Democrats plot next steps on new election rules with a focus on Georgia
By Manu Raju Senate Democrats, stymied in their push to mandate a major revamp of election laws, are beginning to map out their next steps to draw attention to the issue and to put the focus on a critical battleground state: Georgia. The Democratic-led Senate Rules Committee plans to move ahead with a series of hearings, including in Georgia, calling for passage of new legislation — as well as to spotlight Republican-led efforts at the state level to enact restrictive measures in the wake of the growth of mail-in voting during the 2020 election season. At the center of the
Senate Republicans block signature Democratic election bill in key test vote
By Clare Foran and Lauren Fox Senate Democrats suffered a loss on Tuesday when Republican opposition sunk their signature voting and election bill during a key test vote, underscoring the limits of the party’s power with the narrowest possible Senate majority. A procedural vote to open debate on the legislation was defeated by a tally of 50-50, falling short of the 60 votes needed to succeed. Democrats were united in favor of the vote after securing support from Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, but Republicans were united against it, causing the measure to fail to advance. Democratic senators have
Biden set to announce his gun crime prevention and public safety strategy as White House looks to tackle crime surge
By Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden on Wednesday will announce a comprehensive strategy on violent crime prevention — with a particular emphasis on gun crimes — amid a nationwide surge in violent crime that’s emerged as an area of concern for the White House. Biden is expected to address recent spikes in shootings, armed robberies and vicious assaults when he announces the details of the crime prevention strategy Wednesday afternoon during a speech at the White House. He’ll meet with state and local leaders ahead of his remarks. Biden plans to sign executive actions with a particular focus on tamping
GOP senator blasts DC statehood as ‘power grab’ in clash with Democratic mayor during hearing
By Devan Cole A Senate committee hearing on a bill to grant statehood to Washington, DC, grew tense for a time on Tuesday when one of the panel’s Republican lawmakers clashed with the city’s mayor on the key Democratic priority, which has gained momentum in recent years. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, that the idea of making DC the 51st state “seems just like a naked power grab,” and argued statehood is unnecessary for the majority of DC residents because “in the end, people choose to live here” and “individuals who are within
How Democrats can defy history in 2022
Analysis by Ronald Brownstein The huge voter turnout over the past three elections could scramble the usual dynamics of midterm voting — potentially providing Democrats their best chance to avoid losses next year that could cost them control of the House, the Senate or both. The president’s party has almost always lost ground in the first midterm after his election, a trend that stretches back well into the 19th century and threatens Democrats clinging to a slim majority in the House and a 50-50 split in the Senate after Joe Biden’s victory in 2020. One reason for those consistent losses, political scientists and campaign operatives
Senate committee to hold hearing on DC statehood bill
By Devan Cole A Senate committee will examine a bill on Tuesday that would grant statehood to Washington, DC, with the panel’s members hearing testimony from experts and the city’s mayor on the key Democratic priority, which has gained momentum in recent years. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will focus its attention on S51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, two months after House Democrats passed that chamber’s version of the legislation, which would create the nation’s 51st state using most parts of the city. Parts of DC that are home to federal buildings like the White House, the US Capitol and the
Biden meets with key Democratic senators as he pushes for path on voting, infrastructure
By Phil Mattingly President Joe Biden ramped up his push to move his legislative agenda forward in private meetings Monday with two key Democratic lawmakers and on Tuesday his infrastructure team heads to Capitol Hill for further talks. Biden spoke with the Democrats — Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin — in separate meetings on Monday, according to a White House official. The two lawmakers represent a crucial players in Biden’s efforts to move his $4 trillion economic agenda. Both have insisted Democrats pursue a bipartisan track on infrastructure talks and are part of a group of 21 Republicans and
Senate Democrats brace for defeat on signature voting and election bill amid stiff GOP resistance
By Clare Foran and Lauren Fox Senate Democrats are on track to suffer a stinging defeat Tuesday with Republican opposition expected to sink a voting and election bill that Democrats have made a signature priority, an outcome that will underscore the limits of the party’s power with the narrowest possible Senate majority. Democrats have set up a key test vote on the bill that they have pitched as a necessary counter to state-level efforts to restrict voting access, but Republicans have united against it, decrying it as a partisan power grab and a federal overreach into state voting and election systems. Democrats
Obama invokes January 6 insurrection to advocate for voting rights bill
By Dan Merica Former President Barack Obama on Monday invoked the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol to advocate for a sweeping voting rights bill set to be considered by the Senate, arguing the uprising proved Americans cannot “take our democracy for granted.” Obama’s comments came a day before the Senate is set to vote on whether to advance the For the People Act, the first procedural test of the bill. During a grassroots conference call for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the former President also argued that America’s “own history” makes clear the importance for fighting for democracy and warned that
Biden’s agenda enters critical week on Capitol Hill ahead of looming Senate recess
By Paul LeBlanc Lawmakers will resume a slate of tense negotiations this week over voting rights, infrastructure and police reform as President Joe Biden’s agenda enters an important week on Capitol Hill. Looming large over the deliberations is the July 4 recess in the Senate, which begins at the end of the week and could encourage real momentum just as easily as it could disrupt it. Here’s where things stand on Capitol Hill: Democrats press forward with voting rights bill The Senate on Tuesday is set to vote on whether to advance the so-called For the People Act,