavy reliance on overseas production.” http://on.wsj.com/2jXehja
BEHIND THE SCENES -- “Trump repeats debunked voter fraud claim at meeting with Hill leaders,” by Heather Caygle, Burgess Everett and Kyle Cheney: “In his first meeting with congressional leaders of both parties since taking office, President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated a debunked claim that he lost the national popular vote only because of widespread voter fraud. Multiple sources described the exchange as part of a generally lighthearted meet-and-greet between Trump and the lawmakers at the White House. It’s unclear whether any of the leaders responded to Trump. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) confirmed that Trump made the voter fraud claim, but added, ‘I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. I was ready to move onto some policy issues. I didn’t anticipate that discussion.’” http://politi.co/2jlBvOI
-- NYT puts the story on the front page, with the headline “Meeting With Top Lawmakers, Trump Repeats an Election Lie” http://nyti.ms/2kmq4rK
--Ed O’Keefe @edatpost: “MCCONNELL on WH meeting with Trump: ‘I enjoyed the president and Sen. Schumer talking about all the people they knew in New York.’”
-- UNDERSTANDING THE WHITE HOUSE MEETINGS: Here’s a rule of thumb in D.C.: The more principals in the room, the less gets done. When a president of either party calls a meeting of all congressional leaders, it’s a pretty sure bet that little substantive will happen. But in this case, that’s OK. President Trump’s decision to hold a happy hour, of sorts, with congressional leadership was a first step in building a relationship between a president new to D.C. and people who matter on the Hill. Expect Trump to do a lot of this. Barack Obama did famously little of it.
THE SMALL MEETING between Trump and Ryan, however, came with an explicit purpose. Ryan requested the get-together to discuss the congressional calendar, legislative priorities and their sequencing with Trump. The president has promised quick action on a lot of things, and that worries some folks on the Hill. The meeting with Ryan -- and the speaker’s subsequent evening meeting with Pence on Capitol Hill -- was a chance to get on the same psychic wavelength about 2017.
THE HOT QUESTION -- We’ve gotten countless emails from Wall Street and the Hill asking what Trump supports when it comes to taxes, one of the president's top priorities. He has said he wants a border tax -- does that mean he wants to institute tariffs or the border adjustment plan, the move favored by the Hill GOP? MESSAGE TO 1600: You'd be putting a lot of GOP minds at ease if you made this clear soon.
YOU’RE INVITED! -- PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH SPEAKER PAUL RYAN -- Speaker Paul Ryan will sit down with us for the Playbook Interview the day the Republican retreat ends. The event is at the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill Friday. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and the event starts at 3 p.m. We’ll ask him about the retreat, President Trump and what to expect in 2017. RSVP to politicolive@politico.com
TOP READS -- “The first days inside Trump’s White House: Fury, tumult and a reboot,” by WaPo’s Ashley Parker, Phil Rucker and Matea Gold: “President Trump had just returned to the White House on Saturday from his final inauguration event, a tranquil interfaith prayer service, when the flashes of anger began to build. Trump turned on the television to see a jarring juxtaposition -- massive demonstrations around the globe protesting his day-old presidency and footage of the sparser crowd at his inauguration, with large patches of white empty space on the Mall…. But Trump was adamant, aides said. Over the objections of his aides and advisers -- who urged him to focus on policy and the broader goals of his presidency -- the new president issued a decree: He wanted a fiery public response, and he wanted it to come from his press secretary. …
“The broader power struggles within the Trump operation have touched everything from the new administration’s communications shop to the expansive role of the president’s son-in-law to the formation of Trump’s political organization. At the center, as always, is Trump himself, whose ascent to the White House seems to have only heightened his acute sensitivity to criticism. … Trump has been resentful, even furious, at what he views as the media’s failure to reflect the magnitude of his achievements, and he feels demoralized that the public’s perception of his presidency so far does not necessarily align with his own sense of accomplishment. … Two people close to the transition also said a number of Trump’s most loyal campaign aides have been alarmed by [Jared] Kushner’s efforts to elbow aside anyone he perceives as a possible threat to his role as Trump’s chief consigliere. At one point during the transition, Kushner had argued internally against giving [Kellyanne] Conway a White House role … Conway is arguably Trump’s most recognizable aide, which has caused her to receive threats against her life. She has been assigned a Secret Service detail.” http://wapo.st/2kmtLh3
