POLITICO NIGHTLY: What Biden should learn from Obamacare

 

BY ELANA SCHOR Presented by With help from Tyler Weyant BIDEN LIKES HIS PLAN AND TRIES TO KEEP IT — 2021 is not 2009, many allies of the Biden White House volunteered earlier this year when discussing Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill. The new president, they said, had learned the lessons of the Obama years and was ready to go big on economic recovery, then spend real time selling his plan. And when the American Rescue Plan passed in March, it seemed like Team Biden was right. Nearly five months later, the lessons look a lot less clear. President Joe Biden’s early pandemic relief plan could be compared to Barack Obama’s post-financial crisis stimulus bill, also passed into law within weeks of Democrats taking full control of Washington. And the current infrastructure debate can be likened — purely politically speaking — to the next big lift Obama took up. I’m referring, of course, to the Affordable Care Act. Just like Obama did on health care, Biden has sought to bring Republicans into the fold on infrastructure to the extent he can, appearing alongside five of them at the White House and later walking back his own remarks on legislative strategy to assuage GOP senators. Just like Obama did on health care, Biden made his first foray on infrastructure in the spring only to find himself on the doorstep of August and still waiting for his former colleagues in Congress to shape a durable agreement. A pedestrian walks past the Leading Insurance Agency, which offers plans under the Affordable Care Act, in Miami. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images Obama’s health care push took until 2010 to complete, after an August 2009 recess when constituent pushback at lawmakers’ town halls portended the tea party wave that crashed in the next midterm elections. There’s no way to tell now whether Biden’s infrastructure push will meet a similar fate. Polling suggests that its core components, particularly spending to shore up the nation’s rickety roads and bridges, are popular with voters. Still, the infrastructure proposal doesn’t need to spark 2009-style fury in battleground congressional districts to remain a touchy issue on Capitol Hill. Twelve years and two presidents ago, the House and Senate didn’t end up passing their respective health care bills until November and December of 2009. Obama seemed on the verge of a major first-term achievement, passed by his filibuster-proof Senate majority. Then former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) scored a shocking 2010 victory in a special election to fill Democrats’ 60th Senate seat, held by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) until his death the previous summer. Democrats ended up having to push their entire health care package through using — here’s a familiar term — the budget reconciliation process. The Democrats are planning to use that same tactic this year to pass much of Biden’s domestic agenda without needing a single GOP vote. But what if we are a few months away from a Scott-Brown-type shocker that pushes the infrastructure debate well into 2022, or kills it entirely? It’s extremely possible. And it’s worth remembering that the March 2010 signing of the Affordable Care Act didn’t stop Obama’s Democrats from suffering huge defeats in that fall’s midterms. Which brings us to the most important calendar comparison of the first two years of the Biden presidency: not whether 2021 is 2009, but how much 2022 will be like 2010. Biden and his party are hoping they can avoid unforeseen obstacles, beat the clock and sell their infrastructure plan — both the concrete-project component that’s wobbling ahead of a test vote later this week , and its $3.5 trillion social spending counterpart — a lot better this year than the last Democratic administration did 11 years ago. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas for us at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author directly at eschor@politico.com or @eschor. A message from AARP: Americans are sick of paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs — more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. The President, members of Congress in both parties, and the people agree: we must cut drug prices. By giving Medicare the power to negotiate, we can save hundreds of billions of dollars. Tell Congress: Cut prescription drug prices now.   WHAT'D I MISS? — McCarthy zeroes in on his GOP picks for Jan. 6 select committee: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has homed in on five Republicans whom he’s looking to tap for the Democrat-led select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. While McCarthy took his time deciding between naming more experienced members to the probe, filling his seats with firebrands, and refusing to tap any members at all, he ultimately chose to go with the former route. His anticipated selections have the committee leadership and oversight chops to counter Democrats, who are expected to use the select panel to hammer Donald Trump and the GOP for fueling the deadly assault on the Capitol. — U.S. to begin housing Afghan refugees at Virginia military base: Some of the Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. war effort will be temporarily housed at a U.S. Army base about 140 miles south of Washington while they await approval of their visas. The first round of applicants will be taken to Fort Lee, Va., according to a congressional official who viewed a National Security Council notification sent to Capitol Hill today. — Biden recasts criticism of Facebook over vaccine misinformation: Biden today walked back his declaration that Facebook is “killing people” by not acting forcefully enough to combat vaccine-related misinformation. “I’m trying to get people to look in the mirror, think about that misinformation going to your son, your daughter, your relative, someone you love. That’s what I’m asking,” Biden said following a speech touting the economic recovery and making his case for the infrastructure proposals being negotiated in Congress. — Canada to open border Aug. 9 to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers: Canada will ease border restrictions for fully vaccinated, discretionary travelers from the United States on Aug. 9 before loosening the Covid-19 measures for those from other countries on Sept. 7. The Trudeau government’s announcement today followed months of pressure on Ottawa and Washington to ease the rules on nonessential travel at the Canada-U.S. frontier. — Senate Democrats propose requiring women to register for military draft: Senate Democrats are proposing a sweeping rewrite of the military draft laws to require women to register for the Selective Service System, according to a draft authored by Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed and obtained by POLITICO. The bill would reignite a contentious debate over whether women should be required to register for the draft, a move the House and Senate have each considered in recent years, though the change has never become law.   