Republicans attack White House chief of staff Ron Klain
Ron Klain: Democrats are fighting to rescue the minimum wage hike. Biden is “disappointed” in the Senate MP’s resolution, but “respects” the decision. The note: Biden faces the first major setback as Tanden moves further like “the boy behind the curtain” and “Prime Minister Klain” as they try to push back someone they consider a formidable opponent in the battle for President Biden
Joe BidenBiden supports the organizational efforts of unions Senate Democrats nix the “Plan B” on raising the minimum wage.agenda.
The Republican Party blames Klain for Biden’s refusal to negotiate the price of the $ 1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, an approach they say conflicts with Biden’s campaign promises.
“We’ve got the impression from our members that they’ve been in meetings down there that it’s kind of behind the curtain,” the Republican Senate Whip said. John Thune
John Randolph ThuneRick Scott acknowledges that Biden won “absolutely” fair elections. After voting against the aid package, Golden calls for more bipartisanship Graham: Trump will be “useful” for all Senate GOP holders MORE (RS.D.).
Assistants to the minority leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch), Mitchell McConnell, Trump shows he maintains control of GOP, CPAC media barnburner Trump rules out starting a new party: “Fake news” is shown Sunday: Trump’s re-emergence, COVID-19 vaccines and its variants dominate MORE (R-Ky.) They have been engaged in describing the White House chief of staff as “Prime Minister Klain,” an effort aimed at wounding Biden.
A Republican aide said the point of focusing on Klain is to lower Biden’s public perception as a leader who fully agrees with it.
“It plays on the issue of Biden not performing the show here,” the assistant said. “The issue is he’s the protagonist and the jovial and he needs the permission of this unelected guy to make any decisions.”
The aide acknowledged that Biden has a high approval rating and that the public has adopted the president’s personality, but said there is an openness for Republicans to argue that “he’s not really running the show over there, already be it Ron Klain or [Speaker Nancy] Hairy [D-Calif.] i [Senate Majority Leader Charles] Schumer [D-N.Y.]”Who is really in charge?
The other axis of the Republican Party’s strategy is to pressure Klain to back down and perhaps give Biden more incentives to negotiate with Republicans in Congress and show what they would characterize as greater independence.
His. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret Collins Senate Reflects on $ 9.9 Billion Sasse Coronavirus Bill Changes Rejected by Nebraska Republican Party by Dismissal Vote Collins urges Biden to review order at U.S. border boundaries Canada MORE (R-Maine), who led a group of 10 Republican Party senators who met with Biden in the White House earlier this month, says Schumer and Klain are writing Biden. Republicans also say Pelosi is pushing Biden to the left.
“The problem is that the Democratic leader in the Senate seems to be countering what seem like productive conversations,” Collins told reporters.
He said Klain tried to minimize any progress that Biden and GOP senators could have made at a White House meeting with GOP senators on Feb. 1.
“Ron shook his head at the back of the room the whole time, which isn’t exactly an encouraging sign,” he said.
McConnell himself on Thursday emphasized Klain’s characterization of the Democrats ’COVID relief package as the most progressive legislation of a generation that suggests the president is moving to the left.
“The president has chosen a very progressive beginning. His chief of staff, on MSNBC yesterday, said that with regard to the COVID package, the most progressive legislation of a generation “, said the leader of the Republican Party. “The president has decided not to be a centrist.”
Biden’s allies call Klain’s attacks silly, especially the suggestion that it is he and not Biden who commands. They say Republicans are covering up their own will not to meet with Biden halfway over the relief of COVID and other Democratic priorities with broad popular support.
“God loves Ron Klain, but Joe Biden does what Joe Biden wants to do,” one advisor said. “Without a doubt, he takes the advice and processes it. Ron is one of the best advisers the president has, but he knows what he has to do. ”
Klain is seen as one of the most powerful White House chiefs of staff in recent memory and maintains a close bond with Biden thanks to their long history together.
He served as chief adviser to the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1989 to 1992, when Biden was chairman of the committee, and later served as vice president of Biden’s cabinet from 2009 to 2011. Klain assisted Biden’s drafters during his tenure. 1988 presidential campaign.
Thune said Republicans who have met with Biden “believe the president really wants to work with Republicans and tends to want to govern in a way that is a little more consultative or cooperative, in the middle, but his staff the leads to the left “”.
“I hope they correct it and the president asserts his authority in the situation because otherwise it will be difficult to achieve any kind of legislative performance that requires cooperation with Republicans,” he said.
Klain has been subjected to media scrutiny for playing an important role in the nomination of Neeera Tanden as head of budgets.
The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing four senior Democratic officials, that Klain was “an ally” of Tanden and “a key advocate who recommended her,” despite the story of sharp tweets addressed not only to Republicans but also to some progressives. of the Senate.
It is unclear whether Tanden has 50 votes in the Senate with the centrist senator. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) ManchinSenate Democrats nix “Plan B” on raising the minimum wage The Senate reflects on changes to 9 trillion coronavirus laws The brown votes of Democrats “will find a way” to raise the minimum wage MORE (DW.Va.) opposed his nomination.
Klain told JoyNid of MSNBC on Wednesday that “we’re fighting” to confirm it.
A Democratic strategist close to the White House told The Hill that it is clear in Tanden’s case that Ron “is doing what he can to achieve this.”
“I think he’s Neera’s first fan in the building, there’s no doubt about it,” the strategist said. “The fact that he’s still in contention is 100 percent because of Ron.”
Klain said Wednesday he would find another place for Tanden to serve in the administration if he can’t get through the Senate but still stated, “We’re going to get Neera Dents
Neera TandenBiden returns to bipartisan meetings in White House Politics, not racism or sexism, opposition to Biden On The Money cabinet candidates explain: Democrats are fighting to save a raise from the minimum wage | Personal income increases, inflation remains low after the stimulus explodes MORE confirmed. “
His. Chris Coons
Chris Andrew CoonsPompeo: Khashoggi report released by Biden administrator “reckless” Senate Democrat: Saudi relationship “recalibrated” Democrats don’t trust GOP in 1/6 committee: “These people are dangerous” MORE (D-Del.), One of Biden’s closest allies in the Senate, said Biden made it clear at this month’s meeting with Republican lawmakers that he is ultimately responsible for decision-making.
“Joe Biden is president of the United States and Ron is a very capable and very capable chief of staff who has known and worked closely with President Biden for decades,” he said. “It’s important to respect the fact that it was President Biden who said, ‘I want to meet in person with ten Republican senators.’
“What was planned for an hour was for two and several of my fellow Republicans said [Biden] I knew their numbers better than they did, ”he said. “I don’t agree and I will continue to back up this narrative that somehow Joe Biden isn’t really the president, he’s not really at the helm and the rest of the people are.”