Biden blasts Supreme Court over affirmative action ruling
Student loan decision expected this morning
Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for June 30, 2023:
Rep. George Santos (R-NY) heads back to court.
Congress quiet on latest spy balloon story.
Dems let Biden go first on ‘Bidenomics.’
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. President Biden and Congressional Democrats harshly criticized the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, after a 6-3 ruling which said colleges and universities cannot use race as a factor in their admissions programs. "In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race," the Chief Justice wrote.
OPINION. "Many universities have for too long done just the opposite," Chief Justice Roberts concluded. "And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin." Read the ruling at this link.
BIDEN. In remarks at the White House, the President made clear his anger. "The Court has effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions," Biden said. "This is not a normal Court," the President added, as he labeled the decision a 'severe disappointment.'
GOP. Republicans on Capitol Hill hailed the ruling. "Success in our nation must be measured by merit and content of character, not skin color," said Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA). "College admissions should never be based on race, rather it should be based on a student’s merits," said Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN).
STUDENT LOANS. This is expected to be the final day of the Court's 2022-23 term. Three cases remain to be decided by the Supreme Court - two of them on President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. One case was brought by a group of GOP-led states; the other was spearheaded by a conservative group. Both argue the President overstepped his authority.
GOP. While I don't expect Republicans to sugarcoat their opposition to anything President Biden proposes, the vitriol his student loan plan has received has been quite notable. For example, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) called it a "reckless, unconstitutional, immoral student loan transfer scheme."
FINAL CASE. The last decision expected today is a challenge to a Colorado anti-discrimination law, involving a web designer who doesn't want to make websites for same-sex couples.
BIDEN PROBES. One thing that Republicans are very good about is making charges and giving voice to allegations about President Biden and his family. One thing that the GOP is not as good at is following up with concrete evidence to back up those claims. That's been especially true in the Hunter Biden investigation.
DETAILS. Several times, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) has offered little on Fox News about his probes. On Thursday, Comer was asked to detail what Biden had done wrong. "The crime is trading policy for money," Comer said. When asked which policy - he had no answer. "We're going to get into that."
TAPES. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) said a few weeks ago that there were audio tapes of Hunter Biden. It created a big stir. Now, it seems like there are no tapes. Comer has said he had witnesses who knew about wrongdoing. Then, he said those witnesses have disappeared.
HE SAID SHE SAID. As for IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, he has told Congress that officials blocked the prosecutor running the Hunter Biden case from filing charges. The Attorney General has denied that. Now the U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. has denied it.
MCCARTHY. "Someone is lying," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday about the Hunter Biden investigation. Garland said last week that the prosecutor in charge of the case ‘was given complete authority.'
IMPEACHMENT. So far, Republicans have filed a dozen different impeachment resolutions in the House, targeting President Biden, VP Harris, the FBI Director, Attorney General, DHS Secretary, and even a federal prosecutor. (Congress has impeached a Cabinet member only once in history.) Yes - this may become the Impeachment Congress. More in my column this week for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
REGULAR ORDER. I know it’s a big deal to spend money so some nerdy reporter can send you a daily email from Capitol Hill. I just saw one of my newsletter competitors now wants over $3,000/year. You can hire me for a heck of a lot less. Not many people get to walk the halls of the Capitol (and get hassled by the cops on a regular basis). So, sign up, give a gift subscription, or just buy me a drink.
SPY BALLOON. Lawmakers in Congress were very, very quiet yesterday after a Wall Street Journal report which said the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by U.S fighter jets earlier this year - never sent back any photographs, data, or other intelligence to Beijing, after a lengthy flight across the United States mainland.
PENTAGON. "We were aware that it had intelligence collection capabilities, but it has been our assessment now that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States," Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters at a Pentagon briefing.
NO NOTHING. Gen. Ryder - under repeated questioning - not only claimed the spy balloon did not send back any information to Beijing, but did not take any pictures or do anything, period. "As we said at the time, we also took steps to mitigate the potential collection efforts of that balloon," Ryder added.
UP, UP, AND AWAY. Earlier this week, Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) issued an ominous warning, that residents of his home state of Montana were tracking a balloon flying at 57,000 feet. Rosendale contacted the Pentagon, but was not pleased with the military's answer, which was basically that the balloon was not a threat.
