Tag Archives: Kyrsten Sinema

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Lake attacks Gallego as ‘AOC of Arizona’ after Senate announcement

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Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) attacked Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) as the “AOC of Arizona” on Sunday night, a week after the progressive Democrat announced he’s running for Senate in 2024.

Since losing to now-Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in November’s election, Lake has pushed false claims about election fraud and taken her grievances to court. She is also rumored to be mulling a Senate run of her own.

Speaking to supporters at a rally Sunday night, Lake repeated unfounded claims that fraud allowed Democrats to win despite what she described as “bad candidates.”

“Have you seen the latest one they’re rolling out? The guy’s name is Ruben Gallego. He is the — we call him the AOC of Arizona. And that may actually be an insult to AOC,” Lake said in a jab at prominent progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Lake said Gallego “could not string three or four or five words together and make a coherent sentence,” comparing him to Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) in an apparent insult of the senator’s auditory processing issues as a result of a stroke.

Gallego parried back on Twitter with a dig at the failed gubernatorial candidate.

“We call Kari Lake the Kari Lake of Arizona and yes that is an insult,” Gallego wrote.

An outspoken critic of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.), Gallego announced last week that he’ll run for her upper chamber seat.

Sinema, who stymied a number of Democratic initiatives in the last Congress’s 50-50 Senate, ditched her party just after the midterms and became an independent.

Sinema’s move puts Democrats in a tough spot if she runs in 2024, forcing them to decide whether to support the more moderate incumbent or a more progressive challenger, which may have a tougher time against a Republican in the purple state.

“I’m better for this job than Kyrsten Sinema because I haven’t forgotten where I came from,” Gallego said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

“I think she clearly has forgotten where she came from. Instead of meeting with the people that need help, she meets with the people that are already powerful.”



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Kyrsten Sinema leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent

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CNN
 — 

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as a political independent, she told CNN’s Jake Tapper in an exclusive TV interview.

“I’ve registered as an Arizona independent. I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” Sinema said in a Thursday interview with Tapper in her Senate office.

“I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to,” she added. “Removing myself from the partisan structure – not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it’ll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country, who also are tired of the partisanship.”

Sinema’s move away from the Democratic Party is unlikely to change the power balance in the next Senate. Democrats will have a narrow 51-49 majority that includes two independents who caucus with them: Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.

While Sanders and King formally caucus with Democrats, Sinema declined to explicitly say that she would do the same. She did note, however, that she expects to keep her committee assignments – a signal that she doesn’t plan to upend the Senate composition, since Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer controls committee rosters for Democrats.

“When I come to work each day, it’ll be the same,” Sinema said. “I’m going to still come to work and hopefully serve on the same committees I’ve been serving on and continue to work well with my colleagues at both political parties.”

But Sinema’s decision to become a political independent makes official what’s long been an independent streak for the Arizona senator, who began her political career as a member of the Green Party before being elected as a Democrat to the US House in 2012 and US Senate in 2018. Sinema has prided herself on being a thorn in the side of Democratic leaders, and her new nonpartisan affiliation will further free her to embrace an against-the-grain status in the Senate, though it raises new questions about how she – and Senate Democrats – will approach her reelection in 2024 with liberals already mulling a challenge.

Sinema wrote an op-ed in the Arizona Republic released Friday explaining her decision, noting that her approach in the Senate has “upset partisans in both parties.”

“When politicians are more focused on denying the opposition party a victory than they are on improving Americans’ lives, the people who lose are everyday Americans,” Sinema wrote.

“That’s why I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”

Sinema is up for reelection in 2024 and liberals in Arizona are already floating potential challengers, including Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, who said earlier this year that some Democratic senators have urged him to run against Sinema.

“Unfortunately, Senator Sinema is once again putting her own interests ahead of getting things done for Arizonans,” Gallego said in a statement following Sinema’s announcement.

Sinema declined to address questions about her reelection bid in the interview with Tapper, saying that simply isn’t her focus right now.

She also brushed aside criticism she may face for the decision to leave the Democratic Party.

“I’m just not worried about folks who may not like this approach,” Sinema said. “What I am worried about is continuing to do what’s right for my state. And there are folks who certainly don’t like my approach, we hear about it a lot. But the proof is in the pudding.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Sinema a “key partner” following her decision and said the White House has “every reason to expect that we will continue to work successfully with her.”

Sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that Sinema gave the White House a heads up that she was leaving the Democratic Party. Schumer said in a statement he also was aware of Sinema’s bombshell announcement ahead of Friday morning.

“She asked me to keep her committee assignments and I agreed,” Schumer said. “Kyrsten is independent; that’s how she’s always been. I believe she’s a good and effective Senator and am looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate.”

Schumer also outlined how he did not expect Sinema’s decision to impact Democrats’ plans for next year, saying in his statement, “We will maintain our new majority on committees, exercise our subpoena power, and be able to clear nominees without discharge votes.”

The Biden White House is offering a muted reaction Friday morning and insisting that they expect to continue having a productive working relationship with the senator.

One White House official tells CNN that the move “doesn’t change much” other than Sinema’s own reelection calculations.

“We’ve worked with her effectively on a lot of major legislation from CHIPS to the bipartisan infrastructure law,” the official said. The White House, for now, has “every reason to expect that will continue,” they added.

Sinema has long been the source of a complex convergence of possibility, frustration and confusion inside the White House.

“Rubik’s cube, I guess?” was how one former senior White House official described the Arizona senator who has played a central role in President Joe Biden’s largest legislative wins and also some of his biggest agenda disappointments.

