Food and ag reporter @politico covering the Hill + Biden admin. Minnesota raised. meredithlee(at)politico(dot)com
Oct 10, 2023 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
News: McCarthy supporters currently plan to nominate him at top of speaker elex + vote for him as long as possible, to deny Scalise + Jordan enough votes for some time.
Rs involved expect 60 to 80 Rs at this pt to vote for McCarthy initially, if he’s nominated as planned
1/6
“I believe that Kevin McCarthy will allow himself to be put on the ballot,” John Duarte (R-Calif) tells me
2/6
May 28, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
further restrictions on SNAP + TANF access for low-income Americans are included in the debt limit deal, per 2 ppl
Dems have carveouts for homeless + veterans in some cases, but the move will enrage a wide swath of Hill Dems, esp progs who pleaded w/ WH officials in recent days
as @politico reported - the WH signaled more than a week ago that it was willing to accept some work requirement expansions for key aid programs - even as key Hill dems publicly pressed Biden not to agree to any concessions
The CEOs of four meatpacking companies that control 85% of the beef sector are testifying before the House Ag Committee tmrw for the first time since Biden + some lawmakers have accused them of driving up food prices via anti-competitive behavior
Peek at some testimony 👇
Cargill, JBS, Tyson Foods + National Beef Packing will testify
Tyson’s head Donnie King will argue inflation, high production costs, labor shortages, supply crunches + other factors are inflating food prices, nothing else
Lawmakers plan to grill him on recent sky-high profits
Oct 31, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
"Just had to open a field hospital," Biden says in Milwaukee as covid surges in Wisconsin. "That's what we're facing."
He's talking to a group of about 50 people, keeping his mask on as he speaks
Biden in Milwaukee on Trump repeating false claim that hospitals are inflating covid deaths for $:
"Did you hear what he said today? He said today at a rally that our doctors are the problem...He said they're making up deaths from covid-19 bc they get more money."
"My lord."
Oct 30, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
On a call w/ governors today, Dr. Birx said 1/3 of the US is a covid hotspot
Just before Trump held a rally w/ hundreds in WI, she told guvs WI, ND, SD & MT aren't improving & slowing spread requires “every single person in your states" masking, distancing & limiting gatherings
Trump had floated a vaccine before Nov 3, but Fauci made clear earliest US could have a viable vaccine is late Dec. Doses could go out on EUA late Dec or early Jan
Gen Perna of WH Operation Warp Speed vaccine effort said goal is to start distro w/in 24 hrs of EUA via McKesson
Oct 30, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Trump again claims there are "25,000" who want to go to his rally in Rochester, MN today, but state covid restrictions only allow for a gathering of 250 people
"They'll have a lot of people outside," Trump says, suggesting an overflow crowd, which would still violate rules
While the Trump campaign made a fuss today about MN @GovTimWalz's covid EO that limits gatherings to 250 people, WH pool notes "a large overflow crowd could be seen behind the event itself"
Jun 1, 2020 • 19 tweets • 4 min read
Trump's call w/ governors today was "off the rails from the start" per several people listening.
Trump told govs per source: "If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time, they are gonna run over you, you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks."
Trump also told governors he wants states to enact laws against flag burning.
