Thursday open thread: Democrats might actually be good at this, you know
Two things happened yesterday, one after the other.
First, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill creating a $52 billion fund to ramp up US semiconductor production to compete with—and not being reliant on—foreign manufacturers, specifically China.
This is all well and good and much needed. However, the bill passed because it seemed that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had gotten his way. He had threatened to sink the bill if Democrats continued on their much-worked-on reconciliation bill, which he didn't want passed. That reconciliation bill seemed dead in the water due to the usual suspect in the person of Senator Joe Manchin.
Well. Maybe not. Because just hours after the semiconductor bill passed, this happened:
In an unexpected breakthrough, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reversed his opposition to quickly moving a broad filibuster-proof bill Wednesday and announced he will support a package that includes major investments in drug pricing, as well as provisions to address climate change and taxes on the wealthy.
Manchin announced the agreement in a joint statement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., after months of negotiations between the two appeared to break down recently. The deal represents a major breakthrough for elements of President Joe Biden's agenda that appeared to be all but dead.
“The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will make a historic down payment on deficit reduction to fight inflation, invest in domestic energy production and manufacturing, and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030,” Schumer and Manchin said in a statement. "The bill will finally allow Medicare to negotiate for prescription drugs and lower health care costs for millions of Americans. Additionally, we have reached agreement with President Biden and Speaker Pelosi to pass comprehensive permitting reform legislation before the end of this fiscal year. We urge every member of the U.S. Senate to support this important legislation.”
Now. Coincidences happen. Kismet is a thing. Fortune sometimes does smile on you. But forgive me for not being credulous, and for thinking that this was Kabuki theater meant to fool McConnell. The fortuitousness of this announcement is just too good for it to be merely happenstance, a sudden meeting of the minds. It does appear that Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin pulled a fast one on the Turtle. So much so, that now the GOP senators who voted for the first bill are urging their colleagues in the House to vote against it. Which, well, fine, they were going to anyway.
How uncivil! Well, this ain't wiffleball, kids. McConnell has delighted in being the roadblock to progress. He would have had no compunction pulling such a stratagem. So, as I like to say, fuck him.
On top of this rather tasty comeuppance, there's this:
Of course, Nate Silver is still predicting a GOP House takeover and a split Senate. But, of course, he keeps that travesty of a pollster Rasmussen in his averages, so yeah.🚨TOPLINE RATING CHANGE🚨
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) July 27, 2022
Democrats are FAVORED to win the U.S. Senate.
Several new generic ballot polls, as well as race-specific polls in PA and GA, have shifted our Senate model to give Democrats a 56.8% chance of holding their majority.
More here: https://t.co/UHhMBq81nj
We've got wind in our sails. It's time to act like it.