McConnell took what he could get. Timing is everything in negotiations, and McConnell had signaled by Monday afternoon that he was ready to move on.
@PunchbowlNews@SenSchumer@LeaderMcConnell Schumer also declared victory. He hadn’t caved to McConnell in their first head-to-head showdown since Democrats won the majority on Jan. 5. That was very important for Schumer.
@PunchbowlNews@SenSchumer@LeaderMcConnell Schumer showed his colleagues toughness against McConnell. And if McConnell overplays his hand by abusing the filibuster to try to derail Biden’s agenda, Schumer may actually get the needed 50 votes required for a rule change sometime down the road.
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We can’t speak for every R or D in the Sweet 16™, but we can say this without a doubt: There’s frustration on the R side that @JoeBiden, @SenSchumer (N.Y.) & Ds appear headed toward taking a one-party approach to Covid relief
Dems controlled all of govt. it took them forever to pass obamacare bc they first waited for Rs to support. then they squirmed
They later regretted doing too little too late. unemployment went to 10%. they lost the majority
Fast-forward to today. Democrats control the White House and Congress again. A new Democratic president faces multiple crises, including a pandemic and severe economic downturn. The federal government has spent trillions of dollars to try to prop up the sputtering economy
Dems want another $1.9 trillion for Covid relief. Some Rs are suggesting they will cooperate -- just like they did in 2009 -- but this time, Democrats say they won’t go halfway or wait to see if Republicans join their efforts.
Sanders doesn’t really seem to like questions about when he will confirm Neera Tanden, President @JoeBiden pick to run the Office of Management and Budget.
@PunchbowlNews@SenSanders@neeratanden@JoeBiden Speaking to reporters last week, Sanders didn’t commit to moving Tanden’s nomination before the Budget Committee finishes putting together a resolution that can be used for Biden’s “American Rescue Plan.”
“I don’t know honestly, we’re working on it,” Sanders said when asked whether Tanden’s nomination may be approved before work on the Covid package is complete.
With fight over the filibuster likely done for now, it’s worth going over what the first few months of this year are going to look like in the upcoming battles between the Democratic leadership and the left. It ain’t pretty
@PunchbowlNews → The filibuster is intact, and that means President Joe Biden’s agenda is going to face serious challenges. But guess what: It’s not just Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema who are against blowing it up.
@PunchbowlNews → Impeachment will likely result in Donald Trump being acquitted. Will they censure him to ensure some punishment?
→ The $1.9 trillion Covid relief package Biden wants faces a massively difficult slog to the finish line.
☀️ Punchbowl AM: Can Democrats get relief done in time?
So what do we think about the prospects of President Joe Biden’s big coronavirus relief bill?
Well, here is something you’ve probably picked up about us -- we’re skeptics. And you won’t be surprised here that we're skeptical Biden can get anything resembling his $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” through Congress. At least not in its current form.
We’re also skeptical that Democrats will be able to pass anything by March 14, which is when $300 weekly federal unemployment payments run out. Reconciliation -- the wonky budget mechanism that triggers a 51-vote threshold for passage in the Senate -- is complicated.
One of the trends we’ve noticed in this Congress is that middle-of-the-road caucuses are getting larger and attempting to grab more power.
@PunchbowlNews We noted yesterday that the bipartisan Senate group that helped lay the groundwork for a Covid deal grew to 16 -- the Senate Sweet 16™, as we’re calling it.
News here from the House: The Problem Solvers Caucus has grown to 56 members, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. @RepJoshG and @RepTomReed chair this group