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.     — Christie nabs role courting big donors for Republican governors group: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been tapped to co-chair a new fundraising program aimed at helping Republicans in 2022 governor races , a role that will allow him to maintain his national profile as he weighs a 2024 presidential bid. Christie will help to spearhead the Republican Governors Association’s Victory 2022 Board, an enterprise devoted to expanding the committee’s donor network. He will be joined by Michelle Malek Olson, the finance chair for Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Glenn Youngkin and the daughter of Fred Malek, a major GOP financier who died in 2019. — Attorney general sets new limits for when DOJ can seize reporters’ records: The Department of Justice will no longer use compulsory legal processes to seize information from people working in the news media who are acting “within the scope of their newsgathering activities,” Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in a memo today.       AROUND THE WORLD COALITION OF THE CONDEMNING — The EU, the U.K. and NATO joined the White House today in condemning cyberattacks on Microsoft servers by hackers based in China , though the EU stopped short of blaming the Chinese government. Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Canada also joined the coalition, as Biden's administration opened a new front against China by mustering a wider network of like-minded partners. ‘STRONGER THAN IT WAS BEFORE’ — That’s Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, in reference to gains by the hardline Taliban insurgents as the U.S. withdraws. POLITICO's newest newsletter, National Security Daily, has much more from Khalilzad and other experts on the situation on the ground in Afghanistan. Sign up today to receive the latest on defense, national security and foreign policy.   SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.     NIGHTLY NUMBER More than 650 tons The amount of dead marine wildlife floating in southwest Florida waterways as a result of a new red tide algae bloom. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ critics over the last week have criticized the Republican governor for his response to the algae bloom, urging him to take more drastic measures before the problem becomes worse. PARTING WORDS SHOWSTOPPER — Nightly’s Tyler Weyant emails from the shores of Assawoman Bay in Ocean City, Md.: I went to my first concert since being vaccinated last night. It was at Seacrets, a popular Ocean City night club, and yes, it was the suspendered and straw-hatted cover band The Amish Outlaws. Through the rapidly changing genres of songs and falling confetti, I kept thinking about one thing: the Delta variant. At this point, you may have questions. Tyler, you were at a crowded concert, even though you synthesize Covid coverage every day? Weren’t you worried or afraid? Not really, because I trust the vaccines. Are the Amish Outlaws real? Yes, they are quite real. A follow-up, then: If you weren’t afraid, why were you thinking about the Delta variant? It’s a good question. I hadn’t thought about it on my way there. I was focused on a fun night out with family members whom I haven’t been able to see much during the throes of Covid. I’d say it was sometime between “We Are the Champions” and “Blinding Lights” that I began to grapple with a set of realizations in my mind. They went something like this: “Oh dear goodness, this crowd is screaming lyrics to songs left and right, and I bet a good portion aren’t vaccinated, and holy cow, look at that woman just screaming and sloshing her drink around, goodness, let me pull up the New York Times map of vaccination rates, but wait I probably shouldn’t, but it will only take a second, first hold on a second … PAAAAAANAMA. PANAMA-A-A-A-A-A.” To answer another follow-up, yes, I am considered fun at parties. But more seriously, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about my moment of panic. It was a sharp reminder of the risk assessments even the vaccinated have to make if we want to return to the things we loved before March 2020. We all have a choice to make: Either we trust the vaccines, and go out and live our lives, or we revert back to the state of isolation and fear that none of us cared for before our shots. I am trying to choose the former. At the end of the night, my family and I donned our masks and hopped in an Uber, the only time in my entire evening I saw anyone wearing them. I was still a little nervous, but in my mind I recited a mantra: “You’re vaccinated, you’re fine, you need to relax.” As I got ready for bed, listening to David Lee Roth in my headphones, I thought two things: Gosh, wasn’t it nice to be with family again. And gosh, I hope there are no breakthrough cases. A message from AARP: It’s outrageous that Americans pay more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. And these unfair prices keep going up. Even during the pandemic and financial crisis, the prices of more than 1,000 drugs were increased. It’s time for the President and Congress to cut prescription drug prices. Currently, Medicare is prohibited by law from using its buying power to negotiate with drug companies to get lower prices for people. This must change. Giving Medicare the power to negotiate will save hundreds of billions of dollars. And the American people agree. In a recent AARP survey of Americans 50+, a vast majority supported allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, including 88% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans. Tell Congress: Act now to lower prescription drug prices. Let Medicare negotiate.   Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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Biden makes HUGE move on Gitmo

