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Buttigieg Prepares to Sell $3 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

March 23, 2021 at 3:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wall Street Journal: “Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is talking like a small city mayor again as he prepares to help sell the Biden administration’s $3 trillion infrastructure plan to a bitterly divided Congress. Mr. Buttigieg, who served two terms as mayor of South Bend, Ind., said that focusing on the needs of local government will be particularly useful.”

“Mr. Buttigieg said he is confident that the administration can strike a deal, and isn’t above regional flattery to get conservatives on board.”

Biden Faces ‘Moment of Truth’ on Climate Promises

March 23, 2021 at 3:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “By April 22, when President Biden convenes world leaders for an Earth Day summit, he is expected to unveil a new, aggressive plan to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2030. The moment is aimed at reestablishing American leadership in the fight to limit the Earth’s warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels — a threshold beyond which scientists predict irreversible environmental damage.”

“As he crafts the much-anticipated pledge, Biden is facing conflicting political pressures at home and abroad.”

“A sizable chunk of the Democratic Party’s base and climate activists who helped elect Biden — and a chorus of scientists — want the United States to take bold action to slash emissions at least in half by the end of this decade, compared with 2005 levels. They argue that’s critical to pressure other major economies to follow suit and to help the world avoid catastrophe.”

Green That Life: Easy Earth Day Tips for 2021.

Why Democrats Need Biden’s Approval In The Mid-50s

March 23, 2021 at 2:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Perry Bacon Jr.: “A majority of Americans, about 55 percent, approve of President Biden’s job performance so far, whereas about 39 percent disapprove. Those are pretty good numbers for a president in this polarized era. And for Democrats to keep control of the U.S. House and Senate next November, Biden will probably need to keep his approval ratings in this vicinity. That’s unlikely, but possible, because of some broader shifts happening in American politics.”

“Why should we focus on presidential approval ratings when we are thinking about next year’s midterms? For two reasons. First of all, we don’t yet have a lot of other data to rely on…”

“Second and more importantly, presidential approval ratings in recent years have been a decent indicator of what will happen in the midterms.”

Majority of Republicans Now Back Same-Sex Marriage

March 23, 2021 at 2:24 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new PRRI poll finds a majority of Americans within all partisan groups, including Republicans, now support same-sex marriage.

GOP Candidates Focused on Immigration

March 23, 2021 at 2:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Republican hopefuls around the country are emphasizing immigration in their initial campaign pitches for 2022 statewide GOP primaries, concluding that voters still loyal to former President Donald Trump’s agenda will embrace tough-on-borders candidates,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Moderate Democrats Push for Minimum Wage Deal

March 23, 2021 at 2:19 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Moderate Senate Democrats are pushing their leaders for a more modest approach to the party’s signature minimum wage hike, arguing for a compromise that can attract broader support after the defeat of a $15 hourly wage proposal,” Politico reports.

Biden Will Cancel $1 Billion In Student Debt

March 23, 2021 at 2:17 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Biden administration has reversed a controversial Trump-era policy that will lead to the cancellation of roughly $1 billion in student debt for borrowers who were defrauded by their colleges,” CNN reports.

“The change will deliver full loan forgiveness to 73,000 people who were deemed eligible for the relief under former Education Secretary Betsy Devos but received only partial loan forgiveness after she changed the cancellation calculation.”

Why My Latino Dad Went for Trump

March 23, 2021 at 2:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Eric Garcia: “Democrats can certainly make inroads with Latino men — though my dad, as you can see, won’t be one of them. Instead, he’s a very stark reminder that Latinos span the political spectrum — and that, as confusing as it may be to progressives and to many pundits, it’s absolutely possible for some percentage of Americans to think of themselves as archconservatives and as Latinos.”

