Category Archives: Democrat

Ten months after President BidenJoe BidenRisch dismayed with fellow GOP senators' blockade on Biden diplomatic picks Sunday shows preview: Boosters open to all US adults; House Dems pass spending plan on to Senate White House calls for investigation into missing Chinese tennis star's sexual assault claims MORE took office, many key positions across the government lack a permanent occupant.

The White House has spent months battling Republican blockades on Bidens nominees for various positions. Several of them are candidates for critical ambassadorships that have been held up by GOP senators.

Biden also has been slow to select nominees for some key positions, while others have failed to gain enough support in the 50-50 Senate, where Democrats only have the majority because of Vice President Harris.

The result is an administration that has witnessed a slower confirmation rate than its three predecessors, leaving White House officials and Senate Democrats increasingly frustrated. While many positions are filled with officials serving in an acting capacity, experts say that permanent leadership across government is important to keep up morale and allow for long-term planning.

The end result of all of this is, at a moment when we need so much from our government, we have a government that is not led with permanent officials in many instances, and thats a big problem, said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.

Kathryn Tenpas, an expert in executive confirmations at the Brookings Institution, said that Biden is lagging behind former Presidents Trump, Obama and George W. Bush when it comes to the number of confirmed nominees in the first 300 days of his presidency by extremely significant points.

Of the 15 major departments, 140 of Bidens nominees have been confirmed, according to her research, while Trump had 158, Obama had 274, and Bush had 326 at the same point. There are 1,200 Senate-confirmed positions across the executive branch, which includes bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency that Tenpas does not track.

Confirmations are slow at the departments of State, Commerce, Homeland Security, Defense, Transportation and Treasury when comparing the Biden administration to its predecessors, she said. While the Senate has been slow to process nominations for executive departments, it has moved quicker to confirm judicial nominees than it did under Trump.

By far, the worst performance is at the State Department, Tenpas said.

Republican senators, including Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzRisch dismayed with fellow GOP senators' blockade on Biden diplomatic picks Sunday shows preview: Boosters open to all US adults; House Dems pass spending plan on to Senate Campaign opposing US consulate in Jerusalem boosted by network for fake accounts: reports MORE (Texas), have slow-walked dozens of State Department nominees, including those to ambassadorships and other senior-level posts, angering the White House.

Secretary of State Antony BlinkenAntony BlinkenBiden cannot let pursuit of Iran nuclear deal lead to a 'Munich moment' Blinken warns of growing extremism in Africa, calls for reform The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by ExxonMobil - House to vote on Biden social spending bill after McCarthy delay MORE traveled to Africa this past week at a time when no ambassadors to African countries had been confirmed. Cruzs decision to stall the nominations is part of an effort to push the administration to impose mandatory sanctions on a Russia gas pipeline.

I think most people recognize we should have ambassadors serving in posts around the world, White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiWhite House calls for investigation into missing Chinese tennis star's sexual assault claims Democrats plow ahead as Manchin yo-yos Ukrainian defense minister says he's asked Pentagon for military assistance MORE said Friday. It is frustrating, it is unprecedented, and it does certainly hurt our national security.

Instead of being able to quickly confirm these nominees by unanimous consent, the Senate must use up valuable floor time. Schumer has filed cloture on 119 nominations under the Biden administration, almost double the times cloture was filed on Trump nominees during the same period, according to statistics provided by Schumers office.

Schumer has criticized Republicans for unprecedented obstruction of Bidens nominees and warned in a recent Nov. 14 Dear Colleague letter that he could keep the chamber in session longer to push through the nominees.

President Biden deserves his full team to execute our goals at home and abroad, Schumer wrote. We will do what we need to do to get them confirmed, even if it means voting at inconvenient times.

Stier argued that process needs to be reformed so that there are less positions subject to confirmation and noncontroversial nominees can move more quickly.

Its no question that the time to confirm has doubled since the Reagan administration, that the pace has consistently slowed down among modern presidents, but at the end of the day its always been slow, Stier said.

Compounding the challenge, under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, officials who have been serving in an acting capacity in positions for which there is no nominee could only serve in those roles until this past Tuesday.

The law, passed in 1998 during the Clinton years, was designed to incentivize administrations to nominate officials for open positions within 210 days over the course of an administration or 300 days into a new administration.

While Biden has nominated officials to serve in hundreds of positions, there are over 160 positions where he hasnt named a nominee, according to a tracker from The Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service.

The impact on government operations of the Vacancies Act deadline is not entirely clear. In some cases, Stier said, administrations have played verbal gymnastics to rename peoples positions but allow them to essentially keep doing the job.

