Axios Sneak Peek: Biden weighs two more reconciliation bills ... Exclusive — U.S. urged to fight China fishing

Plus: World freedom group urges U.S. ballot protections | Monday, March 22, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Mar 22, 2021 Welcome back to Sneak. President Biden finally has a full Cabinet — the fastest since George W. Bush's first term. ⚡ Situational Awareness: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would get a coronavirus vaccine shot Tuesday — though he wouldn't say which one. With Marty Walsh being confirmed as Labor secretary, Boston will get its first Black — and female — mayor, Kim Janey; she is currently the City Council president. Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 575 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: White House weighs budget reconciliation for $3T in spending Photo: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images   The White House is considering using budget reconciliation two more times this year to pass up to $3 trillion in spending aimed at core priorities, including infrastructure, climate change, education, taxes and health care, Democratic and Republican budget experts tell Axios' Hans Nichols and Alayna Treene. Why it matters: The tactic would allow some legislation to pass the Senate without eliminating the filibuster and require only a simple majority vote in both chambers. It also would antagonize Senate Republicans, who have been eager to question Biden's interest in bipartisanship. The big picture: The president's economic advisers are preparing a $3 trillion spending proposal for him, with $1 trillion for infrastructure, and hundreds of billions more for climate change, caregivers, community colleges and pre-kindergarten education, the New York Times reported Monday. Under the reconciliation process, Democrats need only two things to get legislation passed through the Senate: 50 votes and a ruling from the Senate parliamentarian that the proposed legislation is eligible under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. But getting three separate reconciliation packages approved by the parliamentarian and signed into law in one year would be unprecedented. Go deeper.     2. Exclusive: U.S. urged to join South America in fighting China fishing A Chinese vessel confiscated by the Ecuadorian Navy. Photo: Juan Cevallos/AFP via Getty Images   The U.S. should consider leading a multilateral coalition with South American nations to push back against China's illegal fishing and trade practices, a U.S. intelligence agency has recommended in a document obtained by Axios' Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian. Why it matters: China's illegal fishing industry is the largest in the world. Beijing has made distant-water fishing a geopolitical priority, viewing private Chinese fishing fleets as a way to extend state power far beyond its coasts. A senior U.S. administration official confirmed to Axios that several agencies across the government are "taking a look at this in light of the president's priorities," which include "deepening cooperation with allies and partners on the challenges we face to our economy and national security." What's happening: Huge fleets of hundreds of Chinese vessels have had boats fish illegally in the territorial waters of South American countries, including off the Galapagos Islands. South American nations say these fleets are a challenge to their economic and environmental security, but their navies often lack the resources to effectively monitor and patrol their own waters. Go deeper.     3. Border crisis not as bad as 2019 ... for now Data: U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Chart: Axios Visuals While the migrant crisis plaguing the Biden administration still pales in comparison to another peak under then-President Trump in 2019, the trends are alarming and only expected to get worse with warmer weather, Axios' Jonathan Swan and Stef Kight report. The big picture: The Biden administration is seeing a weekly average of about 500 unaccompanied children cross the southwest border every day, and it was able to return to Mexico just 10% of the migrant families who crossed illegally Saturday, according to government data provided to Stef. Driving the news: If the average number of unaccompanied kids holds, there could be more than 15,000 crossing the border in March — more than the administration's projected peak of 13,000 in May, as Axios reported last month. The Biden administration has continued to say they are using a public health order to return migrant families to Mexico, but the percentage of families expelled has steadily fallen. Go deeper.     A message from Facebook It's time to update internet regulations     The internet has changed a lot in the 25 years since lawmakers last passed comprehensive internet regulations. It's time for an update. See how we're making progress on key issues and why we support updated regulations to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges.     4. World freedom group urges U.S. ballot protections Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios   The nonpartisan Freedom House is making a bipartisan plea for U.S. lawmakers to expand voting rights — and reject proposals for new barriers for voting — to protect racial minorities and the strength of American democracy, Axios' Sarah Mucha writes. Why it matters: A new report from the group, previewed by Axios, marks the first time in almost 15 years it has turned its attention inward, rather than its traditional focus on freedom and democracy elsewhere in the world. Its newest rankings show the United States has slid downward on Freedom House's democracy ratings, which were completed even before the Jan. 6 Capitol assault. The report argues the United States' decline "shows the extent to which American democracy is under threat and in need of immediate attention." Go deeper.     5. Pic du jour Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images   Karen Gibson (left), a retired Army general, walks with her chief of staff, Jennifer Hemingway, after assuming her new post as Senate sergeant at arms.     A message from Facebook Facebook supports updated internet regulations     It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations passed. But a lot has changed since 1996. See how we're taking action and why we support updated regulations to address today's toughest challenges — protecting privacy, fighting misinformation, reforming Section 230, and more.   👍 Thanks for reading Sneak. You can sign up for Sneak or any of Axios' other free newsletters here.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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