[ad_1]
TAKE it with Rick klein
The gap between what is said about managing the debt ceiling and what will likely need to be done is wider than ever – and not for lack of honesty on the part of congressional leaders about what they intend to do.
Barring a major surprise on Wednesday, Senate Republicans will block a Democrats’ effort to suspend the debt ceiling until next December. Democrats go accuse them of hypocrisy and worse yet, with less than two weeks of borrowing before the Treasury Department ran out of cash.
They will be right on the merits, until the financial calamities that could arise if the United States cannot pay its bills. But that won’t change the governing reality – even apart from the fact that talking points and even voting strategies on the subject reliably swung under control of Washington.
The focus was on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his outright refusal to accept any effort to authorize additional debt. McConnell, however, represents the overwhelming, if not unanimous, opinion inside his conference.
Republicans see this moment as an opportunity to do what they can to stifle the Democrats’ agenda, and they’re counting on the ruling party to do the one responsible thing.
This may violate standards, but it leaves Democrats with only one real option: to use the budget ‘reconciliation’ process bypass the GOP entirely, in what represents a difficult political vote for many members.
It seems inevitable that Democrats will succeed, unless or until attempts to shame Republicans in co-operation pay or a few minds are changed among Democrats who say they won’t change the rules of filibuster.
President Joe Biden used a trip to Michigan on Tuesday to remind observers of the “clear majority” he won last November to advocate for a balanced national program.
It was a simple statement of fact. Yet the fact that Democrats enjoy majority status means something to both sides – and continues to shape political rules.
The RUNDOWN with Averi Harper
The Biden administration takes a confrontational tone with a GOP governor who has sought to undermine masking guidelines in schools.
The Treasury Department has put Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on notice, calling on the state to stop funding a school grant program that deliberately excludes schools with mask mandates from eligibility.
“Our COVID-19 educational recovery benefit will allow parents to exercise their choice regarding their child’s education and COVID-19 mitigation strategies,” Ducey said of the grants in August.
A letter to Ducey from the Treasury Department describes the programs as an ineligible use of federal funds.
“We are concerned that two recently established Arizona grant programs may undermine evidence-based efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo wrote.
It’s an example of the administration keeping President Joe Biden’s previous promise to push back GOP governors who aim to evade COVID-19 health guidelines. If Arizona doesn’t fix the problem within 30 days, the state could have federal funding revoked.
The tip with Quinn Scanlan
In a development unlikely to be on anyone’s campaign bingo card, Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe now microtargetes Taylor Swift’s loyal fan base of the “Swifties” in a five-way digital ad. figures against his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin.
Why? Youngkin was co-CEO of the Carlyle Group for Taylor Swift’s public showdown with Musical CEO Scooter Braun in 2019 on him to secure the rights to the main recordings of his first six albums. The private equity firm had backed the Braun deal that led to the acquisition.
Swift asked Carlyle for help at the time and, according to New York Times reports, the company pushed the parties to come to a resolution. McAuliffe has his own affiliation with Carlyle but was only a “passive investor” in 2019, and those investments were outside of this deal, his spokesman Renzo Oliveri said.
The ads, part of a larger online voting effort, will reach a “universe of persuasive voters who love Taylor Swift’s content and engage with its content.”
Youngkin campaign spokesman Christian Martinez called it “pathetic.” The GOP candidate’s campaign has targeted what is likely a much larger voter base in the Commonwealth – parents – after McAuliffe said during last week’s debate he doesn’t “think parents should tell schools what to teach.” The Youngkin campaign is running a television commercial, with six-figure support, highlighting this line statewide and has launched a mobilization effort to contrast him with McAuliffe on this issue.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News’ Start Here Podcast. Wednesday morning’s episode begins with ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran recounting a successful Facebook whistleblower story and the social media platform’s impact on children. Then, as the vaccination warrants spread, ABC News chief investigative reporter Josh Margolin said public officials feared the health care sector was being targeted. And, ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers details the crisis in the child care industry, which faces a massive shortage of workers. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
Download the ABC News app and select “The Note” as the item of interest to receive the most in-depth political analysis of the day.
Note is an ABC News daily article that highlights the top political stories of the day. Please come back tomorrow for the last one.
[ad_2]
Source link