With just over a week left to settle funding for the government before Congress skips out of town for the final month of campaigning, the usual scramble is on in the Capitol. The stop-gap government funding bill, or continuing resolution, continues to bubble away in the background while leadership negotiates and works with the White House to figure out what requests for supplemental funding and various other items are going to be tacked on to the must-pass bill. While that’s going on, the legislative landscape keeps shifting as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer evaluate what’s doable (and what’s politically helpful) in this last push before the November election.
For the House, that means introducing and rushing the Presidential Election Reform Act to the floor for a Wednesday vote. That vote was in question for a bit of the day when a long-sought and hotly negotiated policing reform deal emerged. But the House has moved on to the election reform bill from Jan. 6 committee members Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Liz Cheney (R-WY). They also fast-tracked the politicking reform package for a vote as soon as Thursday.
The just-released package includes “grants for police training and recruitment; addressing mental health crises; preventing community violence prevention and solving gun crimes,” according to Politico. In addition to funding recruitment and training for police—which moderates had been clamoring for—it includes language progressives have insisted on for police accountability.
Wednesday, Sep 21, 2022 · 9:07:01 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
The PERA passed in the House, 229-203. Nine Republicans—none of whom are returning next year—voted with Democrats in support.
“After significant, deliberate negotiations, we are pleased to share that … the bill will include a number of reforms to ensure funds are used to support smaller police departments, to invest in de-escalation and other important training, and for data collection and mental health,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA.) said in a statement in support of the bills.
Over in the Senate, in addition to continuing the confirmation process, Schumer decided to take up the DISCLOSE Act, legislation that requires donor disclosure for dark money groups. In announcing that he would bring the bill this week, Schumer said it would “fight the cancer of dark money in our elections and require dark money groups to report campaign contributions.”
President Joe Biden lent his support to the bill Tuesday. “Dark money has become so common in our politics. I believe sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I acknowledge it’s an issue for both parties,” Biden said Tuesday at the White House. “But here’s the key difference: Democrats in the Congress support more openness and accountability. Republicans in Congress, so far, don’t.”
In a footnote to the government funding fight, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) seems to be fighting a losing battle on his latest hobby horse: making it easier for the fossil fuel industry to get permits to rape the land. He made a deal with Schumer to secure his vote on the Inflation Reduction Act in August, making an agreement that the permitting bill would be attached to the continuing resolution. Unfortunately, no one else made that agreement. House leadership seems not to want to pick a fight with the growing group of members who are asking that the bill be left out, and now a group of liberal senators are joining that call.
They’re not saying they’ll shut down government if it’s attached. They’re not even saying they’re implacably opposed to it. They’re saying they “believe such important issues should be examined through detailed committee consideration and a robust floor debate separate from the urgent need to see that the government stays open.” Meanwhile, Republicans whose support Manchin would need to get it passed show no interest whatsoever in helping him. Manchin promised that he would finally release the language for his bill on Wednesday. As of early Wednesday afternoon, it hadn’t materialized.
He may have decided to take his ball and go home. He had a bit of a meltdown over how everybody is picking on him Tuesday. He told reporters that he had “never seen” such an example of “revenge politics” from the left, with Sen. Bernie Sanders and the “extreme liberal left siding up with Republican leadership” to oppose his plan. It’s not about his plan, he insisted. “It’s revenge towards one person—me,” Manchin said.
“I’m hearing that the Republican leadership is upset,” he added. “They’re not going to give a victory to Joe Manchin. Well, Joe Manchin is not looking for a victory.” Yeah, the prospects for that bill being forced through in the continuing resolution are fading by the minute.
RELATED STORIES:
House releases bipartisan election bill, gives Senate GOP chance to put up or shut up on passing fix
Usual GOP suspects clamor for shutdown as Congress gets serious on government funding
A hectic, controversial few weeks face Congress ahead of the end of the fiscal year
Senate group introduces electoral count reform, just the first step to restoring democracy
Opposition to Manchin’s proposed Big Oil giveaway grows among Democrats and Republicans alike
For the House, that means introducing and rushing the Presidential Election Reform Act to the floor for a Wednesday vote. That vote was in question for a bit of the day when a long-sought and hotly negotiated policing reform deal emerged. But the House has moved on to the election reform bill from Jan. 6 committee members Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Liz Cheney (R-WY). They also fast-tracked the politicking reform package for a vote as soon as Thursday.
The just-released package includes “grants for police training and recruitment; addressing mental health crises; preventing community violence prevention and solving gun crimes,” according to Politico. In addition to funding recruitment and training for police—which moderates had been clamoring for—it includes language progressives have insisted on for police accountability.
Wednesday, Sep 21, 2022 · 9:07:01 PM +00:00 · Joan McCarter
The PERA passed in the House, 229-203. Nine Republicans—none of whom are returning next year—voted with Democrats in support.
“After significant, deliberate negotiations, we are pleased to share that … the bill will include a number of reforms to ensure funds are used to support smaller police departments, to invest in de-escalation and other important training, and for data collection and mental health,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA.) said in a statement in support of the bills.
Over in the Senate, in addition to continuing the confirmation process, Schumer decided to take up the DISCLOSE Act, legislation that requires donor disclosure for dark money groups. In announcing that he would bring the bill this week, Schumer said it would “fight the cancer of dark money in our elections and require dark money groups to report campaign contributions.”
President Joe Biden lent his support to the bill Tuesday. “Dark money has become so common in our politics. I believe sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I acknowledge it’s an issue for both parties,” Biden said Tuesday at the White House. “But here’s the key difference: Democrats in the Congress support more openness and accountability. Republicans in Congress, so far, don’t.”
In a footnote to the government funding fight, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) seems to be fighting a losing battle on his latest hobby horse: making it easier for the fossil fuel industry to get permits to rape the land. He made a deal with Schumer to secure his vote on the Inflation Reduction Act in August, making an agreement that the permitting bill would be attached to the continuing resolution. Unfortunately, no one else made that agreement. House leadership seems not to want to pick a fight with the growing group of members who are asking that the bill be left out, and now a group of liberal senators are joining that call.
They’re not saying they’ll shut down government if it’s attached. They’re not even saying they’re implacably opposed to it. They’re saying they “believe such important issues should be examined through detailed committee consideration and a robust floor debate separate from the urgent need to see that the government stays open.” Meanwhile, Republicans whose support Manchin would need to get it passed show no interest whatsoever in helping him. Manchin promised that he would finally release the language for his bill on Wednesday. As of early Wednesday afternoon, it hadn’t materialized.
He may have decided to take his ball and go home. He had a bit of a meltdown over how everybody is picking on him Tuesday. He told reporters that he had “never seen” such an example of “revenge politics” from the left, with Sen. Bernie Sanders and the “extreme liberal left siding up with Republican leadership” to oppose his plan. It’s not about his plan, he insisted. “It’s revenge towards one person—me,” Manchin said.
“I’m hearing that the Republican leadership is upset,” he added. “They’re not going to give a victory to Joe Manchin. Well, Joe Manchin is not looking for a victory.” Yeah, the prospects for that bill being forced through in the continuing resolution are fading by the minute.
RELATED STORIES:
House releases bipartisan election bill, gives Senate GOP chance to put up or shut up on passing fix
Usual GOP suspects clamor for shutdown as Congress gets serious on government funding
A hectic, controversial few weeks face Congress ahead of the end of the fiscal year
Senate group introduces electoral count reform, just the first step to restoring democracy
Opposition to Manchin’s proposed Big Oil giveaway grows among Democrats and Republicans alike