Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told “Axios on HBO" that the “integrity of our democracy” is at stake without federal voting rights legislation, and the Senate must seriously consider filibuster reform if it can’t get 60 votes to pass it next year.
What they’re saying: “It's an open question as to whether we can get to 60 votes in the Senate on voting. And if we can't, then the Senate is going to have to make some decisions as it relates to filibuster reform,”Jeffries said.
"Defenders of democracy in America still have a slim window of opportunity to act. But time is ticking away, and midnight is approaching," according to more than 150 top scholars of U.S. democracy in a new push to temporarily suspend the Senate filibuster and pass voting rights protections on a simple majority vote.
Driving the news: Their unified front comes amid a short break in the legislative action on Capitol Hill, with the start of the Thanksgiving recess and after the House passage of President Biden's "Build Back Better" social spending package.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) told "Axios on HBO" she's "fearful" of what will happen to President Biden's big social spending bill in the Senate because "corporate Democrats" — including Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — are serving special interests.
Driving the news: "I know that they've been influenced and guided by folks that don't have the best interests of the American people in mind," the Squad member said.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) defended her view that defenders of the filibuster are partly motivated by racism on Sunday's episode of “Axios on HBO,” citing historic examples in which the filibuster was used to scuttle legislation that would benefit or protect Black Americans.
What they're saying: "I do not support the filibuster. I don't think I ever have, Tlaib told Axios' Jonathan Swan.
The proportion of U.S. adults who don't have children and say they're unlikely to want them in the future is growing, according to a new Pew Research Center survey published Friday.
Why it matters: The declining U.S. birth rate, which has dropped for the last six years, raises questions about whether the U.S. will have enough workers in years to come to sustain the economy and fund social programs, according to the Washington Post.
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) addressed criticism of her negotiating tactics, saying she had been elected to "be a workhorse not a show horse," during a wide-ranging interview with local station, ABC15.
Why it matters: Sinema, who rarely gives interviews, has faced criticism from some Democrats for not being more transparent about her views during negotiations for the high-profile infrastructure and social spending bills.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told the New York Times in an interview out Sunday that "it was very clear" to her and her allies that their help "was not wanted or asked for" in Virginia's gubernatorial elections earlier this month.
Driving the news: "Not a single person asked me to send an email, not even to my own list," the New York lawmaker said. "And then they turn around and say, 'It’s their fault.' When I think it was communicated quite expressly that we were unwelcome to pitch in."
Idaho Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Saturday criticized a blockade by some in his party of President Biden's top diplomatic picks, Politico reports.
Driving the news: Biden has more than 50 foreign policy nominations stalling in the Senate, per Politico. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Josh Hawley (Mo.) have stalled confirmations using the chamber's unanimous consent rule in protest of Biden's national security decisions.
Former Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who announced his bid for governor of Texas earlier this month, declined during a television appearance on Sunday to say whether he wants President Biden to campaign with him.
Driving the news: O'Rourke sidestepped questions from CNN "State of the Union" host Dana Bash about the matter, saying instead that the campaign is not about "anyone from outside of our state," and that "this is going to be about the people of Texas."
Up to 10,000 active-duty Marines will not be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the deadline next week for members to get the shot, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: The Marine Corps, which brands itself as the nation's "force of readiness," is on trajectory to have the worst immunization rate in the U.S. Military, according to data obtained by the Post.
The father of Jacob Blake says he spent about an hour Friday "trying to find the ropes so I didn't fall down" in the wake of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict.
Driving the news: A mostly-white jury found Rittenhouse, a white 18-year-old, not guilty in the fatal August 2020 shooting of two people who attended demonstrations in support of Jacob Blake, who was shot by a Kenosha police officer.
Your ability to vote in 2022 will largely depend on where you live, as lawmakers in 25 states have made it easier for people to vote while those in at least 19 states have made it more difficult, per the Brennan Center for Justice.
Why it matters: The new laws are likely to make the disparities between states even greater. The states where voting is already difficult have been the ones to enact stricter laws; those where it is easier to vote have expanded access to the ballot box.
