NotedDC — Biden doubles down on ‘MAGA Republicans’

With the post-Labor Day sprint to the midterms days away, President Biden is doubling down on his message that much of the GOP is threatening the nation’s democratic values.

Biden’s speech in Philadelphia on Thursday night is expected to be a denunciation of certain values held by “MAGA Republicans” following the FBI’s search of former President Trump’s estate in Florida and the Jan. 6 committee’s public hearings.

“It’s not a political speech,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in a brief preview. “It’s about this moment we’re in.”

Thursday’s speech will likely be an escalation of what was seen in Biden’s speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., on Tuesday, when he first pushed back on Republicans’ rhetoric about defunding the FBI — which some worry could increase political violence — and questioned the morals of lawmakers who defend the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Up until last month, Biden has largely been on defense, fending off attacks from the GOP about record levels of inflation and high gas prices. But after scoring several legislative victories, including passage of Democrats’ sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, the commander in chief is now ramping up his political attacks.

He also received backlash from the other side of the aisle when he said many in the GOP shifted to “semi-fascism.”

Polls suggest that voters are concerned about the state of democracy. An NBC News poll conducted in August found that 21 percent of respondents ranked threats to democracy as the most important issue. 

Welcome to NotedDC: Your guide to politics, policy & people of consequence in D.C. Subscribe here: digital-release.thehill.com/noted.

In today’s issue: One Democratic hopeful who’s not shying away from the president.

Plus: GOP tensions over the Senate and the stakes being raised in the House.

Fetterman presses Biden ahead of joint appearance

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) is set to appear with President Biden when the president visits the Keystone State over the holiday weekend.

• The two are slated to appear together at a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh on Monday. Biden is also visiting the swing state of Wisconsin on Labor Day.
  
• The joint appearance comes after Fetterman did not appear at Biden’s event in Pennsylvania earlier this week, which Republicans were quick to point out.

The stop comes as the Democratic candidate battles his GOP opponent Mehmet Oz, whose campaign has received backlash for going after Fetterman’s stroke from May.

Fetterman, who is leading in polls, has pushed Biden on the issue of legalizing marijuana ahead of their appearance on Monday — seeking to tap into an issue that’s popular on both sides of the aisle.

According to a CBS News poll conducted in April, two-thirds of Americans want recreational marijuana use to be legal on the federal level. It could also push more young voters to turn out for the lieutenant governor since a majority favor legalization.

Senators including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have pushed Biden to decriminalize marijuana after he pledged to during his presidential campaign.

Our colleague Hanna Trudo writes: “For years, Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor and the party’s Senate nominee, has supported the reform he believes will create a fairer criminal justice system. While Biden didn’t address his request directly, Fetterman’s push is the latest way liberals are angling for more influence ahead of the midterms.” 

Senate races cause tension within GOP 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) comment about the quality of candidates in crucial Senate races is causing tension within the party as they face an uphill battle in flipping the upper chamber red.

After former President Trump called on the GOP to oust McConnell as a leader over the remark, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is now adding fuel to the fire in an op-ed published Thursday by the Washington Examiner. 

“Unfortunately, many of the very people responsible for losing the Senate last cycle are now trying to stop us from winning the majority this time by trash-talking our Republican candidates,” wrote Scott, chair of the Senate Republican fundraising arm, while not directly naming McConnell. 

The spat comes as the party looks to hit the reset button on their Senate elections playbook, our colleague Mychael Schnell writes, given the low polling of candidates like Herschel Walker in Georgia, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Blake Masters in Arizona.

What we’re watching: McConnell previously said he was “all in” on Colorado Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea, who is attempting to oust Sen. Michael Bennet (D). According to a new GOP poll released Wednesday, Bennet and O’Dea are neck-and-neck in the state, which has increasingly trended blue.

Read more about the conflict brewing between Scott and McConnell. 

ALASKA RAISES STAKES FOR GOP

Democrats’ hopes of minimizing losses in the House are growing stronger, with several races shifting toward Democrats and a seat in Alaska coming into play after the party pulled out a major victory in Tuesday’s special election.

Mary Peltola defeated former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) to become the first Democrat to hold Alaska’s sole congressional seat in decades, replacing the late Rep. Don Young (R). 

It was a stunning upset, considering Palin’s recognition in the state and how long the seat was held by a Republican. The win suggests the state’s new ranked-choice voting system could help Democrats and moderate Republicans in November, our colleague Caroline Vakil writes. 

Palin will still fight Peltola to permanently fill the seat in November. But the Cook Political Report shifted its forecast for the race toward Peltola on Thursday, along with four other competitive House races, signaling the GOP might be in trouble.

OUTLOOK SHIFTING FOR DEMS

Our colleague Emily Brooks has a roundup of the five races that the Cook Political Report shifted toward Democrats on Thursday, including notably Virginia’s 7th District, where Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) faces Republican former police officer Yesli Vega.

• The seat shifted from “toss-up” to “leans Democratic” after redistricting caused Spanberger to be in a more vulnerable position, moving her out of some areas where she received strong support.
  
• Remember: Spanberger railed against members of her own party for using slogans like “defund the police” in 2020, blaming them for costing them bigger gains in the House. She won with a slim margin of 8,000 votes last election cycle.

The GOP has been banking on taking back the House, while their chances of taking back the Senate are becoming slimmer. 

💰 Catch up quick: Student loan forgiveness

The federal government is preparing to roll out a student loan forgiveness program that will provide up to $20,000 for borrowers saddled with debt. Our Aris Folley has the full breakdown of how to qualify and what steps need to be taken.  

President Biden announced the much-anticipated debt forgiveness plan last month. Federal student loan payments have been paused for more than two years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden has continued the pause through the end of the year to give borrowers time to tap into the forgiveness plan. 

🎷 DC Jazz Fest heats up 

The DC Jazz Festival‘s 18th annual celebration continues through this weekend with performances across the District.

• The event runs through Labor Day and the full line-up and ticket sales can be found at the event’s website. 
  
  

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See you next week!

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