A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.
Hey Biden Remember When You Said This Wouldn’t Happen
The White House and Democrats, particularly progressives, are fuming after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) effectively poured gasoline all over Biden’s Build Back Better plan and flung a match at it.
The venue said a lot: Manchin chose Fox News to declare he wouldn’t support the plan despite months of what he had insisted were “good faith negotiations” with the President.
Manchin released a full statement on his opposition to BBB later on Sunday in which he trotted out his typical lines about inflation and debt increases.
- White House press secretary Jen Psaki put out a scathing response to Manchin’s bombshell, saying his comments were “at odds with his discussions” this week with Biden and “represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments” to the President and his fellow Democrats.
- Manchin’s office only gave the White House and Senate Democratic leadership a 30-minute heads-up on the senator’s decision before he went on Fox, according the Washington Post and Politico. And the call reportedly came from one of his staffers, not Manchin himself.
- Biden frantically tried to call Manchin right after finding out about the senator’s plans to torch BBB but couldn’t reach him, according to CNN.
- A livid Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is demanding a vote on BBB anyway, telling CNN on Sunday that Manchin ought to show the whole world why he “doesn’t have the guts” to support the sweeping legislation.
- House progressives who tried to hold the line and keep BBB linked to the bipartisan infrastructure bill as was originally planned reminded everyone, particularly Democratic leaders, that they fully saw this coming:
Where BBB Goes From Here
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) plans to turn the screws on Manchin when the chamber reconvenes in January: The Democratic leader told his fellow Democrats on Monday morning in a “Dear Colleague” letter that BBB will be put to a vote in the new year.
- Schumer took a thinly-veiled shot at Manchin in his announcement, saying that the vote on BBB would give senators “the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television.”
- The Senate will also consider voting rights as early as the first week back, according to Schumer, another piece of crucial legislation currently blocked by Manchin clutching to the filibuster.
Kinzinger Not Ready To Let GOP Members Off Hook For Jan. 6
House Jan. 6 select committee member Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) on Sunday didn’t rule out some of his Republican colleagues being directly responsible for the Capitol attack.
- But Kinzinger isn’t “ready to go to that point yet” because he wants “let the facts dictate it.”
- The Illinois Republican also mentioned how there are still plenty of texts the committee hasn’t released.
Missing Anti-Masker GOPer Dies After COVID Infection
Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen (R), a loud anti-masker whose whereabouts were unknown for weeks after coming down with COVID-19, died on Friday, according to his family. It has not been confirmed whether he died from the coronavirus.
Warren And Booker Test Positive For COVID
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced on Sunday that they tested positive for the coronavirus. Both senators said they’re only experiencing mild symptoms.
Must Reads
“Hidden Pentagon Records Reveal Patterns of Failure in Deadly Airstrikes” – Part 1 of the New York Times’s Civilian Casualty Files
“‘It is embarrassing’: CDC struggles to track Covid cases as Omicron looms” – Politico
3rd Graders Instructed To Reenact Holocaust
A third-grade class at a local D.C. public school were allegedly directed by a school staff member to reenact the Holocaust during a library class. The instructor allegedly told them to dig mass graves and recreate fake mass shootings, and even assigned one student to pretend to be Adolf Hitler (that student was Jewish).
Sen. Johnny Isakson Passes Away
The former Georgia senator, who resigned in 2019 amid progressive Parkinson’s disease, died at age 76 on Sunday. His cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
Biden To Unveil Plan For Omicron
The President is expected to give a speech on his administration’s response to the new COVID-19 variant ripping across the country on Tuesday, according to NBC News.
Stone Tries To Fling Bannon Directly Under Honking Bus
Convicted Trump goon Roger Stone claimed via Telegram on Sunday that it was “highly likely” that ex-White House advisor Steve Bannon “gave the order” for Trump supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6. Stone didn’t provide any proof (he did provide a hilariously unflattering Bannon pic, though), and “highly likely” isn’t exactly air-tight testimony. Still, it’s kinda funny to see the MAGA crew dissolving into a Looney Tunes-esque dust cloud fight these days.
Abbott Very Proud Of Border Fence
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) bragged on Saturday that his border “wall” is “officially up.” Hopefully migrants won’t figure out how to look to their left and see that big empty space where the wall doesn’t exist:
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