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On Politics: The Next Round of Pandemic Relief On Politics: The Next Round of Pandemic Relief
(about 7 hours later)
Good morning and welcome to On Politics, a daily political analysis of the 2020 elections based on reporting by New York Times journalists.Good morning and welcome to On Politics, a daily political analysis of the 2020 elections based on reporting by New York Times journalists.
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The House on Friday passed $3 trillion in new stimulus legislation, full of funding for state and local governments, workers and struggling families — but so far it’s met with crickets in the Republican-controlled Senate. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has mostly focused on criticizing Nancy Pelosi’s legislation, without offering a proposal of his own, and President Trump has said he is more focused on getting the country’s economy to reopen. Some Republicans have suggested that they won’t be open to working on a new stimulus package until the nearly $500 billion of small-business funding that passed last month dries up, possibly in late May or early June. “In terms of what the timing would look like, I suspect that doesn’t happen until sometime after Memorial Day,” John Thune, the Senate majority whip, told Politico.
McConnell has said he would like to tie any new stimulus funding to protections for businesses that reopen amid the pandemic, making it harder for workers and consumers to sue. Pelosi immediately shot down that idea when it first came up, but on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, she said she would draw “no red lines.” Still, even if the two chambers reached an agreement on that point, the Senate seems unlikely to swiftly take up the legislation, which would be the most expensive single bill in history. House and Senate leaders are reportedly not holding any formal discussions yet about the legislation. The head of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, said last week that he thought Congress should be willing to spend more money to keep the economy afloat.
The 2020 campaign may remain a two-person race after all. Justin Amash, the Michigan congressman who left the Republican Party last year in disgust over Trump’s influence on its policies, has decided against seeking the Libertarian Party’s nomination. “I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment,” Amash wrote on Twitter on Saturday. “But this environment presents extraordinary challenges,” he added, mentioning the current polarization of the electorate and the difficulties of mounting an insurgent campaign in a time of social distancing. Amash did not mention having a preference between Trump or Joe Biden — but early polling indicated that his presence in the race might have pulled more votes away from Biden, though not by a huge margin. The Libertarian Party still plans to hold its convention (virtually) later this month, but none of the candidates currently in the running for its nomination are as high-profile as Amash, so their ability to play the spoiler is widely seen as much lower.
Barack Obama unleashed his most public criticism yet of the Trump administration on Saturday, but without naming any names. In two video addresses — one to high school seniors, carried on major television networks, and another to this year’s graduates of 74 historically black colleges and universities — the former president criticized the country’s leaders for botching the response to the virus. “This pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” he told the college seniors. And in his remarks to high schoolers, he was just as sharp. “Doing what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy — that’s how little kids think,” he said. “Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way — which is why things are so screwed up.” These remarks, in an otherwise-apolitical scenario, provided evidence of how tensely polarized the pandemic has become, while also hinting at a possible role for Obama as the Biden campaign seeks to improve its still-feeble popularity among young voters.
Secret Service agents at the White House awaiting President Trump’s return from Camp David.Secret Service agents at the White House awaiting President Trump’s return from Camp David.
Hear that? It’s the sound of another inspector general being felled by President Trump, whose approach to government watchdogs has started to resemble the Brazilian president’s approach to the Amazon rainforest.Hear that? It’s the sound of another inspector general being felled by President Trump, whose approach to government watchdogs has started to resemble the Brazilian president’s approach to the Amazon rainforest.
Trump told Pelosi on Friday that he was going to oust the State Department’s head inspector, Steve Linick, who had been leading an investigation into Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state.Trump told Pelosi on Friday that he was going to oust the State Department’s head inspector, Steve Linick, who had been leading an investigation into Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state.
It’s the latest in a string of inspector firings — most, but not all, in positions related to foreign policy and national security — that have come in the wake of Trump’s impeachment and subsequent acquittal by the Senate.It’s the latest in a string of inspector firings — most, but not all, in positions related to foreign policy and national security — that have come in the wake of Trump’s impeachment and subsequent acquittal by the Senate.
