Cozen Oconnor Public Strategies - The Beltway Briefing

June's primary calendar came to a close on June 28 with five states – including Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah – holding key contests. In Illinois, all six statewide offices were up for election, including an open race for secretary of state after a long-time incumbent announced his retirement and a competitive Republican primary for the opportunity to challenge Governor Pritzker. Additionally, redistricting of state House, state Senate and U.S. congressional maps led to several retirements and competitive primaries. Meanwhile, voters in the Empire State picked their candidates for governor come November, potentially setting the stage for the first female elected governor in the state's history, and cast their ballots in other statewide races - for lieutenant governor, state attorney general and state comptroller. Primary races for the state Assembly and judicial delegates were also on the ballot. Due to redistricting litigation, primaries for Congress and the state Senate were pushed to Au

On Friday, in a 6-3 decision by a majority of conservative justices, the high court overturned the landmark 1973 precedent in Roe v. Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion. And on the heels of a Supreme Court decision earlier in the week overturning a century-old New York concealed-carry gun law, on Saturday President Biden signed the nation’s most consequential gun reform bill in decades into law. Cozen Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Towner French break down the events that took place during one of the most consequential weeks in Washington and discuss how they may impact the midterm elections in November.

On Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House passed a broad set of gun-control measures, largely along party lines, making it a nonstarter in the evenly split Senate. The bill, called the Protecting Our Kids Act and intended to reduce gun violence, would raise the age for purchasing semiautomatic rifles and shotguns to 21 from 18. On Thursday, after nearly a year of investigation and more than 1,000 interviews, the House Jan. 6, 2021 committee held its first prime-time public hearing on the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and the events leading up to it. Meanwhile, U.S. consumer inflation hit 8.6% in May - its highest level in more than four decades, as surging energy and food costs pushed prices higher, with little indication of when the upward trend could ease. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Towner French discuss the proposed legislation and key takeaways from the hearing, and ponder how the burden of inflation on the Biden Administration, along with the Presid

The 2022 midterm elections are set to be historic, and Tuesday was the most dramatic night of the primary election season to date. Voters in five states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Idaho, Kentucky and Oregon, cast ballots for Senate, governor and House. Some of the highest-profile battles were fought in Pennsylvania, where the night’s marquee contest — the GOP Senate primary - has yet to be decided. Members of Public Strategies’ Pennsylvania team – including Jim Davis, Joe Hill, and Kevin Kerr – join Howard Schweitzer and Mark Alderman to discuss the key takeaways from the primary election in the Commonwealth, which in many ways encapsulates America's choice in the 2022 midterms.

The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol issued five subpoenas this week for members of Congress. Meanwhile, geopolitical risks and economic headwinds are rattling markets, stores nationwide are struggling to stock enough baby formula, and gas prices are setting records on an almost daily basis. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux discuss the current developments and the country’s increased polarization along political and ideological lines, and ponder what it would take to bring the country back together and restore our confidence in government.

The Supreme Court stands on the brink of striking down the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, and the news has hit the political world like an earthquake. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux discuss the leak of a draft opinion itself, unprecedented in the Supreme Court’s recent history, on the court’s standing, and ponder the potentially seismic consequences of overturning the landmark decision across the social, demographic, and political spectrum.

A barrage of divisive economic signals played a role in recent market turmoil. On Capitol Hill, politicians are pouncing on the numbers to support their political agendas ahead of the critical 2022 midterm elections. Meanwhile, the path forward in the war in Ukraine remains unclear, as what many predicted would be a swift victory for the Russian military enters its third month, with no end in sight. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Kaitlyn Martin take a step back from the minutiae of Washington to reflect on the bigger picture of politics and try to bring some perspective to the challenging environment in which the country finds itself.

