Biden’s 2022 challenges revolve around Covid, Russia and dealing with Congress
By Kevin Liptak, President Joe Biden will return to the White House from an abbreviated winter break facing a set of hurdles that will test his political, diplomatic and management skills at a trying moment for his presidency. The raging pandemic, a crisis with Russia and uncertainty surrounding his prized domestic priorities all await Biden in the new year. Determined to reset after a series of struggles — and to recalibrate expectations that some of his allies believe were unrealistic — the President is hopeful the coming weeks can provide much-needed momentum as another election cycle dawns. Biden spent much of his time away from
Why Democrats haven’t given up on Joe Manchin and voting rights
By John Harwood In 1947, the year Joe Manchin was born, the US Senate killed voting-rights legislation — again. The “gravedigger,” liberal Democrats complained, was filibuster rules empowering its opponents. Today, as 74-year-old Manchin serves his second Senate term, the chamber stands poised to bury his voting rights proposal the same way. But this time there’s a twist: The West Virginia Democrat, by continuing to support the filibuster, himself serves as sponsor and gravedigger alike. That incongruity keeps alive a continuing closed-door effort by fellow Democrats and the White House to change Manchin’s mind on the filibuster. Even those involved concede it’s a long shot. But
Biden’s Build Back Better plan is on ice. Here’s what that means for you
By Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco, No more monthly payments for tens of millions of families. No universal pre-kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds. No health insurance for more than 2 million low-income Americans. No funneling of billions of dollars into clean energy initiatives. The end of negotiations between President Joe Biden and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia means that these and a multitude of other provisions to strengthen the nation’s safety net won’t happen — at least not soon. The fate of the Democrats’ $1.75 trillion spending plan is now uncertain. Manchin announced on Sunday that he would not support the current version of the legislation, halting
‘They know where Black voters live’: Challengers say ‘race blind’ redistricting maps are anything but
By Tierney Sneed, In states like Texas and North Carolina, Republican lawmakers in charge of redrawing the political maps for the next decade say that the new plans are “race blind.” Their opponents in court say that the claim is implausible and one that, in some situations, is at odds with the Voting Rights Act. Several lawsuits, including from the Justice Department, allege that the maps drawn after the 2020 census discriminate against voters of color. Between a 2013 Supreme Court decision that scaled back the federal government’s role in monitoring redistricting and a 2019 ruling that said partisan gerrymanders could not be
Hundreds of faith leaders demand more from Biden and other Democrats on voting rights legislation
By Chandelis Duster, More than 800 faith leaders are urging President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats to pass voting rights legislation in 2022, writing in a letter released Thursday that the issue needs to be the administration’s “number-one priority” after measures stalled in the Senate. “We cannot be clearer: you must act now to protect every American’s freedom to vote without interference and with confidence that their ballot will be counted and honored,” the leaders said in a letter that was obtained by CNN and later released publicly on Thursday. “Passing comprehensive voting rights legislation must be the number-one priority of the administration and
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