CONGRESS: It was a day of milestones for both congressional majorities Thursday even though the headlines largely focused on investigations. In the House, Democrats passed the first bill in a decade aimed at combating climate change in what they call a "first step" toward building a strategy to fight global warming. As Rebecca Beitsch and Miranda Green reported, the House voted 231-190 to pass the Climate Action Now Act, which would block the Trump administration's decision to exit the Paris climate agreement, among other actions. Three Republicans — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and Vern Buchanan (Fla.). — joined Democrats in voting for the measure. The bill, however, will not come up in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says it "will go nowhere." Trump announced in June 2017 that he would withdraw the U.S. from the accord negotiated during the Obama administration. The U.S. cannot officially pull out of the agreement until November 2020. Meanwhile in the Senate, Republicans confirmed their 100th judge since Trump took office Thursday when Rodolfo Ruiz was confirmed, 90-8, to serve as a United States district judge for the Southern District of Florida. In addition, the Senate also confirmed two other district judges on Thursday, bringing the total to 102. Since Trump took office, 63 district judges, 37 circuit judges and two Supreme Court justices have been confirmed (The Washington Examiner). > Trump is facing opposition from within his own ranks as the White House presses on with negotiations toward a $2 trillion infrastructure package. Namely, Republicans are concerned about how the package would be funded. As Alexander Bolton, Scott Wong and Juliegrace Brufke report, Republicans are hellbent against raising taxes and say the bill should be paid for. They disagree with Trump leaning toward a greater share of federal funding for infrastructure, and they are warning against a replay of former President Obama's 2009 stimulus package. They are also cautioning that the highway trust fund is about to expire and that money needs to be directed toward it. McCarthy and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) want to keep public-private partnerships on the table for a bipartisan infrastructure deal, breaking with the president. "We ought to look at every option to see if those kinds of partnerships help us build more roads and help meet the needs of communities," Scalise told reporters on Thursday. Trump reportedly referred to his administration's previous infrastructure plan — which called for public-private partnerships and was coordinated by former national economic adviser Gary Cohn — as "so stupid," adding that he was never supportive of the model because "you get sued." The Hill: GOP distances itself from Trump's ObamaCare attacks. Politico: Dreamer bill stalls amid Dem divisions. The Atlantic: Infrastructure Week isn't a joke anymore. The Washington Post: Senate Democrats ask NRA execs, PR firm for documents related to alleged self-dealing. *** POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: Another day, another addition to the 2020 Democratic primary. It was Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) turn Thursday. Bennet, a two-term senator, made it official during an appearance on CBS This Morning. "My plan is to run for president," he said, adding that his campaign would focus on restoring opportunities for Americans and integrity in government. Bennet had teased a potential run in April, when he was also diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, he says he was pronounced cancer free by his physicians weeks later following successful surgery. Known for his even-keeled political approach on Capitol Hill, Bennet's bid for the White House is his boldest bid yet for national attention. He made waves earlier in 2019 when he took aim at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during the midst of the 35-day government shutdown after the Texas Republican and other Senate Republicans backed a bill to pay members of the Coast Guard but not to reopen the government. In years past, he also made news as a member of the Gang of Eight immigration bill in 2013 that died when the House did not take up the measure. He also chaired the Senate Democratic campaign arm during the 2014 cycle when Republicans took back the majority. Bennet is the sixth sitting Senate Democrat to enter the 2020 race. 
© Getty Images
> Vice President Joe Biden has cast himself as a "union man" in his pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination and support from white, male voters, but there's concern that he is focusing too much in that area and not on "increasingly diverse unionized workforces" (The Daily Beast). " 'Those of us who work in and around the labor movement understand how diverse the membership is. The old stereotypical view of white male-dominated unions is a thing of the past," Steve Rosenthal, former political director for the AFL-CIO, told The Daily Beast. 'It's one element of the labor movement, but not even the dominant element anymore. With the growth of the public and service sectors, with organizing, the bigger unions like [National Education Association] NEA, [American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees] AFSCME and [Service Employees International Union] SEIU have incredibly diverse memberships.' " In the opening week of his campaign, Biden's push to frame himself as a winner for unions has come under attack from Trump, who claims that he still earns the most support from rank-and-file members despite antipathy from union leaders. The Hill: Biden faces dilemma over K Street allies. The Atlantic: Trump's Biden plan? It could get dirty. Politico: Trump team races to fend off red-state debacle. > Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) focus on policy and ambitious field organizing may be starting to pay off in the 2020 race. According to Max Greenwood, a handful of national polls released this week show the Massachusetts senator gaining on her competition, even placing second to former Biden in one survey. In the process, Warren has largely cemented her standing as the leader of the "ideas primary." She has managed to secure consistent media coverage and draw curious voters to campaign events by issuing a steady stream of detailed policy proposals on everything from corporate consolidation in the agriculture sector to mounting student loan debt. The New York Times: Warren's campaign, "based on ideas," bets on Iowa. The Associated Press: Klobuchar releases $100 billion substance abuse, mental health plan. The Associated Press: Kamala Harris aims to regain spotlight in crowded 2020 field. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment