THE NEXT 50 DAYS
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
The first 100 days of the Biden administration -- the time from now until the end of April -- will be used by many as an early measure of his success as president.
But for this new president, the new Congress and millions of Americans, there is a shorter critical timeline: the next 50 days. Over that span, lawmakers will face a series of urgent tasks and deadlines that will set the tone in Washington and determine the fate of families across the country.
Here’s a look at what to watch for from now through mid-March:
- Today - impeachment. Senators have been sworn in for the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
- This week - confirmations. The Senate works on confirming some of Biden’s 15 Cabinet nominations made so far, all critical posts.
- This week - Senate start-up. Party leaders still must agree on basic structure and rules for the new Senate.
- Feb. 9 - Impeachment trial. The trial begins in earnest with oral arguments. The full timeline is not yet clear.
- Late Feb. - Biden’s first address to Congress is expected in this timeframe.
- Mid-February to Mid-March - COVID. This is the key timeframe for Congress and the White House to negotiate another COVID relief package.
- March - Vaccine distribution. By March, Pfizer is supposed to have supplied 100 million doses of vaccine to the U.S. This will be another test point for whether the distribution system is up and running well.
- March 14 - Added unemployment benefits of $300 per week expire. Also expiring this week is the program extending unemployment benefits to gig and other workers who don’t traditionally qualify. This is the deadline for Congress to act if it wants to keep those added benefits going.
- March 21 - COVID vaccinations. President Biden set the goal of 1.5 million vaccinations a day by spring, which starts in full on this day.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S SECOND IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
By Daniel Bush, @DanielBush
Senior politics reporter
House Democrats have delivered the article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate, formally starting a trial over the former president’s role in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6.
There are several intermediate steps after the House impeachment managers deliver the article charging Trump with “incitement of insurrection” and before the trial’s opening arguments.
The rules for the trial, including how long it will last and whether witnesses will be allowed to testify, have not yet been finalized. But after several days of debate, the Senate’s Republican and Democratic leaders struck a deal last Friday on the timing of the trial, which is slated to start the week of Feb. 8.The deal gives the Senate two weeks to focus on confirming President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees and work on a coronavirus relief package, the centerpiece of Biden’s early legislative agenda, while also allowing Trump time to prepare his defense.
But the pending trial looms over the Senate as Republicans weigh whether to break with Trump, who remains deeply popular with the party’s base.
Trump left office last week facing fierce criticism for his efforts to deny and overturn the election results, which culminated in his rallying supporters in Washington and urging them to take their “fight” to the Capitol, where lawmakers were gathered to count Electoral College votes in the final step in acknowledging Biden’s election victory. The ensuing attack left five people dead, among them a Capitol Police officer.
What’s the schedule for the impeachment trial? How will the trial be conducted? READ MORE.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz
Politics production assistant
New Iowa rep asks US House to dismiss contest in 6-vote race - Jan. 22. GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks argued in a legal motion that the Democratic-controlled chamber should not consider Rita Hart's appeal -- that the race for her seat was wrongly decided -- because Hart did not follow longstanding House precedent to first challenge the outcome under Iowa state law. Why it matters: The House’s decision could be the difference between Meeks, who was sworn in provisionally, keeping her seat for the next two years, or Hart being declared the rightful winner, the latter of which would mean overturning a state-certified election in favor of a Democrat at a time when faith in free and fair elections is low among Republican voters. -- Houston Chronicle
Biden Asks OSHA to Consider COVID-19 Workplace Safety Rules - Jan. 22. Biden’s executive order directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to create a new COVID-19 enforcement program focused on the most at-risk workplaces.Why it matters: Worker advocates are in favor of a national order from OSHA that would bring all states under the same rules to keep workers safe. -- Stateline
Mine just south of Oregon-Nevada line may boost Joe Biden’s energy plan - Jan. 23. Lithium, long used for rechargeable batteries, is expected to become an increasingly valuable commodity as Biden’s administration pushes car manufacturers to increase the production of electric vehicles. Why it matters: Unlike other projects fast-tracked in Trump's final days, domestic lithium production could help Biden's plan to transition the economy away from fossil fuels by lowering costs despite concerns from conservationists. -- The Oregonian
House majority may hinge on the Rio Grande Valley - Jan. 24. Despite spending millions in Texas during the past election cycle, Democrats saw huge losses, with the most significant rightward swings occurring in the Rio Grande Valley's three congressional districts, which historically have been blue strongholds. Why it matters: Texas could gain as many as three new congressional seats in redistricting, meaning the state and the region could be key to gaining the six seats the GOP needs to take control of the House. -- Politico
Democrats make federal election standards a top priority - Jan. 23. Asserting constitutional authority to set the time, place and manner of federal elections, House Democrats introduced H.R. 1, a bill that would create national rules to make voting more uniform, accessible and fair across the country. Why it matters: While voting procedures and rules have long varied state by state, the November 2020 election highlighted how that variability could be used to sow doubt in election outcomes. The bill could help repair some of that lost faith in the democratic process. -- The Associated Press
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Kate Grumke, @KGrumke
Politics producer
Last night, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backed away from a standoff over the filibuster. Over the years there have been many long filibusters, but the record for the longest has been held for more than 50 years.
Our question: Who holds the record for the longest filibuster in history?
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: Aside from Jill Biden and Barbara Bush, how many of the 38 second ladies went on to serve as first lady?
Answer: 10 others
The first was Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, the first vice president and second president, followed by Letitia Christian, John Tyler’s wife. Next: Abigail Fillmore, Eliza Johnson, Edith Roosevelt, Grace Coolidge, Bess Truman, Pat Nixon, Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Ford. Eight of the 12 total second ladies became the first lady after the death or resignation of a president. Only Adams, Nixon, Bush and Biden became first lady after their husbands won a presidential election. And Nixon and Biden are the only two who did not immediately ascend from second lady to first in consecutive terms.
Congratulations to our winner: Rick Falk!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