There was no major push to get Sinema to change her mind, a White House official said, noting that it wouldn’t have made a difference.

“Nothing about the last two years indicates a major effort would’ve made helped – the exact opposite actually,” a White House official said.

The most urgent near-term effort was to quietly find out what it meant for their newly expanded Senate majority, officials said.

While there were still clear details to figure out about process, “I think people exhaled when we had a better understanding of what she meant,” one source familiar with the discussion said.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota told “CNN This Morning” that “Senator Sinema has always had an independent streak,” adding that “I don’t believe this is going to shake things up quite like everyone thinks.”

She added, “Senator Sinema has been an independent in all intents and purposes.”

Sinema and West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin have infuriated liberals at various points over the past two years, standing in the way of Biden’s agenda at a time when Democrats controlled the House, Senate and White House.

Sinema and Manchin used their sway in the current 50-50 Senate – where any single Democrat could derail a bill – to influence a host of legislation, especially the massive $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill that Biden proposed last year. Sinema’s objections to increasing the corporate tax rate during the initial round of negotiations over the legislation last year particularly rankled liberals.

While Sinema was blindsided by the surprise deal that Manchin cut with Schumer in July on major health care and energy legislation, she ultimately backed the smaller spending package that Biden signed into law before the election.

Both Manchin and Sinema also opposed changes to the Senate’s filibuster rules despite pressure from their Senate colleagues and Biden to change them. After a vote against filibuster changes in January, the Arizona Democratic Party’s executive board censured Sinema.

Sinema has been in the middle of several significant bipartisan bills that were passed since Biden took office. She pointed to that record as evidence that her approach has been an effective one.

“I’ve been honored to lead historic efforts, from infrastructure, to gun violence prevention, to protecting religious liberty and helping LGBT families feel secure, to the CHIPs and science bill to the work we’ve done on veterans’ issues,” she told CNN. “The list is really long. And so I think that the results speak for themselves. It’s OK if some people aren’t comfortable with that approach.”

Sinema’s announcement comes just days after Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock won reelection in Georgia, securing Democrats a 51st Senate seat that frees them from reliance on Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

Sinema declined to address questions about whether she would support Biden for president in 2024, and she also said she’s not thinking about whether a strong third party should emerge in the US.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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Senate Democrats Close In on Passing Climate and Tax Bill

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WASHINGTON—The Senate advanced a climate and tax package past a procedural hurdle in the narrowly divided chamber, as Democrats closed in on passing elements of President Biden’s agenda that have languished on Capitol Hill for more than a year.

After the procedural vote, which was approved 51-50 thanks to a tiebreaking vote by Vice President

Kamala Harris,

lawmakers began an hourslong series of votes on amendments that aren’t likely to change the bill’s contents. Once that process is over, the package could receive a final vote in the 50-50 Senate later on Sunday before it is sent to the House, where lawmakers are scheduled to vote on it Friday.

The legislation, which largely survived a review by the Senate’s parliamentarian, raises more than $700 billion in government revenue over 10 years, with much of that coming from a 15% minimum tax on large, profitable corporations and money generated by enhancing tax-collection efforts at the Internal Revenue Service. Empowering Medicare to negotiate lower prescription-drug prices and imposing a 1% tax on stock buybacks will also add revenue to the government’s budget in the next decade.

About $430 billion of those funds would be dedicated toward incentives for companies and individuals to reduce carbon emissions and an extension of subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The legislation dedicates the rest of the new revenue toward reducing the deficit.

The bill meets “all of our goals: fighting climate change, lowering healthcare costs, closing tax loopholes abused by the wealthy, and reducing the deficit,” Senate Majority Leader

Chuck Schumer

(D., N.Y.) said Saturday. “This is a major win for the American people,” he said.

Republicans say that the bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, would do little to combat inflation and contains damaging corporate tax increases that would flow down to households.

Democrats united on their climate and healthcare package after making changes Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.) demanded.



Photo:

Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg News

Referencing voters’ worries over inflation, Senate Minority Leader

Mitch McConnell

(R., Ky.) said Saturday that Senate Democrats “are misreading the American people’s outrage for yet another reckless taxing-and-spending spree.”

During the amendment process, Republicans largely targeted the bill’s energy and tax provisions. They also offered an amendment to reinstate a pandemic-era policy known as Title 42, which allows migrants to be turned away at the border without a chance to ask for asylum. The Biden administration has sought to end the policy.

Democrats lined up against the GOP proposals as they sought to prevent any changes that could endanger the bill’s support in the chamber.

Sen.

Bob Menendez

(D., N.J.) said Saturday that he would oppose the legislation entirely if lawmakers voted to add immigration restrictions during the amendment process.

“I urge my Democratic colleagues to stand united and vote no on ALL amendments, regardless of the underlying policy and regardless of which party offers them,” Mr. Menendez said.

As they blocked GOP amendments, Democrats occasionally offered parallel proposals that ran afoul of Senate rules, giving lawmakers the opportunity to vote in support of measures without risking alterations to the bill.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) gave a lengthy speech in the Senate to call on Democrats to expand the legislation’s measures. He said the current bill was inadequate as written.

“What I am asking today is for all 50 Democrats to come together and begin the process of addressing the major crises facing working families,” he said, adding that the bill “has some good features, but also some very bad features.”

In the first amendment of the night, Mr. Sanders introduced an expansion of the drug-pricing provisions, seeking to begin government negotiation for lower prices sooner and apply it to more drugs. It, along with another proposal from Mr. Sanders to broaden the legislation, failed as Democrats joined Republicans to vote them down.