Each agency has gone position by position to ensure that wherever we don't have Senate-confirmed leadership, we have appointed designated senior leaders who are prepared to perform the functions until we nominate and confirm senior officials, White House deputy press secretary Chris Meagher said last week.

The Vacancies Reform Act does not apply to the Office of Management and Budget, where Shalanda Young has served as acting director since March without Biden naming a new nominee. Young is on maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter and Jason Miller, deputy director for management, has taken over temporarily.

We are confident where we are and were getting a lot of stuff done, Miller told reporters on a recent call when asked for an update on an OMB nomination.

Biden waited until almost the latest point to name a nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration. His choice, Robert Califf, is expected to face a someone difficult process given opposition from Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinDemocrats plow ahead as Manchin yo-yos Five takeaways: House passes Biden's sweeping benefits bill Overnight Energy & Environment House passes giant climate, social policy bill MORE (D-W.Va.) and potentially other Democrats.

The Senate is facing a busy legislative sprint to the end of the year dominated by debate over Bidens sweeping climate and social policy package after it passed the House.

Tenpas predicted there would be sustained pressure on the Senate to work through nominations going into next year, given the possibility the administration could start seeing turnover next year.

By being behind now, it only gets worst, she said. Youre going to have to start next summer filling slots the people who were confirmed early are now leaving.

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Democrats frustrated by vacancies across government | TheHill - The Hill

Rep. Jared Golden, who represents Maines 2nd Congressional District, was the only House Democrat to vote against President Bidens sweeping $2 trillion social policy and climate change bill, another in a growing list of his high-profile defections from the party.

The legislation, known as Build Back Better, passed Friday on an otherwise party line vote, 220-213, shifting action to the Senate, where a single Democratic defection would kill the bill.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said in a written statement that she voted for the bill with immense pride because while I am a member of Congress, I am also a mother and grandmother who wants to leave this country better than I found it for the next generation.

Golden said he opposed the current version of the bill because of the inclusion of a measure that would largely benefit millionaires. The measure known as SALT relief would overturn a $10,000 cap the amount of deductions federal taxpayers can take for state and local taxes they have paid, including property taxes.

In an interview on what was supposed to have been the eve of the vote Thursday evening, Golden told the Press Herald this measure was unacceptable. The vote was delayed until Friday morning by an eight-and-a-half-hour speech given by Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.

There are so many great things we could do with this money instead of doing one of the worst things, which is to give it to millionaires, Golden said on the phone from his Capitol office. This is about getting this right in regards to how we prioritize things and how it will speak about what our greatest values are. To me, I want our focus to be on kids living in poverty, on the public education system, on access to pre-K.

If we cant raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires then these programs that are important for working-class people wont be sustainable in the future, he added. Lets play the long game, not just go for the short-term political benefit.

Golden said the provision which he said suddenly appeared out of the House Rules committee shortly after the Nov. 5 passage of a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package he had championed could easily have been rewritten so as to exclude the wealthy but wasnt. If they dont compromise and change this, it shows that it is just about millionaire donors and I am just not OK with that, he said.

Golden is one of a group of moderate Democrats who forced a delay Nov. 5 on the vote on the Build Back Better package which also has been referred to as the reconciliation bill and the social and climate policy bill until the Congressional Budget Office could report on whether the revenue measures it proposes will pay for the bills initiatives to bolster child care supports for families, tax credits for parents, confront climate change, build affordable housing, and provide free, universal pre-K to 3- and 4-year-olds.

The CBO reported Thursday that the legislation would add $367 billion to the federal deficit over 10 years, but Golden did not cite this as a reason for his decision to oppose the bill.

The current, pared back version of the bill still represents one of the largest social investments in generations, featuring free, universal pre-K, $555 billion to fight climate change, childcare subsidies and funding for one million affordable housing units. It would be paid for via a minimum tax on profitable corporations, new taxes on incomes above $10 million, and increased enforcement against wealthy tax dodgers.

PINGREE SEES HUGE IMPACT FOR MAINERS

In an interview Friday afternoon, Pingree, who has supported the legislation throughout, said the legislation would have a huge positive impact in Maine, noting its provisions to provide four weeks of paid medical, parental and maternity leave, to dramatically lower the cost of insulin and other drugs, and to help implement Gov. Janet Mills climate change strategies.

Together with the infrastructure package recently signed into law, Pingree said the Democratic-controlled Congress was finally addressing a range of the nations long-neglected needs. It is going to be the largest investment in our countrys future that we have made in decades and it is happening at a really critical time when we have global issues to deal with like climate change and major workforce challenges, she said, adding that she was confident the bill would pay, or very nearly pay, for itself through increased tax enforcement on the wealthy, the benefit of which some economists believe has been underestimated by the CBO.

