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The opening moves are over. Democrats trying to craft the potentially historic Build Back Better bill are now working through the difficult middle game.

Talks are hovering around a rough figure -- $1.9 to $2.2 trillion, ​​down from a proposed $3.5 trillion -- distributed across a number of programs. Now the discussion is moving to specifics. What stays and what goes?

Among the large provisions on the initial chopping block is a significant piece of the Biden climate change agenda -- the Clean Electricity Protection Program, “CEPP” for short. Progressive and moderate sources indicate to the PBS NewsHour that this idea is likely now going to be left out of a final deal.

Here’s a closer look at what it involves and where it fits in the larger climate action debate.

* The goal: to force the U.S. electric grid away from coal and other fossil fuels. This is Democrats’ attempt at moving toward a clean-energy standard for the country, without creating a strict mandate.
* How does that happen? CEPP uses both carrots and sticks. It would penalize utility companies that do not move at a fast-enough pace to renewable fuels while rewarding those that do. It is essentially a way to put a price on carbon use in electricity.
* OK, but how, specifically? CEPP requires utility companies to ramp up the amount of renewable fuel they use by 4 percent each year. Those that meet that target would receive federal grants. Those that don’t would pay penalties to the federal government.
* What options do the utilities have? They can purchase renewable certificates and essentially trade with others that have surplus renewable gains.
* Would it work?
+ Advocates say CEPP uses the strongest motivation -- money -- to drive the energy industry toward lower-emission fuels more quickly.
+ Critics lambast the idea as dangerous, arguing that the government is dictating business decisions for a critical industry.
+ In addition, it is not clear which utility companies could meet the annual target, and how.
* What’s the cost? House Democrats set aside some $150 billion for the program, but some analysts believe it could bring in revenue, rather than cost money, in some years.

The Manchin problem: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key vote, has made it clear he does not like the idea. His argument: Electric utilities are already moving toward renewable fuels and this is a waste of government money. Negotiators have now privately agreed that this likely must go in order to help get his must-have vote in the 50/50 Senate.

FIVE OVERLOOKED POLITICAL STORIES FROM THE PAST WEEK
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz & Saher Khan, @SaherMKhan
Politics

Democrats narrowly best GOP in House campaign fundraising ([link removed]) - Oct. 14. The fundraising arms of both the Democratic and Republican parties are raking in millions of dollars to put toward House and Senate races in 2022. Why it matters: The impressive numbers from both parties indicate that voters are energized as Democrats and Republicans battle for narrow margins on who controls the chambers of Congress. -- The Associated Press

The Decision That Could Doom Democrats for a Decade ([link removed]) - Oct. 18. Though Democrats have for years pushed nonpartisan redistricting commissions as a way to draw fairer districts, in some states the move could put Democratic incumbents in jeopardy. Why it matters: Without the U.S. adopting nonpartisan commissions as national policy, giving up the power to draw voting lines in certain states could have big electoral consequences. -- The Atlantic

Bipartisan Support for Red Flag Laws Wanes as GOP Blocks Bills ([link removed]) Oct 18. Republican support is fading for so-called red flag gun laws, which help prevent people who could be a threat to themselves or others from obtaining a firearm. Why it matters: Three years since a deadly shooting at high school in Parkland, Florida, sparked youth-led protests around gun violence, momentum for stricter laws around guns seems to be waning in favor of issues like voting rights and police reform. -- Stateline

Cities seek to loosen rules on spending federal pandemic aid ([link removed]) - Oct 18. Some municipalities say the way the Treasury Department calculates lost revenue is masking the depth of their losses, making certain projects ineligible that would have had a big community impact. Why it matters: Cities and states have been slow to spend the $350 billion that became available to them starting in May, and now, some municipalities say they will delay spending until the Treasury clarifies some of its rules, defeating the purpose of making aid available in the first place. -- The Associated Press

Despite promises to lift some Trump sanctions, Biden leaves Cuba in deep freeze ([link removed]) . - Oct. 18. Former President Donald Trump pursued policies aimed at undoing former President Barack Obama’s relaxing of rules around Cuba, including suspending remittances, cutting travel from U.S. citizens to the island, and placing Cuba on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism. But Biden has not acted to loosen any of these restrictions, as expected, and in some cases has tightened them.Why it matters: Biden’s lack of action on Cuba serves as another example for a small group of critics who argue that Biden’s approach to foreign policy may not ultimately be so far off from Trump’s.. -- Los Angeles Times

#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Tess Conciatori, @tkconch ([link removed])
Politics producer

Tonight, the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with his subpoena. Bannon is claiming his conversations with Trump, the former president, fall under executive privilege -- a principle that is not explicitly stated in the Constitution, but has been accepted as an inherent power of a sitting president to withhold some information from Congress.

Our question: The idea of “executive privilege” goes back to George Washington, but which president was the first to coin the term?

Send your answers to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.

Last week, we asked: What was the original name of the White House?

The answer: The executive mansion.

Congratulations to our winners: Robert Schmid and Dorothy Jayne !

Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.

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