-- “Trump’s shadow Cabinet,” by Josh Dawsey and Nancy Cook: “The White House is installing senior aides atop major federal agencies to shadow the administration's Cabinet secretaries, creating a direct line with loyalists who can monitor and shape White House goals across the federal bureaucracy. The aides chosen by the White House—given the title of senior adviser in each agency—have already been responsible for hiring at some departments and crafting the blueprint of Trump policy before the Cabinet members win Senate confirmation to take office. They have worked with congressional aides, lobbyists and others seeking influence in the new administration. The arrangement, described by four people involved in the transition planning, appears designed to help the White House maintain control over its priorities despite pledging to give Cabinet secretaries unusual autonomy. Having senior advisers reporting to both the agency chiefs and the White House could spur early tensions and create conflicts with that pledge of autonomy.” http://politi.co/2iZOQh8
-- @DavidWright_CNN: “New Sec. Def. James Mattis: U.S. has ‘unshakeable commitment to NATO’ -- via @CNN” http://bit.ly/2jMJyTv
WARNING TO 1600 -- MANU RAJU on CNN.com, “GOP leaders fire warning shot to Trump on NAFTA”: “In interviews with top Republicans, some are expressing concern about the protectionist views voiced by the new president on the campaign trail and in the very early days of his administration. ... [H]is plans over NAFTA have prompted growing concern, especially if he takes the extra step to pull out of the 23-year-old agreement, a threat he repeated time and again on the campaign trail. ‘I don’t see any benefit in trying to crawl back into our shell as a country,’ Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, told CNN. ‘We won’t benefit economically, we’re obviously next door to Mexico, as I frequently tell my friends in Mexico, we can’t get a divorce. We need to figure out how to make this marriage work.’” http://cnn.it/2jlFDyd
CABINET WATCH -- K-FILE -- “Trump labor pick in 2011 on his fast-food workers: We hire ‘the best of the worst,’” by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski: “Speaking to a students of Westmont College in February 2011, [Andy] Puzder discussed the changes he made at CKE when he initially took over as its chief executive. ‘Our turnover was about 300% a year. Which means everybody quit. There were some people that stayed that were lifers at Hardee’s,’ Puzder can be heard saying ... ‘It’s not like if you run a fast food company you’re hiring graduates of MIT or people that were gonna go work for Microsoft, you know. In the employment pool, you’re hiring the best of the worst. You know, it’s kind of the bottom of the pool. And at Hardee’s it was so bad, we were hiring the worst of the worst and hoping they would stay.’” http://cnnmon.ie/2kml32r
THE JUICE:
-- JASON GREENBLATT, Trump’s business attorney turned guru for international deals (whatever that means), just bought an apartment in Foggy Bottom for $425,000.
-- BUZZ: We hear Rex Tillerson, who will be the next secretary of state, is looking at this mansion in Kalorama that is listed for $5.6 million. http://bit.ly/2jm3uh5
-- FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA has been invited to join Woodmont Country Club, a mostly Jewish club in Rockville. Some members were upset because of Obama’s policies toward Israel. But the club president sent an email last night saying Obama would be welcome. Read the letter http://politi.co/2kcYXfm
-- FORMER ILLINOIS REP. AARON SCHOCK’s trial looks like it is finally happening. Court filings show that jury selection is scheduled for July 10 and the court is setting aside “4 full weeks” for the trial.
-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Sara Armstrong named Chief of Staff at the RNC: “Armstrong most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee. Prior to that she was the Vice President of the 2016 Republican National Convention. Sara previously served at the RNC as Chief Operating Officer for the 2014 election cycle after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff during the 2012 presidential election cycle. She is also a former RNC Director of Member Services. Armstrong was a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Deputy Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush. She also served in the Bush Administration as the Director of the White House Visitors Office.”
-- THE CONVERSATION: It seems to be universally agreed upon that Sean Spicer did a good job yesterday from the podium, after what was seen as a rocky debut on Saturday reading a statement about the crowd size at the inauguration. Spicer knows most of the reporters in the audience -- he’s been around a while -- and proved to be mostly comfortable describing the president’s policies and views in the briefing room. Veteran White House reporter Glenn Thrush put it thusly on Twitter: “Spicer seems 1) more broadly conversant with policy than most press secretaries 2) more willing to freely discuss policy than O flacks.”