Pingree said she expects the Senate will pass a version of the bill before the end of the year that is relatively close to what the House just passed, and that Build Back Better will become law.

Golden said Thursday that he intended to continue working with the White House and key senators to try to have the SALT relief provision removed from the Senates version of the bill.

Golden has bucked his caucus in a number of high-profile votes since being elected to Congress in 2018: on Donald Trumps first impeachment, the George Floyd police reform bill, the closure of gun background check loopholes, the COVID-19 relief bill and Pelosis candidacy as House speaker. His positions have frustrated progressives but didnt hurt him with his constituents, who sent him back to Congress by 9 points last November, even as they supported Trumps unsuccessful re-election bid by 7 percentage points.

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Golden is only House Democrat to vote against Build Back Better - Press Herald

Sen. Jon TesterJonathan (Jon) TesterSunday shows preview: Boosters open to all US adults; House Dems pass spending plan on to Senate Manchin: 'Looking very favorably' at Powell as Fed chair after meeting Dems erupt over GOP 'McCarthyism' as senators vet Biden bank watchdog pick MORE (D-Mont.) said on Sunday that his fellow Democratic lawmakers need to be open to compromise as the Build Back Better Act heads to the Senate following months of negotiations.

While appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Tester was asked by host Chuck ToddCharles (Chuck) David ToddSchiff says Bannon indictment will encourage others to cooperate GOP senator: Republican candidates want Trump endorsement, but will 'win on issues' Warner: Youngkin 'stirred up the cultural pot' on issues like critical race theory MORE whether this would be a situation where lawmakers will try to "pass anything that can get 50 votes."

"I think there's we have a great opportunity here to do some great things in childcare, in affordable housing, in employment, inlowering prescription drug costs and healthcare costs overall. And I think we can do it. I don't think there's any doubt about that. I think people need to be open to compromise," said Tester.

"We don't all see the world the same way, so let's negotiate and let's come up with a bill that lowers costs for families and cuts taxes and, and gets things done to help move this economy forward so we can stay the premier power in the world,"the moderate Democrat added. "China wants to supplant us. If we don't tend to business here, they well could do that."

WATCH: Sen. Tester (D-Mont.) says Democrats need to be open to compromise on the Biden agenda. @SenatorTester: We dont all see the world the same way. So lets negotiate and lets come up with a bill that lowers costs for families and cuts taxes and gets things done. pic.twitter.com/H4g2rGwKfk

Todd noted that it seemed Tester would support the bill regardless of what is included, anassessment that the senator was quick to shoot down.

"There's going to be some changes. I'm going to compare it to what Montana needs and and that's going to be where I focus on. But look, we're dealing with reasonable people here. I think we can come up with a bill that is a very, very good bill that works for states like Montana and other states in the area," he said.

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Democratic senator: Others in party 'need to be open to compromise' on Biden agenda | TheHill - The Hill

I first registered as a Democrat at the age of 21. At that time, it was my perception that the Republicans looked out for corporations and the rich, while Democrats served the needs of the American people.

Now the Republicans scream bloody murder over the idea of corporations and the wealthiest of our citizens being asked to pay their fair share of taxes. At the same time, Democrats are fighting to pass a bill that provides universal prekindergarten to 3- and 4-year-olds, creates 1 million affordable housing units, extends tax credits for parents, reduces health care premiums for those covered by the Affordable Care Act, provides insurance for an additional 4 million people through Medicaid, increases in-home care for seniors and the disabled, improves wages for home health care workers, expands worker training and increases annual Pell grants. Mitch McConnell says all Republicans will vote against this bill.

It would appear that my original observation 56 years ago holds true today.

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Letter: Proud to be a Democrat - The Columbian

The conflict has gotten so messy that the Democratic National Committee is considering disaffiliating with the national collegiate organization altogether and creating a partnership with the state groups underneath the national umbrella, according to a Democrat familiar with the discussions. The DNC declined to comment.

The clashes over religious bigotry and race within the College Democrats of America (CDA) reflect, to a degree, larger debates happening throughout politics. But the next generation seems poised to escalate them further. Some CDA members argue that the internal frictions constitute a turbulent but morally necessary reckoning with systemic racism. Other Democratic officials see it as a bunch of college-educated, hyper-woke kids trying to play politics in a way thats off-putting to many voters.

They are caught up in their own drama and playing Boys State government, said the same Democrat. They think theyre the hottest s--- on Earth.

