talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-25--Report: Biden Is Considering New Mexico Governor, Obama Surgeon General For HHS Secretary

New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham ( D ) and former Obama-era surgeon general Vivek Murthy have emerged as top picks for Health and Human Services Secretary in the incoming Biden administration , Politico reported late Tuesday .
The role will arguably be among the most important that Biden will fill as the federal government prepares to roll out distribution of COVID-19 vaccines amid surging cases of the virus .
The HHS secretary will play a key role in managing how the nation conducts pandemic response , along with rebuilding trust in science-based guidance and health expertise , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eroding .
Although Biden has not yet made a formal decision , the nomination could follow a series of firsts as Biden seeks to diversify his team .
Politico points out that Grisham would be the first Latina nominated for the role and that Murthy ’ s selection would make him the first nominee of Indian descent for the job .
An announcement of Biden ’ s pick for the role is not expected until Monday at the earliest , three people with knowledge of the selection process told Politico .
Murthy would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if selected .
A former surgeon general , who once focused on tackling the opioid crisis and the loneliness epidemic , he has served as health adviser to Biden during the campaign .
Murthy has played a significant role in the incoming administration ’ s pandemic planning as co-chair of Biden ’ s COVID-19 advisory board .
Grisham , another top contender for the leading HHS job , has broad managerial expertise — she once ran New Mexico ’ s health department .
Grisham , a former U.S. congresswoman was elected governor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her efforts to curb COVID-19 in her state .
She declared a statewide emergency on the same day her state confirmed its first positive cases .
While is not uncommon for incoming presidents to select governors to lead the Health and Human Services department , Grisham does not share ties to the Obama White House that have been characteristic of many of Biden ’ s picks so far .
According to Politico , Murthy will likely have a future in the Biden administration even if he is not selected as HHS secretary — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Covid-19 response team .
Also up for consideration have included Rhode Island Gov .
Gina Raimondo , former Louisiana health secretary Rebekah Gee and North Carolina health secretary Mandy Cohen .

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) and former Obama-era surgeon general Vivek Murthy have emerged as top picks for Health and Human Services Secretary in the incoming Biden administration, Politico reported late Tuesday.
The role will arguably be among the most important that Biden will fill as the federal government prepares to roll out distribution of COVID-19 vaccines amid surging cases of the virus.
The HHS secretary will play a key role in managing how the nation conducts pandemic response, along with rebuilding trust in science-based guidance and health expertise, which President Donald Trump has spent many months eroding.
Although Biden has not yet made a formal decision, the nomination could follow a series of firsts as Biden seeks to diversify his team. Politico points out that Grisham would be the first Latina nominated for the role and that Murthy’s selection would make him the first nominee of Indian descent for the job.
An announcement of Biden’s pick for the role is not expected until Monday at the earliest, three people with knowledge of the selection process told Politico.
Murthy would join a host of Obama administration alumni if selected. A former surgeon general, who once focused on tackling the opioid crisis and the loneliness epidemic, he has served as health adviser to Biden during the campaign. Murthy has played a significant role in the incoming administration’s pandemic planning as co-chair of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board.
Grisham, another top contender for the leading HHS job, has broad managerial expertise — she once ran New Mexico’s health department. Grisham, a former U.S. congresswoman was elected governor in 2019, and has been rigorous in her efforts to curb COVID-19 in her state. She declared a statewide emergency on the same day her state confirmed its first positive cases.
While is not uncommon for incoming presidents to select governors to lead the Health and Human Services department, Grisham does not share ties to the Obama White House that have been characteristic of many of Biden’s picks so far.
According to Politico, Murthy will likely have a future in the Biden administration even if he is not selected as HHS secretary — potentially as part of the White House’s Covid-19 response team.
Also up for consideration have included Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, former Louisiana health secretary Rebekah Gee and North Carolina health secretary Mandy Cohen.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-25--Biden Says This Won’t Be Obama 3.0: ‘We Face A Totally Different World’ Now

President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his administration would not be simply an extension of former President Barack Obama ’ s presidency as he begins to roll out his Cabinet and advisory picks .
“ This is not a third Obama term because we face a totally different world than we faced in the Obama-Biden administration , ” Biden told NBC News correspondent Lester Holt when asked about the criticism that he ’ s bringing in Obama era appointees , asserting that President Donald Trump “ has changed the landscape.
” “ That ’ s why I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep points that represent the spectrum of the American people as well as the spectrum of the Democratic Party , ” Biden said .
The President-elect also stated that he has considered appointing a Republican who voted for Trump for a Cabinet position because “ the purpose of our administration is , once again , uniting.
” When asked if he ’ d spoken to Sens .
Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) about a potential appointment , Biden confirmed he had done so but noted the problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and potentially jeopardizing the votes he ’ ll need to pass liberal policies .
“ I have a very ambitious , very progressive agenda , and it ’ s going to take really strong leaders in the House and Senate to get it done , ” he told Holt during the pre-taped interview .
Several of Biden ’ s appointees are Obama alums , including Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken , who served as deputy secretary of state , and Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Alejandro Mayorkas , who served as deputy @ @ @ @ @

President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his administration would not be simply an extension of former President Barack Obama’s presidency as he begins to roll out his Cabinet and advisory picks.
“This is not a third Obama term because we face a totally different world than we faced in the Obama-Biden administration,” Biden told NBC News correspondent Lester Holt when asked about the criticism that he’s bringing in Obama era appointees, asserting that President Donald Trump “has changed the landscape.”
“That’s why I’ve found people who join the administration and keep points that represent the spectrum of the American people as well as the spectrum of the Democratic Party,” Biden said.
The President-elect also stated that he has considered appointing a Republican who voted for Trump for a Cabinet position because “the purpose of our administration is, once again, uniting.”
When asked if he’d spoken to Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) about a potential appointment, Biden confirmed he had done so but noted the problem with pulling a progressive out of Congress and potentially jeopardizing the votes he’ll need to pass liberal policies.
“I have a very ambitious, very progressive agenda, and it’s going to take really strong leaders in the House and Senate to get it done,” he told Holt during the pre-taped interview.
Several of Biden’s appointees are Obama alums, including Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state, and Secretary of Homeland Security nominee Alejandro Mayorkas, who served as deputy chief of the department.
Watch Biden below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-26--Trump Races to Weaken Environmental and Worker Protections, and Implement Other Last-Minute Policies

Trump Races to Weaken Environmental and Worker Protections, and Implement Other Last-Minute Policies, Before Jan. 20

