Biden’s two-headed policy nightmare

Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Ben Johansen Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Myah | Email Lauren| Email Lawrence If we could pinpoint two major sources of anxiety in the West Wing this week, they’d probably rank like this: 1) Ukraine funding 1b) The southern border, which has managed to become even more of a headache for President JOE BIDEN as Blue state leaders pile on the pressure. Both particularly messy issues came to a head this week, with a growing chorus of Republicans and Dems on the Hill suggesting the two issues be tied together in the next funding deal. And administration officials are in the early stages of mapping out the cleanest possible way to deal with both. Biden administration officials have made calls this week to gauge interest among both Dems and Republicans for including border money and potential policy changes in the next funding deal, according to two people familiar with the discussions. “In conversations with members, we advocate for the supplemental that President Biden sent to Congress and released to the public — not border policies that weren’t included in that proposal,” said White House deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES in a statement. “The administration has been clear that Congress must act with a sense of urgency on both the border security funding the president has called for and aid to Ukraine, both of which are included in the supplemental. These priorities should not be conditioned on harmful border policies.” The hope among Democrats is that if they can appease House Republicans with a substantial offering on border security, they can get enough of them on the board for more Ukraine money. “There’s no time to waste. Time is not on our side. Combining [Ukraine funding] with border security is certainly something that needs to be discussed,” Sen. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-Conn.) said Wednesday. “I think that’s one of the likely paths that we face given all the uncertainty and chaos over there.” But the White House, publicly at least, has continued to insist that the two issues do not need to be codependent. National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY told White House reporters this week that both border security and additional Ukraine funding are “important,” noting that the White House included $4 billion in its supplemental for the border. But, he added: “We don’t — we don’t believe they need — they should be tied or one dependent on the other. But both are important.” On the Hill, sentiments are different, especially among Republicans. Sen. MIKE ROUNDS (R-S.D.), who backs more Ukraine aid, suggested Wednesday that pairing the two issues may be the only way to get Ukraine funding across the finish line. Several Dems have also expressed support for border security funding, but Republicans have demanded policy changes along with the money, which could be harder to get Democratic support. Blumenthal argued there’s a way to thread that needle. “There’s a point at which funding also means more rigorous enforcement and that may be viewed as a policy change,” he said. It’s a high-stakes and challenging moment for the president, as a defining foreign policy achievement and major domestic policy challenge cross paths, with the resolution in part relying on a divided Congress and a House GOP without a selected speaker — not to mention a tight deadline to keep the government from shutting down. “I think it’s a really tall order to think that what they’re going to come up with is going to be enough for House Republicans,” said one former Biden administration official. Jennifer Haberkorn contributed to this report. MESSAGE US — Are you SHUWANZA GOFF, director of the Office of Legislative Affairs? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here! A message from the Computer & Communications Industry Association: In the global race for innovation, America is charting the course — with new discoveries from leading tech innovators empowering small businesses, driving our economy forward, and unlocking the vast potential of AI. America’s leading tech innovators are powering opportunity for us all. Learn more by clicking here. POTUS PUZZLER Thanks to the White House Historical Association for this question! Which president enjoyed spending time at Camp Rapidan, a rustic resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia? (Answer at bottom.) THE OVAL HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE… [PLEASE DON’T BITE ME!!!]: The situation with Biden’s 2-year-old German shepherd COMMANDER just keeps getting worse. CNN’s BETSY KLEIN reports there are more biting incidents than the 11 previously acknowledged by the U.S. Secret Service. And Commander is not just going after agents; he’s also bit executive residence staff and other White House workers, Klein reports. Commander is no longer on White House grounds while the first family works to address the dog’s ongoing aggression issue. It’s unclear if the president told HUNTER that Commander went upstate to “live a good life on a farm.” If any of the White House staffers who spoke with West Wing Playbook earlier this week about how they aren’t afraid of Commander would like to revise their comments, you know how to reach us! WALLS, SO DIVISIVE: The Biden administration employed a move commonly used by the Trump administration when it waived 26 federal laws to allow the construction of a border wall in southern Texas, AP’s VALERIE GONZALEZ reports. DHS Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS said in a statement the decision was due to the “acute and immediate need” to prevent unlawful entry into the country. Biden told reporters in the Oval Office that the funding for the wall was already appropriated and he doesn’t believe walls are effective. Unsurprisingly, former President DONALD TRUMP mocked Biden’s move on Truth Social by saying he would “await his apology.” AND, THERE’S MORE: Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE sparred with reporters at today’s press briefing about Biden’s campaign promise that “there would not be another foot of wall constructed” at the southern border. She reasserted the president’s position that border walls aren’t effective, but wasn’t able to say whether Biden disagreed with Mayorkas emphasizing the need for a wall. “I know you guys are asking me about this now, but this was actually not new and this was done six months ago,” Jean-Pierre said. Ah, yes, the little known clause that the press can’t ask questions about things that happened half a year ago. