Sinema, leveraging slim majority and powerhouse fundraising, plays hardball in spending talks
Powerhouse fundraiser Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is still refusing to vote for President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion domestic spending deal after meeting with Biden several times this week. Many House Democrats are now refusing to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure plan Thursday without the assurance that Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will move forward with a larger social spending package.
Alaska may get rid of its campaign contribution limits, but that won’t make races more competitive
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled there is no justification for Alaska’s campaign contribution limits which “significantly restrict the amount of funds available to challengers to run competitively against incumbents.” However, an OpenSecrets analysis has found that not only do low contribution limits not affect the competitiveness of races, raising those limits actually tends to benefit incumbents.
Karen Bass’ congressional campaign could give her bid for Los Angeles mayor a big fundraising head start
When Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, announced her candidacy for Los Angeles mayor on Monday, she positioned herself as a top contender in the race for chief executive of America’s second largest city. Her turn to local politics could set her up for a big fundraising advantage.
USA Gymnastics’ lobbying expenditures surged during height of sex abuse scandal, tax records show
USA Gymnastics, which received widespread condemnation for its handling of the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal in a Senate hearing earlier this month, spent heavily on lobbying activities between 2016 and 2019, years during which the organization received national scrutiny after the abuse scandal broke in 2015.
Breakdown of police reform talks highlights power of police union lobby
Formal talks on bipartisan police reform legislation broke down after the two parties failed to put forward any joint legislation on the issue. That underscores the political power of police unions, which have rallied against reform. The talks began last year amid national outrage after George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed by police in Minnesota.
See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
Dentists’ Group Fights Plan to Cover Dental Benefits Under Medicare(The Wall Street Journal) The ADA is one of Washington’s most powerful health professional organizations, doling out more in campaign contributions last year than even the political-action committee for the American Medical Association, according to OpenSecrets. The ADA’s $2.3 million in lobbying expenditures was more than every other dental group combined.
Democrats promised to slash drug prices. Now internal clashes are standing in the way.(The Washington Post) The Democratic holdouts are among the largest recipients of industry campaign contributions, and several — though not all — have a significant pharma footprint in their districts. The industry is on track to record its largest annual lobbying expenditure since at least 2009, when Democrats last had unified control in Washington, according to data from OpenSecrets.