-- ABOUT THE EMBASSY…. One thing that sticks out is that the Trump administration is going wobbly on moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Spicer says they haven’t made a decision, even though the Trump campaign repeatedly vowed to do it during the campaign. We have heard that the Jordanians are getting tough with the U.S., saying their military cooperation and other regional activities with America will be canceled if the embassy is moved. David Friedman, the incoming ambassador, is likely to live at his apartment in Jerusalem instead of the ambassador’s residence in Herzliya. The U.S. has a consulate in the center of town.
JONATHAN MARTIN in the NYT, “Angry Democrats Study the Tea Party’s Playbook”: “[T]hey are turning to the same playbook that guided their conservative counterparts in the aftermath of Mr. Obama’s election: creating or expanding a number of groups outside the formal architecture of the party, focusing on often-overlooked state legislative and redistricting campaigns, and bringing together frightened fund-raisers to underwrite it all. … A debate over Mr. Trump’s first 100 days broke out at a session here [in Aventura, Fla.], with Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago pressing for accommodation at times and Ron Klain, a veteran Democratic operative, urging total opposition. ‘My attitude is, there will be things that in the interest of the country we’re going to work on, and things we’re not because it’s not in the best interest,’ Mr. Emanuel said.” http://nyti.ms/2iZhX3Y
IT’S OFFICIAL -- The California Senate voted 26-9 to confirm Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra as state attorney general. California Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to set the special election for his replacement. Expect a crowded Democratic field vying for the slot.
THE NEW ADMINISTRATION -- “Trump names new FCC chairman: Ajit Pai, who wants to take a ‘weed whacker’ to net neutrality,” by LATimes’ Jim Puzzanghera: “President Trump on Monday designated Ajit Pai, a Republican member of the [FCC] and an outspoken opponent of new net neutrality rules, to be the agency’s new chairman. ... A telecommunications lawyer who has served on the FCC since May 2012, Pai is a free-market advocate who has been sharply critical of new regulations adopted by Democrats in recent years.” http://lat.ms/2kn4vDw
-- “Trump Administration Imposes Freeze On EPA Grants and Contracts,” by Andrew Revkin and Jesse Eisinger in ProPublica: “The Trump administration has imposed a freeze on grants and contracts by the [EPA], a move that could affect a significant part of the agency’s budget allocations and even threaten to disrupt core operations ranging from toxic cleanups to water quality testing, according to records and interviews.” http://bit.ly/2jrNtnw
-- “CDC abruptly cancels long-planned conference on climate change and health,” by WaPo’s Brady Dennis: “The Climate and Health Summit, which had been in the works for months, was intended as a chance for public health officials around the country to learn more about the mounting evidence of the risks to human health posed by the changing climate. But CDC officials abruptly canceled the conference before President Trump’s inauguration, sending a terse email on Jan. 9 to those who had been scheduled to speak at the event. The message did not explain the reason behind the decision.” http://wapo.st/2j8QUhX
WHAT TODD SCHULTE IS READING -- “Trump makes his priorities clearer, and deportation of young immigrants has fallen off the list,” by LA Times’ Mike Memoli and Brian Bennet: “President Trump signaled Monday through a flurry of directives and pronouncements that he will put a priority on remaking U.S. trade and tax policy, even as he quietly backed away from a pledge to end protections for nearly 750,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children … Trump left it to Press Secretary Sean Spicer to indicate the administration has put off ending a controversial program that temporarily shields from deportation more than 742,000 young people who came to the U.S. illegally as children, despite promising during the campaign to ‘immediately terminate’ it.” http://lat.ms/2jslbt2
HOT ON THE RIGHT -- “Critics: Trump’s Deputies Break His Cheap-Labor Immigration Promise on Day One,” by Breitbart’s Neil Munro: “President Donald Trump’s deputies have yet to stop the Department of Homeland Security from printing more of President Obama’s work permits for younger illegals who claim they were brought into the United States when they were younger than 16. This inaction is in violation of one of Trump’s most prominent campaign promises, and it also gives away bargaining power that Trump needs to make the GOP-led Congress implement his popular campaign promises on immigration reform, warns Mark Krikorian, head of the Center for Immigration Studies. ‘It is an explicit betrayal of a promise he made … ‘That is a red line they have crossed less than three days into their administration.’” http://bit.ly/2j9aYAN
--THE BEST LINE OF THE STORY: “Trump’s media aides did not respond to emails from Breitbart.”