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
Six days after President Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection , the U.S. Department of Agriculture notified food safety groups that it was proposing a regulatory change to speed up chicken factory processing lines , a change that would allow companies to sell more birds .
An earlier USDA effort had broken down on concerns that it could lead to more worker injuries and make it harder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a change like this would take about two years to go through the cumbersome legal process of making new federal regulations .
But the timing has alarmed food and worker safety advocates , who suspect the Trump administration wants to rush through this rule in its waning days .
Even as Trump and his allies officially refuse to concede the Nov. 3 election , the White House and federal agencies are hurrying to finish dozens of regulatory changes before Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20 .
The rules range from long-simmering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything from creature comforts like showerheads and clothes washers to life-or-death issues like federal executions and international refugees .
They impact everyone from the most powerful , such as oil drillers , drugmakers and tech startups , to the most vulnerable , such as families on food stamps , transgender people in homeless shelters , migrant workers and endangered species .
ProPublica is tracking those regulations as they move through the rule-making process .
Every administration does some version of last-minute rule-making , known as midnight regulations , especially with a change in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say how the Trump administration ’ s tally will stack up against predecessors .
But these final weeks are solidifying conservative policy objectives that will make it harder for the Biden administration to advance its own agenda , according to people who track rules developed by federal agencies .
“ The bottom line is the Trump administration is trying to get things published in the Federal Register , leaving the next administration to sort out the mess , ” said Matthew Kent , who tracks regulatory policy for left-leaning advocacy group Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roadblocks to Biden being able to wave a magic wand on these.
” In some instances the Trump administration is using shortcuts to get more rules across the finish line , such as taking less time to accept and review public feedback .
It ’ s a risky move .
On the one hand , officials want to finalize rules so that the next administration won ’ t be able to change them without going through the process all over again .
On the other , slapdash rules may contain errors , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in court .
The Trump administration is on pace to finalize 36 major rules in its final three months , similar to the 35 to 40 notched by the previous four presidents , according to Daniel Perez , a policy analyst at the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center .
In 2017 , Republican lawmakers struck down more than a dozen Obama-era rules using a fast-track mechanism called the Congressional Review Act .
That weapon may be less available for Democrats to overturn Trump ’ s midnight regulations if Republicans keep control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by two Georgia runoffs .
Still , a few GOP defections could be enough to kill a rule with a simple majority .
“ This White House is not likely to be stopping things and saying on principle elections have consequences , let ’ s respect the voters ’ decision and not rush things through to tie the next guys ’ hands , ” said Susan Dudley , who led the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget at the end of the George W. Bush administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are rushed so they didn ’ t have adequate analysis or public comment , and that ’ s what we ’ re seeing.
” The Trump White House didn ’ t respond to requests for comment on which regulations it ’ s aiming to finish before Biden ’ s inauguration .
The Biden transition team also didn ’ t respond to questions about which of Trump ’ s parting salvos the new president would prioritize undoing .
Many of the last-minute changes would add to the heap of changes throughout the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental and consumer protections , all in the name of shrinking the government ’ s role in the economy .
“ Our proposal today greatly furthers the Trump administration ’ s regulatory reform efforts , which together have already amounted to the most aggressive effort to reform federal regulations of any administration , ” Brian Harrison , the chief of staff for the Department of Health and Human Services , said on a conference call with reporters the day after the election .
Harrison was unveiling a new proposal to automatically purge regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless the agency decides to keep them .
For that proposal to become finalized before Jan. 20 would be an exceptionally fast turnaround .
But Harrison left no doubt about that goal .
“ The reason we ’ re doing this now is because , ” he said , “ we at the department are trying to go as fast as we can in hopes of finalizing the rule before the end of the first term.
” One proposal has raced through the process with little notice but unusual speed — and deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squads and electrocutions for federal executions , giving the government more options for administering capital punishment as drugs used in lethal injections become unavailable .
The Justice Department surfaced the proposal in August and accepted public comments for only 30 days , instead of the usual 60 .
The rule cleared White House review on Nov. 6 , meaning it could be finalized any day .
The Justice Department didn ’ t respond to a request for comment .
Once finalized , this rule might never be put into practice .
The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Nov. 19 and plans five more executions before Jan. 20 , all with lethal injections .
After that , Biden has signaled he won ’ t allow any federal executions and will push to eliminate capital punishment for federal crimes .
Other less dramatic-sounding rules could prove harder to unravel and have broader consequences .
In particular , the Environmental Protection Agency is on the cusp of finalizing several rules that would make it harder to justify pollution restrictions or lock in soot levels for at least five years .
The agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the objections of independent scientific advisers and despite emerging evidence that links particulate pollution to additional coronavirus deaths .
An EPA spokesman declined to comment on the timing of these rules .
“ EPA continues to advance this administration ’ s commitment to meaningful environmental progress while moving forward with our regulatory reform agenda , ” the spokesman , James Hewitt , said .
While those rules have developed over years , others were launched later and officials are taking shortcuts to finish in time .
Reviews by the White House ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that normally take 90 days or more are now wrapping up in as few as five days .
The White House is close to completing severalrules that would extend Trump ’ s record of restricting immigration and make the changes harder for the Biden administration to reverse .
The pending rules would make it more difficult to claim asylum by excluding people with criminal convictions ( even those that have been expunged ) , drastically shortening the application time and giving immigration judges more latitude to pick and choose what evidence to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .
Some rules read like Trump ’ s stump speeches translated into policy legalese .
The Department of Energy is racing to loosen efficiency standards for showerheads and laundry machines , evoking Trump ’ s recurringbits about bathroomwater pressure .
“ Do you ever get under a shower and no water comes out ?
” Trump said at an October rally in Nevada .
“ And me , I want that hair to be so beautiful.
” Notably , the trade group representing washer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal , saying it ’ s unnecessary because many machines already have short-cycle options .
The proposed rule is supported by small-government advocates such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute .
Water and electric companies warn it could lead to higher consumption and waste .
The Energy Department didn ’ t respond to a request for comment .
The administration is also bucking business groups with proposals to restrict high-skilled immigration ; in October , the departments of Homeland Security and Labor unveiled regulations to raise wage and education requirements for H-1B visas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry .
( The proposal drew opposition from theSmall Business Administration , saying the higher costs would stifle innovation and growth . )
But while raising the wage scale for skilled immigrants , the administration is pushing a different new rule to lower wages for “ low-skilled ” immigrant farmworkers .
A spokesperson for U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services ( part of DHS ) told ProPublica that “ Any delay in responding to an economic emergency and high unemployment in a way that protects American workers and ensures the H-1B program is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real harm to the U.S. economy.
” The Department of Labor didn ’ t respond to requests for comment .
Other rules are more clearly accommodating powerful business interests .
A rule completed on Nov. 13 would restrict pension managers from considering social and environmental impacts ( known in the industry as ESG ) when choosing investments .
Another Labor Department rule would make it easier for companies like Uber to withhold benefits by classifying workers as independent contractors instead of full employees .
Both proposals had a truncated public comment period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the agency considers all comments regardless of how long the period lasts and that the department is working to complete all regulations on its agenda .
Such shortcuts still might not be enough to finish some new rules that are just starting out now .
Still , these tactics have raised alarms about the USDA ’ s proposal to speed up chicken factories , even though a regulatory change like that would ordinarily take two years or more .
The USDA has not provided a timeline , and the proposal is not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An agency spokesman said the department is following the standard process .
The rules change has the support of the National Chicken Council , an industry trade group , which argues that the timing is not political .
Spokesman Tom Super called the proposal “ the most deliberative and studied proposed rule that has ever been issued .
It spans three decades , four administrations — Republican and Democrat — countless scientific studies and various court cases.
” The USDA has been laying the groundwork for the rule change for years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s previous attempt to raise speeds from 140 birds per minute to 175 , in 2018 the agency started granting one-off waivers to individual plants that sought permission to run faster .
The performance of those plants could equip the USDA to argue that the speed limit should go up in all of them .
Although the agency has not yet released its formal justification for the new proposal , officials have referenced a new study in the journal Poultry Science that concluded that inspectors in plants with faster speeds did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The USDA funded the study through a no-bid contract worth up to $ 500,000 awarded in 2018 to Louis Anthony “ Tony ” Cox Jr. , a statistician who consults for business interests such as the American Petroleum Institute and the American Chemistry Council , according to the Center for Investigative Reporting .
Cox declined to share data he secured exclusively from the USDA or to be interviewed for this article .
In emailed answers to written questions , he defended his methodology but acknowledged there ’ s room for further study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster speeds could make chicken less safe to eat .
In a September article in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science , USDA researcher Jeremy Marchant-Forde and a co-author found that USDA inspectors threw out record-low amounts of chicken when the agency let more plants speed up since May .
The authors called this “ a major threat to public health ” to the extent it suggests inspectors were failing to find contaminated carcasses ( rather than the birds having suddenly become much cleaner ) .
But the authors cautioned they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment further .
While the food safety issues are debated , there ’ s already clearevidence that running faster lines poses higher worker risks , both repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel and traumatic injuries like cuts and amputations .
But the USDA maintains that it is responsible only for food safety ; worker safety is the job of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration .
That ’ s exactly the kind of interagency dialogue that the White House is supposed to coordinate when planning new regulations — and the kind of process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months of an administration , according to the American Public Health Association ’ s Occupational Health and Safety Section .
An OSHA spokeswoman declined to say whether the agency has weighed in on the USDA ’ s proposal .
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , has not yet commented on the proposal but plans to , a spokeswoman said .
“ This last-minute push for an ill-advised rule change could be deadly for essential workers in slaughterhouses , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Council for Occupational Safety and Health , an advocacy group for safer working conditions .
Since many finalized Trump rules are currently under court challenges , the Biden administration might be able to let some of them wither or die in litigation — especially where judges have blocked or struck down the regulations and the new Justice Department could decide not to appeal .
It will also have to wrestle with other changes the Trump administration is rushing to implement , using tactics other than rule-making .
The Trump administration is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lands to oil and gas development , despite low prices , sluggish demand and complaints from environmental groups that drilling would encroach on wildlife habitats and national parks .
Bids are starting at just $ 2 an acre for more than 445,000 acres of public land with leases for sale to energy companies through the Bureau of Land Management , according to data from EnergyNet.com .
The leases could expand dramatically as the BLM finalizes a plan to allow oil and gas drilling on an additional 6.8 million acres of the National Petroleum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bears , musk oxen , caribou and birds .
Spokespeople for the BLM didn ’ t respond to a request for comment .
Separately , the Interior Department will open up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge .
The agency is spending 30 days asking companies for bids , and then sales need another 30 days to take effect — just enough time to beat the clock before the inauguration .
An Interior Department spokesman said the agency is taking “ a significant step ” to implement Congress ’ direction in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ANWR .
“ The department will continue to implement President Trump ’ s agenda to create more American jobs , protect the safety of American workers , support domestic energy production and conserve our environment , ” the spokesman , Conner Swanson , said .
He didn ’ t say whether the leases would be done by Jan. 20 .
Leases that have not yet been issued would be easier for the Biden administration to drop , but even finalized leases could be withdrawn if officials decide they were improperly issued or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grafe , an attorney with Earthjustice in Anchorage .
( Leaseholders might argue they deserve to be compensated . )
In addition , even once leases are issued , companies need permits and authorizations before actually taking action on the ground , Grafe said .
Those steps would take more time and face legal challenges .
Earthjustice and other groups are already suing to block the Arctic drilling program as a whole .
“ We have been protecting this place forever , ” said Bernadette Demientieff , executive director of the Gwich ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in northeast Alaska .
“ This fight is far from over , and we will do whatever it takes to defend our sacred homelands .
”