For a better understanding of what happened here, and what it all means in the broader context of the Trump administration, we turned to Catie Edmondson, who covered Linick’s firing in an article with Michael D. Shear that ran in the Sunday paper.For a better understanding of what happened here, and what it all means in the broader context of the Trump administration, we turned to Catie Edmondson, who covered Linick’s firing in an article with Michael D. Shear that ran in the Sunday paper.
Here’s what Catie told us.Here’s what Catie told us.
Hi Catie, thanks for talking to me. The president told Nancy Pelosi on Friday that he was firing the head inspector general at the State Department — but why? Tell us what led up to that.Hi Catie, thanks for talking to me. The president told Nancy Pelosi on Friday that he was firing the head inspector general at the State Department — but why? Tell us what led up to that.
The reason the president gave to Speaker Pelosi was that he no longer had “the fullest confidence” in the inspector general, Steve Linick. But top Democrats in Congress came forward shortly after Linick’s dismissal and said that they believed Mike Pompeo had recommended that the president fire Linick because his office was investigating whether Pompeo had misused his staff to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife. Over the weekend, a White House official told us that Pompeo indeed had recommended the firing, but the secretary himself has so far declined to comment on the situation.The reason the president gave to Speaker Pelosi was that he no longer had “the fullest confidence” in the inspector general, Steve Linick. But top Democrats in Congress came forward shortly after Linick’s dismissal and said that they believed Mike Pompeo had recommended that the president fire Linick because his office was investigating whether Pompeo had misused his staff to perform personal tasks for himself and his wife. Over the weekend, a White House official told us that Pompeo indeed had recommended the firing, but the secretary himself has so far declined to comment on the situation.
Democrats in both houses of Congress immediately opened an investigation into Trump’s decision to fire Linick. It seems like a classic example of “checks and balances” at work, but can you explain what exactly they can do if they find evidence of wrongdoing? What could happen?Democrats in both houses of Congress immediately opened an investigation into Trump’s decision to fire Linick. It seems like a classic example of “checks and balances” at work, but can you explain what exactly they can do if they find evidence of wrongdoing? What could happen?
The main focus of the inquiry, for now, is to determine exactly what led to Linick’s firing. It’s worth noting that, by law, the administration has to notify Congress 30 days before formally terminating an inspector general. That’s intended to provide Congress with the opportunity to safeguard against the removal of inspectors general in cases deemed politically motivated or inappropriate. But we have heard very little from Senate Republicans on that front.The main focus of the inquiry, for now, is to determine exactly what led to Linick’s firing. It’s worth noting that, by law, the administration has to notify Congress 30 days before formally terminating an inspector general. That’s intended to provide Congress with the opportunity to safeguard against the removal of inspectors general in cases deemed politically motivated or inappropriate. But we have heard very little from Senate Republicans on that front.
This is all part of a pattern, isn’t it? Trump has removed inspectors general from other positions in recent weeks. Why now?This is all part of a pattern, isn’t it? Trump has removed inspectors general from other positions in recent weeks. Why now?
Updated September 1, 2020
Part of that pattern is to dismiss the inspectors general late on Friday nights! Linick is just the latest in a recent purge of inspectors general who the president has deemed insufficiently supportive of his administration and agenda. We started seeing an acceleration in that effort just after his impeachment trial.Part of that pattern is to dismiss the inspectors general late on Friday nights! Linick is just the latest in a recent purge of inspectors general who the president has deemed insufficiently supportive of his administration and agenda. We started seeing an acceleration in that effort just after his impeachment trial.
Looking at Trump’s removal of these investigators, what are the material consequences? What’s the effect of all this turnover, when it comes to the roles these investigators can play?Looking at Trump’s removal of these investigators, what are the material consequences? What’s the effect of all this turnover, when it comes to the roles these investigators can play?
Inspectors general are supposed to serve as a nonpartisan check on the federal government’s agencies. They are designed to be an independent watchdog, alerting the heads of agencies and Congress to instances of waste and abuse they find. The repeated curbing of these investigators certainly sends a message about how the administration views their independence.Inspectors general are supposed to serve as a nonpartisan check on the federal government’s agencies. They are designed to be an independent watchdog, alerting the heads of agencies and Congress to instances of waste and abuse they find. The repeated curbing of these investigators certainly sends a message about how the administration views their independence.
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Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.