National

President Biden on Friday signed into law legislation to force a rail labor agreement, blocking workers from striking ahead of the busy holiday season.

Why it matters: Some railroad workers have argued the deal doesn't adequately address concerns over workplace conditions, most notably the lack of paid sick leave.

Biden has said he was reluctant to override union votes but emphasized that a strike would pose a major economic disruption and called on Congress to step in.

Details: The Senate passed the legislation on Thursday but rejected a House-drawn measure that would include seven days of paid sick leave for workers.

The provision's failure is a loss for many union members and progressive lawmakers who have slammed the fact that rail workers have no guaranteed paid sick days.

Between the lines: The rail workers' battle is emblematic of some of the most critical worker issues of the post-pandemic era — revolving not around money, per se, but worker leverage, quality of life and paid sick leave, Axios' Emily Peck writes.

The contract was brokered by union leadership, and they had a tough time selling the deal to rank-and-file members. Many workers are angry about how they've been treated in recent years — particularly during the pandemic.

The other side: The White House pointed to elements of the deal that it views as a win for workers, including a 24% pay bump, no increase in health insurance costs and one additional day of paid time off.

What they're saying: "Our nation's rail system is literally the backbone of our supply chain," Biden said before signing the bill. "So much of what we rely on is delivered on rail."

"Without freight rail, many of the U.S. industries would literally shut down," he added.

Biden said he would continue to fight for paid sick leave.

The big picture: The bill caps off a tense few months during which the Biden administration has had to balance its pro-labor stance with the need to avoid an economically disastrous strike ahead of the holiday season.

Worth noting: The rail industry has been struggling with a worker shortage for months.

Go deeper: Railroad workers are fed up but hoping to avoid a strike

Biden signs rail agreement into law, thwarting strike

Some railroad workers have said the deal doesn't adequately address concerns over workplace conditions.

Photo of Joe Biden's face among silhouettes

President Biden speaks at a campaign rally on Nov. 7, 2022 in Bowie, Md. Photo: Nathan Howard via Getty Images

Joe Biden

Transportation

Policymaking

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

President Biden told Democrats Thursday they must "rid the nominating process of restrictive, anti-worker caucuses" and "reflect the overall diversity" of the party and nation, in a major proposed overhaul ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Why it matters: This would end Iowa's decades-long reign of being the first state in the Democrats' presidential nominating process. Biden's plan would see South Carolina as the first 2024 primary state, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire, Georgia and then Michigan, the Washington Post first reported.

"Our party should no longer allow caucuses as part of our nominating process," Biden said in a letter to the Democratic National Committee's rule-making arm Thursday. 

Details: The co-chairs of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee announced Biden's proposal at a dinner Thursday evening, according to multiple reports.

The matter is expected to be discussed when the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meets on Friday and Saturday, per the reports.

The bottom line: "We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window," Biden wrote in his letter to the DNC rules panel.

The big picture: The DNC panel voted earlier this year to give other states the chance to hold early primaries.

There's been fierce competition between Democrats in New Hampshire pushing to remain the first-in-the-nation primary and those in Nevada aiming to take over the spot, per Axios' Alexi McCammond.

McCammond noted in July that while the Iowa caucuses had been the first overall contest, that might not last — particularly in light of the debacle in 2020 when technical issues saw results delayed.

What they're saying: Democratic lawmakers in New Hampshire and Nevada pushed back against Biden's proposal.

Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen implicitly took digs at the South Carolina report in a joint statement raising "serious concerns" at the plan, the New York Times notes.

"We strongly believe the first presidential nominating contest should be held in a competitive, pro-labor state that supports voting access and reflects all of America’s diversity  — in other words, a state that actually aligns with the DNC’s own priorities for updating the calendar," they said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) said in a statement she "strongly" opposed "the president's deeply misguided proposal, but make no mistake, New Hampshire's law is clear, and our primary will continue to be First in the Nation."

Representatives for Biden did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Read Biden's letter to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee in full, via DocumentCloud:

DNC_Letter

Go deeper: The winners and losers in Democrats' 2024 primary shakeup

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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Biden pushes Democrats for 2024 primary overhaul

South Carolina is set to replace Iowa as the first primary state, per multiple reports.

