The Hill’s Morning Report – Surging COVID-19 infections loom over US, Olympics

 

 

 

Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It is Monday! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe!

Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported today: 609,021.

 

As of this morning, 56 percent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 48.6 percent is fully vaccinated, according to the Bloomberg News global vaccine tracker.

Get ready for more coronavirus clashes this week — from the nation’s capital to Tokyo, where the delayed Summer Olympics begin on Friday amid protests, COVID-19 cases among athletes and empty bleachers.

 

President Biden is expected to field questions about the pandemic and other issues during a CNN town hall broadcast from Cincinnati on Wednesday, while first lady Jill Biden is scheduled to represent the United States on Friday in Japan, where only 20 percent of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, as the Olympics get underway.

 

In the United States, confirmed coronavirus cases rose 140 percent in the past two weeks, particularly in regions where vaccination rates are low. There is a renewed debate in Washington about whether vaccinated people, who may be asymptomatic with rare “breakthrough” cases of the coronavirus, and unvaccinated people, who have the greatest risk of hospitalization and death, should all be required to wear masks indoors as the delta variant spreads in every state.

 

The Hill: Public health experts believe cases of the rampaging delta variant are undercounted in the United States because testing in the absence of serious illness is rare.

 

Two Americas — vaccinated and unvaccinated — face uncertainties about rising infections, health risks and mitigation strategies. Los Angeles County (pictured below) and Las Vegas say their respective requirements to wear masks indoors in public spaces are not punishment but prevention. Public health experts are of two minds. They worry that requiring vaccinated people to wear masks could backfire and leave the vaccine holdouts even less inclined to get doses (The Hill). Orange County, Fla., Mayor Jerry Demings, the Democratic spouse of Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), who is running for the Senate, also urged unvaccinated and vaccinated residents to wear masks indoors while in public locations (The Hill).

 

 

 

 

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who served during the previous administration, and current Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (pictured below) disagree about current mask guidance. Murthy backs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which advises that communities can respond to specific infection rates and vaccinated individuals can decide on mask preferences indoors or outside. Adams says he regrets the government’s earliest instructions about masks in 2020, arguing the CDC’s decision to relax mask recommendations for fully vaccinated Americans is “premature” and “wrong” (The Hill).

 

Murthy focused his attention Sunday on unvaccinated people he hopes might be persuaded to get the jab after hearing about the delta variant’s rising risk of disease. “I am worried about what is to come because we are seeing increasing cases among the unvaccinated in particular. And while if you are vaccinated you are very well protected against hospitalization and death, unfortunately that is not true if you are not vaccinated,” Murthy said during interviews on CNN’s “State of the Union” (The Hill) and “Fox News Sunday” (The Hill).

 

The Sunday Shows: Surgeon general in the spotlight as the delta variant spreads.

 

Arkansas leads states suffering through a surge of infections (The New York Times) and Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican and chairman of the National Governors Association, is delivering straight-up advice to get vaccinated to occasionally hostile constituents (The Associated Press).

 

In Tokyo, the Olympic Village confirmed its first cases of COVID-19 among athletes over the weekend. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said last week there was “zero” risk of athletes passing on the virus to Japanese or other residents of the village. But that bold statement is already being tested (The Associated Press). Tokyo is experiencing Olympic protests, animosity and examples of xenophobia as 11,000 athletes prepare to compete (The Washington Post).

  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reversed his position on Sunday and said he would self-isolate after being exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 contracted by U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid. The spread of COVID-19 while Johnson and his government are today lifting coronavirus restrictions is under tremendous scrutiny in Great Britain (Reuters). Johnson previously was hospitalized for COVID-19 and was vaccinated in March. … Doubts cloud England’s “Freedom Day” as restrictions are replaced with recommendations (The Associated Press).

 

 

 

LEADING THE DAY

CONGRESS: Fresh doubt was tossed over the immediate future of the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Sunday as two key Senate Republican negotiators criticized Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) for teeing up a procedural vote on it this week even though there is no legislative text yet.

 

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a member of the group of 22 senators involved in discussions (pictured below), said on Sunday that he will not vote to start debate on the $1.2 trillion package without a nailed-down deal between the two sides. How to pay for the package is the most prominent hitch in discussions. 