BIG MONEY ALERT -- “Trump’s biggest donors consider abandoning new political arm,” by Eliana Johnson and Ken Vogel: “Tensions between President Donald Trump’s senior political aides and a pair of his most important donors are threatening to upend plans for an outside political group expected to play a key role in advancing his agenda. Now, just days after Trump’s inauguration, the donors expected to provide much of the funding for the group — the hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer and his daughter, Rebekah Mercer — are considering abandoning the effort and launching an independent effort of their own ... It is unclear precisely why Rebekah Mercer became unhappy with the plans for the organization, though tensions surfaced between her and Brad Parscale, who served as the Trump campaign’s digital director, during a December meeting in Trump Tower. What is clear is that she may be nearing a breaking point both with Parscale and Nick Ayers, the Trump aides slated to run the group, as well as with Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and his political guru Steve Hantler, who are expected to provide key financial backing for the effort.” http://politi.co/2kcCteL
FOOD FOR THOUGHT -- NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly: “[H]ere is the question that another CIA veteran put to me after watching Trump’s speech this weekend. ... Steve Hall ... was CIA chief of Russia operations. And he asked, ‘What happens when the CIA collects a stellar piece of intelligence that maybe puts Vladimir Putin in a bad light? ... [W]hat happens when the CIA briefs Trump, and he wants to know the source? ... [Hall said]: ‘how can you say, No, we don’t trust you with the sourcing of that information?’ That is a live question today at Langley.” http://n.pr/2j8KTlv
MEGATRENDS -- NYT A3, “Peak Millennial? Cities Can’t Assume a Continued Boost From the Young,” by Conor Dougherty: “Over the past decade, many American cities have been transformed by young professionals of the millennial generation, with downtowns turning into bustling neighborhoods full of new apartments and pricey coffee bars. But soon, cities may start running out of millennials. A number of demographers, along with economists and real estate consultants, are starting to contemplate what urban cores will look like now that the generation — America’s largest — is cresting. ... [M]any in this generation are aging from their 20s into the more traditionally suburban child-raising years. There are already some signs that the inflow of young professionals into cities has reached its peak, and that the outflow of mid-30s couples to the suburbs has resumed after stalling during the Great Recession.” http://nyti.ms/2jXhTl1
PLAYBOOKERS IN THE WSJ -- “Messaging App Has Bipartisan Support Amid Hacking Concerns,” by WSJ’s Mara Gay: “Signal, a smartphone app that allows users to send encrypted messages, is gaining popularity in the political world amid rising fears about hacking and surveillance in the wake of a tumultuous election year. Political aides close to President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are users. ... Roger Stone, one of President Donald Trump’s closest aides, is on the app. Neera Tanden, a longtime ally to Mrs. Clinton whose emails were famously made public by WikiLeaks, is as well. ... Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he has had the app on his phone for a few weeks. ... Howard Wolfson and Marc La Vorgna, close aides to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg,” are also on the app. http://on.wsj.com/2kmoWUV
MEDIAWATCH -- “Trump moves to put his own stamp on Voice of America,” by Tara Palmeri: “President Donald Trump on Monday dispatched two aides to scope out the studios of Voice of America, heightening concerns among some longtime staffers that Trump may quickly put his stamp on the broadcasting arm that has long pushed U.S. democratic ideals across the world. ... Trump campaign New Hampshire state director Matthew Ciepielowski and Wisconsin communications director Matthew Schuck will be ‘temporarily assigned’ to the CEO suite at the [Broadcasting Board of Governors] where they will work with senior management ‘to ensure an open, transparent and seamless transition of the BBG to the Trump Administration,’ according to an email by CEO John F. Lansing to staff obtained by POLITICO.” http://politi.co/2iZv31c