This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Six days after President Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notified food safety groups that it was proposing a regulatory change to speed up chicken factory processing lines, a change that would allow companies to sell more birds. An earlier USDA effort had broken down on concerns that it could lead to more worker injuries and make it harder to stop germs like salmonella.
Ordinarily, a change like this would take about two years to go through the cumbersome legal process of making new federal regulations. But the timing has alarmed food and worker safety advocates, who suspect the Trump administration wants to rush through this rule in its waning days.
Even as Trump and his allies officially refuse to concede the Nov. 3 election, the White House and federal agencies are hurrying to finish dozens of regulatory changes before Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. The rules range from long-simmering administration priorities to last-minute scrambles and affect everything from creature comforts like showerheads and clothes washers to life-or-death issues like federal executions and international refugees. They impact everyone from the most powerful, such as oil drillers, drugmakers and tech startups, to the most vulnerable, such as families on food stamps, transgender people in homeless shelters, migrant workers and endangered species. ProPublica is tracking those regulations as they move through the rule-making process.
Every administration does some version of last-minute rule-making, known as midnight regulations, especially with a change in parties. It’s too soon to say how the Trump administration’s tally will stack up against predecessors. But these final weeks are solidifying conservative policy objectives that will make it harder for the Biden administration to advance its own agenda, according to people who track rules developed by federal agencies.
“The bottom line is the Trump administration is trying to get things published in the Federal Register, leaving the next administration to sort out the mess,” said Matthew Kent, who tracks regulatory policy for left-leaning advocacy group Public Citizen. “There are some real roadblocks to Biden being able to wave a magic wand on these.”
In some instances the Trump administration is using shortcuts to get more rules across the finish line, such as taking less time to accept and review public feedback. It’s a risky move. On the one hand, officials want to finalize rules so that the next administration won’t be able to change them without going through the process all over again. On the other, slapdash rules may contain errors, making them more vulnerable to getting struck down in court.
The Trump administration is on pace to finalize 36 major rules in its final three months, similar to the 35 to 40 notched by the previous four presidents, according to Daniel Perez, a policy analyst at the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center. In 2017, Republican lawmakers struck down more than a dozen Obama-era rules using a fast-track mechanism called the Congressional Review Act. That weapon may be less available for Democrats to overturn Trump’s midnight regulations if Republicans keep control of the Senate, which will be determined by two Georgia runoffs. Still, a few GOP defections could be enough to kill a rule with a simple majority.
“This White House is not likely to be stopping things and saying on principle elections have consequences, let’s respect the voters’ decision and not rush things through to tie the next guys’ hands,” said Susan Dudley, who led the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget at the end of the George W. Bush administration. “One concern is the rules are rushed so they didn’t have adequate analysis or public comment, and that’s what we’re seeing.”
The Trump White House didn’t respond to requests for comment on which regulations it’s aiming to finish before Biden’s inauguration. The Biden transition team also didn’t respond to questions about which of Trump’s parting salvos the new president would prioritize undoing.
Many of the last-minute changes would add to the heap of changes throughout the Trump administration to pare back Obama-era rules and loosen environmental and consumer protections, all in the name of shrinking the government’s role in the economy. “Our proposal today greatly furthers the Trump administration’s regulatory reform efforts, which together have already amounted to the most aggressive effort to reform federal regulations of any administration,” Brian Harrison, the chief of staff for the Department of Health and Human Services, said on a conference call with reporters the day after the election. Harrison was unveiling a new proposal to automatically purge regulations that are more than 10 years old unless the agency decides to keep them.
For that proposal to become finalized before Jan. 20 would be an exceptionally fast turnaround. But Harrison left no doubt about that goal. “The reason we’re doing this now is because,” he said, “we at the department are trying to go as fast as we can in hopes of finalizing the rule before the end of the first term.”
Easier to Pollute, Harder to Immigrate
One proposal has raced through the process with little notice but unusual speed — and deadly consequences. This rule could reintroduce firing squads and electrocutions for federal executions, giving the government more options for administering capital punishment as drugs used in lethal injections become unavailable. The Justice Department surfaced the proposal in August and accepted public comments for only 30 days, instead of the usual 60. The rule cleared White House review on Nov. 6, meaning it could be finalized any day. The Justice Department didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Once finalized, this rule might never be put into practice. The Trump administration executed a federal prisoner in Indiana on Nov. 19 and plans five more executions before Jan. 20, all with lethal injections. After that, Biden has signaled he won’t allow any federal executions and will push to eliminate capital punishment for federal crimes.
Other less dramatic-sounding rules could prove harder to unravel and have broader consequences. In particular, the Environmental Protection Agency is on the cusp of finalizing several rules that would make it harder to justify pollution restrictions or lock in soot levels for at least five years. The agency wants to keep the soot standard unchanged over the objections of independent scientific advisers and despite emerging evidence that links particulate pollution to additional coronavirus deaths.
An EPA spokesman declined to comment on the timing of these rules. “EPA continues to advance this administration’s commitment to meaningful environmental progress while moving forward with our regulatory reform agenda,” the spokesman, James Hewitt, said.
While those rules have developed over years, others were launched later and officials are taking shortcuts to finish in time. Reviews by the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs that normally take 90 days or more are now wrapping up in as few as five days.
The White House is close to completing severalrules that would extend Trump’s record of restricting immigration and make the changes harder for the Biden administration to reverse. The pending rules would make it more difficult to claim asylum by excluding people with criminal convictions (even those that have been expunged), drastically shortening the application time and giving immigration judges more latitude to pick and choose what evidence to consider. The departments of Justice and Homeland Security didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Some rules read like Trump’s stump speeches translated into policy legalese. The Department of Energy is racing to loosen efficiency standards for showerheads and laundry machines, evoking Trump’s recurringbits about bathroomwater pressure. “Do you ever get under a shower and no water comes out?” Trump said at an October rally in Nevada. “And me, I want that hair to be so beautiful.”
Notably, the trade group representing washer manufacturers actually opposes the administration’s proposal, saying it’s unnecessary because many machines already have short-cycle options. The proposed rule is supported by small-government advocates such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Water and electric companies warn it could lead to higher consumption and waste. The Energy Department didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The administration is also bucking business groups with proposals to restrict high-skilled immigration; in October, the departments of Homeland Security and Labor unveiled regulations to raise wage and education requirements for H-1B visas, which are often used in the information-technology industry. (The proposal drew opposition from theSmall Business Administration, saying the higher costs would stifle innovation and growth.) But while raising the wage scale for skilled immigrants, the administration is pushing a different new rule to lower wages for “low-skilled” immigrant farmworkers. A spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (part of DHS) told ProPublica that “Any delay in responding to an economic emergency and high unemployment in a way that protects American workers and ensures the H-1B program is administered consistent with statutory requirements could cause real harm to the U.S. economy.” The Department of Labor didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Other rules are more clearly accommodating powerful business interests. A rule completed on Nov. 13 would restrict pension managers from considering social and environmental impacts (known in the industry as ESG) when choosing investments. Another Labor Department rule would make it easier for companies like Uber to withhold benefits by classifying workers as independent contractors instead of full employees. Both proposals had a truncated public comment period of only 30 days. A spokesman said the agency considers all comments regardless of how long the period lasts and that the department is working to complete all regulations on its agenda.
Chicken Plants on the Fast Track
Such shortcuts still might not be enough to finish some new rules that are just starting out now. Still, these tactics have raised alarms about the USDA’s proposal to speed up chicken factories, even though a regulatory change like that would ordinarily take two years or more. The USDA has not provided a timeline, and the proposal is not yet public while the White House reviews it. An agency spokesman said the department is following the standard process.
The rules change has the support of the National Chicken Council, an industry trade group, which argues that the timing is not political. Spokesman Tom Super called the proposal “the most deliberative and studied proposed rule that has ever been issued. It spans three decades, four administrations — Republican and Democrat — countless scientific studies and various court cases.”
The USDA has been laying the groundwork for the rule change for years. Even though safety concerns scuttled the USDA’s previous attempt to raise speeds from 140 birds per minute to 175, in 2018 the agency started granting one-off waivers to individual plants that sought permission to run faster.
The performance of those plants could equip the USDA to argue that the speed limit should go up in all of them. Although the agency has not yet released its formal justification for the new proposal, officials have referenced a new study in the journal Poultry Science that concluded that inspectors in plants with faster speeds did not detect higher average levels of salmonella contamination.
The USDA funded the study through a no-bid contract worth up to $500,000 awarded in 2018 to Louis Anthony “Tony” Cox Jr., a statistician who consults for business interests such as the American Petroleum Institute and the American Chemistry Council, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Cox declined to share data he secured exclusively from the USDA or to be interviewed for this article. In emailed answers to written questions, he defended his methodology but acknowledged there’s room for further study.
Other evidence, however, suggests faster speeds could make chicken less safe to eat. In a September article in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, USDA researcher Jeremy Marchant-Forde and a co-author found that USDA inspectors threw out record-low amounts of chicken when the agency let more plants speed up since May. The authors called this “a major threat to public health” to the extent it suggests inspectors were failing to find contaminated carcasses (rather than the birds having suddenly become much cleaner). But the authors cautioned they’re not food safety experts and declined to comment further.
While the food safety issues are debated, there’s already clearevidence that running faster lines poses higher worker risks, both repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel and traumatic injuries like cuts and amputations. But the USDA maintains that it is responsible only for food safety; worker safety is the job of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
That’s exactly the kind of interagency dialogue that the White House is supposed to coordinate when planning new regulations — and the kind of process that could be shortchanged in the final months of an administration, according to the American Public Health Association’s Occupational Health and Safety Section. An OSHA spokeswoman declined to say whether the agency has weighed in on the USDA’s proposal. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has not yet commented on the proposal but plans to, a spokeswoman said.
“This last-minute push for an ill-advised rule change could be deadly for essential workers in slaughterhouses,” said Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, an advocacy group for safer working conditions.
Leasing Against the Clock
Since many finalized Trump rules are currently under court challenges, the Biden administration might be able to let some of them wither or die in litigation — especially where judges have blocked or struck down the regulations and the new Justice Department could decide not to appeal.
It will also have to wrestle with other changes the Trump administration is rushing to implement, using tactics other than rule-making.
The Trump administration is also pressing ahead with opening up more federal lands to oil and gas development, despite low prices, sluggish demand and complaints from environmental groups that drilling would encroach on wildlife habitats and national parks. Bids are starting at just $2 an acre for more than 445,000 acres of public land with leases for sale to energy companies through the Bureau of Land Management, according to data from EnergyNet.com.
The leases could expand dramatically as the BLM finalizes a plan to allow oil and gas drilling on an additional 6.8 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a habitat for bears, musk oxen, caribou and birds. Spokespeople for the BLM didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Separately, the Interior Department will open up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The agency is spending 30 days asking companies for bids, and then sales need another 30 days to take effect — just enough time to beat the clock before the inauguration.
An Interior Department spokesman said the agency is taking “a significant step” to implement Congress’ direction in the 2017 Republican tax bill to start drilling in ANWR. “The department will continue to implement President Trump’s agenda to create more American jobs, protect the safety of American workers, support domestic energy production and conserve our environment,” the spokesman, Conner Swanson, said. He didn’t say whether the leases would be done by Jan. 20.
Leases that have not yet been issued would be easier for the Biden administration to drop, but even finalized leases could be withdrawn if officials decide they were improperly issued or too environmentally dangerous, according to Erik Grafe, an attorney with Earthjustice in Anchorage. (Leaseholders might argue they deserve to be compensated.)
In addition, even once leases are issued, companies need permits and authorizations before actually taking action on the ground, Grafe said. Those steps would take more time and face legal challenges. Earthjustice and other groups are already suing to block the Arctic drilling program as a whole.
“We have been protecting this place forever,” said Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich’in steering committee representing indigenous hunting communities in northeast Alaska. “This fight is far from over, and we will do whatever it takes to defend our sacred homelands.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-26--Barrett Casts First Known Vote As SCOTUS Blocks NY COVID Limits On Houses Of Worship