President Biden at a press conference at the White House on December 01.

President Biden at a press conference at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Cabinet secretaries, governors, celebrities and others dot the list of more than 300 guests set to attend President Biden's first state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, hosted Thursday night at the White House.

Among the top names: Late-night host Stephen Colbert ... actresses Jennifer Garner and Julia Louis-Dreyfus ... musician John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen ... Vogue editor Anna Wintour ... Apple CEO Tim Cook ... Hunter Biden ... House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.).

HIS EXCELLENCY EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC AND MRS. BRIGITTE MACRON

Mr. Bernard Arnault & Ms. Hélène Marie Mercier Arnault 

The Honorable Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense & Ms. Charlene Austin

The Honorable Stewart Bainum & Ms. Sandra Bainum

Mr. Jonathan Batiste & Ms. Suleika Jaouad

The Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services & Dr. Carolina Reyes

The Honorable Katherine Bedingfield, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications & Mr. David Kieve

The Honorable John Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana & Ms. Donna Edwards

Mr. Hunter Biden & Ms. Melissa Cohen Biden

The Honorable Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State & The Honorable Evan Ryan, Assistant to the President & Cabinet Secretary

The Honorable Lisa Blunt Rochester, U.S. Representative (Delaware) & Ms. Hannah Carter

Mr. Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the Republic and Sherpa to the G7 and G20, French Republic

Mr. Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Member of Parliament & Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, French Republic

Mr. David G. Bradley & Ms. Katherine Bradley

The Honorable Steven Breyer, Former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice & Ms. Joanna Brey

Mr. Tristan Bromet, Advisor to the Presidency, French Republic

Ms. Mika Brzezinski and Mr. Charles Joseph Scarborough

The Honorable Peter Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation & Mr. Chasten Glezman Buttigieg

Mr. Christian Cambon, Senator of Val-de-Marne & Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, French Government

The Honorable Denise Campbell Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to the French Republic & the Principality of Monaco, U.S. Department of State & Mr. Steven Bauer

The Honorable Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education & Ms. Marissa Cardona

The Honorable John Carney, Governor of Delaware & Ms. Tracey Quillen Carney

The Honorable Thomas Carper, U.S. Senator (Delaware) & Ms. Martha Carper

The Honorable James Clyburn, U.S. Representative & House Majority Whip, U.S. House of Representatives (South Carolina) & Ms. Virginia Newman

Mr. Stephen Colbert & Ms. Evelyn McGee-Colbert

The Honorable Susan Collins, U.S. Senator (Maine) & Ms. Elizabeth McCandless

H.E. Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs

Mr. Timothy Cook & The Honorable Lisa Jackson, Former Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Honorable Christopher Coons, U.S. Senator (Delaware) & Ms. Ann Coons

Ms. Tatiana Copeland & Mr. Gerret Copeland

The Honorable Brian Deese, Assistant to the President & Director of the National Economic Council  & Miss Adeline Deese

Ms. Mary Quinn Delaney & Mr. Wayne Jordan

The Honorable Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for European & Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State & Mr. Alan Untereiner

The Honorable Michael Duggan, Mayor of Detroit, Michigan & Dr. Sonia Hassan

Mr. Philippe Errera, Director General for Political Affairs and Security, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, French Republic

H.E. Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of the French Republic to the United States & Ms. Patricia Etienne, Spouse of the French Ambassador to the United States

The Honorable Jonathan Finer, Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy National Security Advisor & Ms. Susan Finer

Mr. Walid Fouque, Advisor for Asia, the Americas and Oceania

Ms. Jennifer Garner & Miss Violet Affleck

The Honorable Rufus Gifford, Chief of Protocol for the United States, U.S. Department of State

His Excellency Philippe Franc, Chief of Protocol to the French Republic

The Honorable Philip Gordon, Assistant to the President & National Security Advisor to the Vice President & Ms. Rachel Gordon

The Honorable Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy & Mr. John Mulhern

