Axios: “What happens in the next 24 hours will be a crucial indicator of how long it will take, and how difficult it will be, to fulfill President Biden’s agenda.”
Celebrity Politicians Propel Ad Spending
“The rise of celebrity politicians is fueling record ad spending that will likely continue to flood American airwaves through next year’s midterms,“ Axios reports.
“Firebrand congressional freshmen and sophomores are raking in grassroots donations — and starring in ads from both allies and opponents alike. It’s part of an explosion in small-dollar fundraising that’s translating into a huge spike in paid political advertising.”
Manchin Says He Could Back Reconciliation This Year
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said that he could support passing a Democratic-only spending bill by the end of the year, even as he blasted a multi-trillion-dollar top-line spending bill envisioned by progressives as “fiscal insanity,” The Hill reports.
Said Manchin: “I think we can get a good bill done. I really do, and work in good faith.”
Select Panel Issues 11 More Subpoenas
“The select panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has issued eleven new subpoenas to people involved in planning the rally ahead of the riots,” Axios reports.
“The new subpoenas provide more insight into the scope of the select committee’s investigation as it ramps up. The previous subpoenas were issued to four members of former President Trump’s inner circle.”
JP Morgan Preparing for ‘Catastrophic’ Debt Default
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told Reuters that the investment bank has started to prepare for a “potentially catastrophic” situation should the United States default on the national debt.
Manchin Suggests Spending Deal Is Not Close
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) released a statement that suggests an agreement on the budget reconciliation package isn’t close.
Said Manchin: “While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot – and will not – support trillions in spending or an all or nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces.”
Olympic Medalist to Plead Guilty In Capitol Riot Case
“Klete Keller, the five-time Olympic swimming medalist from USC, agreed to a plea bargain Wednesday after facing seven federal charges for participating in the U.S. Capitol riot,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
“Keller stood out amid the chaos in the Capitol rotunda thanks to his 6-foot-6 height, beard and distinctive U.S. Olympic team jacket with ‘USA’ written in large letters on the back.”
Trump Still Faces a Reckoning in New York
New Yorker: “Even if no additional charges are filed, the former President’s company faces a potential reckoning. The charging documents and interviews with former prosecutors and white-collar defense lawyers indicate that the District Attorney is accumulating evidence of pervasive tax fraud.”
Kysten Sinema Faces Growing Revolt at Home
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) “is facing a growing political revolt at home from the voters who once counted themselves among her most devoted supporters,” the New York Times reports.
“Many of the state’s most fervent Democrats now see her as an obstructionist whose refusal to sign onto a major social policy and climate change bill has helped imperil the party’s agenda.”
Congress Primed to Avert Government Shutdown
Politico: “The Senate appeared on track Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown in less than 36 hours, as Democrats and Republicans wade through last-minute impediments to a stopgap funding bill’s speedy passage.”
“Despite lingering issues, the measure didn’t seem to be in immediate danger of tanking, with federal cash set to expire on Thursday at midnight.”
Kristi Noem Denies Affair with Trump Adviser
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) dismissed a conservative media outlet’s claim that she is having an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump adviser who is also advising Noem, the Washington Post reports.
Said Noem: “These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie. These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help. I love Bryon. I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work.”
Mark Milley Privately Blamed State Department
“In a classified briefing with senators on Tuesday, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley directly blamed the State Department for a botched evacuation from Afghanistan, saying officials ‘waited too long’ to order the operation out of Kabul’s airport,” Axios reports.
“Those private remarks were far more blunt than Milley’s public testimony, in which the nation’s top general said the issue of whether the order should have been given earlier is an “open question that needs further exploration.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene Runs Ad Against Infrastructure Bill
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is out with a new ad, airing on OANN, calling on House Republicans to vote no on the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Greene blasts the “19 cowardly Senate Republicans” who voted for the bill, which she labels “the first step in Biden’s communization of America.”
Parliamentarian Rules Again Against Immigration Reform
“The Senate parliamentarian has nixed Democrats’ back-up plan for getting immigration reform into a sweeping spending bill, handing them a second setback,” The Hill reports.
Sinema Is Not Viewed Favorably by Arizona Democrats
A new Civiqs poll in Arizona finds Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) with a dismal 17% to 65% favorable rating among Democratic voters.
Among independent voters, she has only a 27% favorable rating.
Republicans Whipping Hard Against Infrastructure Bill
Punchbowl News: “House Republican leadership is working overtime to convince GOP lawmakers to vote against the infrastructure bill — or hold their votes until after the Democrats pass it on their own.”
“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s pitch is that the two bills — reconciliation and infrastructure — are completely tied together, and Republicans are helping advance President Joe Biden’s agenda.”
Exxon Mobil Lobbying Against Reconciliation Bill
“Exxon Mobil has been lobbying against pieces of a sprawling Democratic budget bill aimed at boosting working class families and fighting climate change,” CNBC reports.
“The fossil fuel giant has spent $275,000 over the past week on Facebook ads that include spots targeting tax hikes Democrats have included in the bill, which has a $3.5 trillion price tag at the moment.”
Democrats Think Pelosi Will Cancel Infrastructure Vote
Two Democratic senators told The Hill they expect Speaker Nancy Pelosi to cancel a scheduled vote Thursday on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
“The two Democratic senators said they had been in contact with House members and that they did not believe the votes would be there for the bill with at least two-dozen progressives planning to vote ‘no’ on infrastructure without a separate vote on a larger social spending package.”