By Bethany Irvine

While Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) faced arraignment in the Empire State today, the chorus of his colleagues on Capitol Hill calling for him to resign continued to grow. | AP

HAPPENING NOW — POLITICO’s AI and Tech Summit, kicking off with an interview of FTC Chair LINA KHAN, followed by conversations with Rep. TED LIEU (D-Calif) and the CIA’s Director of AI LAKSHMI RAMAN. Watch live

THE ‘RESIGN NOW’ CHORUS GROWS — Indicted Sen. BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) pleaded not guilty before a New York federal judge this morning on charges stemming from an alleged bribery conspiracy involving payments in gold bars, a high-end car, hundreds of thousands of dollars and the transmission of sensitive information to the Egyptian government.

Mendedez’s co-defendants, including his wife NADINE, JOSE URIBE and FRED DAIBE, also entered not guilty pleas.

But while Menendez faced arraignment in the Empire State, the chorus of his colleagues on Capitol Hill calling for him to resign continued to grow:

• Majority Whip and House Judiciary Chair DICK DURBIN: “Leaders in New Jersey, including the Governor and my Senate colleague CORY BOOKER, have made it clear that Sen. Menendez can no longer serve. He should step down.” 

• Sen. PATTY MURRAY (D-Wash.) tells The Messenger’s Nolan McCaskill: “I believe he should step down and focus on his legal defense,” adding “If Senator Menendez refuses to resign, I encourage the Senate Ethics Committee to open an investigation into this, separate from the ongoing criminal case.” 

As a reminder … Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER, will get a chance to address Menendez’s political future during his weekly presser around 2 p.m. today.

Taking a step back … NYT’s Nicholas Fandos is up with a fantastic deep dive on Menendez’s complex rise to “from a Jersey tenement to the pinnacles of power in Washington.”

Interviews with numerous New Jersey political figures and court records “paint a far more complicated portrait of a man who has been both a pathbreaking legislator of unusual intelligence, and a vindictive politician with a propensity for accepting lavish gifts,” Fandos writes.

Notably: “As a measure of how damning the [current] indictment appears, no one — not even a longtime ally recommended by Mr. Menendez’s office — agreed to publicly defend him on the conduct described by prosecutors.”

Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line: [email protected].

A message from bp:

bp added more than $70 billion to the US economy last year. We did it by making investments from coast to coast – like acquiring one of America’s largest biogas producers, Archaea Energy, AND producing natural gas with fewer emissions in the Permian Basin. See how else bp is investing in America.

McCARTHY VS. McCONNELL — As Congress hurtles towards a government shutdown just three days away, KEVIN McCARTHY is increasingly finding the House GOP out on a limb.

Though the Senate attempted to avoid a shutdown by advancing a bipartisan continuing resolution last night, McCarthy continued to lay blame at the feet of President JOE BIDEN and Senate Dems.

But McCarthy’s talking point has at least one high-profile Republican detractor: Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL. “The choice facing Congress is pretty straightforward,” McConnell said today on the Senate floor. “We can take the standard approach and fund the government for six weeks at the current rate of operations, or we can shut the government down in exchange for zero meaningful progress on policy.”

The dispute among GOP leaders is unlikely to change the outcome between now and Sunday. McCarthy’s latest stop-gap bill still doesn’t have the votes needed from the GOP conference, and as Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers report, a shutdown at midnight Saturday is increasingly inevitable:

“At full House attendance, McCarthy can risk only losing four of his own members, given united Democratic opposition. But there are at least eight Republican ‘no’ votes on the stopgap, including: Reps. ANDY BIGGS (Ariz.), ELI CRANE (Ariz.), CORY MILLS (Fla.), MATT GAETZ (Fla.), TIM BURCHETT (Tenn.), ANDY OGLES (Tenn.) WESLEY HUNT (Texas) and [MATT] ROSENDALE [(Mont.)]. Many in the group have vowed not to support any short-term funding bill.”