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by People Magazine’s VIRGINIA CHAMLEE about the Biden campaign using Republicans’ words against them in recent ads and social media clips. Chamlee writes that in light of GOP infighting that led to Rep. KEVIN MCCARTHY’s (R-Calif.) ouster as speaker, the president’s reelection campaign sought to highlight the party’s frustration with the chaos. “We do appreciate demonstrating to the American people that the Republican Party can’t tie their own shoes,” deputy campaign manager ROB FLAHERTY told the magazine. Biden’s campaign manager JULIE CHAVEZ RODRIGUEZ posted this piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece from our ERIC BAZAIL-EIMIL on how the U.S. will deport migrants to Venezuela as a way to deter migration from the country. Immigration officials have already identified Venezuelans in U.S. custody who will go on the initial flights. Roughly 240,000 Venezuelans are expected to be deported. The latest move to crack down comes as the president faces increasing pressure from both Republicans and Democrats to stem an influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. MORE ON THE MYSTERIOUS MEDITATION ROOM: Thanks to the current and former White House staffers who wrote to West Wing Playbook last night about the EEOB meditation room. We feel more confident that the room does indeed exist. We’ve been assured that “the couch is comfy” and the view from the room is “stellar.” Some current and former White House staffers also pointed out that the room sometimes gets used as a quiet space for their Muslim colleagues to pray. Others said it was a place they’d go to hide from their coworkers (“the WH staffer version of meditating,” one reader wrote to us). Another staffer described overhearing a woman singing a “lovely” ballad in the room. So, it’s still unclear how much actual meditation goes on there. As a former Obama administration official put it to us: “Bless anyone who has the dedication to keep their prayer or meditation practice alive during White House times.” GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We’re stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. THE BUREAUCRATS THREE OFFICIALS TAKE ON THREE PROBLEMS: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN, Attorney General MERRICK GARLAND and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met with their Mexican counterparts along with President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR and other top Mexican leaders Thursday to discuss ways to address drug and gun trafficking, and illegal immigration, the New York Times’ EILEEN SULLIVAN and ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS report. The visit comes as pressure grows from Democratic leaders across the country that their cities cannot handle the influx of migrants without additional federal support. PERSONNEL MOVES: CHI CHUKWUKA is now senior adviser at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He most recently was chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. SHRI THANEDAR (D-Mich.). — JILLIAN MCGRATH is now director of congressional affairs for the U.S. Trade Representative. She most recently was a legislative aide for Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER. A message from the Computer & Communications Industry Association: Advertisement Image AGENDA SETTING THERE’S ALWAYS A WORKAROUND: The Biden administration is mulling whether to use grants from a State Department program to provide Ukraine with additional military aid as congressional approval remains uncertain, our LARA SELIGMAN, PAUL MCLEARY and CONNOR O’BRIEN report. The president hinted at the approach while answering questions from reporters Wednesday at the White House. The effort would involve using a State Department program designed to help U.S. partners purchase weapons and defense equipment. As of Sept. 21, the U.S. only has $650 million remaining of the $4.6 billion Congress appropriated for the program. THE SUNSHINE STATE V. UNION JOE: Florida Attorney General ASHLEY MOODY filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration for threatening to withhold federal funds unless the state provides waivers for its new union law, our GARY FINEOUT reports. The new law bars public employees from collecting union dues and makes it easier for unions to be decertified. The lawsuit was filed against the Department of Transportation, Department of Labor and the Federal Transit Administration. DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO APP: Stay in the know with the POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO’s scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. WHAT WE'RE READING Turnover of Election Officials in Swing States Adds Strain for 2024, Report Says (NYT’s Neil Vigdor) Kevin McCarthy’s Downfall Is the Culmination of the Tea Party (POLITICO’s Ian Ward) Cornel West Slams Biden, Trump, and Runs as 2024 Independent (WSJ’s Ken Thomas) How the Big Chip Makers Are Pushing Back on Biden’s China Agenda (NYT’s Tripp Mickle, David McCabe and Ana Swanson) THE OPPO BOOK Senior adviser for public engagement HANNAH BRISTOL was arrested in 2014 at the White House — which she called “President Obama’s doorstep” — while protesting the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. “We voted for a president who promised to ‘free America from the tyranny of oil’ and understood the impact climate change would have on my and future generations,” she wrote in the Boston Globe in 2014. “But we have yet to see the sort of change we can believe in.” The 2014 protest — known as “XL Dissent” — included activists from 50 universities. West Wing Playbook respects Bristol’s freedom to exercise her First Amendment rights and because she works at the White House now, we aren’t worried about the dust up affecting any future career opportunities! For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.