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — As coronavirus cases surge again nationwide the Supreme Court late Wednesday barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard hit by the virus .
The justices split 5-4 with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the majority .
It was the conservative ’ s first publicly discernible vote as a justice .
The court ’ s three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented .
The move was a shift for the court .
Earlier this year , when Barrett ’ s liberal predecessor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still on the court , the justices divided 5-4 to leave in place pandemic-related capacity restrictions affecting churches in California and Nevada .
The court ’ s action Wednesday could push New York to reevaluate its restrictions on houses of worship in areas designated virus hot spots .
But the impact of the court ’ s action is also muted because the Catholic and Orthodox Jewish groups that sued to challenge the restrictions are no longer subject to them .
The Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America have churches and synagogues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designated red and orange zones .
In those red and orange zones , the state had capped attendance at houses of worship at 10 and 25 people , respectively .
But the those particular areas are now designated as yellow zones with less restrictive rules neither group challenged .
The justices acted on an emergency basis , temporarily barring New York from enforcing the restrictions against the groups while their lawsuits continue .
In an unsigned opinion the court said the restrictions “ single out houses of worship for especially harsh treatment.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health experts , and we should respect the judgment of those with special expertise and responsibility in this area .
But even in a pandemic , the Constitution can not be put away and forgotten .
The restrictions at issue here , by effectively barring many from attending religious services , strike at the very heart of the First Amendment ’ s guarantee of religious liberty , ” the opinion said .
The opinion noted that in red zones , while a synagogue or church can not admit more than 10 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from grocery stores to pet shops , can remain open without capacity limits .
And in orange zones , while synagogues and churches are capped at 25 people , “ even non-essential businesses may decide for themselves how many persons to admit.
” Roberts , in dissent , wrote that there was “ simply no need ” for the court ’ s action .
“ None of the houses of worship identified in the applications is now subject to any fixed numerical restrictions , ” he said , adding that New York ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do seem unduly restrictive.
” “ The Governor might reinstate the restrictions .
But he also might not .
And it is a significant matter to override determinations made by public health officials concerning what is necessary for public safety in the midst of a deadly pandemic , ” he wrote .
Roberts and four other justices wrote separately to explain their views .
Barrett did not .
The court ’ s action was a victory for the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Jewish synagogues that had sued to challenge state restrictions announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 .
The Diocese of Brooklyn , which covers Brooklyn and Queens , argued houses of worship were being unfairly singled out by the governor ’ s executive order .
The diocese argued it had previously operated safely by capping attendance at 25 % of a building ’ s capacity and taking other measures .
Parts of Brooklyn and Queens are now in yellow zones where attendance at houses of worship is capped at 50 % of a building ’ s capacity , but the church is keeping attendance lower .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has acted so swiftly and decisively to protect one of our most fundamental constitutional rights — the free exercise of religion , ” said Randy Mastro , an attorney for the diocese , in a statement .
Avi Schick , an attorney for Agudath Israel of America , wrote in an email : “ This is an historic victory .
This landmark decision will ensure that religious practices and religious institutions will be protected from government edicts that do not treat religion with the respect demanded by the Constitution.
” Two lower courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restrictions to remain in place .
New York had argued that religious gatherings were being treated less restrictively than secular gatherings that carried the same infection risk , like concerts and theatrical performances .
An email sent early Thursday by The Associated Press to the governor ’ s office seeking comment was not immediately returned .
There are currently several areas in New York designated orange zones but no red zones , according to a state website that tracks areas designated as hot spots .

WASHINGTON (AP) — As coronavirus cases surge again nationwide the Supreme Court late Wednesday barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard hit by the virus.
The justices split 5-4 with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the majority. It was the conservative’s first publicly discernible vote as a justice. The court’s three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented.
The move was a shift for the court. Earlier this year, when Barrett’s liberal predecessor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was still on the court, the justices divided 5-4 to leave in place pandemic-related capacity restrictions affecting churches in California and Nevada.
The court’s action Wednesday could push New York to reevaluate its restrictions on houses of worship in areas designated virus hot spots. But the impact of the court’s action is also muted because the Catholic and Orthodox Jewish groups that sued to challenge the restrictions are no longer subject to them.
The Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America have churches and synagogues in areas of Brooklyn and Queens previously designated red and orange zones. In those red and orange zones, the state had capped attendance at houses of worship at 10 and 25 people, respectively. But the those particular areas are now designated as yellow zones with less restrictive rules neither group challenged.
The justices acted on an emergency basis, temporarily barring New York from enforcing the restrictions against the groups while their lawsuits continue. In an unsigned opinion the court said the restrictions “single out houses of worship for especially harsh treatment.”
“Members of this Court are not public health experts, and we should respect the judgment of those with special expertise and responsibility in this area. But even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten. The restrictions at issue here, by effectively barring many from attending religious services, strike at the very heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty,” the opinion said.
The opinion noted that in red zones, while a synagogue or church cannot admit more than 10 people, businesses deemed “essential,” from grocery stores to pet shops, can remain open without capacity limits. And in orange zones, while synagogues and churches are capped at 25 people, “even non-essential businesses may decide for themselves how many persons to admit.”
Roberts, in dissent, wrote that there was “simply no need” for the court’s action. “None of the houses of worship identified in the applications is now subject to any fixed numerical restrictions,” he said, adding that New York’s 10 and 25 person caps “do seem unduly restrictive.”
“The Governor might reinstate the restrictions. But he also might not. And it is a significant matter to override determinations made by public health officials concerning what is necessary for public safety in the midst of a deadly pandemic,” he wrote.
Roberts and four other justices wrote separately to explain their views. Barrett did not.
The court’s action was a victory for the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Jewish synagogues that had sued to challenge state restrictions announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Oct. 6.
The Diocese of Brooklyn, which covers Brooklyn and Queens, argued houses of worship were being unfairly singled out by the governor’s executive order. The diocese argued it had previously operated safely by capping attendance at 25% of a building’s capacity and taking other measures. Parts of Brooklyn and Queens are now in yellow zones where attendance at houses of worship is capped at 50% of a building’s capacity, but the church is keeping attendance lower.
“We are extremely grateful that the Supreme Court has acted so swiftly and decisively to protect one of our most fundamental constitutional rights — the free exercise of religion,” said Randy Mastro, an attorney for the diocese, in a statement.
Avi Schick, an attorney for Agudath Israel of America, wrote in an email: “This is an historic victory. This landmark decision will ensure that religious practices and religious institutions will be protected from government edicts that do not treat religion with the respect demanded by the Constitution.”
Two lower courts had sided with New York in allowing the restrictions to remain in place. New York had argued that religious gatherings were being treated less restrictively than secular gatherings that carried the same infection risk, like concerts and theatrical performances. An email sent early Thursday by The Associated Press to the governor’s office seeking comment was not immediately returned.
There are currently several areas in New York designated orange zones but no red zones, according to a state website that tracks areas designated as hot spots.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-27--Pompeo, Who Called For ‘Second Trump Admin,’ Says State Dept Will ‘Honor’ Biden’s Transition

