POLITICO NIGHTLY: How Biden and Bernie switched roles on health care

 

BY JOANNE KENEN Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden smiles as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) (L) looks on during the Democratic presidential primary debate at the Charleston Gaillard Center in February 2020 in Charleston, S.C. | Win McNamee/Getty Images FACE/OFF — During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders argued — and argued — over universal health care. Sanders wanted Medicare for All, a government-financed plan that would cover everyone. Biden campaigned on making the Affordable Care Act passed by President Barack Obama more robust, with the goal of putting health care within everyone’s reach. One surprising development in the seemingly endless negotiations over President Biden’s Build Back Better Act is that Biden and Sanders have sort of swapped goals, at least for this particular debate over health policy. They are each still on the side of Medicare and Obamacare, respectively. But Biden now is trying harder to expand the number of people who get health care. And Sanders is trying harder to improve coverage for people who already have it. A debate over what Congress can get done is more constrained than the idealistic rhetoric of a Democratic presidential primary. In 2021 — under the reality of a 50-50 Senate — single-payer or Medicare for All are not on the table. Nor is the Biden-favored public option. The Democrats instead have been horse trading over whether dental, hearing and vision coverage should be added to Medicare; how long to extend expanded Obamacare subsidies; and how to close the Medicaid gap that leaves very poor people in a dozen anti-Obamacare states without any insurance coverage at all. In the framework Biden released this morning, ACA subsidies are in, there’s a Medicaid workaround, and Medicare would add benefits for hearing — but not for dental and vision. Some of this is to be expected: After Biden won the 2020 primary, Democrats papered over their differences on health care and accepted that change would be incremental with the Affordable Care Act as the foundation, at least for now. But as the endless dealmaking around the reconciliation bill shows, Democrats don’t agree on what “incremental” means, what’s the best next step toward universal coverage. Is it shoring up the Affordable Care Act by expanding subsidies for millions and covering the poor whose states left them out of Medicaid, as Biden (and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) seem to believe? Or is it making Medicare — America’s socialized medicine for seniors — even stronger (and then, presumably, eventually expanding it to everyone)? For Sanders, who can legitimately boast of pulling the Democrats to the left and expanding the realm of the possible, it’s still all about Medicare. If he can’t get Medicare for All, or even Medicare for More, he can at least get more Medicare for the people who already have it. As Senate Budget chair, Sanders has a big voice in these negotiations, and today, after Biden released his framework for the Build Back Better Act, Sanders said he would keep pushing for dental and vision coverage. Biden and Pelosi, without whom Barack Obama would never have been able to pull Obamacare over the finish line back in 2009-10, are more focused on the ACA. Back in March, Congress in the sweeping American Recovery Plan increased and restructured the ACA subsidies, giving middle-class people more affordable insurance, and increasing Obamacare enrollment. Biden’s framework would extend those changes through 2025. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn has been the urgent voice for closing the Medicaid gap in the 12 states, largely in the South, that have rejected the Obamacare Medicaid expansion. It’s been harder to get Democratic consensus around that than one might expect, partly because it’s difficult to devise an approach that won’t end up rewarding the hold-outs or giving states that did expand a financial incentive to roll back. Today’s framework created another way to cover around 4 million low-income people who had been left out, using zero-premium plans in the Obamacare markets. A commitment to attaining universal coverage — sooner or later, via one system or another — has become a core element of what it means to be a Democrat. To understand why Biden and Sanders, and their respective allies in Congress, ended up taking these very different approaches from their 2020 campaign proposals, Nightly called three people — two former Democratic HHS secretaries and the author of your host’s favorite book on health care and the presidency — this week to ask them to help us make sense of it. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Keep reading for the highlights of our conversations, which we had right before Biden unveiled his framework, with Kathleen Sebelius, Donna Shalala and David Blumenthal. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author on Twitter at @JoanneKenen. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks about the Affordable Care Act during her visit to Community Health and Social Services Center in November 2013 in Detroit. | Joshua Lott/Getty Images Kathleen Sebelius, who was Obama’s HHS secretary during the fight over the ACA, shifted the focus from squabbling Democrats to don’t-lift-a-finger Republicans. “Democrats are where they have been ever since the days of Franklin Roosevelt: Everyone deserves health care,” she said. “The Republicans — we leave them out of these discussions because they are clearly not interested in participating.” The GOP opposes pretty much everything on the Democratic health agenda. She also shifted the focus beyond Biden and Sanders. There’s a “pent-up desire to put a lot of things in any health care bill,” Sebelius added. “There’s no question Democrats would like to do All of the Above. At the end of the day, how much of what stays in is not because of the battles among the people who are promoting the ideas but because of a couple of senators who have decided to trim the size of the bill and the topics. … It’s really, how much can you do to advance All of the Above in a reasonable way and get 50 votes.” Speaking of those two unspoken senators (their names rhyme with Schmanchin and Minema), David Blumenthal, a former Obama-era health official, the president of the Commonwealth Fund and the co-author of “The Heart of the Power,” questioned whether the Democratic commitment to universal coverage really extends to every member of the party. Democrats, he said, are “always in favor of something more but never universally in favor of universal coverage.” “It’s about money,” Blumenthal said. “Historically, Democrats have always divided on that question. … As you look back, when they’ve made major strides they’ve done it over the opposition of the economists in their administration and usually over groups of moderate Democrats. In that historic sense, there’s nothing different about this debate.” But as a student of presidential struggles on health care, Blumenthal does think that history will look kindly on even a scaled back legislative package, particularly when paired with the infrastructure bill and the earlier American Recovery Plan legislation. But we’re not in “history” yet. “I think it will historically be seen as a major set of accomplishments,” he said. “What the short-term spinning is, though, is to be determined.” Donna Shalala, who lived through the collapse of Bill Clinton’s health reform as his HHS secretary, thinks her fellow Democrats have “more of a strategy than the disarray would suggest,” particularly with a 50-50 Senate and a tiny margin in the House. Keeping the ACA enhanced subsidies is “absolutely critical,” she said, as is the “strategy to get the people left out (of Medicaid expansion) in places like Florida onto the ACA.” The package would do precisely that. “I don’t see that as incremental,” she said. “It helps the working poor who are left out — people who are actually working. … Everybody who wants to get health care will get it.” Which is one way of describing universal coverage, even if it’s not free universal coverage, as some progressives want. “No president and no Congress has ever taken a giant step in social policy with so few votes to spare,” Shalala said. “You’ve got to put it in historical contest.” She also put the Biden agenda into its political context. Because many of the Build Back Better programs can go into effect quickly, she said, “It can be implemented by the midterms so people will feel the difference.” Disclosure: Joanne Kenen is the Commonwealth Fund Journalist-in-Residence at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Blumenthal’s organization helps pay for that position.   JOIN TUESDAY FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE AIR TRAVEL: As delegates descend on Glasgow for the COP26 global climate summit, reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector will play a critical role in the progress of fighting climate change. Join POLITICO for a deep-dive conversation that will explore the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel, better performance aircraft, and other breakthroughs in to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet broader sustainability goals. REGISTER HERE.     WHAT'D I MISS? Facebook debuts its new company brand, Meta, at their headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. | Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images for Facebook — Facebook changes its name: Facebook announced today that it is changing its name to Meta , while unveiling a new logo resembling an infinity sign. Its flagship social media platform will still be called Facebook, however. And whatever its name, the world’s largest social media company faces growing trouble in Washington and other world capitals following the disclosure of a trove of internal documents by whistleblower Frances Haugen. — Criminal complaint filed against Cuomo over forcible touching: Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces criminal charges in Albany County over accusations that he groped a staffer at the Executive Mansion last year. The complaint involves allegations made by former Cuomo staffer Brittany Commisso, who filed a complaint with the Albany County Sheriff’s office in August, shortly after state Attorney General Letitia James released a report verifying accounts from 11 women who described patterns of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment from Cuomo. — Justice Department announces tougher enforcement for white-collar crime: The Justice Department announced a series of policy changes today aimed at toughening the federal response to white-collar crime, particularly offenses involving corporate misconduct. Speaking to lawyers who often defend individuals and companies against such charges, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the new approach would do more to deter crime in the nation's boardrooms and executive suites. — U.S. jobless claims drop to pandemic low of 281,000: The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a pandemic low last week as the job market continues to recover from last year’s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims dropped by 10,000 to 281,000, lowest since mid-March 2020, the Labor Department said today. Since topping 900,000 in early January, weekly applications have steadily dropped, moving ever closer to pre-pandemic levels just above 200,000. — Cawthorne joins House Freedom Caucus: While it is less common to see the House Freedom Caucus add new members in the middle of a congressional term, members of the ultra-conservative group tell POLITICO that they decided to admit North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn after closely watching his voting record and evaluating how he leaned on certain “tough” votes.   BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.     AROUND THE WORLD EUROPE STEELS ITSELF — Europe is edging toward a deal in the coming days to end the transatlantic trade war , but that truce now looks likely to mean Brussels must accept quotas on how much steel can be shipped to the United States without paying higher level tariffs, Barbara Moens writes. Former U.S. President Donald Trump triggered a trade war with Europe in 2018 by slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that he classed as a threat to national security. European diplomats had originally hoped that Washington would remove these duties under Biden but he has been unwilling to do so without winning concessions for key steelmaking constituencies in America. The contours of a deal now appear to be forming around Europe accepting tariff rate quotas. This would secure an immediate removal of the Trump-era tariffs but would mean that high duties on European metal would kick in again if EU exports surpassed a certain level. EU officials had regarded these kinds of measures as blackmail under Trump, but are now accepting there may be no other way out of the standoff. NIGHTLY NUMBER 2 percent The rate of growth of the U.S. economy in the July-September period, the weakest quarterly growth since the recovery from the pandemic recession began last year . Today’s report from the Commerce Department estimated that the nation’s gross domestic product — its total output of goods and services — declined sharply from the 6 percent-plus annual growth rates of each of the previous two quarters. PARTING WORDS Chief Judge Beryl Howell had harsh words for federal prosecutors cutting plea deals for light sentences with Jan. 6 insurrection defendants. | Alex Wong/Getty Images | Alex Wong/Getty Images JUDGE RIPS JAN. 6 PLEA DEALS — A federal judge thrashed the Justice Department today for offering “petty offense” plea deals to Jan. 6 defendants who she said tarnished America’s reputation in the world and enabled violent rioters to threaten the peaceful transfer of power — even if they committed no violence themselves, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein write. Beryl Howell, the chief judge of the federal District Court in Washington, D.C., said prosecutors appeared “almost schizophrenic” in describing the insurrection in extreme terms but then settling for second-tier misdemeanor plea agreements with dozens of defendants. “This is a muddled approach by the government,” said Howell, an Obama appointee. “I’m trying to make sense of the government’s position here.” Howell then made clear that she considered all participants in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach — which the Justice Department now estimates at 2,000 to 2,500 people — enablers of an assault against the republic. “The damage to the reputation of our democracy, which is usually held up around the world … that reputation suffered because of Jan. 6,” Howell said, noting that the mob chased lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence into hiding, and sent staffers ducking under their desks for cover. “The rioters attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6 were not mere trespassers engaging in protected First Amendment conduct or protests,” Howell added. “They were not merely disorderly, as countless videos show the mob that attacked the Capitol was violent. Everyone participating in the mob contributed to that violence.”   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JANEY'S first AD — CLARK'S stock disclosure WOES — Baker admin shifts on SCHOOL MASK MANDATE

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY NEW THIS MORNING: JANEY JUMPS ON AIR — Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey wants a full term in office, and she’s betting her “experience” will convince voters to give her that shot. That’s the logic behind — and the title of — Janey’s first television ad, a 30-second spot that will begin airing Tuesday. The campaign doled out $164,000 to air the ad this week alone, and is planning additional buys through the Sept. 14 preliminary election. An increasingly familiar face through her press conferences and the associated media coverage, Janey’s ad is less an introduction to voters and more a glimpse of how she believes her experiences with busing, raising a child as a teen mom and spending a brief period in a shelter inform her actions as mayor — like pumping tens of millions of dollars toward affordable housing. She also works to flip the script on her handling of the coronavirus resurgence, highlighting her vaccine mandate for city workers while ignoring the pummeling she took from several of her competitors for not moving faster to issue one. Janey’s campaign is airing versions of the ad in both English and Spanish, following a similar move by City Councilor Michelle Wu last week, as the candidates work to reach as many voters as possible in an increasingly diverse city with just three weeks left until the preliminary election. More than a third of the city’s residents speak a language other than English at home, including 16% who speak Spanish, followed by 4% who speak Chinese and just under 4% who speak Haitian, according to the most recent statistics from the city. Janey speaks Spanish and her campaign is doing multilingual outreach through television, radio, mail, print advertising and signs, as well as through its field program. Wu speaks Spanish and Mandarin, and her campaign is printing literature in six languages and doing digital, radio and print advertising in Haitian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Brazilian outlets. Former city economic development chief John Barros is conversational in Spanish, and is fluent in Cape Verdean Creole and Portuguese, according to his campaign, which is distributing literature in English, Spanish, Cape Verdean and Haitian Creole, Chinese and Vietnamese, and is spending on ethnic radio and newspaper ads, and digital ad buys on Univision and YouTube. City Councilors Annissa Essaibi George and Andrea Campbell don’t speak other languages. But both campaigns have literature in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Haitian Creole. Essaibi George is running digital and radio ads in those languages as well as Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. Campbell has included foreign-language captions in major campaign videos, like her announcement, and is doing multilingual outreach in key neighborhoods. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Henri isn't done with us yet. While the storm knocked out power across southern New England, sent trees crashing into homes and toppled one man to the ground, a couple folks told WBZ: "I've seen worse." TODAY — State Attorney General Maura Healey participates in “Ask the AG” on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. Campbell is a guest on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 3 p.m. and participates in an Allston Brighton Virtual Town Hall at 6 p.m. Janey delivers remarks at the Mayor's Garden Contest Awards Ceremony at the Boston Public Garden, 5:30 p.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com.   INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada’s future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what’s really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don’t miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today.     DATELINE BEACON HILL – “Rep. Hill appointed to Gaming Commission,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Rep. Brad Hill a Republican from Ipswich, is leaving the Legislature after nearly 22 years to become a member of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Hill is a joint appointment of Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. He is replacing Bruce Stebbins, who left the Gaming Commission to join the Cannabis Control Commission, and will serve the remainder of his term through 2025.” Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, who unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Seth Moulton in the Democratic primary for the 6th Congressional District seat last year, is exploring a bid for Hill’s seat. Belsito is a nonprofit leader who founded the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. – “July Jobless Rate Stays at 4.9 Percent,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “Massachusetts employers added jobs at a robust pace in July, while the statewide unemployment rate held flat at 4.9 percent for the second month in a row, labor officials announced Friday. Based on a survey of employers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that the state added 43,400 jobs in July to push total employment above 3.5 million for the first time since the pandemic hit.” – “MassCOSH leads call for revision of workplace safety standards as state plans for full repeal,” by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: “The state Department of Labor Standards stopped enforcing COVID-19 safety standards when the state of emergency expired in June. Yet, the delta variant has led COVID-19 transmission in the state to surge once more. Public health and labor leaders say the lack of enforcement leaves workers without a key line of defense against working conditions that may increase their exposure to the virus.” VAX-ACHUSETTS – “In shift, Baker administration moves to impose K-12 school mask mandate this fall,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “After resisting calls for a K-12 school mask mandate this fall for weeks, Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration is changing course. In a press release Friday, state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said he will ask the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for the authority to mandate masks for all public K-12 students, educators, and staff through at least Oct. 1.” – “MBTA, Massachusetts law enforcement unions push back on Charlie Baker vax mandate,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “MBTA workers and Massachusetts law enforcement unions are pushing back against Gov. Charlie Baker’s recent order mandating coronavirus vaccines for all public workers as education officials mull a student mask mandate.” – “A stark choice: COVID-19 fall forecasts show deaths increase, but toll depends on path taken,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “One respected disease modeler from the University of Washington said that simply adopting universal mask mandates now could avoid roughly 1,300 deaths in Massachusetts by Dec. 1 and 50,000 deaths nationwide.” – “Massachusetts resumes reporting racial COVID-19 hospitalization data, as rates continue to rise,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Following pushback from local Democrats and a rebound in COVID-19 rates, Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration resumed reporting demographic data on hospitalizations due to the virus in Massachusetts this week.” FROM THE HUB – “Janey Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate For Boston,” by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced Friday a city-wide mandate requiring people to wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, beginning August 27.” – More from the Boston Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter: “...the Massachusetts Restaurant Association worries this ‘step backwards’ will hurt the industry. … The administration said masks must be worn indoors in public spaces at all times except while eating and drinking, and in spots ‘including but not limited to retail establishments, restaurants, bars, performance venues, social clubs, event spaces and municipal buildings.’” – “Boston woman sets record for fastest subway trip to every T station,” by Meghan Ottolini, Boston Herald: “With a time of 7:04:29 (7 hours, 4 minutes, 29 seconds), a Boston woman shattered the world record for the fastest subway trip to every T station on the map. Boston commuters know getting from point A to point B on the train can come with delays and diversions, but 29-year-old Maya Jonas-Silver executed her plan to a T.” – “Two city councilors want a ‘Towing Bill of Rights.’ Here’s what that means,” by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL – “Amazon wants to get even bigger in Boston. The five would-be mayors are wary,” by Jon Chesto and Pranshu Verma, Boston Globe: “For at least the last couple of years, the e-commerce giant has wanted to build a distribution center in Boston. So far, its efforts have fizzled amid concerns about traffic and lower-wage, non-union jobs. But Amazon’s not giving up, and has recently hired two top Walsh administration officials to help with its expansion efforts. Whoever wins the mayor’s race in November will need to grapple with Amazon before long. None of the five major candidates say they would shut the company out entirely, but all expressed wariness about a new distribution facility — particularly about wages and working conditions.” – “Where Boston’s mayoral candidates stand on renaming Faneuil Hall,” by Marcus E. Howard, Boston.com: “For years protesters have called on the city to rename Faneuil Hall, a historic marketplace and meeting hall that traditionally draws about 20 million annual visitors, because its namesake profited in the ownership and trade of Africans.” – “As preliminary election looms, City Council candidates race to introduce themselves,” by Jasper Goodman and Jack Lyons, Boston Globe: “For the candidates running in this fall’s Boston City Council elections, breaking through the noise of a historic mayoral election, never-ending COVID-19 news, and volatile national politics has proven difficult." – FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston City Councilors Julia Mejia and Ricardo Arroyo, who are both running for reelection, will host a relational organizing training Sunday afternoon for Latino leaders and residents. They hope to engage more of the city's growing Latino population through GOTV efforts surrounding the upcoming municipal elections. – "Push To Unite Black Vote Behind Janey Prompts Pushback In Boston Mayoral Race," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR. – “Essaibi George accuses Janey of ‘weaponizing’ mayor’s office,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter. – "A new generation of leaders is pushing a city-level Green New Deal and cuts to the police budget. Can Boston's next mayor transform the city?" by David Scharfenberg, Boston Globe. – “Matt O’Malley endorses Mary Tamer to replace him on Boston council,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald. BALLOT BATTLES – “Uber-backed group says California ruling won't affect Mass. ballot drive,” by Don Seiffert, Boston Business Journal: “The group behind a Massachusetts ballot initiative stipulating that app-based workers such as Uber and Lyft drivers shouldn't be entitled to the benefits full-time employees receive says a California court ruling striking down a similar measure will have no effect on its plans in the Bay State. On Friday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch in California declared that Proposition 22 is ‘unenforceable,’ according to the Washington Post, because several sections of the measure are unconstitutional under California state law. Proposition 22 is a ballot measure passed by 59% of voters in November that defines Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors.” PARTY POLITICS – “Nearly a year on, Berkshire Democrats continue push for Massachusetts Democratic Party to address complaints,” by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: “Nearly a year ago, hundreds of Democrats lodged complaints against state party leaders for their involvement in the 2020 Democratic primary between U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and then-Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. After the party’s rules committee dismissed those complaints, several Berkshire County Democrats have continued to call for Massachusetts Democratic Party leaders to apologize for actions that a party-ordered investigation found violated one of its bylaws.” – Rising Covid-19 cases drove MassDems members to vote over the weekend to make their Sept. 25 platform convention entirely virtual after initially planning to hold a partially in-person event at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. “We must protect the health of our individual delegates and alternates, guests, and staff, and the public health of our host city, Lowell, and the Merrimack Valley,” the group tweeted. DAY IN COURT – “'Completely shattered': Gannon family speaks out on second-degree murder conviction,” by Jessica Hill, Cape Cod Times: “On Friday morning, a jury convicted 33-year-old Thomas Latanowich of second-degree murder in the 2018 killing of [Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean] Gannon who was shot while helping to serve an arrest warrant at 109 Blueberry Lane in Marstons Mills. Before sentencing, through tears and with voices choked with emotion, Gannon's family told Judge Locke what his loss meant to them.” FROM THE DELEGATION – “Rep. Katherine Clark, a potential Pelosi successor, failed to properly disclose stock trades worth as much as $285,000,” by Dave Levinthal, Insider: “Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the fourth-highest-ranking Democrat in the US House and a potential candidate to succeed Nancy Pelosi as speaker, violated the federal STOCK Act by failing to properly disclose 19 stock trades, according to an Insider review of newly filed congressional records. Taken together, the trades are worth at least $19,019 — and as much as $285,000. Among the trades Clark disclosed after the 45-day deadline were shares of the Google parent company Alphabet, Best Buy, First Solar, the investment-management firm BlackRock, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, the data and records management company Iron Mountain, and the water technology company Xylem. Clark's untimely disclosures involve stock trades by her husband…” Clark is the second member of the Massachusetts delegation who appears to have violated the STOCK Act, and Insider said Friday that her late reporting could prompt an ethics investigation or a fine starting at $200. Insider previously reported that Rep. Lori Trahan also violated the STOCK Act. Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted Saturday morning: “I’ve said it before: Members of Congress should not be allowed to own individual stock. Period. #EndCorruptionNow.” She didn’t name names, and appeared to be referring to her bill that would prevent lawmakers from making individual stock trades. – State Senate President Karen Spilka said she's "proud to be an early supporter" of Rep. Jake Auchincloss’s reelection bid in an email to supporters Friday as the first-term congressman looks to ward off potential challengers — particularly from within his own party — next year. “If I can say one thing about Jake Auchincloss it's that he delivers," Spilka wrote in the endorsement email. IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN – “Massachusetts should be converting 100,000 homes a year to electric heat. The actual number: 461,” by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: “According to the state’s own plan, Massachusetts should be converting 100,000 homes a year from fossil fuels to electricity for heating and cooling. The reality is much different: Just 461 homes made the switch last year, according to data reviewed by the Globe.” FROM THE 413 – “'What the hell's going on downtown?' Pittsfield's North Street retailers want answers. Mayor Tyer says, 'It's a work in progress',” by Felix Carroll, Berkshire Eagle: “Cutting crosswise through the Dunham Mall pedestrian side street to North Street, [Pittsfield’s mayor] has a choice. Turn left, toward the restored commercial space where a cheerful Brooklyn couple hopes to open a brewery next spring, or right, in the direction of a florist whose owners recently posted a photo of their vandalized window splattered with raw egg and who declared they will leave this city because conditions have ‘gotten worse and worse.’” – “Baystate Health, Berkshire Health systems seek bigger ‘safety net’ as state readies 5-year Medicaid plan,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Baystate Health, Berkshire Health Systems and other hospitals outside Boston caring for Medicaid recipients, and losing money doing so, say they risk being further shortchanged as the state prepares to send a new five-year Medicaid waiver plan to the feds.” – “Northampton schools push the envelope with anti-bias proposal,” by Greg Kerstetter, CommonWealth Magazine: “In September, the School Committee will take up a proposal to ban two other symbols of hate — swastikas and nooses — while also establishing a wide-ranging system in which various types of bias can be reported and investigated. It would make Northampton the only community in the state, and possibly the only one outside of Oregon, to enact such a far-reaching, anti-bias policy.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “Braintree's Paul Veneto begins his push to honor 9/11 flight attendants,” by Fred Hanson, Patriot Ledger: “The journey began with a pause at Logan Airport's 9/11 Memorial, which bears the names of those who died on the two planes that left Boston and crashed into the World Trade Center nearly two decades ago. Among those names are those of Paul Veneto's fellow flight attendants on United Flight 175, people he had flown with from coast to coast and back again many times. ... He plans to push an airliner drink cart more than 220 miles from Boston to the site of the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were leveled by hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175. He began his journey Saturday, and hopes to reach ground zero on Sept. 11.” – “Hungry Mass. households doubled during pandemic,” by Tonya Alanez and Jack Lyons, Boston Globe: “The number of Massachusetts households lacking enough food to get by doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study from Project Bread. More than half a million residents, more than a quarter of them children, who are eligible for SNAP, or food stamps, don’t receive benefits for the nation’s No. 1 anti-hunger program, according to the research by Project Bread, a Boston nonprofit that works to end hunger in the state.” TRANSITIONS – Vaira Harik is now assistant county administrator for Barnstable. She was previously deputy director of the Barnstable County Department of Human Services and regularly briefed media on the county's Covid-19 metrics. Ruby Robles has been promoted to be deputy press secretary for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She most recently was Warren's digital press assistant. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Springfield state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, Everett state Rep. Joe McGonagle, Joshua Ostroff, George Schadler, Dianne Bagley Smith, Shelley Long (the actress who played ‘Diane Chambers’ in Cheers) , Robert Solow and Yanisa Techagumthorn. Happy belated to Cheryl Chen, Rafael Reif and Mark Martinez. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.       Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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