Cpt. Florent Groberg, Captain & Medal of Honor Recipient, The U.S. Army

The Honorable Debra Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Department of the Interior & Mr. Lloyd Sayre

The Honorable Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence, Office of the Director of National Intelligence & Mr. David Davighi 

The Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States & Mr. Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States

Mr. Jamie Harrison, Chair, Democratic National Committee & Ms. Marie Boyd

Ms. Gabriela Hearst & Ms. Stephanie Lasnier de Lavalette

The Honorable Lina Hidalgo, Judge, Harris County, Texas & Mr. David James

Mr. Amos Hochstein, Special Presidential Coordinator, U.S. Department of State & Ms. Julie Ringel

The Honorable Steny Hoyer, U.S. Representative & Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives (Maryland) & Ms. Elaine Kamarck

The Honorable Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary, & Ms. Elainne Antoine

The Honorable Bonnie Jenkins, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of State & Ms. Arielle Pierson

The Honorable Ashish Jha, Assistant to the President, Counselor to the President, & Coordinator of COVID-19 Response & Ms. Debra Stump

Mr. Jeffrey Katzenberg & Ms. Marilyn Katzenberg

Mr. John Scott Kirby & Ms. Kathleen Marie Kirby

The Honorable Ronald Klain, Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff to the President & The Honorable Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans & International Environmental & Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Mr. Henry Kravis & Ms. Marie-Josée Kravis

The Honorable Edward Lamont, Governor of Connecticut & Ms. Annie Lamont

The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement & Mr. Derek Bottoms

Mr. Matthieu Landon, Advisor for Industry, Research and Innovation

The Honorable Mitchell Landrieu, Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator & Ms. Cheryl Landrieu

H.E. Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, French Republic

The Honorable Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senator (Vermont) & Ms. Marcelle Leahy

H.E. Sébastien Lecornu, Minister for the Armed Forces, French Republic

Mr. Antoine Lefèvre, Senator and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of French Parliament, French Republic

Full guest list: Colbert, others at Biden's first state dinner

Tim Cook, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen and many more...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo: Roberto SchmidtT/AFP via Getty Images

Sneak Peek

Axios Sneak Peek

As Biden weighs a final decision on whether to run for a second term, White House officials are showing how the powers of the presidency can be harnessed for a re-election campaign.

Driving the news: The emerging strategy is on full display this week. Biden is traveling to Michigan to talk domestic manufacturing and semiconductors, addressing tribal nations at the Interior Department, and hosting a glitzy state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron. 

The big picture: It's a formula we can expect to see more of over the next two years as legislating comes to a standstill: diplomatic engagements to emphasize Biden’s statesman role, day trips to swing states and special attention for key Democratic constituencies. 

Why it matters: Biden advisers don't expect the president to dominate the news cycle; they want him to fly above it.

Democrats' better-than-expected showing in the midterms confirmed team Biden’s theory of the electorate: Voters are concerned about protecting democracy and women’s reproductive rights, and give Biden passing grades on the economy. 

Biden didn’t pay a political price for only visiting friendly states and spending most weekends at home in Delaware or at Camp David. 

Many voters appeared to accept his argument that inflation was a global phenomenon and not the direct result of his spending. 

What they are saying: “The midterms validated the President’s focus on delivering for the American people and speaking to their priorities,” said a Biden adviser. 

“Since taking office, he’s traveled the country talking about how he’s lowering costs, bringing back manufacturing and supply chains, protecting and strengthening our democracy at home and abroad, taking action to protect women’s rights and enact tougher gun safety measures and more,” the adviser said. 

"Voters overwhelmingly affirmed his plan for taking the country forward, so it makes a lot of sense he’s staying focused on continuing to deliver on all the things he’s been talking about forever."

Behind the scenes: Officials are preparing for Biden to get comfortable with — or at least formally embrace — a decision he may have already made on some level. He loves being president and hates the idea of Trump restoring his reign. 

At the same time, running for president — even from the comfort of the White House and with the advantage of Air Force One — is physically and mentally draining. 

No one has any illusions about how difficult a re-election campaign will be, especially with an economy staring at a recession.