NOT THE CHINESE. So, what was it? Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) had the answer. "This is an Aerostar balloon," Johnson tweeted on Thursday about the South Dakota company, which bills itself as a 'world leader in the design, manufacture, integration, and operation of stratospheric balloon platforms and airships for near space applications.'
BIDENOMICS. While President Biden is talking about ‘Bidenomics,’ Congressional Democrats for the most part still aren't embracing the term, but a few tiptoed out to help on Thursday. "What's Bidenomics?" asked Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). "It's growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out, like adding 13 million jobs in two years."
GOP. Republicans yesterday continued to mock Biden, as the economy is one of their biggest points of attack. "I heard President Biden talk about his economic agenda yesterday," said Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday. "He calls it “Bidenomics.” The rest of us call it a disaster."
METRICS. The numbers on this will be fairly easy to compare and contrast. To me, four main figures stand out - the jobless rate, inflation, gas prices, and food prices. But both parties will be able to cherry pick data to bolster their own arguments. We’ll get new jobless figures next Friday.
VIVA DE LA SANTOS. Lawyers for embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) will be in a New York federal court today for the first substantive hearing on his case since the GOP Congressman was indicted on 13 charges last month. Santos is expected to be on hand for the hearing.
GOP. Earlier this week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy laughed at suggestions that he was on board with a Santos bid for a second term. "No, he shouldn't run for reelection," McCarthy said on Fox News. "We're going to keep that seat with another Republican," McCarthy added.
PROTESTS. Santos may hear some Bronx cheers outside the courthouse on Long Island today, as critics have scheduled a rally to coincide with his appearance. Santos says he’s still running for reelection. "Speaker McCarthy’s comments do not change my intention," Santos said.
ON THE LAM. A number of you had questions about an item I had in Thursday’s newsletter, about the January 6 defendant who didn't show up for a scheduled hearing - for a second time. A federal judge has set a hearing for today at 5 pm for Marc Bru, who has spent recent days taunting law enforcement and online groups who track January 6 suspects.
BOOTLEGGER777. On Twitter, Bru on Thursday called the FBI 'inept and fraudulent,' saying the U.S. military is 'obligated to intervene' - as Bru made a number of posts which clearly signal his more conservative political leanings.
POSTS. Earlier this week, Bru said he wasn't showing up for anything. "I'm done entertaining their bullshit," Bru said in a text which was posted on Twitter. "If they want me they will come get me.."
COURT. The feds didn't ask Judge James Boasberg to issue an arrest warrant for Bru - but they did lay out his antics in this court document.
RAP SHEET. Next Thursday will mark two and a half years since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump - and the arrests continue in that investigation. A Tennessee man was arrested this week for joining with other rioters in trying to push through a line of police blocking a tunnel entrance to the Capitol.
TUNNEL. In that same group, a Missouri man was also arrested this week on felony and misdemeanor charges from Jan. 6. Kyle Kumer allegedly encouraged rioters in a 'heave-ho' movement against a group of police trying to keep the crowds from entering on the West Front of the Capitol.
MUSE OF HISTORY. June 30, 1902. As lawmakers rushed to finish the First Session of the 57th Congress, the House approved a plan to hire temporary workers to ferry materials to the Government Printing Office. The House Clerk was allowed to hire 'three bicycle messengers, for day and night service' to take documents to the GPO for printing in the Congressional Record. They would be paid $5 per day to make that nearly one-mile trek from the Capitol.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House does not have votes until July 11.
The Senate next has votes on July 10.
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First of all, thank you Jamie for all you do for this newsletter. Nearly every morning, I learn something from you that I didn't see anywhere else. That important for people, to have someone right there with their ears open...and not just to the biggest story of the day. Also, I've seen you mention a couple of times that you "get hassled by the cops on a regular basis." What's with that? Hopefully you can explain one day (without getting into any hot water.)
My take on that article...subsidies to higher education have artificially inflated college tuitions. More subsidies will make it worse, not better. Anything free (or greatly discounted) is misallocated. I consider the last sentence to be a law of nature.