What to Know in Washington: Biden, Cabinet Plan Three-Week Blitz

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and cabinet officers are planning a three-week blitz across the country to promote his economic agenda, starting with a visit to Wolfspeed Inc., a North Carolina chipmaker.

The tour of more than 20 states will highlight the influence of legislation signed into law during the president’s first two years in office, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Chips and Science Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One.

Biden will hold a cabinet meeting on Monday where top administration officials will discuss how those measures are being translated into job growth and lower costs for Americans.

On Tuesday, the president will head to Durham, North Carolina, where Wolfspeed, a manufacturer of semiconductors and chip components, has announced a $5 billion investment that will create 1,800 new jobs, according to a White House official.

The White House has turned to implementing and praising legislation passed during Biden’s first two years in office as the prospects for new legislative victories are unlikely with Republicans in control of the House.

Biden has increasingly been traveling outside of Washington, using the opportunity to hold campaign style events and championing his accomplishments ahead of an expected 2024 reelection bid. Read more.

Happening on the Hill

CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE

• The House meets at 9 a.m. to continue voting on parental rights legislation.
• The Senate returns Monday.

Border’s Harsh Realities Defy Rhetoric in Gridlocked Washington

The worlds of Washington and the border are colliding more these days, as lawmakers demand answers on record migrant encounters during much of President Joe Biden’s term.

• The US and Canada are poised to announce a deal to rewrite an immigration accord that has driven people to cross the border between the two countries by land to refile asylum claims, a key irritant between the governments, people familiar with the talks say. Read more.
• The US Coast Guard needs an infusion of resources to keep pace with migrants seeking to enter the US by sea and to meet other demands, a top official told lawmakers. Read more.

ESG 401(k) Rule Survives House Attempt to Override Biden Veto

House Republicans failed in their effort to reverse President Joe Biden’s veto of legislation that would have blocked a US Labor Department Labor rule that permits socially conscious retirement investing.

US Indo-Pacific Command Sends $3.5 Billion Wish List to Congress

The US Indo-Pacific Command asked Congress for almost $3.5 billion more than the president requested, highlighting additional needs for Guam’s defense and precision weapons.

TikTok CEO’s Careful Testimony Got Him No Closer to a Resolution

TikTok CEO Shou Chew, confronted with an unforgiving, distrustful Congress, tried to give answers in his testimony Thursday that avoided offending either the US government or China.

• Here are several memorable moments from Chew’s four-and-a-half hour congressional hearing that rarely deviated from the hostile note on which it began. Read more.
• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who oversees an interagency task force that’s reviewing national security concerns around TikTok, said she’s seeing a growing number of situations that have raised concerns similar to those prompted by the app. Read more.
• Social media companies with users in Utah will risk fines and lawsuits for violating sweeping new requirements that aim to protect teens online under two laws signed Thursday by Gov. Spencer Cox. Read more.

Senate Committee Sets Hearing on Troubled Guardianship System

The US Senate’s Special Committee on Aging announced a hearing for March 30 on guardianships, a judicial process dogged by scattershot rules, restrictive rights, and scant oversight.

Elections, Politics & Probes

Abortion Ads Help Drive Most Expensive Court Race in US History

The return of an 1849 anti-abortion law has propelled so much interest in an open Wisconsin Supreme Court seat that there’s been twice as much spent on advertising than in any judicial race in US history—and the campaign still has a week and a half to go.

Trump Argues DOJ Wrong to Rebuff Immunity Against Jan. 6 Suits

Donald Trump urged a federal appeals court to disregard the Justice Department’s decision to reject his claim of absolute immunity against civil lawsuits seeking to hold the former president responsible for the Jan. 6 US Capitol attack.

Around the Administration

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• Biden at 11:10 a.m. on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada participates in a welcome ceremony and book signing.
• At 11:30 a.m., Biden joins Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a bilateral meeting, followed by an expanded bilateral meeting at 11:45 a.m.
• The president addresses the Canadian Parliament at 2 p.m.
• At 3:45 p.m., Biden and Trudeau hold a joint press conference, and at 6:30 p.m., they attend a gala dinner.
• Biden departs Ottawa at 9:25 p.m. and arrives to New Castle, Delaware at 10:40 p.m.

US Fights for Influence in Africa Where China, Russia Loom Large

The Biden administration is stepping up a campaign to build American influence in Africa, where the US has lost ground to its main rivals in what’s starting to look like a new Cold War.

US Strikes Iranian-Linked Groups in Syria After Drone Attack

The US military carried out air strikes in Syria after an American contractor was killed and five service members wounded when a drone it said was of Iranian origin crashed into a coalition base.

$80 Billion Infusion Helping IRS Address Paper Addiction

The IRS is finally making inroads to address one of its biggest challenges: its addiction to paper.

Credit Suisse, UBS Among Banks in DOJ Russia-Sanctions Probe

Credit Suisse Group and UBS Group are among banks under scrutiny in a US Justice Department probe into whether financial professionals helped Russian oligarchs evade sanctions, according to people familiar with the matter.

To contact the reporter on this story: Katrice Eborn in Washington at keborn@bgov.com