I cant just make a tweet about pop culture without it being ripped apart for underlying messages and hidden meanings.

Nourhan Mesbah, the College Democrats of America

The controversy began in September when Tasneem Ahmad Al-Michael, a Muslim and former vice president of the CDA abruptly ended his presidential campaign after a 2014 tweet in which he used a racial slur resurfaced, CDA members involved in the election said. He said the subsequent attacks on him and his campaign team prompted him to pull out of the race. What I said as a 15 year old prior to being in politics was ignorant, inappropriate, and flat out wrong, Al-Michael said in a text message to POLITICO. It doesnt define me, my character, or invalidate the work that I continue to do.

New president and vice presidential candidates subsequently emerged, including Mesbah, who was serving as the CDAs director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA).

The day before the election, the CDAs Jewish Caucus began sharing a screenshot of a 2016 tweet Mesbah wrote while watching a debate between Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

A 13-year-old at the time, Mesbah wrote, "I blame this debate on the yahood," an Arabic word which is sometimes used as a slur against Jewish people. She also tagged another user with a history of anti-Semitic tweets.

Mesbah still narrowly won the College Democrats vice presidential race but soon consulted with the DNC on a statement. The lengthy initial draft was unapologetic, according to a Democrat who saw it, but after lots of editing, it stated: I apologize for my words in 2016. My comment was in no way rooted in malice or anti-semitism, especially as a 13-year old, relatively new immigrant from North Africa, with a different regional dialectic linguist comprehension.

She added that, while I take responsibility for my actions, I am hurt by the Islamophobia and xenophobia that continues to unfold.

The CDA board also passed a resolution, 19-3, censuring Mesbah and requiring her to undergo training about antisemitism and cultural sensitivity from the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, or the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. As of today, she has not participated in such a training, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Even so, the controversy seemed to die down until last week.

On Nov. 12, Mesbahs successor as IDEA director, Jeremy Ward, released a report calling for Mesbah to resign as vice president due to the harm caused to two different communities.

Ward had initially announced the independent investigation into Mesbahs conduct in September. Circulated internally on Nov. 10, it concluded that Mesbahs past tweet was anti-Semitic and that her claims of Islamaphobia were unfounded.

It also included a new accusation that Mesbah exhibited a pattern of discrimination against members of the black community, specifically black women. Ward wrote that the report did not disclose any specific instances of anti-blackness behavior so as to ensure that those who had complained would not face retribution or harassment. Ward did not respond for comment.

Following the reports release, several college Democrats joined in calling for Mesbahs resignation and, if necessary, her impeachment. But others have accused Ward of a political hit job disguised as an objective investigation.

Elements within our organization are bitter about an election they lost, said Justin Hartley, the president of the Tulane College Democrats. Elements within our organization do not want to see a young, Muslim woman represent Democrats nationally.

Matt Nowling, the former interim president of the College Democrats who helped create the IDEA director position last year as part of a series of inclusion reforms, backed Ward. I believe that the work of that director is really important, and that the investigation that they completed has merit. And I encourage the executive board to listen to the recommendations of that department.

In an interview with POLITICO, Mesbah said she had been held to a double standard solely because of the way I look, the faith that I practice. As evidence of that, she also said a member of the college Democrats called her a terrorist supporter last spring because of her strong pro-Palestine views. She declined to name the person.

Everything I say is torn to shreds, she said. I can't just make a tweet about pop culture without it being ripped apart for underlying messages and hidden meanings.

Even before the report was made public, however, word of its findings were trickling out and causing a stir nationally. As it was just about to be released, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil liberties organization in the country, wrote a letter calling on the CDA to probe accusations of rampant anti-Muslim bigotry inside the organization and backed up Mesbah.

We have received allegations that the current National I.D.E.A Director has dismissed credible allegations of Islamophobia while using his position to unfairly and baselessly single out and target Vice President Mesbah, the groups deputy director wrote.

Palestine Legal, a legal group dedicated to supporting the rights of people in the U.S. who speak out for Palestinian freedom, has offered Mesbah resources during the controversy.

And 12 Muslim advocacy and pro-Palestine groups, including CAIR, released a letter denouncing CDA for endorsing sensitivity trainings led by ADL and AJC, which they blasted as organizations with a history of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian actions.

An ADL spokesperson told POLITICO that the group strongly and unequivocally condemn(s) all anti-Muslim attacks and Islamophobia, including those directed against Nourhan Mesbah....Mesbahs apology for her past antisemitic tweets is a welcome first step, and we would be more than willing to work with her to understand why the statements she made in her tweets were so offensive. AJC did not respond to a request for comment.

