A source close to the Biden administration said the president may make a 2024 announcement next week, The Hill’s Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels report.
Fresh off last week’s Ireland trip, President Biden told reporters he’d make an announcement about 2024 “relatively soon,” noting again that he’s been planning to seek reelection.
Next Tuesday marks four years since Biden announced his 2020 campaign. “That date would align with Biden’s reputation as a creature of habit who leans into traditions,” Gangitano and Samuels wrote.
Along with the Ireland trip, Biden recently addressed the Canadian Parliament, hosted foreign leaders at the White House and has been traveling to several states as part of the administration’s “Investing in America” tour, touting results of legislation passed during his first two years. Why the wait? Biden’s allies “argue that a formal announcement triggers fundraising reporting requirements and could distract from Biden’s ability to show he’s putting the American people’s needs first at a particularly critical juncture,” Gangitano and Samuels report. One of the particularly critical issues on the agenda: addressing the debt ceiling and avoiding default.
Comments from both sides of the aisle throughout the week, along with the debt limit bill House Republicans released Wednesday, show much work remains to be done on that front.
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Monthly housing payments hit an all-time high this week, with the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage jumping to 6.39 percent.
President Biden signed an executive order on environmental policy that, among other things, creates an Office of Environmental Justice within the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
More than 60 grassroots groups sent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) a letter calling on her to resign: “Your absences hobble the elected Democratic Senate majority from doing the work of the people of California and our nation,” it read.
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What to watch for in SCOTUS abortion pill ruling |
The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on restrictions to accessing mifepristone, one of two drugs used for medication abortions, as the high court’s pause on part of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk‘s ruling expires Friday night.
The case is currently in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which paused part of Kacsmaryk’s ruling that revoked the FDA’s approval of the pill while the Biden administration‘s appeal plays out. The 5th Circuit decided to allow a portion of the judge’s ruling, which limits access to the drug, to take effect.
“The 5th circuit ruling would bar mailing the abortion pills and allow only doctors to prescribe it, along with other additional hurdles to access,” The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel wrote.
The Supreme Court temporarily paused that part of the ruling and is deciding what to do next. There’s a remote possibility that the high court could take up the case itself. Weixel breaks down several possible outcomes here. |
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Mayorkas discusses GOP personal attacks |
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas finished off a week of tough hearings with comments on Republicans’ attacks and upcoming border security plans. During an event at the Council on Foreign Relations, Mayorkas responded to a question from The Hill, saying Republicans’ comments on his character “are not easy to listen to.” “They also have ramifications that I wish individuals in positions of leadership would consider,” Mayorkas said, adding that he’s “impervious to them” and has “100 percent confidence” in his decisions.
A House Homeland Security Committee hearing at which Mayorkas testified this week led to the silencing of a committee member and a discussion between the panel’s chair and ranking Democrat about dialing down rhetoric.
Mayorkas said Thursday the department may announce border security plans next week ahead of the May 11 end date for pandemic-era immigration restrictions, which is expected to result in a surge of migrants. |
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Interview with Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation
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Ukraine’s millennial Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov talked with The Hill’s Brad Dress about the various virtual fronts on which the country is fighting Russia. “Our information resources are under attack constantly,” Fedorov said. But “we are teaching Ukrainians the basic digital literacy, [and] our media are working efficiently.” Read more from the interview here
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60 million: Number of guns Americans bought from 2020-2022
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The Hill’s Daniel de Visé breaks down data on gun purchases and gun deaths, both of which have been on the rise in recent years. From the article: “Pandemic gun sales raised the share of Americans living in armed homes to 46 percent, up from 32 percent in 2010.” Read more here |
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Biden admin, Sen. Manchin clash on EV tax credits
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Here’s a look at the tensions between the Biden administration and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) surrounding the Treasury Department‘s interpretation of electric vehicle tax credit stipulations in the Inflation Reduction Act. |
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“US-China relations are in flux, but don’t call it ‘decoupling’” — Josh Kerbel, a member of the research faculty at the National Intelligence University, the academic arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The views expressed here are his alone. (Read here)
“The federal government can — and should — help the mentally ill” — Carolyn D. Gorman, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where her research examines how policy changes in the U.S. health and judicial systems impact individuals with serious mental illness. (Read here) |
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564 days until the presidential election. |
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Saturday: Earth Day 🌍
Monday: The trial involving five Proud Boys members heads to closing arguments. |
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There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@digital-staging.thehill.com |
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