The open-ended amendment process, called a vote-a-rama in the Senate, is the last obstacle Democrats face to pass the legislation, which Democrats are pursuing through a legislative process called reconciliation. Reconciliation allows Democrats to skirt the 60-vote threshold necessary for most legislation in the Senate, but it also requires lawmakers to comply with a special series of rules and undergo the lengthy amendment process.

The Senate’s nonpartisan parliamentarian made a series of rulings on Saturday that found much of the Democrats’ bill complied with reconciliation’s rules.

“I’m happy to report to my colleagues that the bill we presented to the parliamentarian remains largely intact,” said Mr. Schumer said.

Mr. Schumer said the parliamentarian didn’t accept one portion of the bill, related to a requirement that drug companies pay rebates if they raise prices faster than inflation for Medicare and private insurance.

The rebate requirements will only apply to Medicare, and not the commercial market, a setback to Democrats’ efforts to limit drug prices more broadly. A push to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month could face a similar fate as the rebate provision, and Democrats are preparing to try forcing the issue on the Senate floor and putting Republicans on the spot over the sensitive political issue.

After reaching an agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), who has resisted much of Democrats’ broader agenda, after months of failed negotiations, Democrats had to make a series of final changes this week to the bill on Thursday to earn the support of Sen.

Kyrsten Sinema

(D., Ariz.). They agreed to pare back elements of the corporate minimum tax and to drop a proposed tax increase on carried-interest income.

Ms. Sinema hasn’t explicitly committed to supporting the bill, saying she wants to see its final form after the amendment process.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) has resisted much of Democrats’ broader agenda.



Photo:

Rod Lamkey/Zuma Press

If Democrats are successful in passing the bill, its passage would mark a victory for their party just months before the midterm elections, which polls show will be challenging for Democrats in large part because of public concern over inflation.

Beginning in 2026, the bill would for the first time empower Medicare to negotiate the prices of a limited set of drugs selected from among those that account for the biggest share of government expenditures. It would also cap out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000 a year, beginning in 2025, and starting next year mandate free vaccines for Medicare enrollees. Under the bill, subsidies enacted last year as part of the American Rescue Plan to help people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act would be extended for three years, through 2025, at a cost of $64 billion.

On climate change, the bill pumps money into wind and solar projects, along with the batteries to store renewable energy, while also subsidizing technology to capture and store carbon-dioxide emissions. Consumers would benefit from subsidies for certain windows, heat pumps and other energy-efficient products, as well the extension of a $7,500 tax credit to buy electric vehicles.

Builders, homeowners and small businesses could avail themselves of new capital pouring into so-called green banks, which will receive $20 billion to provide low-cost financing for energy-efficient products such as heat pumps, windows, solar panels, insulation and electric-vehicle charging stations.

The most significant climate provisions are tax credits that would channel billions of dollars to wind, solar and battery developments that put clean power onto the grid, according to Rhodium Group, an independent research firm. The group estimated that the bill would cut greenhouse-gas emissions 31% to 44% below 2005 levels in 2030, compared with 24% to 35% under current policy.

Write to Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@wsj.com and Andrew Duehren at andrew.duehren@wsj.com

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Democrats complicate the private equity tax loophole

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Private equity investors were stunned last week when Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer agreed to a giant reconciliation bill. Not only that Manchin got to yes on anything, but that he adopted very convoluted language on changing the tax treatment of carried interest.

The big picture: This could become a full employment act for private equity fund accountants.

What to know: We don’t yet have full legislative text of Manchin’s bill, with Senate Democrats instead only providing a one-page summary. But multiple sources say the carry change would be cribbed from the House version of Build Back Better (RIP).

  • This does not recharacterize carried interest as ordinary income, which everyone agrees would be the cleanest way to close the loophole (even among those who bristle at the suggestion that it is a loophole).
  • Instead it focuses on holding periods. First by expanding the minimum holding period for capital gains treatment on PE carried interest from three years to five years. Second, by starting the clock on the later of the date on which the fund acquired “substantially all” of its carried interest, or the date on which it acquired “substantially all” of its assets.

Here’s the problem, as explained by law firm Gibson Dunn: “The Act does not specify how the ‘substantially all’ requirement is intended to be measured, and, because many investment funds (e.g., hedge funds and private equity funds) acquire assets at different times and have overlapping holding periods, it would be extraordinarily difficult for taxpayers to determine when these requirements have been satisfied.”

  • Beyond that, the language also creates perverse incentives for PE investors by creating different minimum hold times for different portfolio companies within the same fund.
  • Word is that House Democrats were working to fix the BBB language until Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema torpedoed the entire package. But nothing was ever codified, which is why the new plan is the same as the old plan.
  • “Congress has got to provide more guidance on what it intends fund managers to pay,” a private equity attorney tells me. “Otherwise you’ll get a free-for-all because no one can really understand this.”

Wildcard: It’s still very possible that Sinema again refuses to play ball, or that she insists on dropping tax provisions like carry and corporate minimums. Axios’ Alayna Treene last night reported more on her thinking.

  • The American Investment Council, a PE lobbying group, notes that there are nearly 150 private capital firms based in Arizona, plus 678 PE-backed portfolio companies that employ 229,000 Arizonans.

Savings: Senate Democrats claim that their carry tax changes could generate $14 billion over 10 years. Pretty impressive. Not the number, per se, but that anyone felt comfortable calculating a number given the legislative vagueness.

