🖊️ Biden's first vetoes

Plus: Swing voters see "frail" Biden | Thursday, February 16, 2023

Open in app View in browser     Axios Sneak Peek By Hans Nichols and Zachary Basu · Feb 16, 2023 Welcome back to Sneak. Smart Brevity™ count: 993 words ... 3.5 minutes. 🇨🇳 Situational awareness: The House select committee on China is becoming an oasis of bipartisanship at a moment the U.S. relationship with Beijing is at a crossroads over the spy balloon saga, Axios' Sophia Cai reports.     1 big thing: Biden braces for ink-stained March Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios   President Biden could be forced to break out his veto pen for the first time as soon as March, with Congress on track to pass multiple pieces of legislation the White House opposes, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. Why it matters: Republicans are seizing on their new House majority by putting centrist Democrats in a position to buck their party on hot-button policy issues such as COVID-19, crime and immigration. Driving the news: The House passed three resolutions this month that aren't subject to the Senate filibuster. Ending the COVID national emergency declaration: 11 House Democrats voted for a GOP resolution that would prematurely end the national emergency that the White House plans to sunset in May. Blocking changes to D.C.'s criminal code: 31 House Democrats voted for a GOP resolution against a D.C. measure to reduce some maximum penalties for violent crimes. Blocking D.C.'s noncitizen voting bill: 42 House Democrats voted with Republicans against a local measure that would give noncitizens the right to vote in D.C.'s local elections. State of play: The resolutions will need support from just two Democrats to pass the Senate. The COVID resolution likely has the votes: Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), two of the dozen Senate Democrats who voted to end the COVID national emergency last fall, told Axios they plan to vote that way again. On the D.C. resolutions, many Senate Dems are keeping their cards close. Manchin, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, told Politico he would be "open" to voting for the resolutions if they are "reasonable and common sense." The other side: The White House Office of Management and Budget has put out statements opposing all three resolutions. Of the D.C. resolutions, OMB said, "Congress should respect the District of Columbia's autonomy to govern its own local affairs." The office also said ending the COVID emergency before May would "create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system." What to watch: Sen. Roger Marshall's (R-Kan.) office told Axios that he is pushing for a vote on the emergency declaration resolution at the end of March. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who introduced the Senate version of the two D.C. resolutions, told Punchbowl News he's also angling for his resolutions to be voted on in March. Share this story.     2. 👀 Focus group: Swing voters see "frail" Biden Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images   A focus group of Michigan swing voters who backed Biden in 2020 unanimously want a 2024 primary challenger, expressing concerns about the president's age, "mental acuity" and fitness to serve, Axios' Alexi McCammond reports. Why it matters: Biden's physician concluded after his closely watched physical today that the 80-year-old president remains "healthy," vigorous" and "fit to successfully execute" his duties. But not everyone will be convinced. A recent national poll found just 37% of Democrats want Biden to seek a second term, even as the party establishment has rallied around the oldest president in U.S. history. Politico's Jonathan Martin reported today that senior Democrats privately view Biden as too old but fear that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a liability against former President Trump in 2024. Driving the news: The online focus groups by Engagious/Schlesinger featured 13 Michiganders who voted for Trump in 2016 and then Biden in 2020. While a focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, the responses show how some voters are thinking and talking about current events. Biden "looks extremely frail to me, and I swear every time I see him, he looks older," said Valerie C. "Trump looks exactly the same." "From the way I've seen him think and sort of be out of it when he's in public, he doesn't seem fit to be holding such a high position in office," said Jill O. Keep reading.     3. 💸 Food stamp fight Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios   As debate rages over whether it's fair for Biden to accuse Republicans of targeting Social Security and Medicare, Democrats are preparing an assault on another GOP budget proposal: cuts to the federal food stamp program. Why it matters: Democrats are seeking to add to their arsenal of political land mines, knowing that Republicans will need to slash some popular government programs — if not Social Security and Medicare — to have any chance of balancing the budget over the next decade. Driving the news: Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), chair of the House Budget Committee, recently listed the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program — which provides food stamps to low-income families — as a potential target for savings, Axios' Eugene Scott reports. Last year, more than $119 billion went toward providing food stamps to about 41 million people across the country, with participating households receiving an average of nearly $240 a month. What they're saying: "Republicans added $2 trillion to the deficit to give a tax handout to corporations and the ultra-wealthy," House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told Axios. "Now, they want to cut the budget by taking food away from our children, seniors and veterans."     A message from Axios The mounting cost of misalignment between employees and leaders     Leaders spend most of their time communicating, but they're set up to do it in an era that no longer exists: the in-person workplace. Recognizing the need for change, we surveyed over 1,500 professionals to understand the strategies that help leaders communicate more efficiently, effectively, and profitably.   Get the free report     4. Dems rally behind Fetterman Via Twitter Sen. John Fetterman's (D-Pa.) decision to seek in-patient care for depression was met with compassion by many of his colleagues, including some who have publicly shared their own struggles with mental health. Why it matters: Politicians are people too, but they haven't always been treated that way. In 1972, Sen. Thomas Eagleton (D-Mo.) was dropped as Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern's running mate after it was revealed he had received electro-shock therapy for depression. What we're watching: Many Republicans accused Fetterman of hiding the extent of his health issues after he suffered a stroke during the 2020 campaign, but the GOP may tread more carefully here given bipartisan concerns about mental health.     A message from Axios The mounting cost of misalignment between employees and leaders     Leaders spend most of their time communicating, but they're set up to do it in an era that no longer exists: the in-person workplace. Recognizing the need for change, we surveyed over 1,500 professionals to understand the strategies that help leaders communicate more efficiently, effectively, and profitably.   Get the free report   📬 Thanks for reading this week. This newsletter was edited by Zachary Basu and copy edited by Kathie Bozanich. Are you a fan of this email format? 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