What to Know in Washington: Tim Scott Floats 2024 Trial Balloon

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is taking another step toward challenging Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Scott plans to launch an exploratory committee on Wednesday that would allow him to begin raising money toward a presidential campaign, according to a person familiar with his plans. The Post & Courier in South Carolina was first to report his decision.

Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past few months,” Scott said in an email on Tuesday night to supporters. “From all this and through self reflection and prayer, I’ve decided to make a major announcement tomorrow.”

Scott, 57, who was reelected last November to what he said would be his final six-year term, had been taking steps to run for the White House, including visiting early-voting states. He’s scheduled to appear in Iowa on Wednesday, New Hampshire on Thursday and South Carolina on Friday and Saturday. Mark Niquette has more.

MORE ELECTIONS & POLITICS

• Ron DeSantis is venturing outside of Florida with stops in Ohio and New Hampshire after recent fumbles in the national glare left the Florida governor and 2024 presidential hopeful further behind Donald Trump in polls. Read more
• Former Trump White House lawyer Stefan Passantino is suing the House Jan. 6 committee, alleging its members pushed a “false narrative” that he encouraged star witness Cassidy Hutchinson to lie to the panel. Read more
• A Fox investor sued Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch on Tuesday, blaming them for letting Fox News spread lies about the 2020 election that led to defamation cases seeking up to $4 billion. Read more

Around the Administration

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• President Joe Biden at 11:15 a.m. BST meets with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
• At 1 p.m. BST, Biden gives a speech commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.
• At 3 p.m. IST, the president arrives in Dublin, Ireland, and at 4:50 p.m., he visits Kilwirra Cemetery in County Louth, Ireland. At 5:20 p.m. IST, Biden tours Carlingford Castle in the area.
• The president visits Dundalk, Ireland, and participates in a community gathering at 6:45 p.m. IST, then returns to Dublin at 9:30 p.m.

Biden’s Toughest-Ever Auto Pollution Crackdown to Drive EV Sales

The Biden administration is proposing to crack down on vehicle pollution with tailpipe emission limits so tough they will compel automakers to ensure two out of every three cars and light trucks sold in 2032 are electric models.

US to ‘Turn Over Every Rock’ to Track Leaked Papers, Austin Says

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US won’t stop until it finds out how a trove of classified documents on Ukraine, Israel and other nations appeared online, in his first public remarks about the embarrassing leak.

• Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) received a preliminary briefing about the leaked Pentagon documents, NBC reports. Read more

US Rulemaking Policy Urges Global Climate Action, Official Says

The Biden administration’s bid to make agencies think about the global impacts of their proposed rules could spur other nations to take climate change more seriously, a top White House official said Tuesday.

Ahead of Lawmakers’ Return

New Crop of Alabama Appropriators Seek to Fill Shelby’s Shoes

Alabama lawmakers admit no one is going replace Richard Shelby, the influential GOP appropriator who retired in January after 36 years in the Senate. But a trio of Republicans from the Yellowhammer State increased their sway over the federal budget this year and aim to pick up as much slack as possible.

House Republicans Take Up Gig Worker Issues Ahead of Su Hearing

House Republicans are holding a hearing on independent contractors and the state of California’s approach to protecting their workplace rights in the wake of increased opposition to Julie Su’s nomination to be Secretary of Labor.

House Democrats Push Back on GOP Proposals Targeting Medicaid

Two leaders of the House Democratic Women’s Caucus said they plan to push back on any proposal that seeks to cut Medicaid funding or impose new work requirements.

Border Bill Poised for Markup in Two Weeks, Homeland Chair Says

The House Homeland Security Committee will mark up border legislation the week after next, the panel’s leader says, a concrete step for Republicans in their fraught efforts to advance border security measures since taking the majority in the chamber this year.

Terrorists Crossing the US Border? Rising Encounters Explained

Skyrocketing terrorist watch list hits at US borders are fueling fear and condemnation of Biden immigration policies, though border buffs dispute whether the numbers indicate a serious threat.

What Else We’re Reading Today

DOJ’s Bump Stock Appeal Could Have Much Broader Implications

If the Supreme Court upholds a federal appeals court ruling that the ATF lacks the authority to regulate “nonmechanical” bump stocks, that decision could have broad consequences for other federal agencies charged with regulatory enforcement.

Lula to Visit Huawei Site in Shanghai, Potentially Irking US

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s trip to China will include a tour of Huawei’s innovation center in Shanghai, a stop that may irk the US which alleges the technology company poses a threat to its national security.

To contact the reporters on this story: Michaela Ross in Washington at mross@bgov.com; Andrew Small at asmall@bgov.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew Small at asmall@bgov.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com