  • Also worth noting that $14 billon is the same figure used by CBO in 2019 for a proposal that would have treated carry as ordinary income. Pretty sure the short-term outlook for PE profits was a bit stronger in 2019 than in 2022…

The bottom line: The political debate over carried interest taxation began more than a decade ago. It’s no less messy today than it was back then.

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Questions facing Biden at his second solo White House presser

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President BidenJoe BidenMadame Tussauds unveils new Biden and Harris figures US raises concerns about Russian troop movements to Belarus Putin tests a model for invading Ukraine, outwitting Biden’s diplomats MORE on Wednesday will host just his second solo press conference from the White House since taking office, offering reporters a rare opportunity to press him on news of the day in such a format.

The event comes at a precarious time for Biden’s agenda. His Build Back Better plan and voting rights legislation are stalled, the coronavirus pandemic has persisted months after he gave what amounted to a victory lap speech and his approval ratings have steadily declined over the past several months.

Here are some questions Biden may face from reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Is Build Back Better dead? Are you willing to urge Democrats to pass pieces of it rather than the whole proposal?

Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinSenate Democrats eye talking filibuster NAACP president presses senators on voting rights: ‘You will decide who defines America’ Schumer tees up showdown on voting rights, filibuster MORE (D-W.Va.) appeared to deal a death knell to Biden’s signature policy proposal late last year when he said he could not support the roughly $2 trillion spending package with investments in child care, family care and for fighting climate change.

The White House has denied it is preparing a “skinny” version of Build Back Better, but perhaps the only path forward is to pass individual pieces of the legislation that can garner the support of all 50 Democratic caucus members in the Senate.

You have warned for several months that Republican laws like the one in Georgia represent an attack on democracy. Why then did you wait until last week to make a forceful push to alter the filibuster? And would you support reforming the Electoral Count Act if other efforts fail?

Biden’s forceful push for Democrats to alter the filibuster to pass voting rights bills won praise from advocates and civil rights leaders last week, but it was still regarded as a belated push for legislation to counteract Republican state voting laws.

Despite Biden’s push, the effort is expected to fail this week because Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaSenate Democrats eye talking filibuster NAACP president presses senators on voting rights: ‘You will decide who defines America’ Schumer tees up showdown on voting rights, filibuster MORE (D-Ariz.) do not support changing the filibuster. Bipartisan lawmakers have opened the door to reforming the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which sets out how Congress counts Electoral College votes that determine the winner of a presidential election. The White House dismissed the idea of reforming the law as a “substitute” for passing the other voting rights bills. 

What preventative measures is your administration looking at in order to prevent another test shortage and other pandemic-related measures should another variant arise? What do you say to criticism that your administration is reacting instead of being more proactive two years into the pandemic?

Democrats have called on Biden to step up his efforts to fight the pandemic, including purchasing more tests for Americans and providing high-quality masks to everyone. Five Democratic senators last week wrote to the president to express their concern with the pandemic response and said it has often been “reactive, rather than proactive.”

The Biden administration is launching a new website this week, through which 500 million tests will be distributed to Americans free of charge and on Wednesday it announced it will make 400 million non-surgical N95 masks from the national stockpile free to Americans and the administration is launching a website through which 500 million tests will be distributed free of charge.

Have you been satisfied with the messaging coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Can your administration improve the way it communicates about the pandemic to the American public?

The Biden administration has had a number of messaging missteps as the coronavirus pandemic ebbs and flows, with much of the criticism falling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency was criticized for its mixed messages on masking in the spring as millions of Americans were getting vaccinated. More recently, it came under the microscope for its messy guidance on when individuals who had COVID-19 could come out of isolation and whether it required a negative test.

The messaging troubles have contributed to a slow but steady drop in Biden’s approval rating on handling the pandemic.

You and your advisers have predicted that inflation will be transitory, but with the costs of food, housing and other essential goods rising, how can you assure Americans that your administration is focused on addressing surging inflation?

Consumer prices increased 7 percent in December from the same month the previous year, which is dismal news for a White House struggling to get surging prices under control. The price increase is the fastest in almost 40 years, but economists generally believe that inflation will decline substantially over the next year. 

High inflation is a huge political challenge for Biden and Democrats going into the midterm elections, and the White House has tried to ease concerns by stressing Biden’s plan to reduce prices by going after meat processors and directing the biggest oil reserve release in history.

Last week, the Supreme Court struck down your sweeping vaccine-or-test mandate for large private businesses. Will that be the end of your efforts to mandate vaccines or are more actions on the table?

The Supreme Court last week ruled 6-3 against Biden’s vaccine-or-test mandate for employers with at least 100 employees, blocking it from taking effect while other legal challenges play out. In response, the president called on companies to require people to get vaccinated and vowed to put pressure on them to voluntarily create their own requirements.

Labor Secretary Marty WalshMarty WalshBiden endures up-and-down first year on labor issues Biden calls on employers to mandate vaccines despite Supreme Court ruling Renewed support for unions belies anti-labor laws in most states MORE left the door open to more efforts from the administration to impose mandates on private companies. He said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will evaluate all options to keep workers safe in response to the high court ruling.

You recently called the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol an “insurrection” and an attempted “coup.” Do you believe the Justice Department should prosecute former President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump lawyers to Supreme Court: Jan. 6 committee ‘will not be harmed by delay’ Two House Democrats announce they won’t seek reelection DiCaprio on climate change: ‘Vote for people that are sane’ MORE for his role in the Jan. 6 riot? 

Biden has been adamant that he wants to keep his Justice Department independent and free of political influence, but that has not stopped him from weighing in on proceedings around the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

One of the major outstanding questions is whether former President Trump will face charges for his role in the riot, specifically for his weeks of false claims that preceded it and his speech urging supporters to march over to the Capitol.

