Democrats shift strategies to keep majority
by Alexander Bolton - 09/21/22 6:00 AM ET
Senate Democrats are opting to play it safe in the final weeks before the midterm election by pledging not to allow a government shutdown over Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) controversial permitting reform bill or any other divisive issue that could give beleaguered Republican candidates a second wind.
They are sidestepping partisan showdowns over a marriage equality bill, a measure to cap the price of insulin, legislation to crack down on powerful tech platforms such as Apple and Amazon and a proposal to ban members of Congress from owning and trading stocks.
This pivot comes after a productive summer when Democrats enacted a handful of high-profile bills into law.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has scheduled votes this week on a broadly bipartisan treaty amendment to cut down on climate warming hydrofluorocarbon emissions and a previously considered measure to require dark money groups to publicly disclose their donors.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, an agreement originally signed in 1987 to protect the ozone layer, advanced easily by a vote of 64 to 30 on Tuesday. It is expected to garner the 67 votes needed for ratification on Wednesday.
The Disclose Act, which would require organizations that spend money in federal elections and on judicial nomination to disclose their donors, has already been voted on several times this Congress as part of broader election reform legislation.
Every single member of the Democratic caucus has either sponsored or co-sponsored the bill. It isn’t expected to attract any GOP votes.
Next week, Schumer will focus on a bill to fund the government, which he will keep as clean as possible to avoid a last-minute blowup that could threaten to shutter federal departments and agencies.
“There’s kind of a ‘first do no harm’ mentality, which I think is very smart and strategic,” said a Democratic senator, who requested anonymity to discuss Democratic caucus strategy.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3652872-democrats-shift-strategies-to-keep-majority/