 

“How can I vote for cloture when the bill isn’t written?” Cassidy asked “Fox News Sunday.” host Chris Wallace. “Unless you want program failure, unless Schumer doesn’t want this to happen, you need a little bit more time to get it right.” 

 

“It can absolutely happen, but you need the pay-fors. … If we get the pay-fors, we can pass this,” Cassidy added (The Hill).

 

The Hill: Key Republican says proposed IRS enforcement offsets have been removed from the evolving infrastructure bill.

 

The Wall Street Journal: Infrastructure bill drops IRS funding, raising revenue pressure.

 

The Washington Post: Democrats, Republicans struggle to finish infrastructure proposal as key Senate deadline looms.

 

Meanwhile, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), another top negotiator, described this week’s planned procedural vote set by Schumer for the Senate floor as an “arbitrary deadline” (Axios).

 

“We are still negotiating,” Portman told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “Chuck Schumer, with all due respect, is not writing the bill, nor is [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell [R-Ky.], by the way. So, that’s why we shouldn’t have an arbitrary deadline of Wednesday. We should bring the legislation forward when it’s ready.”

 

The votes of the two Senate Republicans are crucial as 10 GOP senators will be needed to invoke cloture, assuming all 50 Senate Democrats vote to advance the bill. Wednesday’s vote also coincides with Schumer’s plan to advance the budget resolution that will serve as the basis for the $3.5 trillion reconciliation proposal that will need to be passed with only Democratic votes. 

 

Alexander Bolton, The Hill: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) seeks chance to put his stamp on government.

 

The Associated Press: Biden pledges appeal of “deeply disappointing” DACA ruling.

 

The Hill: Democrats seek to tackle climate change with import tax.

 

 

 

 

While the Senate plows ahead with the Biden agenda, GOP lawmakers are looking to take political advantage of rising inflation as they attempt to take back control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections. 

 

As The Hill’s Julia Manchester and Sylvan Lane write, Republicans have increasingly highlighted the fast-rising prices, and strategists believe the issue could resonate deeply with a broad range of voters while Democrats push ahead with plans to spend trillions more. However, that messaging tactic might not be long lasting, as many economists expect prices to cool off well before voters head to the polls.

 

The Hill: Biden seeks to prove his skeptics wrong.

 

The New York Times: Born of a crisis, remote voting in Congress has become a useful perk.

 

The Hill: Funding fight imperils National Guard operations.

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

POLITICS: Democrats are kicking into high gear their midterm sales pitch and betting big that government spending will lay the groundwork for success at the ballot box in 2022 as they attempt to retain their congressional majorities. 

 

As The Hill’s Jordain Carney writes, the party is attempting to message on two key Biden agenda priorities — the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief law and the $4.1 trillion infrastructure and social spending package lawmakers are currently trying to pass — with a simple tagline: This wouldn’t be happening without Biden and Democrats in charge. 

 

“We’re learning the value of simplicity. … So we’re getting better, but we still have a tendency to want to explain the policy as if we’re in negotiations with each other as opposed to talking about the value to regular people,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).

 

Dan Balz: Democrats are making headlines on voting rights, but little more to counter restrictive efforts by Republicans. 

 

Politico: Former Vice President Mike Pence flatlines as 2024 field takes shape.

 

> Big money: The Hill’s Reid Wilson and Max Greenwood took a deep dive into the winners and losers of the second fundraising quarter, with Schumer leading the way for all candidates as he seeks a fifth term in the Senate next year.

 

Schumer raised $11.5 million between April and June and reported $27 million in the bank, surpassing all other senators and showing off his financial muscle. 

 

On the GOP side, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) took the cake. He raked in $9.6 million during the second quarter even though his bid for a second term in the upper chamber isn’t expected to yield a difficult challenge. The total is almost $3 million more than the South Carolina Republican raised and spent during his entire 2014 campaign.

 

Also putting in strong showings during the past three months are Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), all of whom will likely face tough reelection campaigns next year. 

 

Roll Call: Four takeaways from Senate fundraising reports.

 

The Hill: Cuba, Haiti pose major challenges for Florida Democrats.

 

Niall Stanage: The Memo: Trump is diminished but hasn’t faded.

 

The Washington Post: Texas Democrats don’t plan to go home yet. 