Can you commit unequivocally to running for reelection? Will Vice President Harris be your running mate? If you can’t commit unequivocally, who do you think should be the nominee if circumstances ultimately cause you to decide against running?

Biden and his aides have repeatedly said the president plans to run for reelection in 2024, but Biden himself offered a qualifier when asked about the prospect last month.

“If I’m in the health I’m in now, if I’m in good health, then in fact, I would run again,” Biden told ABC News.

Biden, at 79 years old, is the oldest person ever to occupy the White House. His age and sinking approval ratings have fed the rumor mill about his 2024 plans.

Vice President Harris further added to the speculation about the next Democratic presidential nominee when she claimed to The Wall Street Journal last month that she and Biden had not even discussed the 2024 campaign.

Your press secretary, Jen PsakiJen PsakiBiden commends wireless giants for delaying 5G rollout near key airports Briefing in brief: Free COVID-19 test site in testing phase before launch Wednesday White House says Russia could launch attack in Ukraine ‘at any point’ MORE, said Tuesday that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine “at any point.” What is your administration going to do to punish Russia if it does so? Are you doing everything you can to try to force Russia to pull troops back from the border with Ukraine? 

Biden is confronting his latest pressing foreign policy crisis in Eastern Europe, where Russia has amassed 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine and sent forces to Belarus to participate in joint drills in recent days. 

The Biden administration has threatened economic sanctions on Russia should it further invade Ukraine, but officials have declined to detail the sanctions in public. 

Later this week, Secretary of State Antony BlinkenAntony BlinkenUS readying financial sanctions on pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine: report US sanctions Lebanese tourism company, Hezbollah members for ties to terrorism  White House says Russia could launch attack in Ukraine ‘at any point’ MORE will meet with his Russian counterpart in Geneva to urge Russia to resolve the situation through diplomatic means. 



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GOP senator knocks Biden for ‘spreading things that are untrue’ in voting rights speech

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Republican Sen. Bill CassidyBill CassidySunday shows preview: Democrats’ struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head Hillicon Valley — Tech giants hit with Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Bipartisan lawmakers propose ‘TLDR Act’ to simplify terms of service agreements MORE (La.) knocked President BidenJoe BidenSunday shows preview: Democrats’ struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head David Weil: Wrong man, wrong place, wrong time  Biden’s voting rights gamble prompts second-guessing MORE on Sunday for “spreading things” that he claimed were “untrue” in last week’s voting rights speech, suggesting the remarks will not help unite the country.

Asked during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” about Biden’s voting rights speech in Georgia, Cassidy said Biden made claims that were “misleading” and not helpful in the president’s quest to bring Americans together.

“Now if you’re trying to call the United States of America to unity, trying to get us to where we will come to common ground, you don’t end up spreading things that are untrue, are frankly lies, and that’s why people think we need to filibuster, otherwise you’re just totally rolled by somebody who’s willing to sacrifice truth to pursue their agenda,” Cassidy told co-anchor Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul TapperDurbin says Biden may have gone ‘a little too far’ in Georgia speech GOP governor says large businesses should not comply with ‘oppressive’ vaccine mandate Hutchinson says ‘big lie’ supporters ‘not demonstrating leadership’ MORE.

The Louisiana Republican also criticized House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who appeared on the program earlier and, when asked, did not say Biden’s remarks in Georgia went too far. Cassidy also accused Clyburn of making wrong or misleading statements in regard to election legislation.

Biden sparked criticism with his passionate remarks in which he called for changing the Senate filibuster to pass voting rights reform on the national level.

At one point, he asked if people wanted to be on the side of Dr. King, John LewisJohn LewisClyburn says he’s worried about losing House, ‘losing this democracy’ King family to march for voting rights in Arizona before MLK Day Sinema reignites 2024 primary chatter amid filibuster fight  MORE and Abraham Lincoln or Confederate President George Wallace, segregationist Bull Connor and Jefferson Davis, who opposed the civil rights movement.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSinema reignites 2024 primary chatter amid filibuster fight  Biden’s new calls to action matter, as does the one yet to come Trump to make election claims center stage in Arizona MORE (R-Ky.) said the president’s remarks were “incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office,” and Senate Democratic Whip Dick DurbinDick DurbinSinema, Manchin curb Biden’s agenda Democrats’ filibuster gambit unravels Sinema scuttles hopes for filibuster reform MORE (Ill.) said Biden may have “gone a little too far” in his rhetoric.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiClyburn says he’s worried about losing House, ‘losing this democracy’ King family to march for voting rights in Arizona before MLK Day GOP’s McCarthy has little incentive to work with Jan. 6 panel MORE (D-Calif.), however, called Biden’s speech “wonderful” and “fabulous,” but did suggest that that his references to Connor was arcane.

The Senate is set to take up voting rights reform on Tuesday after Sens. Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaSunday shows preview: Democrats’ struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head Biden’s voting rights gamble prompts second-guessing King family to march for voting rights in Arizona before MLK Day MORE (D-Ariz.) and Joe ManchinJoe ManchinSunday shows preview: Democrats’ struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head Biden’s voting rights gamble prompts second-guessing King family to march for voting rights in Arizona before MLK Day MORE (D-Ariz.) said they will not change the 60-vote filibuster to pass such legislation. Democrats were looking to change Senate rules amid GOP opposition to election reform.



