President Biden
Joe Biden Supreme Court will hear the Boston bomber’s death case – if the Biden government allows it. The Hill’s Morning Report – Orders Biden Harris at the Border; press conference today Democrats are faced with questions about the MORE agenda will hold its first formal press conference on Thursday, more than 60 days after taking office.
The press comes as Biden faces a burgeoning crisis on the southern border, mass shootings that have sparked a debate over gun control and internal struggles among Democrats over whether to get rid of the filibuster and how much to even try to partner with Republicans.
Here are nine questions he’s likely to face.
Should Democrats Suppress Filibuster? And are you really interested in duality?
Biden ran like a centrist candidate and vowed to bring Washington back to normal. He also said he could work with Republicans.
So far, the only major legislation signed by Biden is the $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package moved by the Senate with budget reconciliation rules bypassing the filibuster. Not a single Republican voted for it.
The White House and Democrats see the GOP opposition as proof that Republicans aren’t really interested in partnering with Biden – not even in tackling the pandemic. Republicans say it shows that Biden doesn’t really care about duality.
In recent weeks, Democrats have been torn with debates about what to do with the filibuster, while liberals have become frustrated that major agenda items in the Senate can be stymied.
On Thursday, Biden will have the opportunity to indicate in which direction he wants his party to go.
Last week, he told ABC he would be open to bringing back the talking filibuster, which requires senators to take the floor to stop the legislation.
The president will certainly be asked on Thursday to elaborate and say whether he supports the ending of the filibuster to pass legislation on voting rights, gun control and statehood for Washington, DC.
What can your administration do to stop the flow of migrants at the border?
And how will your administration ensure that those arriving are treated fairly and humanely?
Biden faces pressure from left and right at the border, where images of crowded groups of migrants in shelters have raised questions about how migrant children are treated.
Republicans accuse Biden of sending the message that the US is completely open to migrants with his Trump-era policy reversal.
It’s an issue that Biden’s presidency threatens to catch up with if the White House isn’t careful, even though Biden enjoys solid approval ratings as vaccinations increase and help from the coronavirus aid package circulating through the economy.
Biden may also be asked if he intends to visit the southern border himself; he indicated that he would do so at some point in the future, but the White House has not given details as to when that might happen.
Are you going to levy tax?
Biden’s most likely next big package is an infrastructure and climate change measure that would fit into his Build Back Better agenda.
Earlier this week, reports circulated that $ 3 trillion in spending proposals were being drafted.
Infrastructure is an issue where Biden could work with Republicans, but the spending leaks suggest such a huge amount that it’s hard to imagine GOP lawmakers working with Democrats.
Biden has made no secret of his interest in raising the corporate tax rate cut under Trump and the taxes on wealthy households to pay for his initiatives – another non-starter at the GOP.
The White House has insisted that no decision is final, and Biden will meet with members of his economic team this week to discuss the matter. He is expected to outline the proposal in a speech in Philadelphia next week.
Can you change the gun debate and get something done?
Biden called on Congress on Tuesday to swiftly pass legislation passed by the House to tighten background checks, as well as a bill to reintroduce the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
But there are doubts whether anything will be done in an environment where gun control stalemates have been a reality for decades.
Biden witnessed the difficulty of doing anything about guns as vice president when former President Obama failed to implement meaningful reforms even after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in late 2012.
Winning real reform is probably impossible without an end to the filibuster, but the Democrats are facing divisions in their Senate campus over guns and the filibuster itself.
Biden could be asked on Thursday if he will take any steps to move his party forward on the matter.
Why don’t you have more Asian Americans in your cabinet?
Two Democratic senators said briefly this week that they would not support Biden’s cabinet choices unless he added more Asian-American or Pacific Islander representation to his administration.
The move by Sens. Tammy Duckworth
Ladda (Tammy) Tammy Duckworth Overnight Defense: Pentagon Policy Nominee by Senate Panel Vote | House Armed Services chairman calls May 1 Afghanistan withdrawal ‘dangerous’ | North Korea fires unidentified missile Meghan McCain back at critics of comments about ‘identity politics’ White House defends Asian-American representation MORE (Ill.) And Mazie Hirono
Mazie Keiko Hirono White House Defends Hirono’s Asian-American Representation, Duckworth Drops Objections to Biden Nominees The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden relies heavily on gun control MORE (Hawaii) was reversed after a concession from Biden, but highlights the frustration in that community at what they see as a lack of progress in this area.
Biden pointed to the general diversity of his cabinet when asked Tuesday about the lack of representation, but he will likely receive additional questions Thursday about why he didn’t choose an Asian American to lead an executive agency in the cabinet and whether his the governance really reflects the country as it lacks high-level Asian American representation as it is the country’s fastest growing demographic.
How will you respond to China’s aggression? And what penalties will Russia face for interfering in previous elections?
Biden has shown a hard line with both China and Russia, and relations are at a new low.
Biden is likely to be questioned about his approach to relations with both nations what his administration will do to try to change their behavior, and whether he tries to lower the temperature.
There are also other pressing foreign policy issues including an upcoming decision on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, attempts to rejoin Iran’s nuclear accord and recent missile launches by North Korea – these will certainly be addressed at the press conference.