Between the lines: Officials also know that they need to increase their fundraising to underwrite a big campaign, which will likely be headquartered outside of Washington, either in Delaware or Philadelphia. 

White House holiday parties are one way that officials plan to reconnect with big-dollar donors, some of whom have felt left out in the cold by Biden’s inner circle. 

Go deeper: The White House — and Wall Street — will get a window into the economy this week with a crush of economic data, with September home price index dropping tomorrow. 

The closely watched Job Openings and Labor Turnover data for October will be released at 10am ET on Wednesday. 

The Fed’s preferred inflation measure, PCE, is out at 8:30am on Thursday. 

Then on Friday, the Labor Department will release November’s jobs numbers at 8:30am.

How Biden will run

As legislating comes to a standstill, Biden is harnessing the powers of the presidency.

Biden greets visitor after pardoning turkeys at the White House. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a new interview with Politico that he does not plan to run for president in 2024, even if President Biden chooses not to.

Why it matters: Some Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden running for president in 2024.

Driving the news: Newsom told Politico that he doesn't plan to challenge for the White House in 2024, saying “the answer is no."

“I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady," he told Politico.

Newsom said he hopes that Biden will announce his 2024 run early next year so that people can stop asking the California governor if he plans to run.

“He not only beat Trump once, I think he can beat him again,” Newsom told Politico. “I hope he runs, I’ll enthusiastically support him.” 

The intrigue: Newsom has had clashes with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in recent months. DeSantis is seen as a potential 2024 Trump spoiler for Republicans.

The other side: Biden's approval rating sits at about 39% right now, according to a recent Emerson College poll. And for that reason, there is an appetite from Democrats for a different candidate in the next presidential election.

A Quinnipiac University poll found that about 68% of Americans don't want Biden as the nominee in 2024.

Similarly, a New York Times/Siena College poll found the majority of Democratic voters would like another candidate for the election.

Yes, but: According to the Emerson College poll, Biden would be victorious over DeSantis and Trump in theoretical 2024 matchups.

The poll found Biden was favored by Democrats as the nominee of choice too, over Vice President Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, per CNBC.

Worth noting: Biden has suggested he intends to run in 2024 but has held off on an official announcement.

He told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart that he hasn't made a formal announcement yet since “a whole series of regulations kick in" once he does and he has to "treat myself as a candidate from that moment on."

President Biden reups his intentions for the 2024 race

Scoop: Stephen Schwarzman comes out against Trump in major defection

Musk “fine” with Trump not using Twitter, would back DeSantis in 2024

Newsom not planning 2024 presidential run, regardless of Biden's decision

Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (L) greets US President Joe Biden upon arrival at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets President Biden in San Diego. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Gavin Newsom

It's "sick" that the U.S. still allows the purchase of semi-automatic firearms, President Joe Biden said Thursday, while renewing his push to ban assault weapons.

The big picture: His comments come on the heels of the most recent spate of gun violence in America, which included shootings that killed six at a Virginia Walmart, five in an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado, and three at the University of Virginia.

What he's saying: "The idea that we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick," Biden told reporters in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he and his family are spending Thanksgiving.  

"It has no, no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers."

With the Senate filibuster firmly in place and an incoming Republican-controlled House, the chance of a ban actually clearing Congress remains slim.

Nevertheless, Biden said: "I’m going to try. I’m going to try to get rid of assault weapons."

Don't forget: The House passed a ban on assault weapons, 217-213, in July but it was largely seen as a symbolic step with the measure all but certain to fail in the Senate.

Worth noting: Biden and first lady Jill Biden called the owners of Colorado's Club Q, Nic Grzecka and Matthew Haynes, to offer condolences on Thursday. "They reiterated their support for the community as well as their commitment to fighting back against hate and gun violence," the White House said in a statement.

Biden calls sale of assault weapons "sick" and renews push for ban

"The idea that we still allow semi-automatic weapons to be purchased is sick," the president said.

Joe Biden

The big picture

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How Biden will run

Newsom not planning 2024 presidential run, regardless of Biden's decision

Biden calls sale of assault weapons "sick" and renews push for ban

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