Chris Lange, FISM News
Vulnerable House Democrats hoping to rack up some last-minute wins ahead of the midterms say they’re close to reaching deals to bring proposed legislation on police funding and a stock trading ban to a vote this month.
With much of the focus centered around the looming Oct. 1 deadline to approve legislation to keep the government running, Democrats facing tough reelection contests are hoping their efforts to bring the two measures to the floor will win over voters, particularly as they try to distance themselves from the defund the police movement amid soaring crime.
“Both are still very much in play, and we’re kind of working on some final details. I’m not sure when they’d be brought up, but I know they’re both still being talked about,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), chairman of the Rules Committee, said Monday evening, The Hill reported. “I know they’re getting close,” he added.
The police funding measure was expected to go to a vote in July, but strident opposition from a group of progressives that included a large contingent of Congressional Black Caucus members forced Democratic leaders to scrub it from the calendar as they attempted to resolve their differences.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, expressed optimism that a deal to bring the measure to a vote is close at hand.
“We’re making very good progress,” said Gottheimer, who introduced the bipartisan legislation in January, along with Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.).
Another source familiar with the talks told the news service that a vote on the police-funding package could come as early as Thursday.
“It’s got to go [this month],” the source said.
Moderate Democrats who essentially remained silent as the party’s progressive caucus repeatedly called to strip funding from law enforcement in the wake of the death of George Floyd began scrambling to assert support for law enforcement amid soaring crime and dismal midterm projections for their party. President Biden, who had been reluctant to condemn anti-police riots in the spring and summer of 2020, pivoted to a pro-police funding message in his State of the Union address in March.
“We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. It’s to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them with resources and training,” he said.
Many Democrats have attempted to claim recently that their party has never called for a defunding of police. However, video evidence shows quite the contrary.
Democrats claim they don’t support Defunding the Police.
Here’s 7 minutes of them saying, DEFUND THE POLICE! pic.twitter.com/Y7lwPAnEiw
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 7, 2021
Bipartisan effort to stop congressional stock trading
Meanwhile, progress is also being reported in talks concerning stock ban legislation, which would bar public office holders from owning or purchasing stocks during their tenure.
The legislation was introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in January amid increased scrutiny over unusual gains made by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that suggested insider trading. Democrats hope that touting support for the measure will curry favor with voters at a time when a majority of Americans say they do not trust the government.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, is working to finalize a proposal that is essentially a patchwork of elements of several existing bills.
“Getting consensus on something that a lot of people want more or less has not been that easy,” said House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who is putting the finishing touches on the proposal. “I think we’re very close.”
The debate on the issue of funding the federal government beyond Oct. 1, however, has yet to yield any significant results so far. Key sticking points are Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) “permitting reform” provision included in the government funding bill, which Democrats fear won’t pass muster to avoid a Republican filibuster in the Senate or secure the approval of liberals in the House.
This article was partially informed by a New York Post report.