President Biden
Joe BidenUS ‘intellectual report on the origins of COVID-19 is inconclusive: NBC WaPo correspondent: history will remember Afghan retreat as “very dark period” Night defense and national security: cry for deadline Biden in Afghanistan MORE and congressional Democrats give Republicans a rare moment of unity, providing a boost to a party that has struggled to get to the same page in the post-Trump era.
The Democrats’ $ 3.5 trillion spending plan, which they analyzed this week after high-profile internal divisions, and a fall in days during a disorderly outing in Afghanistan are provoking general criticism from the GOP and giving lawmakers Republicans the possibility of offending.
The change of direction comes after months of Republican attempts to figure out ways to hit Biden that could backfire in next year’s midterm elections, when the Republican Party hopes to regain the House and Senate.
“Both events at the same time, give Republicans two chances to make sure they’re all on the same page,” said Doug Heye, a Republican Party strategist and former House leader.
Heye added that after the GOP fights rounds this year, “it’s important that they find these opportunities” to unify and “that allows them to do that.”
All House Republicans voted against the $ 3.5 trillion budget plan on Tuesday, following unanimous opposition from Senate Republicans earlier this month. And although some Republican lawmakers supported it President Trump
The judge declares the court case in the case of embezzlement of Michael Avenatti. Herschel Walker presents documents to run in the Senate in Georgia MOREThe decision to close a deal with the Taliban last year, the party is now united in launching broad general steps against Biden’s exit strategy after the chaotic scenes in Kabul have dominated the news.
There is also a strain on the prominent unilateral dispute between Trump and the Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse approves measure of John Lewis’ voting rights Hill’s report 12:30 – Presented by AT&T – Pelosi negotiates with centrists to keep Biden’s agenda afloat. McConnell urges Biden to ignore the August 31 deadline for Afghanistan MORE (R-Ky.).
The former president, who had attacked McConnell in support of a $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure bipartisan deal, is now focusing his fire on Biden and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, McConnell, who often struggles to avoid mentioning Trump, recently gave him a flipped praise.
“I certainly would have hoped that President Trump, if he had followed the policy he indicated he wanted to pursue, would have taken longer to plan and operate it better. I’m sure he could have done better than that,” he said. McConnell during a recent interview with Conservative radio presenter Hugh Hewitt, marking a rare direct mention of Trump by the Republican Party leader.
While Afghanistan and the $ 3.5 trillion spending plan are not unrelated elements, they are simultaneously being set at a time when Democrats are growing more and more and are publicly anxious for an election year.
Democrats were able to pass the budget resolution, which will allow them to avoid Republican Party support on a spending bill of up to $ 3.5 trillion, but they face major headaches as they try to unite their caucus behind the bill. of expenses as early as next month.
At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, Biden begins to slip into the polls. The president’s approval rating fell to 41% in light of the Taliban’s acquisition of Afghanistan, according to a poll released Tuesday by a USA Today-Suffolk University poll 55 percent of respondents disapprove of Biden’s work in office. This week was the first time in his presidency that polls showed Biden’s approval rating dropped from 50 percent.
A GOP strategist involved in the Senate race added that “the president has been slipping probably over the last month,” but that Afghanistan’s consequences “accelerated that decline” and occurred as voters were already increasingly concerned about rising COVID-19 cases and inflation.
“Overall, I think it could be argued that this month was really the month that the wheels started to come out of the Biden administration. Maybe they bring it together here, but it’s a real political crisis,” he said. “What they used as a business card is that the Democrats were the firm hand. … I think this kind of infinite crisis has done a lot to minimize it completely.”
Evolution has also “absolutely united Republicans,” the strategist said.
But there is no guarantee that the unity of the Republican Party will be maintained. There are slow-fire divisions over the acceptance of Afghan refugees, as there are setbacks among conservative commentators, and Republicans are all over the council to find out how far they have come with their attacks on Biden.
While McConnell has portrayed Afghanistan as Biden’s own political disaster, others have launched personal attacks questioning Biden’s mental form. Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Who presides over the Senate campaign arm, became the first Republican senator to raise the idea of removing Biden from office until the 25th Amendment.
And in a sign of headaches caused by Trump waiting for Republicans, former NFL star Herschel Walker presented documents to run in next year’s Georgia Senate race, where the Republicans hope to oust Senator. Raphael Warnock
Raphael Warnock: Herschel Walker presents papers to run in the Senate in Georgia. Sanders returns to the 2016 game book to sell the 5Q budget. (D). Walker was courted by Trump, but some Senate Republicans had publicly stated that they thought he should participate in the race, as he is likely to face issues over reported incidents of violent behavior.
Trump has also threatened to try to oust the Republican Party Senator. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiHouse approves the measure of John Lewis’ voting rights. With a minority encouraged in the obstruction, the U.S. Senate continues to die Overnight Energy bills: judge blocks permits for Alaska oil project (Alaska) if running for re-election.
“Where we’ve seen division in the past has been more about personality, and that personality is Donald Trump,” Heye said. “Donald Trump is a wildcard who can threaten to remove Republican messages at any time, so it’s important that they take advantage of opportunities when they get that way.”
While Biden has faced criticism from members of his own party over the exit strategy in Afghanistan, Democrats are largely aligned with the ultimate goal of withdrawing U.S. troops. Democrats also announced the passage of the budget resolution this week, arguing it is a reminder that they are working to meet key priorities for Americans, including child care, health care and tax reform.
“All Republican Party Senate candidates will have to answer for their party’s agenda and voters will hold them accountable in the campaign,” said Jazmin Vargas, a spokesman for the Senate Democrats’ campaign group. Republican Party in the spending plan.
But Republicans hope that by uniting against the budget resolution and the subsequent spending bill they can put public pressure and focus on the centrist Democrats in both houses to reduce the $ 3.5 trillion plan or eliminate it. completely.
The arms of the Republican House and Senate Republican campaign quickly seized on Democrats ’plans and the public struggle to try to pass a $ 3.5 trillion spending bill later this year after the Tuesday’s vote on the budget plan.
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Torunn Sinclair said Democrats “can be fired from their majority” and predicted that “voters will make all Democrats respond.”
TW Arrighi, a spokesman for the Republican National Senate Committee, said the high-profile fights ahead of Tuesday’s vote were one of “the same reasons Republicans will regain both houses of Congress in 2022.”
Republicans have also covered the airwaves with criticism of Afghanistan, including holding several press conferences around Capitol Hill to try to get their message home while calling for investigations.
“He will have blood on his hands, people will die,” he receives. Michael McCaul
Michael Thomas McCaul Lawyers for both parties are backing the Biden August 31 deadline. U.S. diplomats warn Blinken that July could fall to Taliban: Jake Sullivan report released on Biden crisis in Afghanistan (R-Texas) told reporters.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Florida) led House Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthyHouse Approves John Lewis Voting Rights Measure Lawmakers on both sides back to August 31 Biden Press deadline: Why does Mo Brooks continue in the House? MONTH (R-California) and other members of the leadership, in presenting a resolution formally condemning Biden for its exit strategy in Afghanistan.
“President Biden has embarrassed the United States on the world stage and created the worst foreign policy mistake in our modern history,” Waltz said.
Rebecca Beitsch contributed.