Eric Adams - a former New York City police captain, state lawmaker, and Brooklyn Borough President -distinguished himself in the Democratic primary running on public safety, economic inequality, and making the city feel orderly, functional and fun again. In his first 100 days in office, Adams projected an aggressive confidence as he announced policies aimed at combating an image of NYC as hobbled by the pandemic and beset by rising crime. He dropped many COVID-19 precautions, even as virus cases have risen, and he ordered homeless encampments removed from public spaces and the subways, despite complaints from activists. Then Mr. Adams was thrown a curveball: he marked his 100th day as mayor by going into quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 and, in a stunning turn of events, all of the above issues converged the next day in a Brooklyn subway station when a deranged gunman opened fire and injured 26 people. Cozen O'Connor-New York Public Strategies’ Ken Fisher, Katie Schwab, Stuart Shorenstein, Ros

On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the 116th justice, making her the first Black woman to join the Supreme Court. It was a history-making moment for Judge Jackson, but also for President Biden, who served as vice president to the first Black President, selected the first Black woman to be named vice president, and is now linked to another groundbreaking first. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Towner French speak of a larger meaning of the incoming justice’s elevation and discuss the ways many of the most pressing cultural issues today impact how we engage politically.

The nine words about Vladimir Putin that President Biden ad-libbed in his speech in Warsaw last weekend seemed to imply the U.S. seeks regime change in Moscow, causing the White House and the State Department to quickly clarify Biden’s remarks. On Thursday, Biden ordered the largest-ever release of oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the next six months, in an effort to tamp down gasoline prices that have buoyed inflation. And a few days earlier, the U.S. and EU announced a joint task force to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels, causing Biden to engage in a political balancing act as he touted his Administration’s commitment to tackling climate change. As the war in Ukraine grinds into a second month, Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux discuss how domestic political pressures may stand in tension with Biden’s stated commitments to protecting democracy outside of U.S. borders, and how balancing both the domestic and international pressur

On Wednesday, Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court moved forward with the conclusion of her confirmation hearings, which featured tense exchanges over her sentencing record and the recognition of the historic nature of the proceedings. On Friday, House Republicans wrapped up their annual retreat in Florida, during which they sought to project unity and cobble together key parts of their proposed agenda in a bid to retake the House majority in 2022 midterm elections. Meanwhile, in meetings this week of NATO, the G-7 economies and the EU, President Biden and other leaders offered unified support and boosted assistance for Ukraine, one month after Russia launched a full-scale invasion. Public Strategies’ Mark Alderman, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux debate key moments and takeaways from the Senate confirmation hearings and the House GOP retreat.

The FY 2022 $1.5 trillion omnibus spending legislation moved at the congressional version of warp speed last week, passing the House less than a day after it was introduced and clearing the Senate 24 hours later. On Tuesday, President Biden signed the massive package, providing a substantial increase in spending for domestic spending and national security and $13.6 billion in emergency assistance for Ukraine. The same day, after losing an hour of sleep over the weekend, a groggy Senate unanimously passed a proposal to make daylight-saving time permanent. On the heels of Biden’s high-stakes call with Chinese President Xi Jinping focused on China’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Towner French, and Tristan Breaux break down this week’s political developments and discuss some of the key events scheduled for next week, including Biden’s trip to Brussels for an extraordinary NATO summit and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation h

On Friday, the U.S. moved to revoke “most favored nation” trade status for Russia, and ban imports of its seafood, vodka and diamonds, as it joined the EU and G7 countries in ratcheting up economic pressure on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. The day before, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, the Senate passed a $1.5 trillion spending package to fund the federal government for the current fiscal year, capping off a fierce and urgent push to respond to the geopolitical unrest roiling Europe and approve $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine. On the anniversary of the American Rescue Plan becoming law, and the second anniversary of the WHO’s pandemic declaration, Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin break down the government response to Russia’s invasion and discuss how the one-two punch of rising energy prices and the intensifying geopolitical crisis could complicate the Fed’s efforts to rein in inflation and put the brakes on the rapid economic rebound.

On Tuesday, President Biden delivered his first State of the Union address at a precarious moment, after a year marked by continuing struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic, declining political fortunes for him and his fellow Democrats, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and, now, Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The speech offered Biden an opportunity to try to pull some discontented voters back onto his side, all while giving due gravity to the situation in Eastern Europe. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux offer the main takeaways from the President’s address and discuss how the fast-shifting international crisis sparked by Russia’s violent invasion is already reshaping political views in the U.S. and impacting the domestic economy.