-- “Sean Spicer’s media diversity play,” by Hadas Gold: “At his first daily briefing as presidential press secretary, Sean Spicer didn't bawl out the media, like he did during Saturday's explosion about crowd estimates at the inauguration. But he had a message nonetheless: No longer will the biggest mainstream outlets get preferential treatment. Unlike on Saturday, when most of the media felt his tirade was inappropriate, Spicer’s performance on Monday was greeted warmly, though at times warily. Many reporters applauded the end of the tradition of giving special attention to the front row where major outlets like the Associated Press and the television networks sit. But others noted that many of the smaller outlets he called upon are conservative-leaning. ‘Props to Spicer for taking questions from reporters all over this room,’ The Huffington Post’s Jennifer Bendery tweeted.” http://politi.co/2jMp64Q
OBAMA ALUMNI -- MARIE HARF named FOX News contributor -- “In this role, she will offer national security and political analysis across FNC and FOX Business Network’s (FBN) daytime and primetime programming. ... Most recently, Harf served as the senior advisor for strategic communications to Secretary of State John Kerry. She previously held the position of deputy spokesperson for the State Department from July 2013 until May 2015, where she served as the department’s acting spokesperson from March 27, 2015 until May 13 of that year. … Harf began her federal government career as an analyst on Middle East leadership issues in the CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence.” http://bit.ly/2knlmpF
COMING ATTRACTIONS – “NBC News will celebrate the 50th anniversary of veteran anchor and special correspondent Tom Brokaw with ‘Tom Brokaw at NBC News: The First 50 Years,’ a primetime special on Sunday, January 29. The two-hour special features his most memorable highlights and famous interviews from the start of his career reporting on Ronald Reagan’s first run for office to his most recent coverage of the 2016 presidential election, as well as never-before-seen moments from Brokaw’s tenure at NBC News and new conversations with special guests.”
HAPPENING TODAY: Jackie Bezos (Jeff’s mom) and J.B. Pritzker, Clinton confidant and potential Illinois gubernatorial candidate, will join Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Institute’s first-ever Forum on Children and Families. The event -- hosted by Ascend at the Aspen Institute -- will be focused on poverty, and will feature ideas from red and blue states like Tennessee, Mississippi, California and Minnesota. Nobel laureate Dr. James Heckman and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will join the conversation, as well. Livestream: https://goo.gl/Fc1IIh
MEDIA PEOPLE GOING TO TECH FIRMS -- ERIKA MASONHALL to Facebook – she posts on Facebook: “I’m joining Facebook next month to help lead strategic communications for the News Partnerships team based in New York.” She was previously VP of comms at NBC News.
--Quentin Hardy (@qhardy): “Some personal news: I’m leaving The New York Times to be the head of Editorial at Google Cloud.”
OVERHEARD last night at the Prime Rib: “Mary, I want you to know your husband was an absolute gentleman at the Bohemian Grove.” ... Also SPOTTED there last night: Sy Hersh, dining with Middle Eastern types … Florida Republican Rep. Charlie Crist last night sitting at the bar with a bottle of wine at Charlie Palmer Steak.
IVANKA TRUMP ate breakfast at Open City on Monday. Welcome to Upper Northwest! http://wapo.st/2knL4Ky
TRANSITIONS -- “Brigade, the world’s first network for voters, has welcomed Voter founder & CEO Hunter Scarborough to the team as we ramp up for 2017, when millions of Americans will participate in state and local elections that directly impact their daily lives and millions more will seek ways to turn their beliefs into action.” ... Rachel Palermo, former assistant press secretary at the DNC, is joining SKDKnickerbocker as an associate in the firm’s D.C. public affairs shop. ... Michelle Dominguez, formerly of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Rep. Chet Edwards’ office, is back on the Hill working for the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee minority staff as director of oversight. ... John Van Etten has been named SVP for gov't affairs for HSBC's Washington office; his previous career stops include New York Life, The Clearing House and Rep. Nan Hayworth's office. ...