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on Thursday that the State Department would “ honor ” the Trump administration ’ s “ promise ” to begin the President-elect Joe Biden ’ s formal transition — a statement that starkly contrasts his suggestion earlier this month that “ there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.
” When asked during an interview on Fox News Thursday about his incendiary statement earlier this month that added to the Trumpworld ’ s efforts to delegitimize the election process and Biden ’ s legitimate win , Pompeo pointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s move earlier this week to finally green light Biden ’ s formal transition process .
“ Those things that are required that the President has directed us to do in compliance with the decision that the GSA made , we ’ ll do all of those things , ” Pompeo said .
Pompeo then added that aiding the President-elect ’ s formal transition is a “ legal requirement , and we ’ ll always honor that promise.
” Pompeo ’ s latest interview on Fox News comes on the heels of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several states as the sitting president ’ s legal team has failed to provide any evidence of widespread voter fraud .
Murphy ’ s letter to Biden came weeks after the President-elect ’ s projected victory and Trump ’ s refusal to concede .
The lack of Murphy ’ s ascertainment acknowledging that Biden is President-elect had restricted the President-elect ’ s transition team from contacting current administration agency officials and receiving millions in government funding that an incoming administration is entitled to .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on Thursday that the State Department would “honor” the Trump administration’s “promise” to begin the President-elect Joe Biden’s formal transition — a statement that starkly contrasts his suggestion earlier this month that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”
When asked during an interview on Fox News Thursday about his incendiary statement earlier this month that added to the Trumpworld’s efforts to delegitimize the election process and Biden’s legitimate win, Pompeo pointed to General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy’s move earlier this week to finally green light Biden’s formal transition process.
“Those things that are required that the President has directed us to do in compliance with the decision that the GSA made, we’ll do all of those things,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo then added that aiding the President-elect’s formal transition is a “legal requirement, and we’ll always honor that promise.”
Pompeo’s latest interview on Fox News comes on the heels of the Trump campaign losing dozens of rulings in several states as the sitting president’s legal team has failed to provide any evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Murphy’s letter to Biden came weeks after the President-elect’s projected victory and Trump’s refusal to concede. The lack of Murphy’s ascertainment acknowledging that Biden is President-elect had restricted the President-elect’s transition team from contacting current administration agency officials and receiving millions in government funding that an incoming administration is entitled to.
Watch Pompeo’s remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-27--Fed Judges, Including Trump Appointee, Rip Trump Camp’s Attempt To Muck With PA Biden Win

PHILADELPHIA ( AP ) — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected President Donald Trump ’ s latest effort to challenge the election results in a case that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court if Trump appeals .
The 3rd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals echoed a string of other courts in finding the Trump campaign offered no evidence of any election fraud .
Instead , the court said “ the campaign ’ s claims have no merit.
” “ Free , fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy .
Charges of unfairness are serious .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it so .
Charges require specific allegations and then proof .
We have neither here , ” Judge Stephanos Bibas , a Trump appointee and former law school professor , wrote for the three-judge panel .
The court also ordered the Trump campaign to reimburse Pennsylvania for cost of responding to the appeal .
The case had been argued last week in a lower court by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , who insisted during five hours of oral arguments that the 2020 presidential election had been marred by widespread fraud in Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any tangible proof of that in court .
U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann had said the campaign ’ s error-filled complaint , “ like Frankenstein ’ s Monster , has been haphazardly stitched together ” and denied Giuliani the right to amend it for a second time .
The 3rd Circuit called that decision justified .
The three judges on the panel were all appointed by Republican presidents .
The ruling comes four days after Pennsylvania officials certified their vote count for President-elect Joe Biden , who defeated Trump by more than 80,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer Jenna Ellis complained about “ activist judicial machinery ” in response to the ruling and pledged to bring the case to the Supreme Court .
“ We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature , ” she tweeted , an apparent reference to the shambolic , fact-free presentation the campaign legal team gave some GOP lawmakers last week .
“ On to SCOTUS !
”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia on Friday rejected President Donald Trump’s latest effort to challenge the election results in a case that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court if Trump appeals.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals echoed a string of other courts in finding the Trump campaign offered no evidence of any election fraud. Instead, the court said “the campaign’s claims have no merit.”
“Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here,” Judge Stephanos Bibas, a Trump appointee and former law school professor, wrote for the three-judge panel. The court also ordered the Trump campaign to reimburse Pennsylvania for cost of responding to the appeal.
The case had been argued last week in a lower court by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who insisted during five hours of oral arguments that the 2020 presidential election had been marred by widespread fraud in Pennsylvania. However, Giuliani failed to offer any tangible proof of that in court.
U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann had said the campaign’s error-filled complaint, “like Frankenstein’s Monster, has been haphazardly stitched together” and denied Giuliani the right to amend it for a second time.
The 3rd Circuit called that decision justified. The three judges on the panel were all appointed by Republican presidents. The ruling comes four days after Pennsylvania officials certified their vote count for President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated Trump by more than 80,000 votes in the state.
Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis complained about “activist judicial machinery” in response to the ruling and pledged to bring the case to the Supreme Court.
“We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to present proof and the facts to the PA state legislature,” she tweeted, an apparent reference to the shambolic, fact-free presentation the campaign legal team gave some GOP lawmakers last week . “On to SCOTUS!”
Read the ruling below:
TPM reporter Tierney Sneed contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-27--Trump-Fired DHS Official Who Debunked Falsehoods Reveals What Upset Him Most About Ouster

Chris Krebs , who led the Department of Homeland Security ’ s cybersecurity arm and was fired by President Trump last week after publicly debunking the sitting president ’ s conspiracy theories challenging the legitimacy of the election process , reiterated that he was not “ necessarily surprised ” about getting the axe , during an interview set to air on CBS ’ “ 60 Minutes ” on Sunday .
Krebs led the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency since 2018 and earned bipartisan praise from election officials for how his agency has helped them protect their election infrastructure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he vehemently pushed back at falsehoods spread by Trump and his orbit claiming that election infrastructure had been manipulated .
Krebs told Reuters days before his ouster that he had expected that he would be terminated , citing the White House ’ s unsuccessful effort to get his agency to take down or edit the “ Rumor Control ” webpage it had launched to address the false claims .
In a preview of his first interview since his ouster set to air on CBS ’ “ 60 Minutes ” on Sunday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most secure in history and that his public firing by Trump was “ not how I wanted to go out.
” When asked about his agency ’ s statement calling the 2020 election the “ most secure in American history ” that refuted claims that there had been “ deleted or lost votes , changed votes , ” Krebs said that he “ stands by that.
” Krebs was then asked about Trump ’ s tweet announcing his firing and whether he was surprised by his ouster .
Krebs replied that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ necessarily surprised , ” but “ it ’ s not how I wanted to go out.
” Krebs revealed what actually upset him most upon Trump firing him .
“ The thing that upsets me the most about that is I didn ’ t get a chance to say goodbye to my team .
And I ’ d worked with them for three and a half years , in the trenches , ’ Krebs said .
‘ Building an agency , putting CISA on the national stage .
And I love that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a chance to say goodbye , so that ’ s what I ’ m most upset about .
”

Chris Krebs, who led the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm and was fired by President Trump last week after publicly debunking the sitting president’s conspiracy theories challenging the legitimacy of the election process, reiterated that he was not “necessarily surprised” about getting the axe, during an interview set to air on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday.
Krebs led the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency since 2018 and earned bipartisan praise from election officials for how his agency has helped them protect their election infrastructure. The former DHS official rose to prominence as he vehemently pushed back at falsehoods spread by Trump and his orbit claiming that election infrastructure had been manipulated.
Krebs told Reuters days before his ouster that he had expected that he would be terminated, citing the White House’s unsuccessful effort to get his agency to take down or edit the “Rumor Control” webpage it had launched to address the false claims.
In a preview of his first interview since his ouster set to air on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Krebs maintained that the election process was the most secure in history and that his public firing by Trump was “not how I wanted to go out.”
When asked about his agency’s statement calling the 2020 election the “most secure in American history” that refuted claims that there had been “deleted or lost votes, changed votes,” Krebs said that he “stands by that.”
Krebs was then asked about Trump’s tweet announcing his firing and whether he was surprised by his ouster.
Krebs replied that he doesn’t know if he was “necessarily surprised,” but “it’s not how I wanted to go out.”
Krebs revealed what actually upset him most upon Trump firing him.
“The thing that upsets me the most about that is I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to my team. And I’d worked with them for three and a half years, in the trenches,’ Krebs said. ‘Building an agency, putting CISA on the national stage. And I love that team. And I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, so that’s what I’m most upset about.”
Watch Krebs’ remarks below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-27--Hold Me Closer, Tiny Table: Internet Has Field Day Over Trump’s Mini Desk At Thanksgiving Presser

