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SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN — Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) told reporters that he met with Speaker KEVIN McCARTHY today, and McCarthy agreed that he doesn’t want to cut Social Security and Medicare.

THAT’S THE TICKET — Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) wants to be DONALD TRUMP’s vice presidential running mate next year, NBC’s Jonathan Allen scoops. STEVE BANNON and another source say Greene is ambitious about making the ticket — and that’s “at the heart of Greene’s recent efforts to rebrand herself as a politician who can stand astride the divide between the party’s hard-liners and its establishment wing.” It partially makes clear, for instance, why she’s become a staunch McCarthy supporter and joined the House Committee on Oversight and Homeland Security.

Speaking of Trump … “OMG. Trump Has Started Texting,”by NYT’s Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman: “Still unclear is Mr. Trump’s position on emojis.”

MANY TANKS — It’s official: The U.S. is sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, President JOE BIDEN announced today, the equivalent of one Ukrainian battalion. Though it will take time to get the tanks to the battlefield, Biden said the U.S. will also provide parts, equipment and training for Ukrainian forces to maintain them. Original scoop from Bloomberg this morning

Biden’s move was paired with the official news from German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ that Berlin will send 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks to Ukraine to start. Eventually, Germany and other countries plan to send 88 Leopards, making up two battalions.

The breakthrough followed weeks of difficult discussions among Ukraine’s Western allies, but Biden had nothing but praise at his announcement today. “Germany has really stepped up,” he said.

The president also took pains to try to lower the temperature with Russia as much as possible: “That’s what this is about: helping Ukraine defend and protect Ukrainian land,” he said. “It is not an offensive threat to Russia. There is no offensive threat to Russia.”

Biden and Scholz spoke with French President EMMANUEL MACRON, Italian PM GIORGIA MELONI and British PM RISHI SUNAK on a call this morning to coordinate Ukraine efforts, the White House said.

The news won plaudits today from Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL, who called the moves “overdue,” and said European partners should get the tanks to Ukraine quickly.

Not reacting so positively: Russia lambasted Germany for the move, with officials calling it “extremely dangerous” and an abnegation of the country’s “historical responsibility” to Russians for Nazis’ crimes during World War II, per Reuters.

Helpful explainer: “What Makes the M1 Abrams So Critical to the Russia-Ukraine War?”by WSJ’s Daniel Nasaw

Moving the Overton window: Having secured a major victory in finally getting the tanks from Western allies, Ukraine is pushing for more. Next, Kyiv will ask for fourth-generation aircraft like the F-16 fighter jets, a Ukrainian defense official said today. More from Reuters

Good Wednesday afternoon, and thanks for reading Playbook PM. Who do you think is Trump’s likeliest VP pick? Drop me a line at [email protected].

ALL POLITICS

MYPILLOW TALK — MyPillow CEO MIKE LINDELL is struggling to muster support in this week’s RNC chair race, with many members dismissing his baseless focus on election fraud, Vice’s Cameron Joseph reports. But ironically, Lindell says he would accept this election result if he loses. “This race could not be worse-designed for a fringe, bomb-throwing conspiracy theorist like Lindell whose power lies in his appeal to the hardline anti-establishment activists in the party’s base, and who has few allies among the actual group that picks the RNC chair.”

UP FOR DEBATE — Trump helped turn much of the Republican Party against standard presidential debates. But the RNC debate committee meeting today may want its 2024 contenders to return to primary debates hosted by mainstream news outlets — in conjunction with conservative co-moderators, Semafor’s Shelby Talcott reports. The party wants its candidates to avoid softball questions and get into policy specifics. “How candidates respond is an open question.”

FLORIDA MAN — The attacks from would-be presidential competitors are mounting, largely behind the scenes, against Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS, WSJ’s Alex Leary and John McCormick report. Allies of potential 2024 contenders are pushing criticism of DeSantis on Disney, vaccines, abortion, his congressional record and his charisma (or lack thereof). New Hampshire Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU goes on the record to blast DeSantis’ “very Democrat, left-wing type of philosophy” in weaponizing the government against Disney — though stops short of criticizing the Florida governor by name.

— “Ron DeSantis’ Secret Twitter Army of Far-Right Influencers,”by The Daily Beast’s Jake Lahut: “Ron DeSantis’ political operation has been recruiting conservative influencers. But the personalities DeSantis is attracting have plenty of problems.”

THROWING AWAY THEIR SHOT — Donations to the National Rifle Association’s PAC are plunging, with the number of donors falling 40% from 2020 to 2022, The Trace’s Will Van Sant and Champe Barton report. 5,300 members contributed to the PAC last year, as of Nov. 28. The number of total donations also fell 40% to 9,600 (people can donate multiple times). There were particularly big drops in Southern California and Houston.

