Schumer to Force Vote on Voting Rights Package
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will hold a vote Tuesday on whether to advance sweeping voting-rights legislation to the Senate floor, and the lone Democrat who has withheld his support said he could stick with his party to start debate,” Bloomberg reports.
“Although Republicans are poised to block a debate on the legislation, having Manchin’s vote to bring it to the floor would be a demonstration of party unity Schumer needs to put the blame for blocking the bill, a version of which has already passed in the House, entirely on the Senate GOP.”
McConnell Opposes Manchin’s Voting Rights Compromise
“Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that he opposes the compromise on Democrats’ sweeping voting rights bill proposed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Axios reports.
“Voting legislation requires 60 votes to pass in the Senate. Without Republican support, it is unlikely to pass.”
10 GOP Senators Say They Support Bipartisan Plan
“Ten Republican senators support a bipartisan infrastructure framework, enough for a potential bill to get through the chamber if all skeptical Democrats back it,” CNBC reports.
“In a statement Wednesday, 20 Democratic and GOP senators endorsed the roughly $1 trillion proposal, which would not raise taxes on corporations or wealthy individuals. The plan would revamp transportation, broadband and water, but would not meet many Democrats’ goals for investments in clean energy and social programs.”
Manchin Suggests Roy Blunt Can Be Pressured
“Joe Manchin, in a private call on Monday with a group of major donors, provided a revealing look at his political approach to the most thorny issues confronting lawmakers,” The Intercept reports.
“When it came to Sen. Roy Blunt, a moderate Missouri Republican who voted no on the Jan. 6 commission, Manchin offered a creative solution.”
Said Manchin: “Roy is retiring. If some of you all who might be working with Roy in his next life could tell him, that’d be nice and it’d help our country. That would be very good to get him to change his vote.”
Top Democrats Warn Against Bullying Joe Manchin
Playbook: “Schumer needs Manchin to pass Biden’s agenda, and there’s a lot of eye-rolling from senior Democrats across Washington about the way the left has attacked the senator. We’re told he privately scoffs at the notion that progressive activists understand West Virginia politics better than he does.”
“At best the in-your-face tactics might simply strengthen Manchin’s position back home. At worst it could eventually push him to switch parties, something there’s increasing chatter about among top Dems. Manchin did not hit 50% in his last reelection, and Trump won the state by almost 40 points. Politics is nationalized now, and there are few remaining states that vote for different parties for the Senate and presidency, making Manchin an extreme outlier.”
“Democrats whose memory of politics stretches beyond the rise of Trump have been reminding us that in 2001, Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT), who was relentlessly attacked by conservatives, left the Republican Party and threw the 50-50 Republican-controlled Senate to the Democrats.”
Senate Votes to Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday
The Senate passed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday after Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) asked for unanimous consent and no objections were heard.
The bill heads to the House next.
Schumer Will Trigger Budget Reconciliation Process
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) “says he will convene a meeting with all 11 Democratic members of the Budget Committee Wednesday to begin the process for passing a budget resolution,” The Hill reports.
“That would set the stage for passing a massive infrastructure investment bill with only Democratic votes after the August recess.”
Two Democrats Signal Opposition to Bipartisan Plan
“Two Democratic senators on Tuesday signaled they will oppose a $974 billion, five-year bipartisan infrastructure proposal unveiled last week, faulting it for not doing enough to halt climate change.” The Hill reports.
“Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) told reporters they will only support an infrastructure package that is part of a broader guaranteed agreement to invest massively into clean energy infrastructure and urged their party leaders to immediately begin the budget reconciliation process to allow legislation to pass the Senate with only Democratic votes.”
White House Tells Democrats to Get Ready to Go It Alone
“White House officials told House Democrats Tuesday to get ready to go it alone on infrastructure, setting the stage for party leaders to tap an obscure budget procedure to move President Biden’s top domestic priority without Republican support,” The Hill reports.
“Huddling in person in the Capitol for the first time since the COVID crisis hit, members of the Democratic Caucus were briefed by Steve Ricchetti, a top adviser to Biden, and Shalanda Young, the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, who said they would give Senate negotiators seven to 10 days to reach a bipartisan agreement.”
Meanwhile, Punchbowl News reports Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) “has turned pretty skeptical on infrastructure.”
Mitch McConnell Telegraphs New Principle
Dan Pfeiffer: “It’s easy to get caught up in the calendar implications of McConnell’s statement. It’s understandable to panic about the fact that Justice Stephen Breyer seems so naive about the state of American politics yet is likely to stay on the court past the 2022 election.”
“But we should be crystal clear that McConnell is elucidating an entirely new principle — a Republican Senate will never confirm a Democratic president’s nominee to the Supreme Court. It doesn’t matter when the vacancy occurs or who the president nominates to fill it. If a Republican can prevent that appointment, it is their duty to do so. The blocking of Garland is not the exception; it’s the rule.”
Juneteenth Holiday Has the Votes But Not the Floor Time
HuffPost: “Legislation establishing June 19 as a federal holiday already has 60 co-sponsors in the Senate, including a remarkable 18 Republicans, meaning the bill could easily overcome a filibuster and become law.”
“But with June 19 coming this Saturday, Democrats have not announced any plans for a vote, presumably because it would consume precious Senate floor time and Democrats have a lot of other priorities.”
Schumer Apologizes for ‘Outdated and Hurtful’ Term
The Wrap: “While speaking on the One NYCHA podcast, Schumer used the word ‘retarded’ while speaking about his experiences with communities resisting attempts to house the homeless and described an example during his work as a state assemblyman.”
Bernie Sanders Slams Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan
“Progressive Democrats working on a bipartisan infrastructure deal hardened their position on the legislation after tense talks Monday,” NBC News reports.
“Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a member of the Senate Democrats leadership team, came out against a bipartisan agreement Monday night after meeting with a bipartisan group of 10 senators.”
Said Sanders: “I wouldn’t vote for it. The bottom line is, there are a lot of needs facing this country. Now is the time to address those needs, and it has to be paid for in a progressive way, given the fact that we have massive income and wealth inequality in America.”
Earlier for members: A Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Is Still Very Unlikely
Senate Confirms Biden Nominee to Powerful Court
“The Senate approved the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia, 53 to 44, confirming President Biden’s first nominee to the U.S. appellate courts,” CBS News reports.
“Jackson is considered a contender for the Supreme Court if a vacancy arises during Mr. Biden’s presidency, especially since the president has pledged to name the nation’s first Black woman to the high court if there is an open seat.”
Bernie Sanders Waits for Budget Reconciliation
Politico: “Sanders isn’t as concerned as other progressives are about their priorities being left out of the overall infrastructure package because the budget process is only just beginning… And Sanders believes strong climate provisions — one of his biggest priorities — will be in a reconciliation bill.”
Said one aide: “He’s focused on building momentum for a reconciliation bill that will be the most consequential legislation for working people enacted since the 1930s.”
Quote of the Day
“It’s the single most consequential thing I’ve done in my time as majority leader of the Senate.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, on blocking Barack Obama from appointing a new Supreme Court Justice to fill the late Antonin Scalia’s seat.
It’s Still Mitch McConnell’s Senate
NBC News: “A pattern is emerging for legislation the majority seeks to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate: When McConnell supports it, it has a chance. When he opposes it, it tends to run headlong into the 60-vote barrier. In short, there is no easy route to pick off the necessary 10 Republicans without him.”
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