The controversy has been covered in the conservative press, which has held up the fallout as an example of antisemitic bigotry among some young Democrats. For the CDA, meanwhile, its been another internal headache as students grapple with the politics of race, identity and social justice. Last summer, amid Black Lives Matter protests triggered by George Floyds murder by police, Nowling abruptly resigned as the CDAs communications director, releasing an open letter urging the organization to create an environment that is welcoming to BIPOC students and students that are low income. That set off a series of events that ended with the then-CDA president resigning and Nowling taking her place.

I think that it's important that organizations institute reforms and changes and work towards a future where organizations potentially create space for marginalized communities and empowers them and ensures that everyone has a space, Nowling said.

As he pointedly noted: The college Democrats is a pipeline to the Democratic Party and the broader progressive movement.

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Allegations of bigotry and calls for impeachment rock College Democrats - Politico

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Governor Greg Abbott has said that the Democrat party no longer represents the values of the people in South Texas saying the Democrats are missing the mark on quite a few issues, including border security.

In an exclusive interview, Governor Abbott talked about Texas State Representative Ryan Guillen who just last week moved from the Democrat party into the Republican party. Abbott saying, at the news conference in which Guillen made the switch, that the move was proof that people were growing frustrated with the DNCs radical ideology, failing border policies and over-reaching mandates. Governor Abbott also explained his statement regarding the policies of the Democrat party,

What I was saying was actually just a repeat that was actually said by a Democrat State Representative in the Rio Grande Valley who switched to the Republican party earlier this week and those were his words. He said that the values of the Democrat party in South Texas really no longer represents the needs of the people in South Texas. Because the people of South Texas they do want border security not open border policies. The people of South Texas they do want to support their police officers, they do believe in their 2nd amendment rights and the list goes on. The progressive ideology that the Democrat party has adopted is inconsistent with the needs of the people who live in South Texas.

Exclusive: Gov. Greg Abbott talks El Paso, job growth Texas will remain the economic engine of the U.S.

Governor Abbotts campaign said they have more cash on hand than any other statewide candidate in Texas history, with more than $55 million dollars.

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Exclusive: Gov Greg Abbott The Democrat party no longer represents the values of South Texas - KTSM 9 News

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A member of a South Texas family that owns one of the largest ranches in the country is seeking the Democratic nomination for Texas land commissioner, the statewide office overseeing the Alamos operations and the states natural disaster recovery efforts.

The seat will be open during the 2022 election as Republican incumbent George P. Bush runs for attorney general.

Jay Kleberg, an Austin-based conservationist whose family owns the sprawling King Ranch in Kingsville, said in an interview with The Texas Tribune on Wednesday that his campaign will focus on fighting climate change, managing the states disaster recovery and improving benefits for veterans.

Its the responsibility of the land commissioner to combat climate change and it seems like a bold statement in Texas politics right now, but weve gotta follow the science, Kleberg said.

The Texas General Land Office manages 13 million acres of public lands and mineral rights across the state. As a result, Kleberg said the office has the ability to diversify its portfolio of renewables and lead the state toward a low-emission future.

Kleberg formerly served as associate director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

More recently, he has worked as a producer for the upcoming film Deep in the Heart, which the candidate characterized as a Planet Earth for Texas that will feature Texan actor Matthew McConaughey as the narrator. Kleberg also serves as co-founder of Explore Ranches, a company that specializes in upscale ranch rentals across the state.

Kleberg told the Tribune that his experience of being raised on King Ranch which now covers more than 800,000 acres of land taught him the value of hard work and respect for not just the land but for the people, and for people that live off that land.

That gave me a real sense of the fact that our individual freedoms dont negate our responsibilities to each other, he said.

The states land commissioner runs the General Land Office, the agency that also manages the states publicly owned land, oversees investments for public education and doles out benefits to Texas veterans.

Bush, who has overseen the state agency since 2015, announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection so he can challenge fellow Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in next years primary. During his tenure, Bush has fielded criticism over his offices handling of the Alamo redevelopment project and disbursing federal relief funds for Hurricane Harvey recovery.

At least four Republicans, including state Sen. Dawn Buckingham of Lakeway who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and San Antonio activist Weston Martinez, have said they are running to replace Bush. And at least three Democrats have said they are also running for the job.

Lamenting how the General Land Office can be used as a stepping stone, Kleberg said Buckingham seems focused on issues that are not directly under the purview of the office, like border security.

If Kleberg is the Democratic nominee, he said, I think the contrast is that were actually gonna be talking about this office and the impact it can have on Texans of all walks of life.

