Washington Post: “In a pledge to cut spending, House Republicans have considered proposals targeting Social Security, Medicare and other programs, something that is deeply unpopular. Just 17 percent of Americans in the Economist/YouGov poll said they supported Congress reducing spending on Social Security and Medicare; 70 percent opposed this. A meager 22 percent of Republicans supported cutting Social Security and Medicare spending, along with even fewer Democrats and independents.”
The GOP Is a Circus, Not a Caucus
Tom Nichols: “Now controlled by its most unhinged members, the Republican Party has returned to power in the People’s House. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the ringmaster of this circus, is happily paying off his debts by engaging in petty payback, conjuring up inane committees, threatening to crash the U.S. economy, and protecting a walking monument to fraud named George Santos, who may or may not actually be named George Santos.”
“In the enduring words of Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.”
Biden Mulls Trip to Europe to Support Ukraine
President Biden is considering a trip to Europe next month to coincide with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NBC News reports.
Adam Schiff to Run for Senate
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has announced he is running for U.S. Senate in 2024, joining a growing field of Democrats who are seeking to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who has not explicitly said she would run for reelection, the Washington Post reports.
Andy Beshear Leads All Challengers in Kentucky
A new Mason-Dixon poll indicates Gov. Andy Beshear “still gets a thumbs-up from most Kentuckians for his work and also leads four notable Republican opponents as he seeks a second term in office, while Attorney General Daniel Cameron has a sizable edge over his competitors in the GOP’s upcoming gubernatorial primary.”
“Beshear’s job approval rating remains high, at 61%, while just 29% of respondents disapproved of his performance and 10% weren’t sure how they feel.”
U.S. Economy Grew 2.9% Last Quarter
“The U.S. economy finished 2022 in solid shape even as questions persist over whether growth will turn negative in the year ahead,” CNBC reports.
“Fourth-quarter gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced for the October-to-December period, rose at a 2.9% annualized pace.”
Politico: Biden’s economy dodges recession.
McCarthy May Not Have the Votes to Block Omar
Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) vow to block Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN.) from sitting on the House Foreign Affairs Committee has hit an early snag: he may not have the votes to do it, The Hill reports.
Kevin McCarthy’s Concessions Already Backfiring
Washington Post: “Republicans knew he was giving up a lot, and some of those concessions are already causing problems for the House GOP. Three of the 11 bills House Republican leaders promised would go straight to the floor to kick off the year have been pulled back because of opposition within the party — a sign of the growing pains of a new majority.”
Why This Debt Ceiling Showdown Is Different
Veterans of the 2011 debt ceiling standoff worry that “this time feels different” because of the slim House GOP majority and the lack of agreement among Republicans on what they actually want out of a negotiation, Politico reports.
Ramesh Ponnuru: The scariest part of the debt ceiling impasse: Washington isn’t scared.
McCarthy and Jeffries Are Getting Along
“Something unusual is happening in the Capitol: Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are getting along,” Punchbowl News reports.
“Let’s be clear: It’s very early in the new Congress. And these two will be at each other’s throats for the foreseeable future over politics, policy, personnel and morals.”
“But the New York Democrat and the California Republican have found an initial good vibe, according to multiple sources close to both men. The rapport has surprised aides on McCarthy and Jeffries’ teams.”
The Not So Shadow Campaign
Politico: “If there were any remaining doubts about President Joe Biden running for a second term, the president’s upcoming travel plans should lay them to rest.”
“He’s running, people. And some Democrats view Biden’s pre-State of the Union address calendar, which is starting to take shape, as the soft launch for it. His aides don’t even dispute that.”
“Biden will appear at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in New York City next Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the event. On Friday, he’ll deliver a speech at the DNC’s two-day gathering in Philadelphia, as will Vice President Kamala Harris, and both will attend another DNC fundraiser there, according to three people familiar with that event.”
Meanwhile, a new Granite State Poll in New Hampshire finds 82% of progressives and 57% of liberals, groups that usually dominate the Democratic primary there, probably or definitely do not want Biden to run again next year.
How George Santos Made Baruch Volleyball Famous
New York Times: “It’s one thing to apparently lie about having two college degrees, working at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, losing four employees in the Pulse nightclub shooting, his grandparents surviving the Holocaust and his mother escaping the South Tower on 9/11. But being a volleyball star at a commuter school in the heart of Manhattan?”
Rick Scott Will Run for Re-Election
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) told NBC News that he’s running for re-election.
“Scott also promised to push a controversial conservative plan that brought bipartisan condemnation last year. Scott released his plan, nicknamed ‘Rescue America,’ when he led the National Republican Senatorial Committee and packed it with red-meat conservative proposals on welfare, immigration, gender, crime and education.”
How Democrats Will Combat the GOP’s Biden Probes
Daily Beast: “Determined to prevent a rerun of the Obama years, top Democrats are standing up a pair of outside groups — the Congressional Integrity Project and Facts First USA — and building them for the sole purpose of running aggressive interference for Biden on the barrage of GOP probes from Capitol Hill.”
“Staffed by the Democratic Party’s masters of the dark arts of opposition research and spin, the groups are promising to apply bare-knuckled tactics in dealing with Republicans.”
A Brutal War and a Rough Campaign
Politico: “With Biden potentially weeks from announcing his reelection bid, a war with no end in sight threatens to loom over him on the trail… Biden aides see the war as a winning 2024 issue for the president, who has framed the conflict as a battle for democracy.”
Republicans May Try to Buy Time on Debt Limit
“House Republicans are mulling an attempt to buy time for further negotiations on federal spending and deficits by passing one or more short-term suspensions of the statutory debt ceiling this summer, including potentially lining up the deadline with the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30,” Roll Call reports.
“Any such short-term measure would likely be ‘clean’ of any strings attached or specific spending cuts, and be designed as a suspension of the borrowing cap, which had been done repeatedly over the past decade until 2021, rather than a dollar increase in the debt limit. That would presumably make it easier for Republicans to swallow voting for it after pledging to only back a debt limit increase if paired with spending cuts.”
Santos Lists New Treasurer Who Denies Working for Him
“With a disclosure filing deadline approaching as questions swirl around his use of campaign funds, embattled Rep. George Santos’ campaign appears to be left without a treasurer,” ABC News reports.
“On Wednesday, several fundraising committees associated with the freshman congressman from New York filed amendments to their statements of organizations, notifying the Federal Election Commission of a new treasurer.”
“But the newly listed treasurer, Thomas Datwyler, a veteran campaign finance treasurer who has served on multiple other political organizations, says he does not work for the Santos campaign and that the filings were signed under his name without his consent.”
Chip Roy Will Use Debt Ceiling to Push Border Security
“Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said he will employ brinkmanship over the federal debt ceiling debate — threatening to allow the U.S. to default on its loans — to push through his border security plan that has been criticized by members of his own party for being too extreme,” the Texas Tribune reports.
“The Austin Republican introduced a bill earlier this year that would give the secretary of Homeland Security the power to bar border crossings — even for asylum-seekers — until the U.S. is able to detain all migrants crossing illegally. The bill also allows state attorneys general to sue the secretary if they determine that the administration is not adequately enforcing that policy — which would likely be the case in President Joe Biden’s administration.”