Kinzinger Brings Anti-Trump Crusade to Texas

March 23, 2021 at 1:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Armed with the backing of Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R), Tarrant County businessman Michael Wood (R) is hoping to convince Congressional District 6 voters that it’s time to for the GOP to move away from former President Donald Trump,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

Senate GOP Blocks Push for New Gun Control Laws

March 23, 2021 at 1:18 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A day after the seventh mass shooting in as many days in the United States, the Senate remains at an impasse over expanding background checks on gun sales,” CNN reports.

“Republicans in the Senate are offering an array of reasons why they won’t endorse bills to expand background checks, arguing they won’t work, they would eat away at gun rights and the focus should be on other matters addressing the root causes of crime.”

White House Confronted Over No AAPI Cabinet Members

March 23, 2021 at 1:15 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Two Democratic senators of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage confronted a senior White House official Monday night over the absence of AAPI representation in President Biden’s Cabinet,” Axios reports.

“Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), backed up by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), leveled the complaint to deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon during a Zoom call between the White House and the Senate Democratic Caucus.”

There’s No Crisis at the Border

March 23, 2021 at 1:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “We looked at data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to see whether there’s a ‘crisis’ — or even a ‘surge,’ as many news outlets have characterized it. We analyzed monthly CBP data from 2012 to now and found no crisis or surge that can be attributed to Biden administration policies.”

“Rather, the current increase in apprehensions fits a predictable pattern of seasonal changes in undocumented immigration combined with a backlog of demand because of 2020’s coronavirus border closure.”

Senate GOP Split on Earmarks

March 23, 2021 at 12:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Senate Republicans are split on whether to embrace or reject the return of earmarks as the caucus leans into deficit concerns under the Biden administration,” The Hill reports.

“There are sharp lines of division about the path forward, with conservatives pledging to fight any decision by leadership to return to earmarks and top appropriators signaling a willingness to reengage.”

Biden’s Gamble on Breaking Up Bills

March 23, 2021 at 12:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Playbook: “As we reported recently, chief of staff Ron Klain has told Democrats that the Biden jobs agenda should be split up into multiple bills. There’s only one more opportunity to use reconciliation this year, so by definition ‘multiple bills’ means that the White House will need a 60-vote strategy for any pieces that move through the Senate outside of reconciliation.”

“That strategy raises an obvious question: Can Biden get 10 Republican senators to cooperate on ‘concrete and steel’ when they know the tax and social welfare stuff they oppose is coming next via reconciliation?”

DeJoy to Raise Postage Prices, Cut Hours

March 23, 2021 at 11:30 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will unveil the largest rollback of consumer mail services in a generation as part of his 10-year plan for the U.S. Postal Service… including longer first-class delivery windows, reduced post office hours and higher postage prices.”

Judge Blocked Assault Weapons Ban Before Shooting

March 23, 2021 at 11:09 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “The city of Boulder, Colorado barred assault weapons in 2018, as a way to prevent mass shootings like the one that killed 17 at a high school in Parkland, Florida earlier that year.”

“But 10 days after that ban was blocked in court, the city was rocked by its own tragedy: Ten people, including a Boulder police officer, were killed at a supermarket in the city’s south end on Monday after a gunman opened fire, law enforcement officials said.”

How a ‘Talking Filibuster’ Might Hurt Democrats

March 23, 2021 at 11:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

John McCormack: “In all likelihood, a three-week debate over any of the Democrats’ top legislative priorities would not end in Republicans caving because such a debate would probably make the legislation less popular…”

“For Senate Democrats who oppose the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for legislation, the talking filibuster makes sense only if it is a stepping stone toward majority rule. … But if that the pressure fails to persuade Manchin, Sinema, and other holdouts to abandon the 60-vote rule, then their Democratic colleagues would be the ones feeling the most pain.”

Politico: Killing the filibuster becomes new “litmus test” for Democratic candidates.

Quote of the Day

March 23, 2021 at 10:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“I would be surprised if there’s anyone in any of these competitive states… that would support maintaining the filibuster. Getting rid of the filibuster is as close to a litmus test for our party as I can describe.”

— Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), quoted by Politico, about how Senate candidates are campaigning on the filibuster.