Omicron surge setting COVID records
Dems denounce Rep. Greene for suggesting a 'national divorce'
The year is ending with a record-setting COVID surge. Some good, some bad for Joe Biden in 2021 statistics. And I want to say ‘thanks’ to my subscribers - and my mother-in-law. This is “Regular Order” for December 30, 2021.
COVID SURGE. New cases of the Coronavirus continued to explode on Wednesday, hitting record levels - averaging just over 300,000 new cases per day - higher than the giant winter surge of one year ago. "In a few short weeks, Omicron has rapidly increased across the country and, we expect, will continue to circulate in the coming weeks," said CDC chief Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
DATA. The highest daily average of new cases last winter was about 250,000 per day - this Omicron surge has already crested over that number. Hospitalizations are up about 14 percent in the last week.
CONGRESS. With Omicron creating more serious medical situations for the unvaccinated, Democrats continue their call for people to get the vaccine. "The science is clear - the best defense against this pandemic is to get vaccinated," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
HOT SPOTS. Cases continue to grow rapidly from Boston to Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, major metro areas like Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Houston, New Orleans, and Memphis show up like a sore thumb on the map.
NEXT WEEK. School is out right now. Many Americans are on a holiday break. But next Monday that changes, as most kids go back to school. That will certainly create a lot of news around the nation - and it will leave Congress and the White House watching mainly from the sidelines.
COVID TRAVEL. Republicans in Congress have reacted angrily in recent days to talk of a possible requirement for air travelers to show they are vaccinated against the Coronavirus. But top public health officials say the idea of such a vaccine requirement seems unlikely at this point.
FAUCI. "Right now, we feel that the masking requirement and the degree of filtration on a plane is sufficient to keep people safe," Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters on Wednesday, though Fauci left the door open a little. "But at this particular time, we do not feel that is necessary to make that a requirement for domestic flights."
CAPITOL ATTACK. Lawyers for Donald Trump on Wednesday again urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up his challenge to a subpoena from the January 6 committee. In a five page brief, Trump argues the panel is “acting as an inquisitorial tribunal seeking evidence of criminal activity” - and not doing any legislative work.
TRUMP. The legal submission came as Trump claimed - without any evidence to support his claim - that the Jan. 6 committee had dropped a series of requests for White House documents. Trump even claimed 'the New York Times refused to put it on the front page.'
CHENEY. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) fact-checked Trump on Twitter, saying the panel hasn't dropped any requests for any documents or anything Trump is trying to block. “We will not allow him to hide the truth about January 6th, or his conduct, from the American people,” Cheney said.
YEAR IN REVIEW. Let’s look at a few statistics to see how 2021 went. One year ago the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 30,403.97 - which was then a record high. Despite virus-related economic troubles, the Dow last night stood at 36,488.63 - another record high.
IMMIGRATION. While the stock market numbers are good for Joe Biden, the figures on illegal immigration over the southern border with Mexico are not. 173,620 people were apprehended by immigration authorities in November. That's up from the 72,113 who came across the border in November 2020.
UNEMPLOYMENT. The nation's jobless rate was 6.7 percent a year ago, and 6.3 percent in January. Now it's down to 4.2 percent. That's a good sign for the U.S. economy - but over 4 million people who lost their jobs when the virus hit in March 2020 remain out of work.
GAS PRICES. If you’ve been on the road, you know you’re paying more for gas. The average price for a gallon of gas nationally is around $3.40. A year ago, it was $2.28/gallon. In December 2019, it was $2.65. Prices are coming down a little, but they are still high.
INFLATION. The Consumer Price Index was up 6.8 percent from November 2020 to November 2021 - the largest increase since mid-1982. One of the biggest culprits was energy prices, which the feds say are up 33.3 percent. Food prices are up 6.1 percent.
DEM V. GOP. It’s very obvious the two parties see things very differently when it comes to the economy right now.
REDISTRICTING. The new Congressional district map in the state of Michigan could create two incumbent versus incumbent primaries in 2022. "I've been strongly encouraged to seek another term," Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) said on Wednesday, as he would have to face fellow GOP Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI).
UPTON. "Michigan's newly drawn 4th Congressional District includes a vast majority of an area that I've proudly represented all my days, including my hometown," Upton said Wednesday. The more moderate Michigan Republican has already been targeted for defeat by Donald Trump.
DEMS. On the Democratic side, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) will battle in a 2022 primary - as Michigan is losing one seat in the U.S. House. Both Democrats have home turf in the new 11th District. But only one can win.
OVERALL. The two races in Michigan would make for a total of five member versus member primaries in the 2022 midterms. Three involve Democrats in Michigan, Georgia, and Illinois; two would be GOP-GOP in Michigan and West Virginia.
CASUALTY LIST. So far, 34 House members won’t be back after the 2022 midterms. These five member-member races would make that 39. The average House turnover in the last four midterm elections is 70 seats.
NATIONAL DIVORCE. I showed you yesterday how Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was chattering away on all sorts of subjects on Twitter during this holiday break. On Wednesday, she endorsed the idea of not letting people vote who move from a Blue State to a Red State, and talked of splitting up the United States.
MRS. GREENE OF GEORGIA. "All is possible in a National Divorce scenario," Greene tweeted. It brought immediate condemnation from Democrats. "There is no 'National Divorce,'" said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). "Just say it if you want a civil war and officially declare yourself a traitor."
GOP. "This is code for civil war," said Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who routinely ridicules Greene on Twitter - like on Wednesday, when he mocked Greene's 15-tweet thread on her phone call with Donald Trump. "It's like a high school freshman wrote this," Kinzinger said.
EDITOR’S NOTE. Today’s edition brings to a close the first year of ‘Regular Order.’ I want to thank all of my subscribers for their support. 2022 promises to be an even more interesting year when it comes to the Congress. Sign up for a daily subscription - or give the gift of straight news to your friends and family.
THANKS. I need to say a special ‘thanks’ to my mother-in-law, who was the first to suggest that I try out Substack - Happy New Year to everyone!
MUSE OF HISTORY. December 30, 1776. At this time, the Revolutionary War was still in doubt, as the United States struggled to preserve its independence from Great Britain. On this date, the Continental Congress tried to make sure enough supplies were available for the military, approving a plan to prohibit the export of 'Bacon, Salted Beef and Pork, Soap, Tallow and Candles," beginning on January 5, 1777. The Congress also called on Germany and Prussia 'to assist the United States in the present war with Great Britain by attacking any British possessions in Europe or the East and West Indies.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
Next votes in the House will be the week of January 10.
Next votes in the Senate will be on January 3.
President Biden’s daily schedule link.
Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree. Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com
See the full Regular Order archive.
Glad you listened to your MIL!
Congratulations on your first year! I love it!