But the eventual Democratic nominee may face uphill odds. Miguel Suazo, an Austin-based oil and gas attorney who was the Democratic nominee for land commissioner in 2018, lost to Bush by about 10 percentage points.

Kleberg said he is optimistic, pointing to his experience with the responsibilities of the office and saying conservation brings a lot of people together. And he suggested his bid would be well-funded, noting he has been able to raise over $100 million for conservation efforts.

This will not be Klebergs first bid for public office. In 2010, Kleberg ran as a Republican for the El Paso-area Texas House District 78, which is currently represented by state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. But Kleberg fell short in the three-way GOP primary that year to Dee Margo, who unseated Moody in the November general election.

Kleberg, asked Wednesday about his party switch, said that while he considers himself a Texan first he feels strong about running as a Democrat and is looking forward to the race.

Texas deserves a representation that believes in combating climate change and bringing people together not dividing them, he said.

Disclosure: Texas General Land Office and Texas Parks And Wildlife Department have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Jay Kleberg, King Ranch scion and conservationist, to run for land commissioner as a Democrat - The Texas Tribune

Sen. Jon Tester of Montana on Sunday said Democrats are going to have to be open to compromise if they hope to unify the party and pass President Bidens roughly $2 trillion social safety net bill through the upper chamber.

The spotlight shifted to the Senate on Friday after the House narrowly passed the Build Back Better bill on a party-line vote, overcoming unanimous opposition from Republicans.

I think people need to be open to compromise, Mr. Tester said on NBCs Meet the Press. We dont all see the world the same way.

That was on display in recent weeks as House Democrats struggled mightily to cobble together a bill to please the various wings of the party.

After lots of arm-twisting and backroom negotiations, the bill passed on a 220-to-213 vote.

The vote came after Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, delivered an 8-hour and 32-minute speech against the bill, making it the longest continuous House speech in modern history.

Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote against the bill.

The proposal faces an uncertain future in the 50-50 Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris holds the tie-breaking vote.

Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have refused to sign off on the measure and infuriated liberal progressives by raising concerns about the size and scope of the tax-and-spend plan.

Mr. Biden and his allies have emphasized that the package represents a historic investment in families. The House bill has provisions aimed at curbing climate change and cutting prescription drug costs, in addition to new spending on education and child care.

It includes four weeks of paid family leave, which Mr. Manchin has been reluctant to support. It also includes new taxes on high-income earners and corporations.

Still, Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand said Sunday on CBS Face the Nation that Mr. Manchin has signaled he is open to compromise on paid family leave and said she hopes he will come around.

Hes in the drivers seat on how to pay for these proposals, the New York Democrat said.

Senate Republicans are unified against the proposal, meaning that Democrats will need every member of their conference to support the bill in order to pass it through the Senate.

Republicans warn the massive spending plan will worsen inflation, making it harder for lower- to middle-class families to make ends meet.

Concerns over inflation have weakened Mr. Biden, according to polls that show his approval rating has been on a downward trajectory.

A CBS News poll released Sunday found that two-thirds of adults nationwide have a negative view of the economy and that 67% of respondents disapprove of the way Mr. Biden has handled inflation.

On Sunday, Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, slapped down the idea that the social safety net bill will increase inflation.

There is no question inflation is high and its affecting American consumers and it is affecting their outlook, but that is actually why we need to move on this Build Back Better bill right now, Mr. Deese said on Fox News on Sunday. Experts across the board have looked at it and concluded that it wont increase inflation because it is paid for. When you pay for investments you dont actually add aggregate demand to the economy.

Mr. Deese said Fitch Ratings and Moodys Investors Service have said the bill will not add to inflation and dismissed the criticism that the proposal relies on budget gimmicks.

Mr. Biden and his allies are hoping he will get a political boost from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill he signed into law last week, and another jolt if Democrats can pass his social safety net bill.

The Democrat-controlled House voted to approve the more than 2,000-page bill only hours after the Congressional Budget Office determined it will add upwards of $367 billion to the federal deficit.

The vote came shortly after the CBO, a nonpartisan federal agency, released a report showing it would add more than $367 billion to the federal deficit over the next 10 years.

Mr. Biden has said it would cost zero dollars.

Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire on Sunday said nobody buys the argument that the multitrillion package will not cost taxpayers anything.

Washington doesnt seem to understand the concept of a budget, but somebody has to pay for this, he said on CNNs State of the Union. Its not just you and me. Its our kids and grandkids.

Mr. Tester, meanwhile, said he is optimistic that Democrats can pass Mr. Bidens plan.

