Democrats posted on social media and sent out press releases more than Republicans last year on all platforms except YouTube.
By the numbers: Members of Congress posted on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube 793,483 times between the start of the year and the end of November — slightly up from a total of 784,614 in 2020, according to data and analysis provided to Axios by Quorum.
One member will kick off a yearlong democracy initiative this week. One is introducing a bill commemorating Jan. 6 as "Democracy Day." Several are coordinating plans to deliver "gratitude food" to Capitol Police officers who risked their lives to protect them.
The big picture: The "Gallery Group" — about 20 House Democrats who formed an impromptu support group via text-chain after huddling together in the House Gallery during the insurrection — has turned its near-daily communications since then into a diverse friendship circle with a call to action.
The Senate Democratic Caucus sees salvaging the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better package as key to boosting the party’s chances in this fall's midterms, especially as President Biden’s popularity sags in the polls.
Why it matters: The White House isn't the only one still courting Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) or his all-important vote.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is open to reengaging on the climate and child care provisions in President Biden's Build Back Better agenda if the White House removes the enhanced child tax credit from the $1.75 trillion package — or dramatically lowers the income caps for eligible families, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: The holdback senator's engagement on specifics indicates negotiations between him and the White House could get back on track, even after Manchin declared he was a “no” on the package on Dec. 19.
Congressional leaders and the family of late Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are finalizing details to have the former majority leader lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda during the week of Jan. 10, a person familiar with the matter tells Axios.
Why it matters: The honor is accorded to Americans who've served their country in an official capacity. Just weeks ago, it was conferred on another Senate majority leader, the late Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.).
The Jan. 6 select committee has "firsthand testimony" that Ivanka Trump asked former President Trump to take action during the deadly Capitol riot, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) told ABC's "This Week" Sunday.
The big picture: Cheney, who serves on the committee, reiterated that multiple people pleaded with the former president to address the violence, adding that he could have "told his supporters who were assaulting the Capitol to stop."
About 1 in 3 Americans believe that "violence against the government can at times be justified," a year out from the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, a poll by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland out Saturday found.
Why it matters: It's the largest share of respondents to hold that view in similar polls in the last two decades, according to the Post, which said the findings "offer a window into the country’s psyche at a tumultuous period in American history."
A total of 45 journalists and media staffers were killed while doing their jobs in 2021, according to a new report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Why it matters: The figure is a significant decrease from 2020, when 65 journalists were killed, and in fact is among the lowest death tolls the IFJ said it has ever recorded.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Sunday said that former President Trump's actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot last year show that "he is at war with the rule of law."
Why it matters: Cheney's remarks on CBS' "Face the Nation" come days ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Capitol riot, and as the former president has rebuffed efforts by the House panel investigating the insurrection to seek documents and information.
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection has received "significant testimony" to suggest the White House was told to take action during the deadly Capitol riot, the chairperson said on Sunday.
Driving the news: "It's highly unusual for anyone in charge of anything to watch what's going on and do nothing," Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chairs the panel, told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
Twitter permanently suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal account on Sunday, for "repeated violations" of the platform's COVID misinformation policy.
Why it matters: The Georgia Republican is an outspoken critic of coronavirus-related mitigation measures and has posted a slew of false and misleading tweets concerning the virus throughout the pandemic.
Greene's Twitter account had previously been suspended in July for publishing incorrect information on COVID vaccinations and wearing face masks during the pandemic.
Twitter utilizes a strike system to gauge consequences when a user violates the misinformation policy, with five or more strikes resulting in permanent suspension.
Of note: While Greene primarily uses her personal account (@mtgreenee), she does retain access to her official congressional account (@RepMTG).
The latest: Greene on Monday said her Facebook account was suspended for 24 hours, posting a screenshot of a message from Facebook on the alternative media site Telegram, per the New York Times.
Facebook confirmed in a statement they removed a post for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, but did not answer questions from Axios on if they suspended her account.
"A post violated our policies and we have removed it," Facebook spokesperson Aaron Simpson said in a statement. Removing "her account for this violation is beyond the scope of our policies."
Greene did not respond to Axios requests for comment on recent actions by Facebook and Twitter.
What they're saying: "We permanently suspended the account ... for repeated violations of our COVID-19 misinformation policy," Twitter said in an emailed statement to Axios.
"We've been clear that, per our strike system for this policy, we will permanently suspend accounts for repeated violations," it continued.
"Diversity of opinion is the lifeblood of our democracy," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a statement Monday panning Twitter's decision without mentioning Taylor Greene. "It is clear any speech that does not fit Big Tech's orthodoxy gets muzzled."
"The American experiment is dependent on the freedom and ability of Americans to express themselves, which Republicans are fighting to preserve."
Some conservative lawmakers and media figures have complained that Big Tech companies intentionally censor their viewpoints and use this argument in their push for regulation.
Editor's note: This piece was updated to clarify that Greene said on Telegram that her Facebook account was suspended and that Facebook did not respond to Axios' requests for comment.
