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U.S. Chamber to launch widespread lobbying effort for Barrett fight

Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has begun mobilizing its resources and lobbying lawmakers and businesses across Washington to put Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court, with plans to launch a multi-step effort this week, sources familiar with the plans tell Axios.

The big picture: The effort comes as the traditionally conservative-leaning Chamber has faced weeks of intense backlash for its decision to endorse 23 vulnerable House Democratic freshmen in November. The criticism reached a fever pitch last week, culminating in a call from President Trump himself.

What we're hearing: Similar to their previous pushes to help confirm Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, the Chamber plans to roll out a detailed campaign in support of Barrett, including:

  • Issuing a "Key Vote letter" to Capitol Hill.
  • Creating a grassroots mobilization page to increase voters' letters to Congress in support of Barrett.
  • Encouraging key members of the Chamber to elevate Barrett's platform and explain why her confirmation is aligned with the business community’s priorities.
  • Launching a social media campaign advocating for her confirmation.

Go deeper

Glen Johnson, Hans Nichols
Nov 6, 2020 - Politics & Policy

A 50-50 Senate: Democrats in power but not control

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

If Joe Biden wins the presidency, he could end up with a 50-50 Senate split — an outcome giving Democrats formal control of the upper chamber but also empowering individual senators greatly and requiring a procedural feat to abolish the 60-vote filibuster rule.

Why it matters: A President Biden would need a Senate majority to make good on many of his campaign promises.

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Orion Rummler
7 mins ago - Politics & Policy

DOJ watchdog to probe whether officials sought to alter election results

Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump exit Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Jan. 20. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

The Justice Department's inspector general will investigate whether any current or former DOJ officials "engaged in improper attempt to have DOJ seek to alter the outcome" of the 2020 election, the agency announced Monday.

Driving the news: The investigation comes in the wake of a New York Times report that alleged that Jeffrey Clark, the head of DOJ's civil division, had plotted with President Trump to oust acting Attorney General Jeffery Rosen in a scheme to overturn the election results in Georgia.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
40 mins ago - Podcasts

Google's chief health officer Karen DeSalvo on vaccinating America

Google on Monday became the latest Big Tech company to get involved with COVID-19 vaccinations. Not just by doing things like incorporating vaccination sites into its maps, but by helping to turn some of its offices and parking lots into vaccination sites.

Axios Re:Cap goes deeper into what Google is doing, and why now, with Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Google's chief health officer who previously worked at HHS and as health commissioner for New Orleans.