Spiegel Stuff: The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Mastercard - Congress’s last-minute debt limit increase

Presented by Mastercard

LATEST WITH THE DEBT CEILING

Just after midnight, the House passed a bill to raise the debt limit by $2.5 trillion, sending the bill to President Biden’s desk just in time for the deadline. https://bit.ly/30tNEtn

^ Because the number $2.5 trillion likely doesn’t mean anything to you: That should allow the U.S. to pay its bills through 2022 and into 2023.

The vote: 221-209 — one Republican voted yes, but otherwise, it was a party-line vote.

What about the Senate vote?: Senate leaders struck a deal that allowed for Democrats to pass the bill with just a simple majority. I.e.: Republicans didn’t vote yes, but also didn’t filibuster the bill. https://bit.ly/3oXNu6V

When will President Biden sign the bill to increase the debt?: Tomorrow.

Here’s why he can wait until tomorrow:

It’s Wednesday! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

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If you live in DC:

To honor the 800,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, the Washington National Cathedral will ring its funeral bells 800 times today, starting at 5 p.m. EST.

Keep in mind: That is expected to take more than an hour.

Details from Religion News Service’s Jack Jenkins: https://bit.ly/3IQxqfc

A MESSAGE FROM MASTERCARD

This holiday season, shoppers are returning to small businesses all across America.

Mastercard is empowering entrepreneurs with digital payment solutions, data insights and tools to grow and thrive.

IN CONGRESS

A little nudgey-nudge or no?:

Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton, “Democrats are divided over how hard to push Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to vote on President Biden’s climate and social spending bill before Christmas, with some lawmakers favoring an aggressive approach while others worry about killing the legislation by moving too hastily.” https://bit.ly/3yrCvWy

What’s going on: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is facing pressure from progressives to keep his promise of a vote on the bill before Christmas. Manchin still hasn’t said how he will vote — a vote which they need — but Dems are debating whether to force the vote or give him more time.

What Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) thinks should happen: Durbin says he thinks Democrats should go ahead with the vote. He told reporters: “It’s always a risk but you know it’s also my experience after 25 years in this place that many people will sit on the fence as long as possible. There comes a time when you’ve got to say, ‘Alright, we’ve done the negotiating, we’ve made the accommodations, it’s time to put up or shut up.’”

IF THE BILL PASSES THE SENATE, WILL THE HOUSE COME BACK FROM RECESS?:

Yes, according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): https://bit.ly/3dTKguR

Lol:

The full thread is pretty entertaining --> https://bit.ly/3dRo9Fk

Fun read — Joe Manchin has had a YEAR:

The Washington Post’s Ben Terris writes, “One year of ‘President Manchin’: For the Democratic agenda, all roads go through West Virginia.” https://wapo.st/3GIUVF6

For press on Capitol Hill: “Waiting around for Manchin has become something of a pastime in the nation’s capital. Hill reporters track his movements on the Senate floor, staking out his office, sometimes for hours, and then orbiting around him like electrons as he walks the halls of Congress.”

Lol, Manchin has a new nickname on Capitol Hill: “The power and spotlight has earned the gentleman from West Virginia a new nickname. ‘Mister President,’ Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) once said, greeting Manchin in a Capitol Hill elevator.”

The full story is pretty interesting: https://wapo.st/3GIUVF6

‘DEMOCRATS PUSH MANCHIN ON ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ FOR VOTING RIGHTS’:

Via The Hill’s Jordain Carney: https://bit.ly/3oUXPAC

LATEST WITH THE JAN. 6 INVESTGATION

Biden’s on board with holding Mark Meadows in contempt:

Via The Hill’s Morgan Chalfant, “President Biden said Wednesday that he believed former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows is 'worthy' of being held in contempt by Congress.” https://bit.ly/3yui8b1

Details: “Speaking to reporters briefly before leaving for a trip to Kentucky, Biden said he hadn’t read all the texts that Meadows turned over to the Jan. 6 committee but added ‘it seemed to me he is worthy of being held in contempt.’ ”

BACK STORY:

Late yesterday, the House voted to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify for the Jan. 6 investigation. https://bit.ly/3EXYZkn

‘STUNNING TEXTS OFFER NEW WINDOW INTO JAN. 6’:

Read Niall Stanage’s full column: https://bit.ly/3DSs5jT

‘MARGINALIZED BY HER PARTY, CHENEY TAKES CENTER STAGE IN JAN. 6 INQUIRY’:

Via The New York Times’s Catie Edmondson and Luke Broadwater: https://nyti.ms/3F615Pm

A MESSAGE FROM MASTERCARD

This holiday season, shoppers are returning to small businesses all across America.

Mastercard is empowering entrepreneurs with digital payment solutions, data insights and tools to grow and thrive.

LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS

Brace yourself for January — that’s when omicron could peak:

Via The Washington Post’s Lena H. Sun, Joel Achenbach, Laurie McGinley and Tyler Pager, “Top federal health officials warned in a briefing Tuesday morning that the omicron variant is rapidly spreading in the United States and could peak in a massive wave of infections as soon as January, according to new modeling analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” https://wapo.st/30swKv2

States are putting up a fight:

Via The Hill’s Reid Wilson, “State legislatures will consider a host of new challenges to the Biden administration’s mandates that workers in some settings be required to receive vaccines against the coronavirus, setting up a new front in the tug of war that is already being fought in federal courts across the nation.” https://bit.ly/3oX15eN

Several states already have measures to circumvent the mandate: Including Florida and Kansas.

Which states may follow Florida and Kansas: https://bit.ly/3oX15eN

CASE NUMBERS:

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 50,251,796

U.S. death toll: 800,886

Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y

VACCINATION NUMBERS:

Total number of vaccinations administered in the U.S.: 485 million shots have been given.

Seven-day average of doses administered: An average of 1.86 million doses

For context: The U.S. population is roughly 331 million.

Breakdown of the numbers: https://bloom.bg/3iVTPLH

NOTABLE TWEETS:

Lol, Jen Psaki’s reaction to the question: ‘I didn’t know where this was going’:

Watch: https://bit.ly/3dWk9nc

Tidbit:

ON TAP:

The Senate in. The House is out. President Biden is in Kentucky today.

8 a.m. EST: President Biden received the President’s Daily Brief.

9 a.m. EST: President Biden leaves for Kentucky.

11:35 a.m. EST: President Biden surveys storm damage from the tornadoes over the weekend.

12:25 p.m. EST: President Biden receives a briefing from local leaders on the impact of the extreme weather.

7:30 p.m. EST: President Biden returns to the White House.

WHAT TO WATCH:

10:15 a.m. EST: White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3E00Gwl

10:45 a.m. EST: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a press conference. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3ETfcat

11 a.m. EST: The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3EXcYqI

3:30 p.m. EST: President Biden tours a neighborhood in Dawson Springs, Ky., and delivers remarks on his administration’s response to the tornadoes. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3dRhV8r

IN LIGHTER NEWS:

Today is National Cupcake Day!

And because you read this far, here are penguins touring the Cincinnati Zoo: https://bit.ly/3FeaWmh