Somebody lied to him several times .
The ever-camera hungry President Donald Trump held Thanksgiving video teleconference call with members of the military in front of the press , and it was the first time Trump took questions from the media since his defeat on Election Day .
Though the President peddled the same tired lies about the election results , he also seemed to acknowledge reality , saying he ’ d “ certainly ” leave the White House if the Electoral College cemented President-elect Joe Biden ’ s decisive victory .
But repeatedly getting challenged on his false claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President : At one point , Trump lashed out at Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason , shouting “ You ’ re just a lightweight !
Don ’ t talk to me that way !
I ’ m the President of the United States !
Don ’ t ever talk to the President that way !
” And he did all that while sitting at an absurdly small desk , blissfully unaware of the wave of ridicule it would inevitably inspire : Amid the circus , Trump posted an angry tweet railing against Twitter trends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false ‘ Trends ’ that have absolutely nothing to do with what is really trending in the world .
They make it up , and only negative ‘ stuff , ' ” he seethed .
Who ’ s to say what prompted this seemingly random tirade ?
We ’ ll never know , but maybe it ’ s worth noting that it came after “ # DiaperDon , ” apparently inspired by the diminutive desk , started trending .

Somebody lied to him several times.
The ever-camera hungry President Donald Trump held a Thanksgiving video teleconference call with members of the military in front of the press, and it was the first time Trump took questions from the media since his defeat on Election Day.
Though the President peddled the same tired lies about the election results, he also seemed to acknowledge reality, saying he’d “certainly” leave the White House if the Electoral College cemented President-elect Joe Biden’s decisive victory.
But repeatedly getting challenged on his false claims got to be too much for the President: At one point, Trump lashed out at Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason, shouting “You’re just a lightweight! Don’t talk to me that way! I’m the President of the United States! Don’t ever talk to the President that way!”
And he did all that while sitting at an absurdly small desk, blissfully unaware of the wave of ridicule it would inevitably inspire:
Trump: it’s a normal size desk? desk guy (barely keeping it together): yea pic.twitter.com/eatmbEkiyu — Michael Tannenbaum (@iamTannenbaum) November 27, 2020
The Resolute Desk Total Landscaping https://t.co/JNlcrPR6gL — Amarnath Amarasingam (@AmarAmarasingam) November 27, 2020
this is the worst tiny desk concert yet pic.twitter.com/jdeFcmb8Kf — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) November 27, 2020
Moved from the Resolute Desk to the Coffee Table of Despair. pic.twitter.com/2QhECtVReT — GrumpyOldMan (@GrumpyO58719935) November 27, 2020
Whoever told him this was a good idea hates him. pic.twitter.com/TLizcRttNn — Steve Marmel (@Marmel) November 27, 2020
Every day someone in his administration who is actually resistance swaps out his desk for a slightly smaller one pic.twitter.com/8dJgxLKVAI — Mike Denison (@mikd33) November 27, 2020
May this be how we remember the Trump presidency: a baby at his tiny little desk throwing a tantrum pic.twitter.com/T26DjF1fL4 — Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) November 27, 2020
Amid the circus, Trump posted an angry tweet railing against Twitter trends.
“Twitter is sending out totally false ‘Trends’ that have absolutely nothing to do with what is really trending in the world. They make it up, and only negative ‘stuff,'” he seethed.
Who’s to say what prompted this seemingly random tirade? We’ll never know, but maybe it’s worth noting that it came after “#DiaperDon,” apparently inspired by the diminutive desk, started trending.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-27--Trump Says He’ll ‘Certainly’ Depart WH As He Wages More Bogus Election Fraud Claims

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will leave the White House if the Electoral College formalizes President-Elect Joe Biden ’ s victory — even as he insisted such a decision would be a “ mistake ” — as he spent his Thanksgiving renewing baseless claims that “ massive fraud ” and crooked officials in battleground states caused his election defeat .
“ Certainly I will .
But you know that , ” Trump said Thursday when asked whether he would vacate the building , allowing a peaceful transition of power in January .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time since Election Day — insisted that “ a lot of things ” would happen between now and then that might alter the results .
“ This has a long way to go , ” Trump said , even though he lost .
The fact that a sitting American president even had to address whether or not he would leave office after losing reelection underscores the extent to which Trump has smashed one convention after another over the last three weeks .
While there is no evidence of the kind of widespread fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his legal team have nonetheless been working to cast doubt on the integrity of the election and trying to overturn voters ’ will in an unprecedented breach of democratic norms .
Trump spoke to reporters in the White House ’ s ornate Diplomatic Reception Room after holding a teleconference with U.S. military leaders stationed across the globe .
He thanked them for their service and jokingly warned them not to eat too much turkey , then turned to the election after ending the call .
He repeated grievances and angrily denounced officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that helped give Biden the win .
Trump claimed , despite the results , that this may not be his last Thanksgiving at the White House .
And he insisted there had been “ massive fraud , ” even though state officials and international observers have said no evidence of that exists and Trump ’ s campaign has repeatedly failed in court .
Trump ’ s administration has already given the green light for a formal transition to get underway .
But Trump took issue with Biden moving forward .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s trying to pick a Cabinet , ” Trump said , even though officials from both teams are already working together to get Biden ’ s team up to speed .
And as he refused to concede , Trump announced that he will be traveling to Georgia to rally supporters ahead of two Senate runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate .
Trump said the rally for Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler would likely be held Saturday .
The White House later clarified he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons Republicans have stood by Trump and his baseless claims of fraud has been to keep his loyal base energized ahead of those runoffs on Jan. 5 .
But Trump , in his remarks , openly questioned whether that election would be fair in a move that could dampen Republican turnout .
“ I think you ’ re dealing with a very fraudulent system .
I ’ m very worried about that , ” he said .
“ People are very disappointed that we were robbed.
” As for the Electoral College , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never formally concede , even if he said he would leave the White House .
“ It ’ s gon na be a very hard thing to concede .
Because we know there was massive fraud , ” he said , noting that , “ time isn ’ t on our side.
” “ If they do , ” vote against him , Trump added , “ they ’ ve made a mistake.
” Asked whether he would attend Biden ’ s inauguration , Trump said he knew the answer but didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there were some signs that Trump was coming to terms with his loss .
At one point he urged reporters not to allow Biden the credit for pending coronavirus vaccines .
“ Don ’ t let him take credit for the vaccines because the vaccines were me and I pushed people harder than they ’ ve ever been pushed before , ” he said .
As for whether or not he plans to formally declare his candidacy to run again in 2024 — as he has discussed with aides — Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about 2024 yet.
” All states must certify their results before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 , and any challenge to the results must be resolved by Dec. 8 .
States have already begun that process , including Michigan , where Trump and his allies tried and failed to delay the process , and Georgia and Pennsylvania .
Vote certification at the local and state level is typically a ministerial task that gets little notice , but that changed this year with Trump ’ s refusal to concede and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election through a fusillade of legal challenges and attempts to manipulate the certification process in battleground states he lost .
Biden won by wide margins in both the Electoral College and popular vote , where he received nearly 80 million votes , a record .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will leave the White House if the Electoral College formalizes President-Elect Joe Biden’s victory — even as he insisted such a decision would be a “mistake” — as he spent his Thanksgiving renewing baseless claims that “massive fraud” and crooked officials in battleground states caused his election defeat.
“Certainly I will. But you know that,” Trump said Thursday when asked whether he would vacate the building, allowing a peaceful transition of power in January. But Trump — taking questions for the first time since Election Day — insisted that “a lot of things” would happen between now and then that might alter the results.
“This has a long way to go,” Trump said, even though he lost.
The fact that a sitting American president even had to address whether or not he would leave office after losing reelection underscores the extent to which Trump has smashed one convention after another over the last three weeks. While there is no evidence of the kind of widespread fraud Trump has been alleging, he and his legal team have nonetheless been working to cast doubt on the integrity of the election and trying to overturn voters’ will in an unprecedented breach of democratic norms.
Trump spoke to reporters in the White House’s ornate Diplomatic Reception Room after holding a teleconference with U.S. military leaders stationed across the globe. He thanked them for their service and jokingly warned them not to eat too much turkey, then turned to the election after ending the call. He repeated grievances and angrily denounced officials in Georgia and Pennsylvania, two key swing states that helped give Biden the win.
Trump claimed, despite the results, that this may not be his last Thanksgiving at the White House. And he insisted there had been “massive fraud,” even though state officials and international observers have said no evidence of that exists and Trump’s campaign has repeatedly failed in court.
Trump’s administration has already given the green light for a formal transition to get underway. But Trump took issue with Biden moving forward.
“I think it’s not right that he’s trying to pick a Cabinet,” Trump said, even though officials from both teams are already working together to get Biden’s team up to speed.
And as he refused to concede, Trump announced that he will be traveling to Georgia to rally supporters ahead of two Senate runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate. Trump said the rally for Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler would likely be held Saturday. The White House later clarified he had meant Dec. 5.
One of the reasons Republicans have stood by Trump and his baseless claims of fraud has been to keep his loyal base energized ahead of those runoffs on Jan. 5. But Trump, in his remarks, openly questioned whether that election would be fair in a move that could dampen Republican turnout.
“I think you’re dealing with a very fraudulent system. I’m very worried about that,” he said. “People are very disappointed that we were robbed.”
As for the Electoral College, Trump made clear that he will likely never formally concede, even if he said he would leave the White House.
“It’s gonna be a very hard thing to concede. Because we know there was massive fraud,” he said, noting that, “time isn’t on our side.”
“If they do,” vote against him, Trump added, “they’ve made a mistake.”
Asked whether he would attend Biden’s inauguration, Trump said he knew the answer but didn’t want to share it yet.
But there were some signs that Trump was coming to terms with his loss.
At one point he urged reporters not to allow Biden the credit for pending coronavirus vaccines. “Don’t let him take credit for the vaccines because the vaccines were me and I pushed people harder than they’ve ever been pushed before,” he said.
As for whether or not he plans to formally declare his candidacy to run again in 2024 — as he has discussed with aides — Trump said he didn’t “want to talk about 2024 yet.”
All states must certify their results before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14, and any challenge to the results must be resolved by Dec. 8. States have already begun that process, including Michigan, where Trump and his allies tried and failed to delay the process, and Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Vote certification at the local and state level is typically a ministerial task that gets little notice, but that changed this year with Trump’s refusal to concede and his unprecedented attempts to overturn the results of the election through a fusillade of legal challenges and attempts to manipulate the certification process in battleground states he lost.
Biden won by wide margins in both the Electoral College and popular vote, where he received nearly 80 million votes, a record.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-28--McDaniel Struggles To Energize Trump Supporters Convinced Of Fraud To Vote In GA Runoffs

