White House says Kamala Harris will be Biden’s running mate if he runs for reelection
By Jasmine Wright and Allie Malloy, CNN White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Vice President Kamala Harris would be President Joe Biden’s running mate should he run for reelection. “Yes, he does,” Jean-Pierre told reporters when asked if Biden would keep Harris as his running mate, adding: “There’s no change.” Jean-Pierre would not comment on possible conversations between Biden and Harris on any possible reelection plans telling reporters: “I can’t speak to a conversation that the vice president and the president had. I can only … reiterate what (White House press secretary) Jen (Psaki) has
Biden says he supports filibuster carve-out for voting rights
By Kyle Blaine, President Joe Biden says he supports making an exception to the Senate filibuster rules in order to pass voting rights legislation. “If the only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster,” Biden told ABC News’ David Muir in an interview that aired Thursday morning. It’s the most direct answer Biden has given on his position on the filibuster and voting rights. CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Biden at a CNN town hall in October, “When it comes to voting rights, just
Biden insists he and Manchin will ‘get something done’ after Build Back Better setback
By Paul LeBlanc and Manu Raju, President Joe Biden on Tuesday insisted that he and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin will “get something done” on the Build Back Better Act after Manchin defied his party by torpedoing the key piece of Biden’s domestic agenda. “Some people think maybe I’m not Irish because I don’t hold a grudge. But I want to get things done,” said Biden, when asked whether the West Virginia Democrat broke a commitment to him. “I still think there’s a possibility of getting Build Back Better done.” The President also told reporters he had been “told (Manchin) was speaking to
Biden suffers twin blows from Manchin and another Covid winter
By Maeve Reston, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin dropped the axe on his party’s agenda on Sunday when he said he would not support President Joe Biden’s economic and climate package just as the White House is bracing for another Covid winter that is likely to further sour the nation’s mood heading into a midterm election year. The West Virginia’s senator’s abrupt move was a sharp break from the White House and it infuriated progressives, who had reluctantly agreed to advance the bipartisan infrastructure deal earlier this year believing that Biden would be able to secure the votes needed to pass the Build Back Better bill in the Senate
Gun industry stakeholders sue NY attorney general over state public nuisance gun law
By Sonia Moghe, More than a dozen gun industry stakeholders sued the New York State Attorney General, challenging the constitutionality of a state public nuisance law that allows gun manufacturers and distributors to be sued if their products are used in crimes by third parties. The legislation, which was signed into law in July, made New York the first state to clear the way for gun manufacturers, distributors and dealers to face civil lawsuits for how they market and sell firearms. The law was a work-around for the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a federal law that granted immunity
‘I’m kind of speechless’: Democrats scramble to salvage climate provisions after Manchin sinks Build Back Better
By Ella Nilsen, With Sen. Joe Manchin confirming he’s a “no” on President Joe Biden’s social spending package, the fate of the bill’s $550 bill worth of climate and energy provisions — and the President’s climate agenda — are now on the line. In a Sunday statement, the West Virginia senator insisted the clean energy transition is “already well underway” in the US but did not mention the deadly and costly threat climate change poses to Americans. Manchin said that investing billions into clean energy “at a rate that is faster than technology or the markets allow will have catastrophic consequences for
Biden officially acknowledges Build Back Better will miss deadline but says he’s ‘determined’ to see bill on Senate floor ‘as early as possible’
By Phil Mattingly, President Joe Biden, in a lengthy statement, implicitly acknowledged ongoing negotiations with Sen. Joe Manchin and procedural steps will cause Democrats to miss the Christmas deadline for Senate passage of his $1.75 trillion economic and climate package, noting that Democrats will continue to work together “over the days and weeks ahead” to get the proposal to the Senate floor. “My team and I are having ongoing discussions with Senator Manchin; that work will continue next week,” Biden said in the statement. “It takes time to finalize these agreements, prepare the legislative changes, and finish all the parliamentary and procedural
As Biden promotes democracy abroad, advocates urge him to focus on fixing US elections
By Fredreka Schouten, President Joe Biden kicked off the inaugural White House “Summit for Democracy” on Thursday by sounding alarms about challenges to democracy around the globe as authoritarian governments gain ground. But advocates say much more work is needed at home to shore up America’s democracy, nearly a year after a violent attack on the US Capitol aimed at halting the certification of Biden’s victory. In the months since, 19 Republican-controlled states have passed a raft of new laws that restrict access to the ballot, election officials have faced relentless threats of physical violence and former President Donald Trump and his allies have continued to stoke
Harris to announce new private sector investments in Northern Triangle
By Jasmine Wright and Priscilla Alvarez, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday announced a new slate of commitments from the private sector to invest in the Northern Triangle, senior White House officials say, marking the administration’s latest attempt to address the root causes of migration from the region by promoting economic opportunity. The announcement follows an initial agreement, dubbed a “Call to Action,” released in May, that detailed $750 million in commitments from major companies like Microsoft, Mastercard, Chobani, Duolingo, Nespresso, Bancolombia and Davivienda. In response to the months-old call, Nespresso is now working with over 1,200 farmers in the region, according to a
Senate to act on debt limit Tuesday ahead of December 15 deadline
By Clare Foran and Ali Zaslav, The Senate is on track to vote on Tuesday to raise the national debt limit as lawmakers race to avert a catastrophic default ahead of a critical mid-week deadline. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned that the debt limit could be reached on December 15, leaving Congress little time left to resolve the issue. Once the Senate takes action, the House will next have to approve the same legislation before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. A first-ever default would spark economic disaster and party leaders on both sides of the aisle have