President Biden is looking for ways to distance himself from progressives over how to combat crime without abandoning his campaign pledges, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: Biden's challenge is convincing swing voters he understands their concerns about rising crime rates without alienating Democratic Party activists who blame law enforcement for violating civil rights. As a candidate, he vowed to fight for police reform.
Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama averaged some of the wordiest State of the Union addresses in recent history, according to data from UC Santa Barbara's The American Presidency Project.
Why it matters: The famously verbose President Biden could follow in their lengthy footsteps on Tuesday night. His address to a Joint Session of Congress last year exceeded 8,000 words — more than any other spoken first joint address or State of the Union except for Clinton's 1995 speech.
President Biden will emphasize the U.S. and NATO's prepared response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's "premeditated and unprovoked" invasion of Ukraine in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, according to excerpts from his speech.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly swatted down a controversial tax proposal pitched by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in an unusual airing of private tensions between the two senior Republicans.
Driving the news: Standing before a crowd of reporters at the Capitol, Tuesday afternoon, McConnell sentenced the Scott plan to death.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups are asking a Texas state court to block a directive that would have a state agency investigate parents for child abuse if they seek gender-affirming care for their children.
Why it matters: The lawsuit alleges that Texas' Department of Family and Protective Services has begun investigating parents of transgender children in accordance with Gov. Greg Abbott's order.
A small group of Latino U.S. House members recently expressed "extreme concern" about a plan to potentially dispatch robot dogs along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Driving the news: A letter obtained by Axios Latino shows that U.S. Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) are seeking a meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Protection about the robots.
President Biden will touch on "four buckets" of policy — world affairs, domestic economy, COVID-19 and America's future — as he strikes an optimistic tone during his State of the Union speech Tuesday evening, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Biden's first State of the Union will lay out his blueprint for the remainder of his presidency before this fall's pivotal midterms, emphasizing what his administration has accomplished and what can still get done before November.
The Texas primaries on Tuesday offer opening battles in a wider ideological war for the direction of the Republican Party, specifically the role former President Trump should play in its future.
Why it matters: It’s still eight months until November, but we'll soon have the first glimpse of several important factors for the 2022 midterm cycle: Trump's lasting power, which faction of the Republican Party voters will reward and whether overall turnout reflects future voter enthusiasm or apathy.
Americans are abandoning COVID-19 fears and precautions, a sea change in the past few weeks as severe illnesses fell, states dropped mandates and the CDC relaxed guidelines, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
Why it matters: As President Biden gives his State of the Union address tonight, more people feel the worst is behind them — but they aren't giving him credit. That's a devastating miss for a leader who won election on his promises to move the nation beyond the pandemic.
The White House will lift its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people starting Tuesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Monday.
Why it matters: The move comes ahead of President Biden's first State of the Union address, which is set for Tuesday at 9pm ET, and follows the Capitol physician's guidance that masks are no longer required in the Capitol complex.
The U.S. deported its first Afghan evacuee back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan earlier this month due to a criminal record discovered after their arrival, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Out of the tens of thousands of evacuated Afghans brought to the United States, only a small handful remain in government custody because of criminal records or other concerns. Now, a process has been established for returning Afghans to their home country, if necessary.
Centrist House Democrats are unloading on Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her plan to give a response to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.
“It’s like keying your own car and slashing your own tires,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) told Axios.
Why it matters: The lawmaker's frustration with a charter member of "The Squad" reveals a deep tactical division within the Democratic Party over midterm strategy: appeal to the party’s base, or try to capture swing voters?
President Biden will deny the shield of executive privilege for two top advisers to former President Donald Trump — his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and former trade adviser Peter Navarro — in the House select committee's Jan. 6 investigation, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The move will likely force Flynn and Navarro to make a choice: cooperate with the select committee or face potential criminal referral from Congress to the Department of Justice.