I think if we compromise like we did in the bipartisan infrastructure package where we had five Democrats and five Republicans that argued, and fought, and came to a bill that would work, I think its the same thing within the 50 Democrats, too, he said. So lets negotiate and lets come up with a bill that lowers costs for families, and cuts taxes, and gets things done to help move this economy forward so we can stay the premier power in the world.

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Fate of Democrats' $2 trillion tax-and-spend wish list in limbo in Senate - Washington Times

by: TheRealDeal Staff via Nexstar Media Wire

(Getty Images)

(TheRealDeal) Where you live and whom you vote for have never been moreclosely tied. Mappedelection resultsover the past few decades show the red middle has grown redder and the blue coasts bluer.

But when it comes to settling down in another partys territory, areportby apartment-listing site Zumper shows registered Republicans are more liberal about living among Democrats than the other way around with one caveat.

To conduct the survey, Zumper asked 1,500 people from across the country, Would you move to an area that did not match your political leaning?

Democrats were less inclined than Republicans to lay down roots among people on the other end of the politician spectrum, as 40 percent said they would not move to a red area and only 27 percent said they would.

Republicans, however, were game to mix with the left, with 43 percent of GOP voters saying they would move to an area that did not match their politics and 36 percent saying they would not.Read more

Jeff Andrews, report author and data analyst at Zumper, said Republicans openness to liberal enclaves makes more sense if you split them into two camps upper-middle-class and wealthy constituents who prize low regulation in one, and low-income, rural voters who favor identity politics in the other.

A wealthy Republican who works in finance might prefer to live in New York City, despite its blue leaning, Andrews said, pointing to job location and the perks of living in a cultural hub as factors. Plus, higher earners could afford to relocate.

The lasting popularity of Manhattans Metropolitan Republican Club speaks to that cohorts existence. Just last month, the group sold out its 118th annual dinner honoring Forbes Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes with the Ronald Reagan Award in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Reagan Tax Cuts.

The Silk Stocking District on the Upper East Side is also routinely the top-donating area to Republican campaigns.

Similarly, in San Francisco, where just over 6 percent of voters are registered as Republicans, some ballots were cast for Donald Trump in 2016. The votes were concentrated in the citys richest areas Pacific Heightsand Sea Cliff, among them, the San Francisco examinerreported.

In New York, there are likewise Republican pockets within the cities tight-knit communities, such as Brooklyns Hasidic and Russian Jewish enclaves. Brighton and Manhattan Beachelected a Republican City Council memberthis year for the first time this century.

Still, Republican openness to relocation knows some bounds, the report found. For many, Covid-19 protocols were a critical catch.

While 86 percent of Democrats said they would move to an area with a mask mandate, less than half of Republicans said the same. Aversions to vaccine mandates held similar sway. Just over one-third of Republicans said they would move somewhere that had vaccination requirements; 82 percent of Democrats said they would.

Considering the strict vaccine mandates for certain jobs and venues in San Francisco, Los Angeles andNew York, it seems unlikely that the three cities will see an influx of Republicans anytime soon.

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Republicans more willing to live among Democrats than vice versa, survey says - fox4kc.com

Stronger Republican involvement could hasten a snowball effect on Capitol Hill, where Democrats lead the charge on decriminalization but lack results. It could also chip away at Democrats ability to use cannabis legalization to excite progressives and younger voters as the midterms approach.

When the culture becomes more accepting of something, even the most resistant groups get tugged along, said Dan Judy, vice president of North Star Opinion Research, which focuses on Republican politics. I don't want to directly conflate marijuana legalization with something like gay marriage, but I think there's a similar dynamic at play.

Earlier this year, North Dakotas GOP-dominated House passed a marijuana legalization bill introduced by two Republican lawmakers the first adult-use legalization bill to pass in a Republican-dominated chamber. And Mace's bill marks the first time a Republican has proposed federal legislation to decriminalize cannabis, expunge certain cannabis convictions and tax and regulate the industry.

As Republicans wade into the weed group chat, they are bringing their principles, constituents and special interest groups. When Mace introduced her bill on a freezing day on the House triangle, she was surrounded at the podium not by Drug Policy Alliance and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, but by veterans groups, medical marijuana parents, cannabis industry lobbyists and Koch-backed Americans For Prosperity.

Many GOP proposals include lower taxes and a less regulatory approach than Democratic-led bills, while often maintaining elements popular among most voters, like the expungement of nonviolent cannabis convictions.

I tried to be very thoughtful about what I put in the bill that would appeal to Democrats and Republicans, Mace said in an interview on Monday. Which is why criminal justice reform is part of it. It's why the excise tax is low.

The motivations bringing Republicans to the table are also changing.