And on top of that … “[A] CR is only part of their problem. GOP leadership is also trying to quell opposition to four full-year spending bills that would fund the departments of Agriculture, State, Defense and Homeland Security, respectively.”

AFTERNOON READ — “Wars, Pandemic, Insurrection, U.F.O.s: Gen. Mark Milley’s Term Had It All,” by NYT’s Helene Cooper: “At midnight on Sept. 30, Gen. MARK A. MILLEY’S turbulent term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will end. He is the last senior official whose tenure spanned both the [DONALD] TRUMP and the Biden administrations, a time that included just about every kind of crisis.”

GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE.

2024 WATCH

GREAT SCOTT — Sen. TIM SCOTT’s (R-S.C.) reputation as a soft-spoken “nice guy” may not be doing him any favors with voters ahead of tonight’s second GOP presidential debate, NBC’s Ali Vitali and Nnamdi Egwuonwu write. Still, “Scott’s team is pushing back against the idea that he has to change his approach,” and dampening debate expectations in a new memo: “a few snappy lines on national television don’t change the fundamentals of a [presidential] campaign.”

“Still, though Scott’s team argues for staying the course, some allies concede the last debate wasn’t his best showing,” NBC continues. “‘I expect you’ll see a more spirited performance from him’ this time, Sen. JOHN THUNE, [(R-S.D.)], told NBC News, giving a hearty laugh when asked if his colleague was ‘too nice’ to be on the debate stage.”

AD WARS — President Biden and his allies are out with an “early and sizable advantage” over the Trump campaign with Spanish-language TV ads, The Messenger’s Adrian Carrasquillo scoops: “Biden and his allies have outspent Trump from July all the way through November 7th ad reservations to the tune of $531,673 to zero in ad buys from the leading Republican contender.” 

ALL POLITICS 

PINCHING PENNIES — “FEMA delays $2.8 billion in disaster aid to keep from running out of money,” by WaPo’s Tony Romm: “The last-minute move has allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to shore up its rapidly dwindling budget against the immediate threat of wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters as they arise … But it has also disrupted longer-term recovery projects in communities hit by past calamities.”

THE WHITE HOUSE 

GOING VIRAL? — The Biden reelection campaign team is formally launching its online “rapid response network” on social media today aimed at reaching voters via a slew of online content, Elena Schneider reports in a Q&A with deputy campaign manager ROB FLAHERTY: “‘[Biden HQ] gives us the ability to just be a little punchier, to get a little bit more volume out there,’ Flaherty said, ‘but also help drive narratives on social [media] at a higher clip.’”

TRUMP CARDS

TROUBLE AT HOME — Yesterday’s ruling by a New York State judge that Donald Trump committed fraud in assessing his real estate holdings takes a big swing at the former president’s carefully crafted identity as a “master of business,” NYT’s Maggie Haberman and Alan Feuer report — with potentially wide-reaching fallout: “[Trump] now faces not only the prospect of having to pay $250 million in damages, but he could also lose properties like Trump Tower that are inextricably linked to his brand.”

POLICY CORNER 

BACK TO THE FUTURE — As automaker giants Ford and General Motors lobby over the terms of a $7,500 tax credit for consumers who purchase new electric vehicles, the debate surrounding the use of parts from foreign entities like China could impact the future of EV sales in the U.S., WSJ’s Andrew Duehren reports: “President Biden is expected to decide this fall how strictly to enforce that requirement. If the rules are too tough, few EVs — if any — will qualify for the tax credit, potentially leaving Americans without that incentive to switch from gasoline-powered cars. A loose read on the rules could invite blowback from Republicans and other China critics.”

AMERICA AND THE WORLD 

BIDEN AND BIBI — The Biden administration announced this morning that Israel has been formally admitted into its Visa Waiver Program, joining an exclusive list of 40 nations whose residents are not required to request visas before entering the country. The announcement comes just a week after Biden’s sit-down meeting with PM BENJAMIN NETANYAHU and amid ongoing concerns over Netanyahu’s right-wing government and the treatment of Palestinians.

“Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program represents a critical step forward in our strategic partnership with Israel that will further strengthen long-standing people-to-people engagement, economic cooperation, and security coordination between our two countries,” Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN said in a joint statement today. More from the AP

Notably: “In return [for the deal], Israel will have to lift many of the restrictions on Palestinian Americans,” WaPo’s Steve Hendrix and Sufian Taha report from the West Bank. Still, the deal “will benefit only a sliver of Palestinians: dual citizens who are U.S. passport holders and are also registered by Israel as having family connections to Jerusalem, the West Bank or Gaza.”

TRAVIS KING LATEST — “North Korea to 'expel' US soldier Travis King, who crossed from South, state media reports,” by CNN’s Gawon Bae

PARENTAL GUIDANCE  — “TikTok Employees Say Executive Moves to U.S. Show China Parent’s Influence,” by WSJ’s Georgia Wells

HAPPENING 9/28 — INSIDE THE CANCER MOONSHOT: Join POLITICO on Thursday, Sept. 28 for an in-depth discussion on the future of cancer treatment and innovation. Hear from experts including scientists, government officials and industry leaders as we explore the critical roles played by private industry, nonprofits, the National Cancer Institute and the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health in achieving the Biden administration's goal of cutting the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years. Don't miss this opportunity to dive into the progress of cancer treatments and learn about the challenges patients encounter in accessing care. REGISTER HERE.

PLAYBOOKERS

OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at a rooftop party Tuesday night hosted by Adam Green honoring Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) and Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Pulse shooting and new press secretary for Human Rights Campaign: FTC Chair Lina Khan, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, Gracie Bouwer, Jesse Lee, Zayn Siddique, Maralyn O’Brien, Hugo Vergès, Yuki Sugiyama, Francesca Chambers, Sara Cook, John Hudson, Will Weissert, Brian Slodysko, Brittany Gibson, Gavin Bade, Jesús Rodríguez, Laura Kelly, Rebecca Beitsch, Nihal Krishan, Mini Racker, Sophie Mestas, Jasmine Yunus, Emma Lydon, Amira Hassan, Leah Greenberg, Amirah Sequeira, Samuel Kimbriel, Christy Setzer, Rachel Brown, Jeff Hauser, Lacy Crawford Jr., Evan Brown and Yuri Beckelman.

— The Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne hosted their 23rd Annual Dining Away Duchenne at Eastern Market last night, which raised over $650,000 for research into treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. SPOTTED: Jose Andres, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Reps. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), John Joyce (R-Pa.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Kathy Manning (D-N.C.), Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.), Debbie Ross (D-N.C.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Steve Womack (R-Ark.).

— SPOTTED at a reception hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the Forbes Tate Partners office yesterday evening supporting Scott Baugh, who is running for California’s 47th Congressional District: John Clarey, Henry Pfirrman, Roger Currie, Makenzie Koch, Joel Szabat, Jeff Strunk, Bob Dold, Frank Steinberg, Kevin McGrann and Ed Reno.

— VITAL, a Hispanic-owned health benefits company, held a launch party at the Washington Marriott Capitol Hill last night. SPOTTED: Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Ana Navarro, Al Cardenas, Yanira Cruz, Elena Rios and John F. King.

MEDIA MOVES — Diana Glebova, is now a campaign reporter at the New York Post, succeeded by Reagan Reese Gensiejewski as The Daily Caller’s White House correspondent. Gensiejewski previously was an education reporter for The Daily Caller News Foundation.

TRANSITION — Sam Spencer is now manager of public affairs at Novant Health. He previously was comms director for Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.).

BONUS BIRTHDAY: Equality Florida and Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition’s Allie Owen

Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.

Send Playbookers tips to [email protected] or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producer Bethany Irvine.

A message from bp:

Developing more lower carbon energy AND keeping oil & gas flowing with fewer emissions. And, not or. That’s how bp is investing in America.

Follow us on Twitter

Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family

Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook

View all our politics and policy newsletters

Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to [email protected] by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.