... Sam Lau started on Monday as the comms director for the House Budget Committee Democrats, He was previously a spokesperson for the DSCC, the Iowa Democratic Party, and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.). ... Wes Battle is the new VP of communications at CRAFT. Most recently, Wes led and developed an international campaign with the U.S. Olympic Committee to successfully reinstate the sport of wrestling to the Summer Olympics. ... Brennen Britton, who was previously Sen. Jerry Moran’s state director and campaign manager, is moving to D.C. from Lenexa, Kan., to take the helm as Moran’s chief of staff. Todd Novascone, Sen. Moran’s longest running chief of staff – more than 12 years, will announce his new position in the coming weeks. Sen. Moran’s remarks about Todd on the floor last night http://bit.ly/2jrUrJo
ON THE HILL -- CTIA - Everything Wireless held a “Welcome to Congress” for new members at Charlie Palmer Monday night. Meredith Attwell Baker, CEO of CTIA hosted the soiree welcoming new Members and staff to the 115th Congress. SPOTTED: Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), and Reps. Anthony Brown (D-Md.), Charlie Crist (R-Fla.), Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Val Demings (D-Fla.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.) (a birthday boy today), Vincente Gonzalez (D-Texas), among others. Also spotted with Baker, Kelly Cole, Tom Power, Chris Salemme and Hank Kilgore of CTIA, Robert Fisher, Courtney Reinhard and Chris DeBosier of Verizon, Kathleen Ham, Laura McPherson and Laura Linderman of T-Mobile, Bill Barloon of Sprint, and Mark Rubin of Tracfone.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD – C.J. Grover, comms. director for Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kans.) and Bailey Grover, an account manager at Porter Novelli, post on Instagram: “This is Dottie. She was born at 8:08 AM ET on Inauguration Day 2017. She was 8 lbs and 21 inches. So far she has lived through two presidencies in four days, making her GOP dad and Democrat mom quite pleased.” Instapic http://bit.ly/2jlNewN
ENGAGED -- Chris Mudd, production associate at Comcast Sports Net, recently proposed to Elizabeth McLaughlin, who works for ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, at the final Washington Redskins game of the season. The two met at ABC News and celebrated the day, despite the team’s 19-10 loss to the New York Giants. Pic http://bit.ly/2jXgV8v ... 90-second video http://bit.ly/2jlOuQr
BIRTHDAYS OF THE DAY: Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz), senior advisor to former President Obama but also starting a public affairs firm, who celebrated at the beach last weekend, is having dinner at Kinship and heading to NYC to see Hamilton in a few weeks -- read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://politi.co/2jTXywO … WSJ’s Byron Tau, a Politico alum, celebrating on Saturday with friends but today is “hard at work covering the world’s greatest deliberative body” -- Q&A: http://politi.co/2kcCK13
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Mike Gallagher, CEO of Entertainment Software Association ... Missy Foxman, ESA’s director of federal gov’t affairs (hat tips: Nika Nour)
BIRTHDAYS: Ford CEO Mark Fields, who is meeting with Trump this morning, is 56 … former OMB director and HUD secretary Shaun Donovan is 51 ... Elliott Abrams is 69 (h/t Jewish Insider) ... Andrew Friendly, industry strategy and relations at Autodesk ... Stephanie Losee, head of content at Visa and a Politico alum ... Fusion’s Dax Tejera, executive producer for “America with Jorge Ramos” and an NBC alum ... Courtney Rowe, the Obama West Wing’s favorite Arkansan and former special assistant to the President for message planning ... Jacqui Corba, producer at Cheddar and a CBS News and Politico alum ... Ann O’Hanlon ... CQ Roll Call’s David Hawkings is 57 (h/t wife Betsy) ... Andrew Green, director of corporate affairs at Thomson Reuters and an FT alum … Brian Chesemore ... Brian Gallagher ... Annie Groer, contributing writer for WashPost ... Tea Party Express alum Amy Kremer ... Christopher Ulrich ... Bernie Merritt ... Steve Selby (h/ts Jon Haber) ...
… Monica Popp, chief of staff to Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (h/ts Magellan and Tilly) ... AP’s Lisa Marie Pane ... Alex Wong, Romney alum now foreign policy advisor and general counsel to Sen. Tom Cotton ... former Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) is 68 … Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) is 72 ... Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.) is 71 ... Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) is 59 ... Brian Lam, business systems analyst for American Funds at Capital Group ... Ron Beitelspacher … Ellen Globokar … Sam Rodriguez (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Syed Ali Imran ... Natalie Krings, comms. director for Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) ... Alicia Cristina Burgos … Bush 43 WH alums Lauren Vestewig and Meg Hauck ... Neil Diamond is 76 ... actress Mischa Barton is 31 (h/ts AP)