 

Today’s Action: Pass the For The People Act!

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Today's Top Stories:

Biden administration transfers its first detainee from Guantánamo Bay
President Joe Biden has begun efforts to finally close the detention facility at the US enclave on the southeast coast of Cuba.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Republican senator embarrasses himself on Fox News
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy fumbled over his words as he attempted with a straight face to blame Democrats for politicizing vaccinations.

Take Action: Add your name to call for EVERY STATE to expand Medicaid to those who need it!

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Texas Democrats FINALLY dish on Manchin conversation
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: About time.

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"Eloquently nasty" spyware from Israeli firm was reportedly used against dozens of journalists, politicians, activists
Military-grade spyware developed and licensed by the private Israeli firm NSO Group was found on the smartphones of 23 journalists, business executives, human rights activists, and at least one woman close to murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Take Action: Tell Congress to hold big tech accountable for their anti-democracy monopolies that trample the rights of regular Americans!

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Trump and Giuliani could face criminal investigation in Arizona over their attempts to overturn election
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs wrote to the state's Attorney General Mark Brnovich to urge him to launch a criminal investigation into Trump and his allies over the potential violations of state election laws following revelations of a coordinated pressure campaign to stop the counting of ballots in Maricopa County.

Take Action: Tell Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to listen to HER OWN STATE and abolish the damn filibuster!

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Former surgeon general says CDC "premature" to ease mask rules as delta variant spreads
Dr. Jerome Adams expressed regret over his dismissal of masks early in the pandemic and warned against repeating his mistake in the face of the highly transmissible variant.

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Gloria Richardson, influential yet largely unsung civil rights pioneer, dies at 99
"She did it because it needed to be done, and she was born a leader."

Take Action: Tell Schumer: The infrastructure bill MUST include the climate justice and equity!

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Kamala Harris heads to Walter Reed for routine checkup following meeting with Texas Democrats who later tested positive for virus
Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson for Harris, said that the vice president and her staff at the meeting were not at risk of exposure to the virus and the routine appointment was unrelated.

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Matt Gaetz accidentally poses with prankster for beach photo
"People think you're a pedophile!"

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Security forces, police ignored assassinated Haitian president's final pleas for help
Foreign mercenaries got past at least three police checkpoints on the road to Jovenel Moïse’s house and past presumably dozens of security agents inside his walled-off compound to gain access to his second-floor bedroom.

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Chinese government recruiting criminal hackers to attack Western targets
The Biden administration and US allies blamed the Chinese government for a sprawling web of cyberattacks, including a blizzard of hacks into Microsoft email servers in March and intrusions for which Beijing partnered with cyber criminals.

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Seriously?

England leaps into unknown, lifting restrictions as virus surges

Doc accused of groping, harassing 24 women allowed to practice again

Pence says CRT teaches kindergarteners to be ashamed of skin color

Meanwhile...

Wildfire explodes near Lake Tahoe, forcing hundreds to flee

4 die at Michigan music festival from carbon monoxide poisoning

31 dead in Mumbai after torrential rains

Coco Gauff tests positive, will miss Olympics

Hope...

Stunning Perseid meteor shower 2021 is upon us

Appeals court upholds CDC virus restrictions on cruise ships

70 percent of service members have received 1st dose of vaccine

Surgeon general says 'no value' in locking people up for weed

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Today’s Action: Pass the For The People Act!

This past week, Texas Democrats heroically left the Lone Star state en masse in opposition to sweeping GOP voter suppression laws being hammered through Gov. Abbott’s special legislative session. Abbott has been unable to find any legitimate examples of voter fraud to appease Trump, but that’s not stopping him from attempting to make it harder for millions of working class Texans to vote following 2020’s record turnout.

Texas Democrats are holding strong against 21st-century Jim Crow restrictions. By breaking quorum they were able to temporarily stop the GOP’s vote, but are now facing the very real threat of arrest upon their return. With this sacrifice, they are hoping to call national attention to the need for stronger federal voting protections. 