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Biden says he’s “not sure” about voting bills’ future after Sinema reiterates opposition to rule change

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President Biden met Thursday afternoon with Senate Democrats, saying “as long as I’m in the White House … I’m going to be fighting for these bills,” hours after Senator Kyrsten Sinema, one of two Senate Democrats known to oppose changes to Senate rules, said Thursday on the Senate floor that she will not change her position. 

Her remarks come moments ahead of Mr. Biden’s lunchtime meeting with Senate Democrats in which he encouraged lawmakers to overhaul Senate rules to allow the voting bills to pass with a simple majority, rather than 60 votes. Following that meeting, the president told reporters he hopes they can pass the legislation but he’s “not certain” they can. 

“Like every other major civil rights bill that came along, if we missed the first time, we could come back and try it a second time. We missed this time. We missed this time,” he said. “… I don’t know that we can get it done, but I know one thing: As long as I have a breath in me, as long as I am in the White House, as long as I’m engaged at all, I’m gonna’ be fighting to change the way these legislatures have moved.”

Arizona’s Sinema and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin have repeatedly and openly expressed their opposition to such a change. National Democrats are trying to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, which would establish national election standards, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would reinstate a core provision of the Voting Rights Act.

Manchin and Sinema met with Mr. Biden Thursday night. After the session, a White House official said only that, “The President hosted Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema at the White House tonight for a candid and respectful exchange of views about voting rights.” 

Sinema said she continues to support the legislation and emphasized the need to prohibit states from restricting voting access, but said such change cannot come at the cost of further division. 

 U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after a meeting with Senate Democrats in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. 

Drew Angerer / Getty Images


“While I continue to support these bills, I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division afflicting our country,” Sinema said on the Senate floor. “There’s no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60 vote threshold to pass legislation. And there’s no need for me to restate its role protecting our country from wild reversals in federal policy.”

Eliminating the 60-rule vote on a party line “will not guarantee that we prevent demagogues from winning office,” she said. 

“Eliminating the 60-vote threshold will simply guarantee that we lose a critical tool that we need to safeguard our democracy from threats in the years to come,” she added. 

The senator from Arizona expressed frustration with both Republicans in blocking the voting legislation, and Democrats in trying to alter Senate rules. 

Following the meeting, the president said he hopes they can pass the legislation, but isn’t sure. 

“I hope we can get this done,” he told reporters. “But I’m not sure.”

Manchin said the president gave a “wonderful speech,” while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Senate Democrats are “going to do everything we can to pass these two bills.” 

In a speech in Atlanta on Tuesday, the president said publicly for the first time that he supports nixing the filibuster for the voting bills. 

“I’ve been having these quiet conversations with members of Congress for the last two months. I’m tired of being quiet!” the president exclaimed.

The House on Thursday, in a 220-203 vote, passed a consolidated voting bill that would be the first step in enabling the Senate to debate voting rights changes on the floor. 

“Nothing less than our democracy is at stake,” Pelosi said Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Republicans are warning the president and Senate Democrats against changing the Senate rules.

“This is more than just about one issue,” said Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. “This is about fundamentally changing the fabric, the fence that the Senate provides by having the filibuster in place to make sure that we don’t have the dramatic swings from administration to administration, from majority to minority, [from] Republican to Democratic, and that we keep the ship sort of going in the right direction and working together at the same time.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki didn’t say whether the White House has identified more executive actions the president can and plans to take, pointing out the president signed an executive order early on in his presidency to promote voting rights. Psaki acknowledged that it can be difficult to get things done with a small majority in the Senate. 

“The president’s view is we’re going to keep pushing for hard things, and we’re going to keep pushing the boulders up the hill to get it done,” she said. 

CBS News’ Jack Turman, Fin Gomez and Adam Brewster contributed to this report. 

Kathryn Watson

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.

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GOP rallies around Manchin, Sinema

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Republicans are rallying around Sens. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinSinema fundraising in Europe as reconciliation talks ‘ongoing’: report Warren: Billionaires who ‘have enough money to shoot themselves into space’ will pay for reconciliation bill To Win 2022: Go big on reconciliation and invest in Latinx voters MORE (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaSinema fundraising in Europe as reconciliation talks ‘ongoing’: report Warren: Billionaires who ‘have enough money to shoot themselves into space’ will pay for reconciliation bill To Win 2022: Go big on reconciliation and invest in Latinx voters MORE (D-Ariz.), the centrists who are in a fierce battle with progressives in their party.

Senate Republicans, despite having many policy differences with Manchin and Sinema, are singing their praises, knowing that they will be key to stopping or slowing President BidenJoe BidenSinema fundraising in Europe as reconciliation talks ‘ongoing’: report Mexico urges more US investment in Central America to stem migration flows Trump calls into Take Back Virginia Rally to hype Youngkin MORE’s ambitious agenda.

Both Democrats would be top Republican targets in 2024 if they decide to run for re-election, and GOP leaders are usually loath to offer praise to such lawmakers.

But in a 50-50 Senate, where Manchin and Sinema can make or break Biden’s policy goals, many Republicans hail them as saviors.

“I tell them I think they’re saving the county,” said Senate Minority Whip John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Democrat on controversial Schumer speech: Timing ‘may not have been the best’ Most Senate Republicans don’t want to see Trump run again MORE (R-S.D.).

“I know they’re getting beat up by their leadership and their base and everything else but I think they’re in a really good place right now because they’re in a position to influence and shape what comes out of this,” he added.

When Manchin told reporters recently that he didn’t want to spend more than $1.5 trillion on Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda because he didn’t want “to change our whole society to an entitlement mentality,” it was music to the ears of GOP colleagues.