Russia’s President Putin shook the world this week by sending troops into Ukraine and ordering its full-scale invasion despite fervent, months-long diplomatic efforts by President Biden and other western leaders to dissuade him from doing so. On Friday, Biden made history by announcing he would nominate federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Breyer. If she is confirmed by the Senate, Jackson would become the first Black woman to serve on the Court. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Tristan Breaux discuss the historic significance of Judge Jackson’s nomination and ponder the economic and social effects of Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine, domestically and globally. And, as Biden readies to deliver his first State of the Union address next Tuesday, they discuss whether this chance for him to reset his political fortunes is destined to be overshadowed by the crisis in Eastern Europe.

Last week, on a nearly party-line vote, the House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act of 2022, a nearly 3,000-page legislation aimed at increasing U.S. production of semiconductor chips, strengthening the supply chain to make more goods in America, and investing in scientific research and new technologies. The bill is the House’s counterpart to the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, passed last June with the support of 19 Republicans. The House and Senate will now begin to reconcile the two very different bills with a goal to move a final legislative package soon. Public Strategies’ Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Tristan Breaux debate whether bipartisanship still matters if actions ultimately take place along partisan lines, and discuss other key developments inside the Beltway this week.

As Democrats look ahead to what will be a challenging midterm election, the party is publicly and privately gauging how to handle the violent insurrection. Many describe discussing the events of that day as a moral obligation. Others, without dismissing the gravity of the attacks, argue that the party needs to prioritize economic issues immediately impacting voters’ daily lives. Yet while Democrats may disagree over how to talk about the insurrection, many Republicans continue to embrace Trump’s version of the events of January 6th. And the former president, even as his actual voice has been diminished, continues to be a factor in the media’s news cycle and political coverage. Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Patrick Martin, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux discuss Trump's continued importance in Republican politics and the electorate’s increased polarization along partisan lines, and engage in a thought-provoking discussion about whether, despite their differences, Americans actuall

On Thursday, Justice Stephen Breyer announced that he will retire from the Supreme Court after nearly three decades on the bench, giving President Biden a chance to fulfill his pledge to put the first Black woman on the Court. On Friday, major U.S. stock indexes rallied to finish one of their most tumultuous weeks in memory on a high note. Yet more volatility is expected, as the Fed pivots from stimulating the economy to fighting inflation, a tight labor market continues to be a challenge, and demand outstrips supply in many commodities. Meanwhile, as tensions mount between Washington and Moscow over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, questions are becoming sharper as to how the issue will reverberate through American domestic politics. As President Biden enters the second year of his presidency looking for a reset after a tumultuous first 12 months, Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Towner French, along with guest co-host Brian Flaherty, discuss the calamity he is facing and,

President Biden took office a year ago, promising to tackle four crises that were roiling American life in 2020: fight the coronavirus, restore the economy, combat climate change, and make the country more equal. Biden’s record has been mixed, however, leaving many who clamored for the changes he promised feeling that not enough has been done to this point. On Wednesday, in a nearly two-hour news conference wrapping up his first year in office, the president defended his policies, citing millions of people getting vaccinated in 2021, passage of a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill, and strong U.S. job gains over the past year, while acknowledging the setbacks caused by a new coronavirus variant, rising inflation, supply-chain bottlenecks, and widespread criticism over the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Biden also said he likely would have to break up his stalled healthcare, education, and climate agenda to pass his policies in Congress and promised a reset, saying he would engage more with Americans

After a year of promising to lower temperatures, seek unity and demonstrate competent leadership, President Biden has struggled. Unable to bridge the wide gap between moderates and progressives in his own party, he is ending the first year in office with arguably the worst week of his presidency: inflation hit a 40-year high; the Supreme Court blocked the centerpiece of his push to get more people vaccinated; he failed to win passage for both voting rights and his Build Back Better legislation, signature priorities of his first year; and talks with the Russians, aimed at avoiding war in Ukraine, broke off with no apparent progress. Many Democrats are calling for a reset, as they nervously look ahead to the November elections. With his poll numbers falling and his agenda stalled, how does president Biden prepare for Year 2 of his presidency? On the eve of the first anniversary of his swearing-in, Public Strategies’ Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss the challenges