Thursday, September 8, 2022 / Washington Weekly Washington Weekly - August 3, 2022 Note: If you, your families, or employees are planning to travel to Washington, DC this summer and would like to tour the U.S. Capitol, it is vital that you contact your respective member of Congress well ahead of time. Access to the Capitol is still largely restricted and only member offices can schedule tours for their constituents. White House Appointments also need to be made through Congressional offices. To find your member of Congress, please click here. This Week: The Senate is in session and the House is out. Congress: The Manchin Factor: Over the last year and a half, one critical factor has been needed to pass virtually all legislation in Washington – the support of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). After going to press with Washington Weekly last week, it was announced that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had struck a deal with Sen. Manchin on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. While some question the ability of the proposal to reduce inflation, it would implement some top priorities for Democrats. The bill would bring in an estimated $313 billion over the next ten years by increasing the minimum corporate income tax to 15%, $288 billion from prescription drug pricing reform, $124 billion from increased IRS enforcement/audits (adding 87,000 IRS agents), and $14 billion by treating carry interest as income. Total raised: $739 billion. It would spend $369 billion on climate change/energy, $64 billion on Obamacare premiums, and $300 billion for deficit reduction. WWSD? (What Will Sinema Do): Now that Sen. Manchin has been brought into the fold, the next question is: how will Sen. Kyrsten Sinema vote? Sen. Sinema was steadfast in her opposition to the increase on corporate taxation, even though she had previously supported the climate provisions of last year’s Build Back Better plan. As of this writing, she has not made any public statements regarding her position on the proposal. Democrats could start voting on it this week, even though the plan is still being reviewed by the Senate Parliamentarian to determine whether or not it complies with budget reconciliation rules. Politics: August 2 Primaries: On Tuesday night, five states (Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington State held their respective primaries. Arizona: Blake Masters, the Donald Trump and Peter Theil-backed tech entrepreneur, is the Republican nominee to take on incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly. Trump-backed Keri Lake is leading Karrin Taylor Robson (who was endorsed by term-limited incumbent Governor Doug Ducey and former Vice President Pence) by about 11,000 votes with 80% reported. Should both Trump-supported candidates be on the ticket, it will set up an interesting dynamic in Arizona that has become increasingly more purple, as an influx of new residents continue to arrive. Kansas: The big story out of Kansas is that voters rejected an amendment to allow the Kansas legislature to further restrict abortion, 59-41. This was the first direct test on the issue after the Dobbs decision. While Kansas is generally a Republican state, it does have a Democratic governor who will also be on the ballot this fall. Some Democrats will interpret this as a victory that will resonate nationwide. Some Republicans will view the result as a bump in the road and voters will have to vote on a myriad of issues this fall (read: economic) when deciding on a candidate. Michigan: The Great Lake State had a big night politically. In MI-3, Rep. Peter Meijer (R) who was one of ten Republicans to vote for the impeachment of former President Donald Trump, lost his primary to John Gibbs, a former Trump Administration HUD official. In MI-11, there was a battle of two incumbent Democrats – Reps. Haley Stevens and Andy Levin. Stevens won 60-40 and should be a lock to win the district this fall. Businesswoman and Trump-endorsed Tudor Dixon easily won the Republican nomination for Governor and will take on the Democratic incumbent, Gretchen Whitmer, in November. Missouri: Senate Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief as Attorney General Eric Schmitt won the GOP Nomination for Senate, with Rep. Vicki Hartzler in second and former Governor Eric Greitens in third. Greitens had resigned in as Governor after being accused of sexual assault, and later physical abuse. Republicans worried that if Greitens had won, Missouri would go the way of Alabama in 2018, when Republican Roy Moore lost to Democrat Doug Jones. Donald Trump, hours before the election, only made an endorsement of ‘Eric.’ Washington State: Republican Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse, who both voted to impeach former President Trump, survived challenges in their respective districts to move on to November. Both are expected to win re-election. Republican Tiffany Smiley won the nomination to take on longtime Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. Generic Congressional Ballot (RCP Average): Republicans +0.6 President Biden Job Approval (RCP Average): 40% Approve – 56% Disapprove Retirement Tracker: Senate: (1 D, 5 R); House: (33 D, 22 R). Special Elections: Republican-held: Minnesota’s 1st (General: 08/09/2022), Alaska At-Large (08/16/2022), New York’s 23rd (08/23/2022). Democratic-held: New York’s 19th (08/23/2022). The House now has composition of 220 Democrats to 211 Republicans (with 4 vacancies). The Senate is comprised of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans – with Democrats controlling the chamber as the Vice President also serves as the President of the Senate. State Legislation Tracking Please visit our web-based state legislative tracker here. Print