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel on Saturday flailed as she sought to persuade Republicans to vote in the Georgia Senate runoff elections , telling voters seemingly resigned to loss amid false beliefs about election fraud peddled by President Donald Trump that “ it ’ s not decided ” what the outcome will be for GOP contenders in the Peach State .
Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing uphill reelection battles in the state after failing to secure more than 50 % of the vote on Nov. 3 , in a closely watched pair of upcoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which party will hold majority and control the Senate .
CNN ’ s Ryan Nobles tweeted a video of an exchange between McDaniel and a voter , in which McDaniel responds to an apparently deflated voter who asked , “ How are we going to miss money and work when it ’ s already decided ?
” “ It ’ s not decided , this is the key .
It ’ s not decided !
” McDaniel said .
“ So if you lose your faith and you don ’ t vote and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” McDaniel told the crowd , pointing at a lead by more than 88,000 votes by Perdue over Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff during the Nov. 3 election .
McDaniel ’ s efforts to rally local Republicans to invest in the upcoming runoffs comes as President Trump devoted a significant share of his Thanksgiving press conference to false assertions of election fraud in the state .
President Trump has waged a war on the democratic process in Georgia , falsely pushing claims of widespread election fraud and calling Georgia Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so-called Republican ” and “ the enemy of the people , ” even as the GOP official said that his own family had voted for Trump and “ lost ” as he sought to secure the integrity of the election while the sitting president and his allies made efforts to interfere .
On Thursday , Trump announced plans to travel to the Peach State to campaign for his allies .
Loeffler has painted herself as as Trump loyalist and Perdue took the podium at a Trump campaign rally in October and seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleague and now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ first name .
Both Perdue and Loeffler have also baselessly called on Raffensperger to resign .
During a news conference on Thursday Trump told reporters that he confided to the GOP senators seeking reelection in the state that “ I think you ’ re dealing in a very fraudulent system .
I ’ m very worried about that.
” McDaniel is now tasked with reinvigorating voters who — in sympathizing with their failed candidate — seem to believe his continuous false claims of election fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims in an effort to soften the blow of his own loss , he hasn ’ t done his party any favors .
At least one voter on Saturday parroted a false claim that voting machines changed votes that favored the President .
“ We didn ’ t see that in the audit , ” the RNC Chair said .
“ That evidence I haven ’ t seen , so we ’ ll wait and see on that.
” In her closing statement , McDaniel pleaded with disillusioned voters unable to acknowledge Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their own state .
“ We ’ ve got to focus on January 5th right now , ” McDaniel said .
“ We can deal with those other things later .
”

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel on Saturday flailed as she sought to persuade Republicans to vote in the Georgia Senate runoff elections, telling voters seemingly resigned to loss amid false beliefs about election fraud peddled by President Donald Trump that “it’s not decided” what the outcome will be for GOP contenders in the Peach State.
Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing uphill reelection battles in the state after failing to secure more than 50% of the vote on Nov. 3, in a closely watched pair of upcoming January runoff elections that will likely determine which party will hold majority and control the Senate.
CNN’s Ryan Nobles tweeted a video of an exchange between McDaniel and a voter, in which McDaniel responds to an apparently deflated voter who asked, “How are we going to miss money and work when it’s already decided?”
“It’s not decided, this is the key. It’s not decided!” McDaniel said.
In Georgia today- @GOPChairwoman Ronna McDaniel forced to respond to Republicans demanding more effort placed on President Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud- instead of the incredibly important #GASen runoff.
Our report from Marietta: pic.twitter.com/Pf2yxUb8w4 — Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) November 28, 2020
“So if you lose your faith and you don’t vote and people walk away — that will decide it,” McDaniel told the crowd, pointing at a lead by more than 88,000 votes by Perdue over Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff during the Nov. 3 election.
McDaniel’s efforts to rally local Republicans to invest in the upcoming runoffs comes as President Trump devoted a significant share of his Thanksgiving press conference to false assertions of election fraud in the state.
President Trump has waged a war on the democratic process in Georgia, falsely pushing claims of widespread election fraud and calling Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) a “so-called Republican” and “the enemy of the people,” even as the GOP official said that his own family had voted for Trump and “lost” as he sought to secure the integrity of the election while the sitting president and his allies made efforts to interfere.
On Thursday, Trump announced plans to travel to the Peach State to campaign for his allies. Loeffler has painted herself as as Trump loyalist and Perdue took the podium at a Trump campaign rally in October and seemed to willfully mispronounce the name of then Senate colleague and now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ first name.
Both Perdue and Loeffler have also baselessly called on Raffensperger to resign.
During a news conference on Thursday Trump told reporters that he confided to the GOP senators seeking reelection in the state that “I think you’re dealing in a very fraudulent system. I’m very worried about that.”
McDaniel is now tasked with reinvigorating voters who — in sympathizing with their failed candidate — seem to believe his continuous false claims of election fraud. As Trump continues to make those claims in an effort to soften the blow of his own loss, he hasn’t done his party any favors.
At least one voter on Saturday parroted a false claim that voting machines changed votes that favored the President.
“We didn’t see that in the audit,” the RNC Chair said. “That evidence I haven’t seen, so we’ll wait and see on that.”
In her closing statement, McDaniel pleaded with disillusioned voters unable to acknowledge Trump’s loss and skeptical of officials in their own state.
“We’ve got to focus on January 5th right now,” McDaniel said. “We can deal with those other things later.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-28--Democrats Have To Expand Strategy In 2022 To Build Support Among Latino Voters

