THE STAKES IN CONGRESS RIGHT NOW
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent
Call them the four winds, the four bulls, maybe the four horsemen. Democrats in Congress are wrestling with four sweeping, nation-changing and tricky issues simultaneously:
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Government funding, due to run out Thursday
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The debt ceiling, which we’ll reach in the next two to three weeks
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The $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which has already passed the Senate
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The larger “Build Back Better” bill, which would dramatically shift how the nation (and families) handles child care, drug prices and climate change, among other issues
As I write, the government funding bill is the least tangled of the group. As soon as tomorrow, Democrats expect to start moving on a bill to fund the government until early December.
The debt ceiling is the most tangled. Republicans refuse to vote for any increase in the debt ceiling, while saying that they want one, because they argue the burden should be on Democrats alone to figure out how to do it. Democrats do not have the Senate votes to pass this through normal 60-vote means, however, and thus far do not want to use the reconciliation procedure that could allow them to raise the debt ceiling on their own with a simple majority. The off-ramp to this looming crisis is hard to see, and may not even exist yet.
So let’s talk about the middle two issues: infrastructure and the “Build Back Better” bill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged to hold a House vote on the infrastructure bill on Thursday. That would be final passage of the bill, which has already cleared the Senate. However, House progressives are rebelling and say they will not vote for it until the reconciliation measure passes.
Why are they laying down such a hard line?
Let me give two of the many reasons.
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Progressives know that Senators have more leverage and leeway to change bills. They want their bill to contain as much of their priority legislation as possible and not get watered down by moderate Democratic senators. They are looking at you, Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.
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This is full of key priorities, and with the future control of both chambers in some doubt, progressives believe they may not get this chance again for years, maybe a decade.
What will happen?
There is not enough time for Democrats to agree on, finish writing and pass a reconciliation bill by Thursday. There is likely not even enough time for the first of those steps. What might help, though, is if progressives could get some kind of better guarantee or outline from Manchin and Sinema on what they will support.
That is what everyone is watching for in this moment.
But it is important to remember it is just one moment.
Large bills usually collapse several times before getting their final, battle-weathered shape as a law.
Democrats will not give up on these bills, regardless of what happens in the next two days. It is just a question of how battered the party and the bills get in the process.
FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Saher Khan, @SaherMKhan
Politics Producer
What the Rest of America Can Learn From Colorado Sept. 22. The state passed a first-in-the-nation law called the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, which touches on all aspects of police and community relations, from strengthening penalties for police misconduct and use of force to allowing victims of police violence to sue officers under state law. Why it matters: While many of the aspects of the new law have yet to be rolled out, it is one example of states taking on the responsibility of tackling meaningful police reform as efforts stall at the national level. -- The Atlantic
Arizona's ballot review fizzled, but other states want to follow suit Sept. 26 Though Arizona’s drawn-out ballot review of the 2020 presidential election results ended in predictable fashion, reinforcing that President Joe Biden had indeed won the state, several other states are launching their own reviews, perpetuating a hunt for election fraud that the nation’s top elections officials say doesn’t exist. Why it matters: Experts worry these ballot reviews and false claims of “rigged elections” coming from Republican officials and candidates run the risk of undermining people’s trust in the electoral process. -- Arizona Republic
McConnell warms to Herschel Walker as primary war with Trump fizzles - Sept. 24 Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had vowed to oppose GOP candidates backed by former President Donald Trump to ensure that Republicans on top of tickets were electable, but he is with few exceptions now warming up to many of Trump’s choices. Why it matters: The change of heart is another sign of how much influence Trump still has over the GOP, with Republicans plotting paths to victory even with his more controversial picks. -- Politico
What Las Vegas area workers say about navigating record unemployment rates - Sept. 27 Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Residents share some of their continuing struggles to find stable work, enduring unlivable wages and high hospitalizations due to COVID-19, all just as federal unemployment benefits expire. Why it matters: A year and a half into the pandemic, many parts of the country are not where they thought they would be in their recovery, and people seeking work are feeling the consequences. -- High Country News
New York’s redistricting tests Democratic opposition to gerrymandering - Sept. 27 This year marks the first time in a century that Democrats control New York’s state government, giving them the power to redraw congressional lines in their favor. Why it matters: Democrats have long criticized Republicans for partisan and racial gerrymandering and now face the challenge of sticking to their position versus securing their majority status in Congress in the midterms.The situation raises a recurring debate over whether redistricting should be left to independent commissions, in theory free of political influence. -- The Washington Post
#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch
Politics producer
As Democrats and Republicans argue over raising the debt ceiling, consider this historical context: The debt ceiling has been raised, sometimes with bipartisan votes and other times on party lines, some 80 times since 1960.
Our question: Can you name the president who presided over the most debt ceiling increases (18) ?
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: Who was the first U.S. president to address the United Nations General Assembly?
The answer: President Harry Truman.
In October 1945, approximately two months after the end of World War II, the United States became the first of 50 countries to ratify the United Nations charter.
Congratulations to our winners: Tim Smith and Dorothy Jayne!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
