“Senate leaders released the details of a six-week stopgap spending bill on Tuesday afternoon, hoping to pass a bill through both chambers of Congress within five days — and little room for error,” Politico reports.
“The temporary spending bill, called a continuing resolution, would fund federal agencies at current levels through Nov. 17, setting up another government funding deadline before Thanksgiving rather than at midnight on Saturday.”
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who chairs the DSCC, called for indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is up for reelection in 2024, to resign.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in a statement:
“Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost. Senator Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case he must do so again. I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving.”
Earlier this morning, several vulnerable red-state Democratic senators also called on Menendez to step down.
“This week, I hope to see my colleagues fully address the alleged systemic corruption of Senator Menendez with the same vigor and velocity they brought to concerns about our dress code.”
— Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), in a statement.
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) called on indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign from the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Bob Casey also called on Menendez to step down.
And Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) too.
Charlie Sykes: “There’s something almost nostalgic about reading the indictment against New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez. By which I mean clownishly nostalgic, because it’s a throwback to an age when our corrupt politicians were old-school crooks, and frankly, rather stupid. There are no seven-levels of separation influence-peddling, no elaborate shell-companies or conspiracies.”
“What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a throwback — a house full of gold bars, envelopes stuffed with cash ($480,000), and a shiny new Mercedes parked in the garage. A slightly modern twist: DNA linking all of this boodle to the guys who paid cash for their own U.S. senator.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) called on indicted Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to resign his seat.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) became fourth Democratic senator to call on indicted Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to resign, Politico reports.
“I’ve been surprised by how little people hate each other in private. There’s sort of an inherent falseness to the way that people present on American media.”
— Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), quoted by the New York Times, on what he’s found surprising as a new member of the U.S. Senate.
Politico: “The senator’s refusal to step down despite a scathing federal corruption indictment — which could land him in prison for decades — is making New Jersey Democrats up for reelection next month jittery.”
“If Menendez runs again in 2024 and survives the Democratic primary, Republicans would have their best shot in 52 years at winning a Senate seat in the blue state, forcing his party to invest millions into defending what should be a safe seat.”
“And as Democrats try to exploit former President Donald Trump’s own legal troubles, including three separate indictments, the case against Menendez risks muddying their messaging — and could drag down the electoral prospects of other Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden.”
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) should resign, adding the weight of one of Washington’s most prominent Democrats to the lengthening list of party members urging the embattled New Jersey senator to leave office, Politico reports.
Punchbowl News: “The Senate leadership’s goal is to pass something that McCarthy can reasonably put on the floor to avert an Oct. 1 shutdown. However, this plan would require House Democratic votes for passage. That risks a rebellion from McCarthy’s right flank, which has voiced staunch opposition to a clean CR.”
“It’s tough to overstate the jam McCarthy would be in here. The Senate’s CR would almost certainly pass with a large bipartisan majority. But putting this measure on the House floor could easily push conservative hardliners into trying to oust McCarthy.”
“This may look like a lifeline for McCarthy — and, under normal circumstances, it would be. But some in his conference will see putting this proposal on the floor as a betrayal…”
“But the big news here is that Congress could be trying to punt the Ukraine fight until at least November, when lawmakers would likely have to enact another CR to buy more time to pass FY2024 appropriations bills.”
Playbook: “No relationship has pitted Booker’s loyalty against his politics like his friendship with Bob Menendez. Despite rising to prominence as an enemy of Jersey machine politics, Booker was the face of Team Menendez as soon as the latter was indicted on corruption charges in 2015. When Menendez’s trial ended in a hung jury in 2017, it seemed to vindicate the decision to stick by him.”
“The largest swarms of reporters today will be buzzing around Booker for a good reason. Menendez might stick around no matter what Booker says, but if Booker calls for Menenedez’s resignation it will make it safer and easier for every other Democrat who has remained mum to do the same. On the other hand, a supportive statement from Booker will be worth its weight in gold.”
“As Phil Murphy has skillfully navigated New Jersey Democrats to separate themselves from this debacle, the Senate caucus needs to do the same. Otherwise you’re going to get candidates in competitive states like Montana and West Virginia having to answer questions about Menendez and whether he represents a problem in the party.”
— Former Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ), quoted by Politico, urging Democrats to push Sen. Bob Menendez to resign.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) called on indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign his seat.
Welch said the allegations against Menendez “have wholly compromised his capacity” to be effective.
Politico: “Schumer started advancing a shell late last week to serve as the vehicle for a stopgap bill that would keep the government open past Saturday. Behind the scenes, Senate party leaders are hashing out the specifics so that they can move to final passage as soon as possible this week.”
“And that means moving quickly. The House is set to vote late Tuesday on four spending bills that – let’s be clear – may not even pass along party lines and still would not address the shutdown that looms at week’s end.”
“Senators are still discussing what its government funding patch will look like, but don’t be surprised if it’s short — think around four to six weeks — and pretty darn clean.”
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who faces a tough re-election race next year, has become the second Democratic senator to call on indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
“John Fetterman, the first senator to call on Bob Menendez to resign, plans to give back the $5,000 that the embattled New Jersey Democratic senator gave the Pennsylvania Democrat’s Senate campaign in 2022,” The Messenger reports.
“And Fetterman wants to do it in envelopes full of hundred-dollar bills.”
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.