Inside House Democrats’ new affordability push ahead of the midterms
Plus: Schumer’s bid to block AF1 spending fails, Warnock rolls out voting rights agenda and Talarico targets AI data centers.
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Johnson scored a House sweep: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) notched three major victories on the House floor this afternoon, steering the annual defense authorization bill, a purported congressional stock trading ban and a budget resolution unlocking a third reconciliation package through his narrow majority.
None is guaranteed a path through the Senate, where Republicans remain divided over a third reconciliation bill, while the stock trading ban and the House-passed NDAA face uncertain prospects in the upper chamber. But after weeks of floor setbacks and conservative revolts, the votes demonstrated Johnson’s ability to hold together a narrow and ideologically divided Republican majority when it mattered most.
The NDAA cleared the House 216-212 with seven Republicans opposed and six Democrats crossing party lines to support it. The congressional stock trading ban passed 232-198 with 13 Democrats joining most Republicans. The reconciliation budget resolution squeaked through 216-214 with every Democrat opposed alongside Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and independent Kevin Kiley of California, who conferences with Republicans. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) missed all three votes and has not voted this week.
THE LINEUP
Inside House Democrats’ new affordability push ahead of the midterms
Schumer’s bid to block AF1 spending fails
Warnock rolls out voting rights agenda
Talarico targets AI data centers
THE LEAD
House Democratic leaders this evening began laying out both the message and governing agenda they want members to campaign on during the August recess, rolling out a new affordability-focused slogan while previewing the legislative priorities they hope to pursue if voters return them to the majority.
During a members-only meeting of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, leaders unveiled the new tagline—“Fighting for an Affordable America”—and urged lawmakers to center their conversations with voters on lowering the cost of living, according to multiple sources in the room.
Leadership also emphasized message discipline, encouraging members to keep their pitch simple and repeat it consistently as they fan out across the country for the monthlong district work period, a source told me…
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THE POWERS THAT BE
Schumer’s bid to block AF1 spending fails: Senate Democrats unsuccessfully sought unanimous consent to pass the Presidential Airlift Security Act, a bill from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that would prohibit the Pentagon from spending federal funds to procure, modify or maintain foreign-owned aircraft for presidential airlift…
THE POLICY DESK
Warnock rolls out voting rights agenda: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) unveiled a sweeping proposal calling on a future Democratic Congress to investigate state lawmakers who redrew congressional maps after the Supreme Court’s Callais decision to determine whether they illegally discriminated against Black voters…
THE TRAIL
Talarico targets AI data centers: Texas Senate candidate James Talarico unveiled a plan to eliminate billions of dollars in state tax breaks for AI data centers, require tech companies to pay for their own electricity and water infrastructure, and give local communities more authority over whether new facilities can be built…