Republican leaders in Congress are trying to figure out how to play the politics of President Biden
Joe Biden: Biden stays with Newsom on the eve of the memorial: “The eyes of the nation are set on California” Biden looks at the weather to sell the economic agenda. Taliban-kidnapped American family urges administration to fire peace negotiator in Afghanistan MOREThe new mandate of the COVID-19 vaccine, which has the majority support of recent polls, but which has sparked a revolt by Republican Party governors and the party base.
Biden’s aggressive play puts the focus on the Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch), Mitchell McConnell, Schumer points out Trump’s debt to highlight the need for bipartisan action The Hill’s Report 12:30 – Presented by Facebook made up of a bunch of pro-pirates MORE (R-Ky.), A child polio survivor who has been outspoken in urging his Republicans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
McConnell’s defense of the vaccine distinguishes him from the leader of the House minority Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy The Hill’s Report 12:30 – Presented by Facebook – Man with machete, swastika out of DNC headquarters before the weekend of January 6th. This week: Democrats launch chaotic chaos with Biden’s agenda at stake. (R-California), which has done little to repress House GOP colleagues who spread misinformation about vaccines.
McConnell has maintained a relatively low profile in Biden’s vaccine tenure, in contrast to Republican governors such as Nebraska. Pete Ricketts
The mandate of the vaccine against Pete RickettsBiden puts McConnell, GOP leaders, in a difficult position. The Hill’s Morning Report, presented by National Industries for the Blind, will likely have to cut Biden’s 5.5 trillion plan. bill MORE, which are on the crusade as a defining constitutional issue.
While McConnell is not about to fight with fellow Republicans for the controversial federal mandate, he seems more sensitive than other Republican Party leaders to the way the party is viewed by swing voters, especially women and suburban voters, who fed the Democratic victories in 2018 and Elections in 2020.
He declined to comment Monday afternoon when asked about the mandate of the Biden vaccine.
McCarthy, his House counterpart, took a very different tone on Sunday when he attacked Biden’s order by tweeting, “NO VACCINE MANDATES.”
Democrats rushed to McCarthy’s statement, accusing him and other Republican officials of rejecting the vaccine and masking life-threatening warrants.
“It’s a crisis situation in many of these areas where these Republican governors make these utterly irresponsible statements. If we don’t roll up our sleeves, literally, and get the vaccine with more arms across America, this pandemic will get worse rather than better.” the ”, said the Whip of the majority of the Senate Dick Durbin
Dick Durbin: Senate MP pushes Democrats to get more details on immigration plan Democrats present 8 million green cards in Senate parliamentary parliament. Democrats will present the path of citizenship on Friday in the spending bill (D-Ill.) Monday.
Polls show that most Americans favor the need to vaccinate office workers who return to work, but the breakdown of opinion falls largely on the party line.
A CNN-SSRS survey conducted from August 3 to September 7 showed that 54 percent of Americans supported a vaccine warrant for office workers. While 81% of Democrats and 49% of independents support the idea, 72% of Republicans oppose it.
McConnell seems open to the idea of requiring workers to be vaccinated, though he says it should be the responsibility of employers, not the federal government, to enforce it.
“If I were governor, I would leave the issue of masks and vaccines to school boards and employers,” he told The Owensboro Times last month.
“I don’t think it’s a matter for the government, certainly not for the federal government,” he said.
Al Cross, a longtime professor of journalism at the University of Kentucky and a commentator on Kentucky politics, said McConnell is not a fan of federal mandates, but is also sensitive to criticism that the Party Republican is a “retrograde” party in the power of the former President Trump
Donald Trump: Biden stays with Newsom on the eve of the memorial: “The eyes of the nation are set on California” On money: House Democrats cut Biden tax hikes Abortion providers warn of ” chaos “if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade MORE and stubbornly deaf to science.
“It is easy to separate the emergency rooms to get a vaccine from a mandate to get it. It looks like that’s where most Republicans are drawing the line and it’s unlikely to come out in front of their caucus on this one, ”he said.
“McConnell and Republicans realize they have an increasingly libertarian party, and they oppose vaccination warrants,” he added.
At the same time, McConnell is aware of his party’s need to be better with voters, especially in the suburbs, and the CNN poll showed that 55% of women favor a vaccination mandate for returning workers. in office.
“There’s definitely a long-term political risk that Republicans will be seen as the retrograde party, the party that doesn’t respect science, and I think McConnell is sensitive to that,” Cross said. “I would wait for you to come out [Tuesday] and say, ‘I’m 100% vaccinated, I think everyone should get a vaccine, but I don’t think the government should order you to get one.’ “
McConnell has been less outspoken than other Republican Party leaders, such as Ricketts, who last week accused Biden of issuing a Soviet-style dictation with his vaccine warrant.
“He thinks we live in the Soviet Union and the hypocrisy of that is amazing,” Ricketts said.
But that has opened the Republican Party governor to criticism.
Fox News Sunday Host Chris Wallace
Christopher (Chris) Wallace The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by National Industries for the Blind – Biden’s $ 5 trillion plan will likely have to be cut. Breyer says deadlines “will make life easier” for Breyer on how he hopes to be remembered: he did his best ‘MORE pressed Ricketts over the weekend why the COVID-19 vaccine is so nasty when children in his state have to be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps and rubella.
Democrats have echoed similar criticisms.
Old Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton The Risks of Running Like Trump-lite If another 9/11 happened in a divided 2021, could national unity be achieved again? Schumer recalls 9/11: “Oh my God, this is World War III” MORE Assistant Jesse Ferguson accused McCarthy and other Republican Party leaders who opposed vaccine warrants of supporting the spread of smallpox and polio, in addition to COVID-19.
Some Republican strategists consider Biden’s vaccination mandate to be a good policy for Democrats, although it is unlikely to substantially increase vaccination rates. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that only 18 percent of unvaccinated people would get a vaccine if their employer required it.
“As a political issue, Biden is likely to find some execution room there because probably most people have already had a shot and so they probably don’t care that others need one too, but I think the real question is a warrant makes an unvaccinated person do it [get the shot], and I think it’s unlikely to be persuasive, “said Scott Jennings, a Kentucky-based GOP strategist who has advised McConnell’s previous campaigns.
Jennings said Biden probably knows, but believes “there are more political advantages to running for office.”
“My suspicion is that you will find some support. All Democrats will be in favor. There will be some Republicans as a matter of voting, mostly, I think, seniors. And I think the independents are probably leaning in that direction, ”he added.
But other Republican strategists think opposing Biden’s vaccine mandate will be a winning issue for Republican Party officials and candidates.
“This is a big winning issue for Republicans because I don’t think a lot of people think this is constitutional. Not many people stand up for the OSHA case [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] it has the power to do so unilaterally, ”said Brian Darling, a former Senate aide and GOP strategist.
“You see a big reaction, you see a lot of conservatives who are upset, even vaccinated people,” he added. “I am uncomfortable with the federal government forcing people to be shot if they are not comfortable with it.
“It’s a difficult issue, but it’s a winning issue for Republicans if they play it well because the American people don’t like mandates.”