House to try again on infrastructure vote
Senators pile on Facebook over internal Instagram research
Democrats desperately try to salvage major infrastructure and reconciliation bills. Manchin says $1.5 trillion is his number. And Congress avoids another government funding lapse and shutdown. This is “Regular Order” for October 1, 2021.
INFRASTRUCTURE. After hours of arm twisting and closed door meetings, Democrats late last night put off a vote on a bipartisan infrastructure bill for a second time this week, as lawmakers and top White House officials renewed talks on a budget reconciliation measure. An infrastructure vote in the House is still possible on Friday.
PELOSI. As the Speaker delayed the infrastructure vote again, the focus turned to a sweeping tax and spending measure. In a letter, Nancy Pelosi tried to convince fellow Democrats that they were closing in on an agreement. “Discussions continue with the House, Senate and White House to reach a bicameral framework agreement,” the Speaker wrote.
PROGRESSIVES. More liberal House Democrats held firm Thursday, saying they would not let the infrastructure bill pass - until there was real progress on a reconciliation deal. “I will not vote for the bipartisan infrastructure without the Senate passing Build Back Better,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).
TAKE THE WIN. But while progressives publicly vowed to vote against the infrastructure deal, other House Democrats said it was the wrong move. “Today’s delay,” said Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), is incredibly disappointing,” while Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA) said “all-at-once or nothing is no way to govern.”
LEGISLATIVE NERD NOTE. The House never adjourned last night - staying in recess - so when lawmakers go back into session this morning, it will still officially be the legislative day of September 30.
MANCHIN. The deal making on the reconciliation measure came into better focus on Thursday, as Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told reporters he favors a plan with a price tag of $1.5 trillion, well below the $3.5 trillion backed by progressive Democrats. That public declaration seemed to trigger a renewed effort to reach a compromise.
BIDEN. The White House last night said a 'great deal of progress' had been made on the reconciliation plan, a key part of the President's agenda. "But we are not there yet," said Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
QUESTION. Yes, progressives want $3.5 trillion in a reconciliation bill. They aren't getting $3.5 trillion. The votes are not there. But they can get $1.5 trillion with Manchin on board. So, do you take that? It all depends on the details, which are in very short supply.
CAPITOL FRIDAY. Both the House and Senate will be in session today, as it’s possible that negotiations could extend into the weekend, with Democrats struggling to get the President’s legislative agenda back on track.
FACEBOOK. Senators used a Thursday hearing to hammer on Facebook, pointing to internal research which found Instagram was especially harmful to the mental health of teenagers. "Facebook's own researchers describe Instagram itself as a quote 'perfect storm,'" said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who accused Facebook of deceiving the public and Congress.
INSTAGRAM. First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the internal review has some blunt conclusions about how the app impacts teens. "Instagram makes them feel worse about themselves," it says at one point. "But, we make body image issues worse for 1 in 3 teen girls," another finding says.
NOT SO FAST. A top Facebook official portrayed the research in a much different light, saying it showed that Instagram helped many teenagers who had felt sadness, experienced loneliness or anxiety, or struggled with suicidal thoughts. Lawmakers were not convinced.
BIPARTISAN. It wasn't just Democrats taking shots at Instagram. "Facebook knows that its services are actively harming young children," said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). It was another example of how Big Tech has become an easy target for lawmakers - but it's not clear that Congress is ready to do anything other than jawbone those social media giants.
NO SHUTDOWN. With Congress behind schedule as usual on the 12 government funding bills, the House and Senate on Thursday approved plans to keep funding the government at last year’s levels through early December. 34 Republicans in the House and 15 GOP Senators joined with all Democrats to vote for the funding package, which also included $28 billion in disaster relief funding.
HURRICANE IDA. The disaster aid helped win over the votes of both Republican Senators from the Bayou State. “If you even glance at the storm damage levied on Louisiana over the last year, you know our people need disaster relief,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).
OMNIBUS. Now the pressure is off until the week after Thanksgiving. Can the two parties cut a deal on next year’s funding bills by then? Or will we have a shutdown showdown again right before Christmas?
CONGRESS SPENDING. As lawmakers approved the temporary funding for Uncle Sam, some GOP lawmakers used the day to blast the way Congress handles the budget. "To date, out of the 12 appropriations bills that need to pass, none of them have had a single vote on the Senate floor," said Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), as he demanded action to rein in spending.
BOTH SIDES. Lankford is right to point out the lack of action in the Senate. When I arrived on Capitol Hill in 1980, Senators would spend much of July and September on funding bills. Not anymore. The Senate has not passed a single spending bill before the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30) since 2018.
FISCAL VS CALENDAR. For many years, I have been convinced that Congress should make the fiscal year the same as the calendar year. Why? Because the Christmas break is about the only way to force a deal.
NEXT CRISIS. With no government shutdown, now the political focus can certainly switch to the debt limit. Treasury Department officials say the U.S. will not be able to fully pay Uncle Sam’s bills beginning on October 18 - which gives Congress two work weeks to duke it out over the debt ceiling.
DEBT LIMIT. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday the debt ceiling should be eliminated. "I believe it's very destructive to put the President and myself, the Treasury secretary, in a situation where we might be unable to pay the bills that result from those past decisions," Yellen told a House panel.
CHANGE. Back in 2017, Donald Trump said the debt limit was 'not necessary,' but he made no effort to try to repeal the law which places a specific limit on how much debt the U.S. can have.
REMINDER. Even if the infrastructure and reconciliation bills never, ever, ever get approved - a debt limit increase is still needed by October 18, dealing with the $7.8 trillion in deficits from the Trump Administration.
PARLIAMENTARY NERD NOTE. The Senate Majority Leader last night set the procedural wheels in motion for the Senate to battle over the debt limit as early as Monday. This amendment graphic will make your head hurt.
SUPREME COURT. The U.S. Supreme Court starts its 2021-22 term on Monday, returning to their courtroom for the first time since the virus outbreak began. But some of the Coronavirus rule changes will stay in place for the Justices. More in my weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
COVID RULES. Speaking of how the government deals with the virus outbreak, Speaker Pelosi on Thursday extended the use of special remote proxy voting rules in the House through November 15.
PROXY VOTING. I checked the Thursday vote on government funding to see who was using remote voting. 18 House members voted by proxy - 12 of the lawmakers were Democrats and 6 were Republicans.
TIE BREAKER. Vice President Kamala Harris scrambled to Capitol Hill on Thursday, as she cast a tie-breaking vote to help stop a filibuster against President Biden's nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That's the ninth tie-breaker cast by Harris, which puts her in ninth place all-time for VP’s.
SENATE. There might have been two more opportunities for Harris to vote on Thursday, but a pair of Republicans skipped out on the next two votes, allowing Democrats to win confirmation of two Biden nominees by 50-48. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) were the two absent GOP Senators.
MUSE OF HISTORY. October 1, 1918. A day after a highly unusual speech before the Senate, President Woodrow Wilson waited to see if his own Democratic Party Senators would approve an amendment to the Constitution allowing women to vote. The numbers were not running in Wilson's favor. "You are about to flout, disparage, repudiate, and humiliate your President," said Sen. Albert Cummins (R-IA). Even the Democratic Leader of the Senate - Sen. Thomas Martin of Virginia - refused to back Wilson, as the constitutional change fell three votes short of the two-thirds supermajority needed, in a 53-31 vote. Congress would finally approve the amendment and send it to the states in June of 1919.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
The House will try again to vote on infrastructure.
The Senate meets at 12 noon.
President Biden’s daily schedule link.
Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree. Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com
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