John Harwood: “The question is whether even a supportive president can reverse the decline in union power that economists say has helped hollow out America’s middle class. Neither organized labor nor sympathetic politicians have managed to do that for decades.”
Gun Control Advocates Seek Biden’s Help
“After President Joe Biden’s giant COVID-19 relief bill passed Congress, he made a prime-time address to the nation and presided over a Rose Garden ceremony,” the AP reports.
“But there wasn’t so much as a statement from the White House after the House passed legislation that would require background checks for gun purchases, a signature Democratic issue for decades.”
“Biden’s views on gun regulation have evolved along with his party — at one point reluctant to impose too many restrictions that blue-collar Democrats opposed — to a near-unanimous call to do something about gun violence after a spate of mass shootings.”
Biden Heads to Pennsylvania to Tout Relief Plan
“President Joe Biden will join his administration’s tour of swing states to promote the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package Tuesday with a stop in the Philadelphia suburbs,” NBC News reports.
“Biden will visit a small business in Chester, Pennsylvania, in the mid-afternoon, where he plans to talk to people about the benefits of the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law last week.”
Associated Press: Biden to join road show promoting relief plan with Pennsylvania visit.
Kansas Senate Leader Booked Into Jail
Kansas Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop (R) was booked into the Shawnee County Jail early Tuesday, accused of driving under the influence, attempting to flee or evade a law enforcement officer, speeding and improperly crossing a divided highway,” the Kansas City Star reports.
Newsom Attacks ‘Republican Recall’
Californian Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and his allies released an online ad tying the recall effort of the governor to Donald Trump, QAnon and the national Republican party.
Two Very Different Bets for 2022
First Read: “President Biden and the Democrats have bet big on the coronavirus and the economy, ramping up vaccine distribution, passing the Covid relief law, and getting $1,400 checks in the hands of most Americans.”
“Republicans, meanwhile, are no longer even trying to message on the coronavirus and the Covid relief law – and they’re instead focused on immigration and the influx of migrants at the border.”
“These different messages have exposed political vulnerabilities for the other side.”
“Republicans have taken their eye off a pandemic that’s killed more than 500,000 Americans, and when it comes to the economy, they’re arguing that a boom was coming even before Biden’s stimulus.”
Arizona GOP Ordered to Pay Legal Fees
Calling its lawsuit challenging 2020 election procedures “groundless” and “disingenuous,” a judge has ordered the Arizona Republican Party — and its lawyers — to pay the state thousands of dollars in legal fees, the Arizona Republic reports.
Joe Biden’s 2021 Campaign
“All the muscles of the Democratic Party are engaged in selling President Biden’s COVID-19 relief bill just days after it was signed, with Democrats treating the $1.9 trillion package like a candidate,” Axios reports.
“The efforts underscore how closely Biden himself — and the broader Democratic machine — have tied the popularity of his first major piece of legislation to the success and ultimate survival of his presidency.”
Army Pushed to Deny Request for National Guard
“The Army initially pushed to reject the D.C. government’s request for a modest National Guard presence ahead of the Jan. 6 rally that led to the Capitol riot, underscoring the deep reluctance of some higher-ups at the Pentagon to involve the military in security arrangements that day,” the Washington Post reports.
Trump Staffers Jumped Line for Vaccine
Staffers working for Trump officials who publicly flouted coronavirus health safety guidelines secretly scrambled to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the beginning of the U.S. rollout, Vanity Fair reports.
Ex-officials told Insider the effort was like first-class passengers on the Titanic rushing to the lifeboats.
McCarthy Claims Terrorists Are Crossing the Border
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) claimed that he’d spoken to border agents in El Paso who told him that suspected terrorists have attempted to cross the border into the United States—but he provided no evidence to back it up, the Washington Post reports.
Democrats Have Lost Cuban-Americans Again
A new Bendixen & Amandi poll of Cuban-American voters in Florida shows that an overwhelming majority — 66% — is solidly opposed to the Biden administration reengaging with the island dictatorship — and their brief drift toward Democrats has been totally reversed.
Bernie Sanders Is No Longer an Outsider
Los Angeles Times: “The democratic socialist who once encapsulated his time in Congress by writing a book titled ‘Outsider in the House’ has now become the consummate insider in the Senate. The Bernie who honeymooned in the Soviet Union, who declared the Democratic Party hopeless, who sparked a revolt against an Obama administration tax deal during an 8 ½-hour filibuster, has transitioned into the Bernie orchestrating trillion-dollar deals.”
“The 79-year-old who lost to President Biden in the 2020 primary is following a path carved out by earlier political celebrities such as Republican John McCain and Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, who bounced from defeat in their insurgent White House bids to final acts as legislative maestros.”
Democrats Shun Repeal of Trump Regulations
Politico: “Democrats have yet to use the Congressional Review Act to claw back any Trump-era regulations as of mid-March. The 25-year-old law allows the congressional majority party to essentially veto out regulations established during the waning days of an administration without facing a Senate filibuster.”
“Nearly two months into the new administration, time is running out to use the maneuver given the constraints of using the so-called CRA within 60 legislative days of a new regulation.”
How Katie Porter Lost Her Prized Committee Seat
The Los Angeles Times has the backstory of how Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) lost her seat on the House Financial Services Committee.
Playbook: “This story is another reminder of how different the Democratic Party is from the GOP — not merely on ideals but in terms of how they operate on Capitol Hill. Congressional Republicans routinely cause problems for their leadership; it’s almost expected. But Democratic members can be punished for stepping out of line.”
Can Biden Stay on the Sidelines of the Cuomo Saga?
New York Times: “Mr. Biden is one of the very few people in the nation with the potential to prevent a protracted standoff between an increasingly isolated Mr. Cuomo and the rest of the Democratic Party. That has strained Mr. Biden’s efforts to stay firmly on the sidelines as the governor faces a fusillade of calls to resign.”
“Mr. Biden and Mr. Cuomo have not spoken, people close to both men said.”
Biden May Tap Fewer Political Ambassadors
Politico: “Biden still plans to dole out ambassadorships to major campaign donors, but some diplomats say slashing the number of fundraisers sent to overseas posts would restore confidence in the federal government, boost State Department morale and send a message around the globe.”
“Most presidents in recent decades have given 30 percent of ambassadorships to political appointees, including major campaign donors. But Trump increased that number to roughly 44 percent, which included posts in some countries that usually went to career diplomats, such Thailand and Kenya.”
Quote of the Day
“I’m not going to say that you must get rid of the filibuster entirely. I would say you would do well to develop a Manchin-Sinema rule on getting around the filibuster as it relates to race and civil rights.”
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), quoted by The Guardian.