JUDICIARY SQUARE

THE NEXT ABORTION FRONTIER — Mifepristone manufacturer GenBioPro sued today to challenge West Virginia’s ban on abortion pills, kicking off “what is expected to be a wave of cases arguing that the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill takes precedence over such restrictive state laws,” NYT’s Pam Belluck reports. The federal lawsuit argues that the West Virginia law is unconstitutional. At the same time, a gynecologist is suing today over North Carolina’s mifepristone regulations. Along with other recent cases (in various ideological directions), they highlight how the abortion fight is often moving to a focus on pills. And it’ll be a legal battle for supremacy between federal policies and state laws.

THE TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS — “The Obscure New York Law That Could Dismantle Trump’s Empire,”by The Daily Beast’s Jose Pagliery

CONGRESS

NIGHT OF THE HUNTER — House Oversight Republicans today reupped their questions to HUNTER BIDEN’s art dealer, GEORGES BERGÈS, about sales of the president’s son’s paintings, WSJ’s Natalie Andrews and Ryan Barber scooped. They want a response from Bergès and an interview by next month. “[N]ow that they have the majority, their latest demand could carry more weight and presage a congressional subpoena that would ratchet up the pressure on the New York City gallery owner to cooperate with the inquiry.”

MARK YOUR CALENDARS — The House Judiciary Committee will hold its first hearing on the “Biden border crisis” on Feb. 1, Chair JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio) announced.

ON THE ROSTER — House Democrats named their slates of members for the so-called A committees, along with the group headed to the powerful House Rules Committee: Reps. TERESA LEGER FERNÁNDEZ (D-N.M.), JOE NEGUSE (D-Colo.) and MARY GAY SCANLON (D-Pa.) will join ranking member JIM McGOVERN (D-Mass.). More in Congress Minutes

THE TALENTED MR. SANTOS — “‘I felt like we were in “Goodfellas’’’: How George Santos wooed investors for alleged Ponzi scheme,”by WaPo’s Jonathan O’Connell, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Emma Brown and Samuel Oakford: “Collectively, the accounts gathered by The Post offer a detailed picture of [Rep. GEORGE] SANTOS’s efforts to recruit investors for Harbor City. In two instances, he inflated his own academic or professional credentials, The Post found. In addition, Zoom recordings of workplace meetings show Santos offering anecdotes about his purported interactions with wealthy people — stories disputed by those involved — for potential inclusion in marketing materials or to impress prospective clients.”

JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH

MIND THE GAPS — “Lapses persist for Capitol Hill panic buttons two years after insurrection,”by the Boston Globe’s Jess Bidgood and Lissandra Villa de Petrzelka: “Overall, at least 13 offices were missing one or more of their duress alarms in the opening weeks of the 118th Congress, the Globe found … [T]he weeks-long delays represent a substantial gap in coverage at a moment when the political environment is so heated it has often tipped into violence, with lawmakers facing a historic barrage of threats. And it suggests that promised improvements to an opaque and disjointed system have not been sufficient even after its lapses drew intense scrutiny because of the insurrection.”

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

GITMO LATEST — As prosecutors put forth the prospect of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty for five Guantánamo Bay defendants, the White House is keeping its distance from the case, NYT’s Charlie Savage and Carol Rosenberg report. Administration officials “are said to be uncertain they have the right to decide on a course of action with such major implications,” having pondered the question for more than a year in a case that has dragged out for more than a decade. Pentagon general counsel CAROLINE KRASS is leading discussions with REBECCA INGBER, MATTHEW OLSEN and others.

FROM 30,000 FEET — “Climate Change May Usher in a New Era of Trade Wars,”by NYT’s Ana Swanson … To wit: EU competition chief MARGRETHE VESTAGER today said the Inflation Reduction Act was “toxic,” per the WSJ.

POLICY CORNER

OBAMACARE HOLDING STRONG — 16.3 million people signed up for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans in this year’s open enrollment, the highest number ever, the Biden administration said today. Biden attributed the increase partly to enhanced tax credits and subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act. More from Bloomberg Law

THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH — The Biden administration today rolled out new steps to help renters with high costs and added protections. WaPo’s Rachel Siegel goes deep on the months of deliberation and rounds of furious advocacy that preceded the announcement — and the White House’s ultimate conclusion that much of the issue would end up in state and local governments’ hands. They put out a “Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights” and launched a “Resident-Centered Housing Challenge” to urge housing providers and governments to improve their policies. Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, the National Apartment Association and Realtor.com have already committed to some changes, as have several federal agencies.

BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND — “Dead whales and tough economics bedevil Biden’s massive wind energy push,”by WaPo’s Evan Halper, Timothy Puko and Dino Grandoni: Several recent whale deaths “the latest in a string of threats to a fledgling offshore wind industry that climate advocates say is central to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Surging costs from inflation and labor shortages have developers saying their projects may not be profitable. A raft of lawsuits and pending federal restrictions to protect sensitive wildlife could further add to costs. The uncertainty has clouded bright expectations for massive growth in U.S. offshore wind.”

COULD BE MORE LIKE A BADYEAR — “Justice Department Probes Goodyear’s Handling of Recalled Tire,”by WSJ’s Ryan Felton

THE WHITE HOUSE

HIT THE ROAD — Biden and VP KAMALA HARRIS will head to Philadelphia on Friday to highlight their economic agenda, the White House said.

DOCU-DRAMA — Americans overwhelmingly support the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the Biden classified documents matter, with 80% or more of Democrats, Republicans and independents saying they approve in a new CNN/SSRS poll. So far, Americans are split on how to judge Biden’s behavior here: Eighteen percent say he hasn’t acted unethically, 44% say he’s acted unethically but not illegally, and 37% say he’s broken the law. Overall, Biden’s sitting at a 40% favorability rating.

FIRST LADY FILES — The Smithsonian will get two of first lady JILL BIDEN’s outfits that she wore on her husband’s inauguration day: an “ocean blue tweed dress and matching coat,” and an “ivory silk wool dress and cashmere coat ensemble,” AP’s Darlene Superville reports. First ladies usually give the National Museum of American History their gowns from the inaugural ball, but Biden didn’t have one due to the pandemic. Jill Biden will also donate her masks. There will be a ceremony today.

THE ECONOMY

WHAT JEROME POWELL IS WATCHING — Small business hiring has been staying strong and propping up the labor market, complicating the Fed’s efforts to reduce inflation via higher interest rates, WSJ’s Dion Rabouin reports. A new analysis finds that they’ve been responsible for 91% of job growth in the U.S. since the pandemic.

PLAYBOOKERS

IN MEMORIAM — David Goldstein, a freelance journalist and former investigative reporter, national correspondent and editor for McClatchy, died Jan. 13 at 71. Full obituary

OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a special screening and reception for “As Far As They Can Run,” hosted by UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba at the Motion Picture Association yesterday evening: Tim Shriver, German Ambassador Emily Haber, Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, Roy Blunt, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Charles Rivkin, DeDe Lea, Steve Clemons and Joyce Karam.

— The Office of the USTR celebrated its 60th anniversary yesterday afternoon in EEOB. SPOTTED: USTR Katherine Tai, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Mike Donilon, Julie Chávez Rodriguez, Neera Tanden, Evan Ryan, Rob Portman, Carla Hills, Susan Schwab, Ron Kirk, Michael Froman, Kevin Brady, Enoh Ebong and Reta Jo Lewis.

— Bloomberg Government reopened last night in its new renovated space, where guests were welcomed by CEO Josh Eastright and President Arielle Elliott. Angela Greiling Keane introduced CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, who gave a look ahead for the next year, as well as BGov congressional reporters Emily Wilkins and Jack Fitzpatrick. SPOTTED: Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Luxembourgian Ambassador Nicole Bintner-Bakshian, Singaporean Ambassador Ashok Kumar Mirpuri,John Falcicchio, Neil Bradley, Joel Johnson, Reggie Love, Giuseppe and Francis Lanzone,Josh Dawsey, Liz Johnson,Vince Evans, Samantha Dravis and Heather Podesta.

MEDIA MOVES — Margaret Sullivan is now a columnist for the Guardian. She previously was media columnist for WaPo. … CNN has added former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan as on-air contributors.

TRANSITIONS — Katie Phillips and Jason Ortega are relaunching EDGE (Electing a Democratic Generation), a young Democratic fundraising group that disbanded in 2020. Phillips is a director at Federal Hall Policy Advisors, and Ortega is VP of public affairs at the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association.

BONUS BIRTHDAY: BakerHostetler’s Kristin Shapiro (4-0), celebrating with dinner at the Inn at Little Washington

Correction: Tuesday’s Playbook PM misstated Jake Rascoff’s former title in Sen. Brian Schatz’s (D-Hawaii) office. He was assistant legislative director and legislative assistant for energy and climate.