 

 

 

 

*****

 

ADMINISTRATION: A new executive order from Biden targeting anti-competitive business practices is expected to give a major boost to sustainability efforts in the agriculture industry, reports The Hill’s Saul Elbein.

 

> Afghanistan: “The Last Commander,“ describes Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller, who withdrew the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan after two decades of war. Award-winning journalist and author James Kitfield, now a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress who covered the Iraq and Afghanistan troop deployments beginning in 2001, asked Miller if the war was worth it. How the general formulates an answer is more eye-opening than the answer itself. 

 

> State Department: Over the weekend, laments continued about a backlog until fall for U.S. passports and renewals. Schumer said he’s besieged by constituents who want delays addressed (SILive and CBSN New York). 

 

 

 

The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@digital-release.thehill.com and aweaver@digital-release.thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! 

OPINION

How conservatives can reshape education, by Ross Douthat, columnist, The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/3ilamsB 

 

How the streaming wars are changing what you watch, by Peter Labuza, Los Angeles Times. https://lat.ms/3hNvHvB

WHERE AND WHEN

The House returns to work at 2 p.m. after a two-week break. Votes are scheduled after 6:30 p.m. 

 

The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. and will resume consideration of Tiffany Cunningham to be a judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Reuters).

 

The president and Vice President Harris (who had a “routine” Sunday medical checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to the White House), will receive the President’s Daily Brief in the Oval Office at 10 a.m. Biden will deliver remarks on the economy at 11 a.m. The president and the first lady will welcome Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein to the White House at 1:45 p.m. The first lady will host a tea with Queen Rania.

 

The White House press briefing is scheduled at 12:30 p.m.

 

Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features news and interviews at http://digital-release.thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. ET at Rising on YouTube. 

ELSEWHERE

➔ DISASTERS & CLIMATE CHANGE: In Oregon, where wildfires rage, climate change is being met with skepticism (The Washington Post). In Montana, temperatures exceeded 100 degrees during an especially dry summer and the heat is building this week (WeatherNation). … In parched, scorched California wine country, the effects of climate change threaten to put wineries out of business. Smoke from wildfires miles away can penetrate the skins of grapes and change the crop (The New York Times). … Climate scientists warn the biblical floods that killed at least 188 people in Germany and other parts of Europe (Reuters), are the latest sign of the crises humanity will face in the years ahead while also cautioning that it is too soon to directly blame the July floods on climate change. They argue the science is clear that such disasters from extreme weather events could become more common. German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel (The Hill) and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, called for greater efforts to combat global warming (NBC News). … In Canada, farmers are bracing for another extreme heat wave as crops bake in the fields. The temperature this summer reached a record 115 degrees in one village in British Columbia (The Washington Post).

 

 

 

 

➔ INTERNATIONAL: Private military-grade Israeli spyware, leased by NSO Group to governments for tracking terrorists and criminals, was used against the smartphones of journalists, activists and business executives, according to a global investigation conducted by The Washington Post and 16 media partners led by the Paris-based journalism nonprofit Forbidden Stories. The Israeli government is under scrutiny for permitting the company to do business with authoritarian regimes (The New York Times). … Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro left the hospital on Sunday after spending four days there for medical treatment. Bolsonaro was admitted on Thursday due to a chronic case of the hiccups and abdominal pain and is expected to undergo a diet to help him deal with his condition. He is expected to return to his presidential duties today (The Hill). 

 

➔ SPORTS:️‍♂️Collin Morikawa won The Open Championship on Sunday, defeating Jordan Spieth by two strokes and winning his second major in the process. Morikawa, 24, finished at 15 under at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in the first Open Championship since 2019. Last year’s edition was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic (ESPN). 

THE CLOSER

And finally, with sports in mind … White House press secretary Jen Psaki threw the opening pitch at the Nationals game in Washington on Sunday, hurling the ball to its destination without a bounce (video) one day after a shooting outside the ballpark injured three people and suspended the team’s game against the San Diego Padres (WTOP). 

 

The team’s invitation to Psaki took note of “William & Mary Day,” honoring the 42-year-old press secretary’s Virginia alma mater (New York Post).

 

The Hill: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and the Nationals on Sunday issued a joint statement against gun violence.