What to Know in Washington: Blinken Pushes Hamas-Israel Truce

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged leaders of the Hamas militant group to quickly reach a decision on Israeli conditions for a temporary cease-fire, a move that could help bring an end to fighting in Gaza.

Israel has been “extraordinarily generous” with proposals made during talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Blinken said at a special event of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh today.

Antony Blinken in Beijing on Friday. Photo by Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

Blinken traveled to the region — his seventh trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October — to push for at least a pause in hostilities under a temporary cease-fire agreement. Hamas is expected to respond today to the Jewish state’s latest offer, Agence France-Presse has reported.

Hamas has been presented with a “proposal that is extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel. The only thing that’s standing between the people of Gaza and a cease-fire is Hamas,” Blinken said.

Blinken spoke amid a blitz of meetings, including with foreign ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and representatives from Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, among others. He is also due to travel to Jordan and Israel in his push for the cease-fire deal, Courtney McBride reports. Read More

HAMAS released a video Saturday showing two hostages alive as it studied Israel’s latest proposal for a ceasefire, in an apparent bid to increase pressure on Netanyahu to call off the Rafah offensive. Read More

Senators dismissed Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) suggestion to send the NATIONAL GUARD to college campuses to quell growing protests against the war in Gaza and US support for Israel.

• “I don’t know if you need to call in the National Guard, maybe you just call in the police,” said Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who is one of several lawmakers from both parties expressing reservations. Vance spoke on Fox News yesterday. Read More

Pro-Palestinian DEMONSTRATORS want UNIVERSITIES to cut their investments in everything tied to Israel and weapons that fuel the war in Gaza, such as funds run by BlackRock, Google, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin.

• But it’s a long-shot demand — college administrators have for decades rejected the divestment movement against Israel, viewing it as antisemitic because it singles out the policies of one country. Read More

A message of gratitude in Rafah to pro-Palestinian demonstrators at US colleges on Saturday. Photo by AFP via Getty Images

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• Biden has no public events scheduled.
• Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will deliver a briefing around 1:30 p.m.

CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE

• The House returns today to consider bills on the National Weather Service, veterans, and small businesses.
• Senators come back tomorrow to vote on a judicial nominee.
• For more details, read BGOV’s Congress Tracker.

People, Power, and Politics

Joe Biden at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington on Saturday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg

BIDEN poked fun at DONALD TRUMP during Saturday night’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner, while seeking to portray his Republican rival as a threat to democracy.

• Biden’s remarks touched on many of the central themes of his campaign, including that America’s democratic institutions remain fragile and still under threat from the former president and his supporters.
• He also joked about his age amid voter anxiety over his fitness for another term. “The 2024 election is in full swing and yes, age is an issue,” Biden said. “I’m a grown man running against a six year old.” Read More

Biden’s allies are racing to blunt RFK JR.’s campaign, casting his third-party effort as a stalking-horse bid designed to boost Trump’s chances—even as his wide-ranging policy positions make him a threat to both. Read More

Biden’s signing of a bill that forces TIKTOK’s parent to sell its stake or face a ban in US app stores has rattled the social media creators his campaign has taken unprecedented steps to court.

• “I’m pretty critical of him at this moment,” said one popular TikTok creator who has attended several White House briefings. “If you truly understood the impact, then you would want to keep TikTok.” Read More
• TikTok Shakeup: The US-based general counsel for TikTok, Erich Andersen, is stepping down, the app announced. Read More
• Also Read: TikTok Sale-or-Ban Law Spurs Promise of Legal Fight

TRUMP and Florida Gov. Ron DESANTIS (R) met yesterday to discuss the possibility of tapping DeSantis’ donor network, according to a person familiar with the matter. Read More

TRUMP’s longtime personal assistant, who worked for his real estate empire for decades, told a jury that she has a “vague recollection” of seeing porn star Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower sometime before 2015. Read More

Biden’s strategy to LOWER GAS PRICES is in jeopardy, with only six months to go before the election. Read More

Coming Up on Capitol Hill

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), vice chair of the House Financial Services Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, DC, US, on June 13, 2023.

Legislation tying MARIJUANA banking reform to STABLECOIN regulation won the critical support of Rep. French Hill (Ark.), a top Republican on the Financial Services Committee, if negotiators reach a deal. Read More

UNITEDHEALTH’s leader will defend his company’s response to a cyberattack that crippled America’s health-care system this year, testifying before lawmakers seeking new industry cybersecurity standards. Read More

What Else We’re Watching

The FTC’s nationwide ban on noncompete clauses is set to spur more state action to limit the restrictive covenants, adding momentum to an already widening landscape of these laws slammed by labor activists. Read More

The government’s use of Trump-era WAGE calculations for the first phase of its expansion of federal overtime protections creates a potential shield for at least part of a policy shift destined for court fights. Read More

WEALTHY TAXPAYERS who learned in recent weeks that their financial data was stolen in a widespread breach years ago are hesitating to sue the IRS because the damages they would get in a win are so small. Read More

To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com; Jeannie Baumann in Washington at jbaumann@bloombergindustry.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com