PHOENIX ( AP ) — President-elect Joe Biden ’ s campaign credits its success in Arizona to the immigrant-rights and grassroots organizations that have been mobilizing Latinos for nearly two decades .
The fruits of their labor — in triple-digit heat , no less — paid off in this traditionally conservative state , where changing demographics and suburban voters turning out to oppose President Donald Trump also worked in Biden ’ s favor .
But what that means for the future of Democratic candidates and how the party can capitalize on these gains will be tested in 2022 and 2024 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blue shift in statewide races or in some other parts of the country with large Latino populations .
“ It was extremely important and extremely helpful to the campaign to be able to tap into that enthusiasm , to be able to tap into that incredible network .
I think it made all the difference into turning Arizona blue , ” said Jessica Mejia , Arizona director for Biden ’ s campaign .
A coalition of longstanding grassroots organizations known as Mi AZ started knocking on doors in July , eventually hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hottest summer on record in Phoenix .
They made nearly 8 million phone calls and managed digital and broadcast campaigns .
Their work is nothing new .
In 2016 , groups involved with Mi AZ helped get a minimum wage increase passed and then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio , who had long targeted immigrants , voted out of office .
Driven by years of anti-immigrant propositions and legislation — from banning bilingual education 20 years ago , forcing college students without legal status to pay out-of-state tuition in 2006 to SB 1070 , the infamous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2010 — these groups have built a network of activists and voters who turned out in huge numbers .
Latinos also now account for 24 % of eligible voters in Arizona , compared with 19 % in 2012 , according to Pew Research Center .
Biden ’ s victory and that of Mark Kelly , who unseated Republican Sen. Martha McSally , are notable gains for Democrats .
Biden is only the second Democratic presidential candidate to win Arizona since 1948 .
Kelly ’ s win gives the state two Democratic senators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
But a slew of Democrats who ran for the state Legislature and statewide races failed to gain enough traction .
Biden also owes his victory to changing suburban demographics , with Republican areas shifting Democratic , and to Native Americans .
In parts of the country where Democrats have long reigned , more Latinos voted for Trump this year than expected , including areas of Florida and Texas .
Although Latinos likely helped propel Biden to the presidency , it was a lesson in the limits of the party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters .
And how or whether Democrats can keep that enthusiasm in the 2022 midterm elections will require a lot of work .
Chuck Rocha , a senior Democratic strategist , said the work by grassroots groups in Arizona helped Biden win .
But it ’ s also incumbent on campaigns to prioritize Latino voters by spending time and money in their communities consistently , not just right before an election .
Super PACs that target Latino voters are also crucial , Rocha said , adding that his , Nuestro PAC , spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting the last week of June , but that such spending is rare .
“ I think Arizona is an example of the way to do things right , and it ’ s more than just the grassroots groups , ” Rocha said .
He said Democrats will have to deploy similar tactics in other Hispanic-heavy areas of the country if they want to succeed in 2022 , especially after losing several congressional seats in areas with a significant percentage of voters of color .
“ If you ’ re relying on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ad and put it on Univision , that ’ s not a winning strategy , ” Rocha said .
Antonio Arellano , interim executive director for Jolt , a Texas advocacy group that aims to grow Latinos ’ political power and mobilize young voters , said both parties need to invest more in their outreach efforts if they ’ re going to win an increasingly large and diverse constituency .
They have to hire people who come from and reflect their communities and stop treating them as a safe bet , Arellano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need to do , they ’ re just not doing it .
They have outdated strategies , ” he said .
“ The Latino electorate is incredibly young .
In order to connect with them , they need to modernize civic engagement , and that requires an investment… What we ’ ve seen is that Latinos are an afterthought.
” The Biden administration will keep supporters by focusing not just on immigration reform and reinstating the Obama-era program that shields from deportation immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its economic fallout , said Julie Rodríguez , Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager who was recently named director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs .
“ I think folks are gon na see a material difference between how we ’ re prioritizing communities and small businesses and addressing the day-to-day issues , whether it ’ s extending benefits or continuing to provide rent support , ” Rodríguez said .
“ And that ’ s something this administration hasn ’ t done.
” To sway Latino voters , she said Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona to other states .
But the party will face stiff competition .
Republicans attracted Latinos in parts of south Texas , and they will try to replicate that success elsewhere .
T.J. Shope , a longtime Republican state lawmaker newly elected to the Arizona Senate , said his party will look to its success in Texas for the midterm elections .
Shope , who is Hispanic , says the Trump campaign had a significant Latino voter outreach effort , making inroads for the party in the future .
Shope , 35 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who reflect their communities .
He says it ’ s contingent on his party to ensure Arizona doesn ’ t turn into a reliably blue state .
“ This is serious .
We want to be competitive , we don ’ t want to be Colorado , ” Shope said .
In Arizona , Democrats presented Trump as the boogeyman , getting voters to show up , while in south Florida , Republicans used socialism to drive voters to Trump , Shope said .
Trump won ’ t be on the ballot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loses seats .
“ I guess the question I ’ m asking myself is , who does the boogeyman become for both parties ?
” Shope said .

PHOENIX (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign credits its success in Arizona to the immigrant-rights and grassroots organizations that have been mobilizing Latinos for nearly two decades. The fruits of their labor — in triple-digit heat, no less — paid off in this traditionally conservative state, where changing demographics and suburban voters turning out to oppose President Donald Trump also worked in Biden’s favor.
But what that means for the future of Democratic candidates and how the party can capitalize on these gains will be tested in 2022 and 2024 — especially because there wasn’t a blue shift in statewide races or in some other parts of the country with large Latino populations.
“It was extremely important and extremely helpful to the campaign to be able to tap into that enthusiasm, to be able to tap into that incredible network. I think it made all the difference into turning Arizona blue,” said Jessica Mejia, Arizona director for Biden’s campaign.
A coalition of longstanding grassroots organizations known as Mi AZ started knocking on doors in July, eventually hitting 1.1 million homes, even in the hottest summer on record in Phoenix. They made nearly 8 million phone calls and managed digital and broadcast campaigns.
Their work is nothing new. In 2016, groups involved with Mi AZ helped get a minimum wage increase passed and then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who had long targeted immigrants, voted out of office.
Driven by years of anti-immigrant propositions and legislation — from banning bilingual education 20 years ago, forcing college students without legal status to pay out-of-state tuition in 2006 to SB 1070, the infamous “show me your papers” law from 2010 — these groups have built a network of activists and voters who turned out in huge numbers.
Latinos also now account for 24% of eligible voters in Arizona, compared with 19% in 2012, according to Pew Research Center.
Biden’s victory and that of Mark Kelly, who unseated Republican Sen. Martha McSally, are notable gains for Democrats. Biden is only the second Democratic presidential candidate to win Arizona since 1948. Kelly’s win gives the state two Democratic senators for the first time in nearly 70 years.
But a slew of Democrats who ran for the state Legislature and statewide races failed to gain enough traction. Biden also owes his victory to changing suburban demographics, with Republican areas shifting Democratic, and to Native Americans.
In parts of the country where Democrats have long reigned, more Latinos voted for Trump this year than expected, including areas of Florida and Texas. Although Latinos likely helped propel Biden to the presidency, it was a lesson in the limits of the party’s grip on an increasingly diverse segment of voters.
And how or whether Democrats can keep that enthusiasm in the 2022 midterm elections will require a lot of work.
Chuck Rocha, a senior Democratic strategist, said the work by grassroots groups in Arizona helped Biden win. But it’s also incumbent on campaigns to prioritize Latino voters by spending time and money in their communities consistently, not just right before an election.
Super PACs that target Latino voters are also crucial, Rocha said, adding that his, Nuestro PAC, spent $4 million in ads in Arizona starting the last week of June, but that such spending is rare.
“I think Arizona is an example of the way to do things right, and it’s more than just the grassroots groups,” Rocha said.
He said Democrats will have to deploy similar tactics in other Hispanic-heavy areas of the country if they want to succeed in 2022, especially after losing several congressional seats in areas with a significant percentage of voters of color.
“If you’re relying on a bunch of white consultants to Google-Translate you an ad and put it on Univision, that’s not a winning strategy,” Rocha said.
Antonio Arellano, interim executive director for Jolt, a Texas advocacy group that aims to grow Latinos’ political power and mobilize young voters, said both parties need to invest more in their outreach efforts if they’re going to win an increasingly large and diverse constituency.
They have to hire people who come from and reflect their communities and stop treating them as a safe bet, Arellano said.
“The parties know what they need to do, they’re just not doing it. They have outdated strategies,” he said. “The Latino electorate is incredibly young. In order to connect with them, they need to modernize civic engagement, and that requires an investment… What we’ve seen is that Latinos are an afterthought.”
The Biden administration will keep supporters by focusing not just on immigration reform and reinstating the Obama-era program that shields from deportation immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, but by tackling the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout, said Julie Rodríguez, Biden’s deputy campaign manager who was recently named director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
“I think folks are gonna see a material difference between how we’re prioritizing communities and small businesses and addressing the day-to-day issues, whether it’s extending benefits or continuing to provide rent support,” Rodríguez said. “And that’s something this administration hasn’t done.”
To sway Latino voters, she said Democrats need to take the tactics used in Arizona to other states.
But the party will face stiff competition. Republicans attracted Latinos in parts of south Texas, and they will try to replicate that success elsewhere.
T.J. Shope, a longtime Republican state lawmaker newly elected to the Arizona Senate, said his party will look to its success in Texas for the midterm elections. Shope, who is Hispanic, says the Trump campaign had a significant Latino voter outreach effort, making inroads for the party in the future.
Shope, 35, says Republicans need to recruit more candidates who reflect their communities. He says it’s contingent on his party to ensure Arizona doesn’t turn into a reliably blue state.
“This is serious. We want to be competitive, we don’t want to be Colorado,” Shope said.
In Arizona, Democrats presented Trump as the boogeyman, getting voters to show up, while in south Florida, Republicans used socialism to drive voters to Trump, Shope said.
Trump won’t be on the ballot in 2022, when the reigning party usually loses seats.
“I guess the question I’m asking myself is, who does the boogeyman become for both parties?” Shope said.