Thune said both Manchin and Sinema are “playing an incredibly constructive role in trying to make the country stronger, not weaker.”

Progressives see Manchin’s and Sinema as stubborn opponents, and disloyal to their party and president.

Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders blaming spending bill delay on corporate lobbying McConnell-aligned group targeting Kelly, Cortez Masto and Hassan with M ad campaign Democrats struggle to gain steam on Biden spending plan MORE (I-Vt.), who says Democrats need to spend a minimum of $3.5 trillion on expanded Medicare benefits, expanded childcare and fighting climate change, says Manchin is not helping his constituents.

“You should go to West Virginia, ask working families whether they think it’s a good idea that older people — West Virginia’s an older state — have teeth in their mouths, have hearing aids, have eyeglasses,” Sanders said, offering biting criticism of the West Virginia senator.

“Ask working families whether or not he’s a hero when people are paying 20, 25 percent of their income for childcare. Ask people if he’s a hero in terms of not moving aggressively to [address] what the scientists tell us is an existential threat to the planet,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellCapitol Police mandating vaccines for Dignitary Protection Division agents: report The Hill’s 12:30 Report – The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations – 90-year-old ‘Star Trek’ actor describes space visit McConnell-aligned group targeting Kelly, Cortez Masto and Hassan with M ad campaign MORE (R-Ky.) told Republican colleagues at a meeting last week that one reason for why he agreed to a deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerTo Win 2022: Go big on reconciliation and invest in Latinx voters McConnell-aligned group targeting Kelly, Cortez Masto and Hassan with M ad campaign Green group pressures Sinema to spell out climate agenda MORE (D-N.Y.) on a short-term debt-limit increase was because he feared that Manchin and Sinema would be under growing pressure from fellow Democrats to weaken the filibuster to stave off a credit crisis.

McConnell also reached out to share his plan to solve the debt standoff with Manchin and Sinema before unveiling it publicly, according to a Senate GOP aide.

Manchin, asked about that by reporters last week, denied that he knew the details of McConnell’s proposed two-month debt-limit extension ahead of its public release.

Sen. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Using shared principles to guide our global and national energy policy Alaska man accused of threatening senators to remain detained ahead of trial MORE (R-Alaska), an important GOP swing vote, raised concerns at last week’s Tuesday GOP conference lunch that the debt-limit stalemate was putting pressure on Manchin and Sinema to gut the filibuster, according to two GOP sources familiar with the meeting.

Even sharp-tongued conservatives are offering complimentary words for the two centrists. Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Equilibrium/Sustainability — Presented by Altria — Michigan leaves majority-Black city with lead-contaminated taps for three years YouTube confirms it picked kids featured in Harris video MORE (R-Texas) even referred to them by their first names.

“I’m glad there are at least a couple of Democrats in the Senate conference who are not willing to blindly sign on to Bernie Sanders’s socialist budget,” he said. “I’m glad to see Joe and Kyrsten standing up to the radical left. They’re demonstrating some real courage because the hard left is pounding them.

“I’m glad to see them demonstrating the strength of character to say, ‘This is not what the people of West Virginia want, this is not what the people of Arizona want,’” he added.

Senate Republicans are framing their messaging strategy around concerns that Manchin has expressed about rising inflation, the global competitiveness of U.S. companies, the future of fossil fuels and the lack of bipartisanship behind the proposed $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation proposal.

Republican have seized on Manchin’s worries about inflation and made it a regular talking point, even though experts such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell say that higher-than-average inflation is temporary and likely to ease by next year.

Cruz and other Republicans say they agree more with Manchin, who has pointed to rising prices at Dollar General stores in West Virginia as a major problem. Manchin’s comments are also helpful for Republicans who are using rising prices to attack Biden.

“I think he is absolutely right,” Cruz said of Manchin’s inflation fears. “We’re seeing an inflation bomb going off across this country. Hard-working Americans are seeing the cost of just about everything going up. We’re seeing the cost of gasoline go up, the cost of food go up, the cost of rent go up, the cost of lumber go up, the cost of homes go up.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joked that he’s accused Manchin of stealing his message.

“I’ve accused him of plagiarism,” he quipped. “I’m glad that Sen. Manchin is talking about that, I hope he keeps talking about it.”

Sen. Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisAdvocates frustrated by shrinking legal migration under Biden Key debt-limit vote sparks major fight among Senate Republicans Defense & National Security — Troops secretly train with Taiwan as tensions with China continue MORE (R-N.C.) said he agrees with Manchin that the country is at a “fiscal tipping point” because “we’ve just got so much money flooding the system.”

“I know it’s tough but I think he’s standing on principle. I think the same of Sen. Sinema,” he said.

Republicans leapt to Sinema’s defense earlier this month when activists followed her into a bathroom at Arizona State University, where she lectures, to pressure her to support Biden’s full agenda.

Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyMcConnell gets GOP wake-up call Democrat on controversial Schumer speech: Timing ‘may not have been the best’ The Biden-Harris train wreck may have its savior: 2024 GOP nominee Donald Trump MORE (R-Utah), who worked closely with Sinema on the $1.1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package passed by the Senate in August, called the tactics “inexcusable.”

Democrats also defended Sinema, but some of them also defended the activists filming here. Biden said he disagreed with such tactics but also said they came with being in the arena of politics, a notably less tough tone than Romney’s.

“We don’t always see eye to eye, but I respect her,” the Utah senator tweeted. “The harassment she has endured is inexcusable and disheartening. It reflects so poorly on the bullies and abusers.”