Former Capitol Hill cannabis advocates like Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) advocated primarily for their state legalization programs, but Mace comes from South Carolina a state with no medical or recreational cannabis program. She joins other GOP lawmakers who are pushing for federal policy to move beyond their own states they include Reps. Matt Gaetz and Brian Mast of Florida, where only medical marijuana is legal, and libertarian-leaning Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, which does not yet have a medical program.

Every two years, you get a new crop of members from both parties, but certainly from the Republican Party, who don't have to defend the drug war and they dont have to prop it up, said cannabis advocate and former Maryland GOP state delegate Don Murphy. They are free to vote their conscience.

Deep divisions remain within the Republican Party, however. After Mace announced her bill, the South Carolina GOP was quick to condemn it saying they were "unequivocally" against Mace's bill. "Since this will have widespread negative impacts, from rising crime, violence, and mental health issues in children, I think its a safe bet to say most Republicans will be against it too, South Carolina GOP Chair Drew McKissick said in a statement.

Six in 10 younger GOP voters what Pew described as the Ambivalent Right in a recent report believe marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, but older, educated Republicans and Christian conservatives do not feel the same way.

The GOP split came to a head over the past year in South Dakota. Fifty-four percent of voters approved a ballot measure that legalized recreational marijuana last November in a state where only 27 percent of voters were registered Democrats. Despite support from voters, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem a rising Republican star supported a court challenge that has tied up the legalization measure since its passage. But while the state waits on a court decision, efforts to legalize marijuana at the ballot box and in the legislature are moving forward in the meantime.

[Support] is growing because the people voted it in, said South Dakota Republican Rep. Hugh Bartels, who led the adult-use marijuana study subcommittee over the summer.

Marijuana advocates are gearing up now to put legalization initiatives on the 2022 ballot in deep red states like Missouri, Idaho and Wyoming. The fact that more GOP-leaning voters are supportive of marijuana reform means lawmakers are increasingly out of step with their constituents a fact some in politics are catching on to.

We're now in a race, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in an interview the week after the 2020 election. If Republicans beat Democrats on marijuana legalization, they're just one or two of those kinds of social issues away from totally just eroding a ton of goodwill that Democrats are trying to build with voters.

Republicans who support legalization are viewing the issue through the prism of states' rights, personal freedom, job creation and tax revenue. Many libertarian-leaning Republicans are early supporters of cannabis policy reform, arguing that arresting people for using cannabis is a violation of personal liberties.

Some Republicans also cite the racial disparities in marijuana arrests as a reason to fix federal law though Democrats focus more strongly on criminal justice reform on the whole. And, as is the case for Democrats, the shift is often generational: Texas Young Republicans announced they support marijuana decriminalization back in 2015.

The shift within the GOP at times is less about lawmakers own beliefs about marijuana and more about how much the public has shifted on the subject. Bill sponsors in North Dakota, for example, said they were personally opposed to marijuana, but introduced the bill anyways to head off the possibility of a ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana through the constitution especially after South Dakota voters approved legalization in 2020.

Bartels himself is not a real fan of marijuana, but a draft legalization proposal is going to get a good solid pitch from me in the House next session, he said. He's satisfied with how the draft bill handles his chief concerns of public safety and youth use. Its a regulation bill, not an industry-leaning bill, he said.

A lack of motivation to fight cannabis legalization is also a major factor, Judy said. White, conservative evangelicals are one of the largest constituencies against legalization, for example but most of them are not handing out pamphlets or going door to door campaigning against ballot measures.

There's definitely a strong sense in a lot of places that the train is leaving the station, Judy said.

Marijuana reform is poised to make gains in red states now that so many blue states have already legalized it. Advocates are trying to place adult-use legalization initiatives on the 2022 ballot in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Supporters in Wyoming and Idaho are collecting signatures for medical marijuana and decriminalization measures after state lawmakers have punted on the issue.

And one big benefit stands out for Republicans when and where they decide to move forward with legalization: they can tax and regulate the industry in their own way.

In Washington, though Republicans have taken some big steps recently, they do not have control of either house of Congress. Democrats are likely to continue to focus on moving Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers decriminalization bill, which has a high tax rate and social equity grant programs that deter conservatives.

But Republicans are one step closer to reaching a compromise with Democrats on the issue if Democrats are willing to negotiate. Leaders such as Steve Hawkins, president of the U.S. Cannabis Council, hope that Maces bill will broaden the pool of support.

This is an issue where there's not a ton of partisan division, Judy said. In this day and age, to find any issues with majority bipartisan support is like finding a unicorn.

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New GOP weed approach: Feds must get out of the way - Politico