It’s Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy.   

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ZELENSKY’S WORDS TO AMERICA
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews ([link removed])
Correspondent

Fighting for his country and pleading for increased international support, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will make his case directly to Congress on Wednesday.

His address, scheduled for 9 a.m. EST ([link removed]) , is not only highly anticipated but also highly unusual. Here’s why:
* His remarks will be the first entirely virtual presentation from a sitting head of state to all of Congress.
* Related to that, the speech will not be a formal joint meeting or session of Congress, which are typically held in the House chamber. There will be little to no ceremony – just a leader of one nation speaking directly to lawmakers in another.
* In U.S. history, 116 heads of state or other foreign leaders have spoken to a joint gathering of Congress. (The first was the last king of Hawaii, David Kalākaua, in 1874.) Most of these have been in times of peace. Just a few, like Zelensky, have come in the midst of war. Notably, also on that list: Winston Churchill.
* This means – and we are asking historians – that Zelensky may be the first world leader to speak to Congress from an active war zone.
* Zelensky and Churchill share another unusual trait: speaking to Congress somewhere other than the House chamber. As we’ve said, Zelensky’s remarks will be broadcast over a video link – into the congressional auditorium for lawmakers and online for the public ([link removed]) . Another exception to the House-speech rule? Again, Churchill. In 1941, the British prime minister spoke in the Senate chamber. This was to avoid the embarrassment of empty seats ([link removed]) in the House chamber when many lawmakers were home for Christmas holidays.

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What will he say? Zelensky has repeatedly asked American and European lawmakers for more equipment, military weapons and aircraft especially to help fight the invading Russians. And he has stressed a need for swift and painful economic sanctions for Russia and nations which support it.

The U.S. specifically has so far refused one of his top requests: help to secure the skies over Ukraine.

Zelensky would like Western countries to enforce a “no-fly zone,” but understands that there is fear in NATO that this could lead to a wider war ([link removed]) . If a no-fly zone is not possible, Zelensky is pressing for more jet fighters. And this is where his address tomorrow could hit a key division among American politicians:
* Poland has offered to give its aging fleet of Russian-made MIG fighters to Ukraine — but only if other NATO countries did the actual handoff and if the U.S. replaced Poland’s older jets with new ones.
* The Pentagon and White House have refused the deal so far. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who initially seemed warm to the idea of getting more planes to Ukraine, said last week: “The prospect of fighter jets at the disposal of the United States government departing from a U.S. NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace contested with Russia over Ukraine raises some serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance.”
* Congress is divided, with a growing number of calls from lawmakers ([link removed]) for the U.S. to do more to help Ukraine's military.

More on the war in the Ukraine from our latest coverage:
* Watch: Russian attacks – and the death toll – continue to climb. Protests also continue in Russia. Special correspondent Jane Ferguson has been reporting from Ukraine ([link removed]) .
* One Big Question: Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are calling for more support for Ukraine. How real is that agreement between the parties on foreign policy? Tamara Keith and Amy Walter weigh in ([link removed]) .
* How to Help: Nearly 10 percent of Ukraine's population has been displaced ([link removed]) into almost three weeks of the war. Here’s how you can help ([link removed]) people in Ukraine and the refugees fleeing the conflict.
* How to Help, Continued: The NewsHour’s Frances Kai-Hwa Wang reached out to educators for tips on how to help young people cope ([link removed]) with ongoing news about Ukraine and Russia.
* One Quick Tidbit: Several U.S. brands, including McDonald’s, are suspending their businesses ([link removed]) in Russia. The Golden Arches was the first American fast-food restaurant to enter the Soviet Union after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The moment even gave rise to a political theory ([link removed]) that if two countries have McDonald’s in them, they won’t go to war. However, that theory ended when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.


A SPRING FORWARD INTO THE POLITICAL CALENDAR
By Joshua Barajas, @Josh_Barrage ([link removed])
Senior Editor, Digital

Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews ([link removed])
Correspondent

The first day of spring is this Sunday, providing an opportunity to look ahead at some major dates in the political calendar:

March 20: Spring equinox. We mention it again because we like positive, constructive things.

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Next week: Confirmation hearings begin for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated for the high court ([link removed]) . She will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here is your schedule:
* Monday, 11 a.m. EST – Day One will be opening statements from Jackson and committee members. Senators and Jackson will each get 10 minutes. Those introducing Jackson will each get five minutes.
* Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. EST – These two days are set aside for questions from the committee’s 22 members. Each will get an initial 30 minutes and later a second round of up to 20 minutes.
* Thursday, 9 a.m. EST - Jackson need not attend the final day of hearings; the American Bar Association and other witnesses will testify about Jackson’s abilities and character. Question rounds and the day itself will be shorter — just five minutes for each senator.
* How to watch: You can watch the televised proceedings and our special coverage here ([link removed]) .

March 24: One month since Russia invaded Ukraine. This is a date to watch for lawmakers who want the United States to do more, including military aid, to help Ukraine.

March 31: Medicare providers get 1 percent cut in payments due to budget sequestration. This will rise to 2 percent in July. These have been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and a host of medical groups, from hospitals ([link removed]) to radiologists ([link removed]) , are asking to push them further as COVID-19 demands persist. At the moment, there are no plans to move this date.

Week of April 4: Final Senate vote for Jackson. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has said to expect a confirmation vote on Jackson before the chamber takes a two-week break for Easter and Passover. Jackson has been confirmed by the Senate three times before ([link removed]) for other federal positions.

April 11 to 22: Congress is on a two-week holiday recess out of Washington. So keep an eye out for them in your communities. (Here’s a good website fortracking town halls ([link removed]) !)

May 1: Student loan payments restart. Without further action, federal student loan payments will be required again, beginning in May. But, a recent order from the Department of Education to loan companies suggests that the nation’s collective $1.6 trillion student loan debt could be, may be, possibly frozen — no payments required — again ([link removed]) .

May 3: The next round of 2022 state primary elections begin in early May, with Senate and governor races in Indiana and Ohio ([link removed]) . Midterm contests continue in several other states throughout the month, including the heavily watched May 24 Senate, governor and congressional elections in Georgia ([link removed]) .

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch ([link removed])
White House Producer

Mattel – one of the growing number of U.S. companies that have announced changes to operations ([link removed]) in Russia – has been releasing dolls modeled after historical figures as part of its “Inspiring Women” series. The collection includes dolls of journalist Ida B. Wells, civil rights legend Rosa Parks, and astronaut and physicist Sally Ride.

Our question: Who is the only first lady to have a Barbie doll named after her?

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: Which U.S. president issued the first proclamation that declared the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week?

The answer: Jimmy Carter ([link removed]) . He designated March 2 to 8, 1980, as National Women's History Week. (And yes, that was back-to-back Carter trivia.)

Congratulations to our winners: Jackie Austin, Dean Gottehrer, and Mary Kay and Ron Graver!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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