The Inside World of Washington DC Politics – “The Sunday Political Brunch” – May 30, 2021

The Inside World of Washington DC Politics – “The Sunday Political Brunch” – May 30, 2021

I lived and worked “inside the Beltway” for six years and have returned many times on work assignments. No matter where else I’ve lived and worked around the country, people always want to talk to me about my time in DC. One of the biggest problems is the disconnect between the federal government and the heartland. People are just puzzled by how the political process works (and perhaps more importantly how it doesn’t work). Let’s “brunch” on that this week:

 

“Protecting the Capitol” – This week the Senate voted down a House-passed bill that would create a Congressional commission to investigate the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th. People across the nation are wondering how the riotous behavior got started, and were the flames fanned by the words of then-President Donald Trump. Most of all, people want to see what, if any, security and policy changes need to be made, to make the “people’s house” safer. It seems like a common-sense inquiry: what went wrong and how do we fix it?

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“Had Your Fill of the Filibuster?” – You would think simple math of 50 votes plus one, a mere majority, could bring this investigation into being. But, no, you need 60 votes in the Senate to “invoke cloture” and end debate, so the matter can be called up for a vote. The bottom line is that Democrats need at least 10 Republicans to join them in the call to investigate, but only got six. Out on Main Street in America, people scratch their heads thinking, “This odd math doesn’t add up?”

 

“Why the Filibuster will Survive!” – Many Democrats want to end the filibuster this year. (Remember it’s a Senate Rule, not part of the Constitution). But quite honestly, the filibuster is one of the few weapons where the minority party can wield any power or influence legislation. It’s a tradition that has been on the books forever. Moderate Senator Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia is one Democrat who will vote “no” on eliminating the filibuster, because he knows the pendulum swings, and one day Democrats will be back in the minority, perhaps next year. With the Senate split 50-50, it effectively ends any chance for elimination. So, you’ll still need 60 votes to pass anything into law.

 

“The Infrastructure Dilemma” – Ask any American what the biggest problems are in their state, and roads, highways, and bridges will likely make the list. We call it infrastructure. It’s a popular issue for those in Congress since it’s a chance to “bring home the bacon” to their states with projects that fix problems, create jobs, and stimulate the economy. So, President Biden offered a $2.3 trillion dollar plan, and Senate Republicans countered with a $568 billion dollar wish list.

Then Thursday, to compromise, Republicans upped their counteroffer to $928 billion. "Senate Republicans continue to negotiate in good faith.  There is a real hunger for bipartisanship in the United States Senate," said Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R) West Virginia, who leads the GOP effort.

 

“So Why the Disconnect?” – It seems like a no-brainer. Everyone wants better roads and highways, so why are they still so far apart? Republicans are insisting the bill include only “core infrastructure.” That means roads, highways, rail, airports, bridges, water systems and broadband expansion. Many Democrats want what they call, “care infrastructure.” That means expanding funding for child-care and home health care, especially for the elderly. The Biden bill still contains a lot of social spending. “The Republican Party proposal is really throwing the baby out with the bathwater, literally. We need roads and bridges, but to get to work, we also need to be able to afford child-care,” said Gary Zuckett, Executive Director of West Virginia Citizen Action Group.

 

“The New Trump App” – I wrote last week about the aggressive pitches I was getting from Team Trump, to sign up for his new social media platform. The pitches continued this week. “Will you join Trump’s new media platform? You have 10 minutes to answer or we will move on.” The answer choices are: “Yes I can’t wait to join!” And, “No I prefer big tech!” The pitches come every few hours, with some suggestions that I am siding with “fake news!” Oh, did I mention, you must pay or “donate” to join? I tried to sign up, but it won’t let me without a credit card number. No, not doing that! I used to get Trump content free on Twitter and Facebook, so I’ll just use stuff from recycled threads that show up on other people’s feeds. I don’t pay for anyone’s political content.

 

“The Return of Paul Ryan?” – We’ve not heard from Former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R) Wisconsin in sometime. That all ended Thursday night when Ryan spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. "Once again, we conservatives find ourselves at a crossroads. And here's one reality we must face: If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we're not going anywhere. Voters looking for Republican leaders want to see independence and mettle,” Ryan said, without mentioning Trump by name. The two men clashed a fair amount in Trump’s first two years.

 

“Here’s to Equal Time!” – Ryan did not just take jabs at Trump. He also took on President Joe Biden. "In 2020, the country wanted a nice guy who would move to the center and depolarize our politics. Instead, we got a nice guy pursuing an agenda more leftist than any president in my lifetime,” Ryan said. Ouch! As fellow Wisconsin natives, Ryan and I have some mutual friends. We’ve been wondering if this is his “second act.” Senator Ron Johnson (R) Wisconsin has not yet said he’ll run for a third term next year, so maybe Ryan is mulling it over.

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the competing infrastructure bills. Do you want just bricks and mortar work, or do you want more social spending for things such as child-care and home health care? Add a comment below.

 

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states and all of the Washington, DC media market. He is a MINDSETTER political columnist for www.GoLocalProv.com and all of its affiliates.