 



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McConnell vows GOP won’t help raise debt ceiling in December after Schumer ‘tantrum’

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Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Trump urges GOP senators to vote against McConnell debt deal Senate approves short-term debt ceiling increase On The Money — Presented by NRHC — Senate slowly walks back from debt disaster MORE (R-Ky.) warned President BidenJoe BidenArkansas lawmakers advance bill prohibiting businesses from demanding workers’ vaccine status Senate approves short-term debt ceiling increase On The Money — Presented by NRHC — Senate slowly walks back from debt disaster MORE Friday that Republicans won’t help raise the debt ceiling later this year, and stated that a recent speech by Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck Schumer Trump urges GOP senators to vote against McConnell debt deal Senate approves short-term debt ceiling increase The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Senate nears surprise deal on short-term debt ceiling hike MORE (D-N.Y) had “poisoned the well.”

“Last night, Republicans filled the leadership vacuum that has troubled the Senate since January. I write to inform you that I will not provide such assistance again if your all-Democrat government drifts into another avoidable crisis,” McConnell wrote in the letter to Biden. 

 

The letter comes after 11 Republicans helped advance a short-term debt ceiling extension on Thursday night, after a weeks-long standoff where McConnell and his conference said that Democrats would have to raise the debt ceiling on their own through a budget process known as reconciliation.

 

But on Wednesday McConnell backtracked, offering to let Democrats pass a short-term extension that is expected to last into early December.

 

 

McConnell’s letter is a warning to Democrats, but also gives an early signal to his own members that he won’t give Democrats the same offramp in December. The decision by McConnell this week to open the door to a short-term debt extension earned him an unusually intense level of criticism from the Senate GOP caucus, including behind-the-scenes breaks with members of his own leadership team.

 

 

Republicans were further frustrated on Thursday night by Schumer, who railed against them right after 11 of them voted to advance the debt ceiling bill. 

 

Schumer blasted the GOP debt ceiling strategy, accusing them of playing a “dangerous and risky partisan game” and saying Democrats were able to “pull our country back from the cliff’s edge that Republicans tried to push us over.”

 

 

McConnell appeared to reference Manchin, who could be seen briefly with his hands over his face during Schumer’s speech. 

 

“Last night, in a bizarre spectacle, Senator Schumer exploded in a rant that was so partisan, angry, and corrosive that even Democratic Senators were visibly embarrassed by him and for him. This tantrum encapsulated and escalated a pattern of angry incompetence from Senator Schumer,” McConnell wrote. 

 

McConnell warned that Schumer’s “childish behavior” had “alienated” GOP senators who helped advance the short-term debt increase and “poisoned the well even further.” They are likely the same GOP senators Schumer would need to lean on to raise the debt ceiling outside of reconciliation later this year. 

“I am writing to make it clear that in light of Senator Schumer’s hysterics and my grave concerns about the ways that another vast, reckless, partisan spending bill would hurt Americans and help China, I will not be a party to any future effort to mitigate the consequences of Democratic mismanagement,” he added. 



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Sen. Kyrsten Sinema slams Democratic leaders over failure to hold vote on infrastructure bill

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Sen. Kyrsten Sinema slammed Democratic Party leadership for the House’s “inexcusable” failure to hold a vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan public works bill on Friday.

“The failure of the U.S. House to hold a vote on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is inexcusable, and deeply disappointing for communities across our country,” Sinema (D-Ariz.) said in a statement on Saturday.

“Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity, and better broadband only hurts everyday families.”

Sinema joined many fuming moderates who criticized Democratic leadership’s decision to pull the bill from the floor on Friday in order to salvage additional time to negotiate President Joe Biden’s sweeping $3.5 trillion social spending bill.

Moderate Democrats and other supporters of the public works bill had hoped to pass the $1 trillion bill Friday, then negotiate the rest of Biden’s health care, education and climate change bill in the days to come.

“Congress was designed as a place where representatives of Americans with valid and diverse views find compromise and common ground,” Sinema said.

“What Americans have seen instead is an ineffective stunt to gain leverage over a separate proposal.”

Sen. Sinema says the cancelation of the vote “betrays the trust of the American people.”
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Sinema said the Democrats’ move was a betrayal of trust, after ongoing negotiations have been filled with empty promises that could not be kept.

“Good-faith negotiations, however, require trust. Over the course of this year, Democratic leaders have made conflicting promises that could not all be kept — and have, at times, pretended that differences of opinion within our party did not exist, even when those disagreements were repeatedly made clear directly and publicly.

“Canceling the infrastructure vote further erodes that trust. More importantly, it betrays the trust the American people have placed in their elected leaders and denies our country crucial investments to expand economic opportunities.”

Other moderate critics included Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), who said in a statement Friday her Blue Dog Caucus members “view this as counterproductive to our caucus’s negotiations and ultimately harmful to our ability to find common ground. It also unfairly punishes millions of Americans who want clean water, broadband internet, repaired roads and bridges, and strong climate provisions as soon as possible.”

In a letter on Friday, Pelosi told Democrats that she wants the infrastructure bill passed before the end of October, while praising a 30-day extension to fund the Highway Trust Fund after Democrats failed to strike a deal.

“While great progress has been made in the negotiations to develop a House, Senate and White House agreement on the Build Back Better Act, more time is needed to complete the task. Our priority to create jobs in the health care, family and climate agendas is a shared value. Our Chairs are still working for clarity and consensus.  Clearly, the Bipartisan Infrastructure bill will pass once we have agreement on the reconciliation bill,” she said in a “Dear Colleague” letter on Friday evening.

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