The passage of federal voting protections is our last line of defense against GOP voter suppression laws. Call (202-224-3121) or email your senators and tell them to work to end the filibuster and pass the For The People Act immediately!

Texas Democrats aren’t the only ones who need our support. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) led a group of Black women into the Hart Senate Office Building last week in peaceful protest against the disenfranchisement of marginalized voters happening across the country. She was arrested within minutes of being told to leave — notably quicker than any of the thousands of insurrectionists threatening the Capitol on January 6th. The disparities of treatment are clear.

Legislators like Joyce Beatty and Texas Democrats are working nonstop in Washington, DC to protect their most marginalized constituents’ right to vote. Every one of our elected representatives should be fighting for the same.

Call (202-224-3121) or email your senators and demand that they pass a sweeping federal voter protection efforts through the For the People Act now, and remind them our democracy depends on it!

PS — Please don't forget to sign the petition telling President Biden and Congress to close Guantanamo Bay, and be sure to follow OD Action on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

GOP rep invents wild conspiracy to attack Biden, vaccines

 

Breaking: Charlottesville removes Robert E. Lee statue that sparked deadly white supremacist, pro-Trump rally

Today's Top Stories:

GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn said offering vaccines door-to-door could lead to the government confiscating guns and bibles
Don't forget the Trump flags, Madison! They'll be coming for those, too!

Take Action: Add your name to Stand with Dr. Fauci against Jim Jordan’s smears!

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Republican governor takes swipe at Biden. Jen Psaki isn't having it
Republicans are feigning outrage over President Biden's efforts to encourage reluctant Americans to get vaccinated, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki reminded them the alternative is literally killing people.

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Brian Tyler Cohen finally interviews a REPUBLICAN congressman
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: About time.

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Biden fires top official at Social Security Administration after he refuses to resign
Andrew Saul, a holdover from the Trump administration, was fired on Friday for taking "actions that run contrary to the mission of the agency and [President Biden's] policy agenda," according to the White House.

Take Action: Add your name to tell Senate Democrats to DUMP THE FILIBUSTER!

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Rick Santorum caught on tape saying Republicans "don't want the people's will to be done immediately"
Ah, democracy. Where one party games the system to openly thwart the wishes of the majority and calls it freedom.

Take Action: Overturn laws that ban teaching students THE TRUTH about systemic racism!

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Biden tells Putin Russia must crack down on cybercriminals
The warning to Putin on Friday was largely a repetition of the tough rhetoric Biden had used during their meeting in Geneva last month, when he warned that there would be consequences for continuing cyberattacks emanating from Russia.

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CDC pushes for school reopening amid concerns over Delta variant
The CDC issued guidance strongly in favor of in-person instruction, while reminding that prevention measures — masking, social distancing — will help keep teachers and students safe.

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NDLB releases first ad of the campaign, and it pulls no punches
No Dem Left Behind: "Republicans are terrorists."

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Trump reportedly furious with Don Jr's "annoying" girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle
Guilfoyle — the former Fox News personality who was fired over sexual harassment claims — raised eyebrows during the 2020 presidential campaign for bragging that she would give lap dances to big money donors.

Take Action: Add your name to demand corporations stop funding Anti-LGBTQ+ Republicans!

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Kentucky economy is "on fire" as Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear announces record $1.1 billion budget surplus
Good governance, good stewardship, great results. Maybe more red states should give blue a try.

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Stewart Rhodes, founder of far-right Oath Keepers militia, spotted at CPAC
No biggie, just a violent extremist mingling with mainstream, "establishment" members of the GOP.

Take Action: Tell DOJ: No white supremacists in federal law enforcement!

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Trump’s tech lawsuit already turning into fundraising scheme
MAGA supporters think they’re signing on to a class-action lawsuit against social media companies. What they’re really signing on to is a fundraising email list.

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Not good...

GM recalling half a million vehicles over exploding airbags

Cyber firm accidentally exposes major Microsoft security flaw

Appeals court axes FDA ban of electric shock on the disabled

New virus surge sending younger patients to Spain’s hospitals

Even worse...

Condo death toll rises to 79

52 killed in factory fire as workers trapped by illegally locked door

More abortion restrictions in US have been enacted this year than in any other

Haiti asks US to send troops after president's assassination

Hope...

Giant pandas no longer endangered after population growth

Biden issues executive order to protect airline passengers

Cat from 9th floor of collapsed condo found, reunited with family

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PS — Please don't forget to sign the petition calling out Republicans taking credit for the Rescue Plan they opposed, and be sure to follow OD Action on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.