“In unusually pointed comments about a member of President Biden’s Cabinet, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) says he ‘vehemently’ disagrees with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s failure so far to aggressively investigate former President Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and other matters,” Yahoo News reports.
For members: A Briefing with Adam Schiff, tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.
“Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), a practicing anesthesiologist, said he has prescribed ivermectin, a medication typically used to treat parasites in livestock and humans, as a Covid-19 treatment, and he lashed out at pharmacies for not making the drug readily available,” the New York Times reports.
“Former President Donald Trump’s family business, which is already under indictment in Manhattan, is facing a criminal investigation by another prosecutor’s office that has begun to examine financial dealings at a golf course the company owns,” the New York Times reports.
“In recent months, the district attorney’s office in suburban Westchester County, NY, has subpoenaed records from the course, Trump National Golf Club Westchester, and the town of Ossining, which sets property taxes on the course, a sprawling private club that is perched on a hill north of New York City and boasts a 101-foot waterfall.”
“The full scope of the investigation could not be determined, but the district attorney, Mimi Rocah, appears to be focused at least in part on whether Mr. Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, misled local officials about the property’s value to reduce its taxes.”
“U.S. authorities detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the Mexico border during the 2021 fiscal year that ended in September, and arrests by the Border Patrol soared to the highest levels since 1986,” the Washington Post reports.
Gallup: “Women in the U.S. remain largely dissatisfied with the treatment of their gender in society, do not think there is gender equality in job opportunities and favor affirmative action programs for women.”
“Conversely, majorities of men are satisfied with the treatment of women in society and think women and men in the U.S. have equal job opportunities.”
David Pepper, the former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, is out with a new book, Laboratories of Autocracy.
“Laboratories of Autocracy shows that far more than the high-profile antics of politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene or Jim Jordan—and yes, even bigger than Donald Trump’s ‘Big Lie’—it’s anonymous, often corrupt politicians in statehouses across the country who pose the greatest dangers to American democracy.”
“The House’s push to prosecute Steve Bannon for defying its Jan. 6 investigators relies on a law that hasn’t produced a conviction in decades and could take years to litigate,” Politico reports.
“Welcome to criminal contempt of Congress. It’s going to be messy.”
“Contempt is one of the House’s only tools to punish witnesses who refuse to cooperate, but it’s riddled with legal loopholes and ambiguities that could allow Donald Trump’s allies to bury the Jan. 6 select committee in Byzantine court challenges — without ever producing new evidence about the former president’s effort to overturn the 2020 election.”
“Senate Republicans were expected again on Wednesday to block action on voting rights legislation, intensifying calls by activists and lawmakers for Democrats to finally do away with the filibuster or find themselves at a steep disadvantage in next year’s midterm elections and into the future,” the New York Times reports.
“For the third time this year, Republicans were poised to use the procedural weapon to thwart an attempt by Democrats to ensure access to the ballot box and counteract a raft of G.O.P.-written state laws around the country imposing new election restrictions.”
Said Sen. Angus King (I-ME): “When we are talking about the fundamental operation of democracy, I have to think a Senate rule will have to be modified or give way.”
Playbook: “Biden began pitching lawmakers on an outline for his Build Back Better plan Tuesday night. The proposal, pegged in the range of $1.75 to $1.9 trillion, is far from a done deal: Moderates and progressives will have plenty to say before giving anything their blessing. But Hill Democrats are relieved that Biden is getting his hands dirty after sitting on the sidelines for weeks.”
Punchbowl News: “It does seem reasonable to believe Democrats can agree on a reconciliation framework before President Joe Biden heads to Italy and Scotland in 11 days. That’s a change from where things stood heading into this week, a crucial one for both the White House and party leaders on the Hill. Biden had some good meetings with House Democrats Tuesday, and for the first time in a while — weeks or months really — there’s some renewed optimism in Democratic ranks. It’s amazing what some TLC from the president can do.”
“And if Democrats get a reconciliation framework agreed upon, and the feelings stay positive, maybe the House can pass the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill soon too. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has set an Oct. 31 date for that vote, and it’s critical for moderates that it happen.”
“White House officials have explored in recent weeks whether the National Guard could be deployed to help address the nation’s mounting supply chain backlog,” the Washington Post reports.
“The idea appears unlikely to proceed as of now but reflects the extent to which internal administration deliberations about America’s overwhelmed supply chain have sparked outside-the-box proposals to leverage government resources to address the issue.”
Bloomberg: “More than a year and a half after the coronavirus pandemic upended daily life, the supply of basic goods at U.S. grocery stores and restaurants is once again falling victim to intermittent shortages and delays.”
NBC News: “Quality farm equipment is getting hard to find amid the supply chain shortage, many farmers and experts said, and its scarcity is driving up prices and raising questions about whether farmers’ harvests and next year’s planting season could be affected.”
“The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to block a vaccine requirement imposed on Maine health care workers, the latest defeat for opponents of vaccine mandates,” the AP reports.
“It was the first time the Supreme Court weighed in on a statewide vaccine mandate.”
Max Boot: “Biden gambled with vaccine mandates — and that gamble is now paying off. Our coronavirus vaccination rate is still too low, and our covid death rate is still too high compared with those of other Western countries, but that’s hardly his fault. Blame Republicans: Only 58 percent of them are vaccinated, compared with 90 percent of Democrats.”
“There’s not much Biden can do about masochistic right-wingers such as radio host Dennis Prager, who says he deliberately became infected with covid-19 to develop ‘natural immunity.’ But the president is doing almost everything within his power to combat the pandemic — and his efforts are paying off.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is set to announce a coronavirus vaccine requirement for all municipal employees, the New York Post reports.
“The House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol voted Tuesday to recommend holding Stephen Bannon, a onetime adviser to former President Donald Trump, in criminal contempt for defying a congressional subpoena,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Next, the full House is expected to vote later this week on certifying the contempt resolution, referring the matter to the Justice Department for potential prosecution. Democrats hold a slim majority in the House.”
Punchbowl News: “Biden reiterated that he is seeking a bill between $1.9 trillion and $2.2 trillion. Biden repeatedly used $2 trillion ‘as shorthand’ for the topline number. Sources involved in the meeting said the ‘realistic target’ is somewhere in the $1.75 trillion to $1.95 trillion range.”
“Biden presided over the meeting, and said he wanted a vote on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill and a ‘public agreement’ from Democrats on the contours of the reconciliation package before he travels abroad to Italy and Scotland on Oct. 30. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has set a vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill by Oct. 31.”
“President Joe Biden informed House progressives Tuesday afternoon that the final bill to expand the social safety net is expected to drop tuition-free community college, a major White House priority,“ CNN reports.
“Moreover, he indicated that the child tax credit — a key Democratic priority — would likely be extended for one additional year, much shorter than what many in their party wanted… The child tax credit will also likely be means tested, keeping with what West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin had wanted.”
Politico: “Biden’s team is quick to note that he often takes questions from reporters after he does events. Allies of the president are even quicker to note that no one outside of the Washington press corps really cares about press access.”
“But the lack of interviews reflects the bunker mentality this White House has taken with the media — particularly the extensive back-and-forths where reporters can follow-up, push, and prod. Biden has been especially wary of talking to print publications; he has yet to do an interview with reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, or Reuters.”
“Among the limited press he does, Biden appears to have one preferred format: the televised town hall… The White House believes this sort of forum allows the president to engage in more substantive discussions, with less potential pitfalls.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
