The Presidential Events: November 2021

Quickly following October is the second to last month of 2021.

Elections:

Foreboding a potentially devastating 2022 midterm election, Democrats lost the governor's race in Virginia (the first statewide loss for Democrats since 2009). And Democrats barely won a tight race in New Jersey, which Joe Biden won by nearly 16%. in 2020.

Staffing:

Biden looked ready to renominate Republican and Trump appointee Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair. Progressives threatened to contest the pick, while conservative Democrats applauded the choice. As a compromise, Biden seemed likely to nominate former CFPB head, Richard Cordray, to a regulation position at the Fed. Republicans promised a contentious hearing for Cordray. If conservative Democrats side with Republicans, will Biden cave? Biden's choice for comptroller of the currency, Saule Omarova, had to withdraw her nomination after three Senate Democrats sided with Republicans. Republicans smeared her as a communist because she was born in the Soviet Union. Republican Marco Rubio delayed a vote on Biden's ambassador to China, citing Burn's business interests.

The Senate easily confirmed Big Tech enemy Jonathan Kanter for the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, 68-29. The Senate unanimously confirmed Charles Sams III as the first Native American to lead the National Park Service.

The Washington Post reported Biden's intention to run for a second term in 2024.

The Coronavirus:

After cases dipped in October, they surged into the month of November, before plateauing at a higher level. Daily cases rose from 70,000 to 90,000. Hospitalizations increased from 45,000 to 57,000. But deaths, which lag behind cases, slid slightly from 1,300 to 1,000 a day. The coronavirus is not under control. The federal government is not doing enough to reduce cases and deaths.

The vaccine mandate for companies with over 100 workers isn't enough. The deadline for this requirement is January 4^th, 2022. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sued to prevent the vaccine mandate from going into effect. Oklahoma's National Guard tried to overrule the Pentagon, saying its members didn't need the vaccine. But the Pentagon responded by insisting it would respond "appropriately".

And the CDC and FDA ruled that all adults could receive a coronavirus vaccine booster.

Department of Defense:

The United States murdered ten Afghan civilians by drone on August 29^th. Those killed included a man who worked for a US aid organization and seven children. The Pentagon ruled the strike an “honest mistake,” and refused to discipline any person involved. Congress was outraged, but undoubtedly nothing will come of this performative anger. The US military also admitted to murdering nearly eighty women and children in 2019, during an airstrike against ISIS. The government absolved itself of guilt, and tried to hide its crimes. Meanwhile former U.S. Air Force intelligence analyst Daniel Hale, started serving four years in prison for revealing the appalling civilian deaths conducted by drone strikes. In spite of Congress' outrage at the Executive's crimes, it offered $740 billion for the annual defense budget. This is an increase from the previous year, despite the end of America's war in Afghanistan. Congress did consider revoking the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force. It's a start, if it does indeed happen, but experts consider it less relevant than the 2001 AUMF, which has not been repealed.

Voting Rights:

Senate Republicans blocked the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act for the third or fourth time. Democrats could pass it, but they refuse to overrule the filibuster. They need to pass it to prevent voting restrictions like those imposed in Texas. The Department of Justice accused Texas of violating the Voting Rights Act with its recent restrictive voting laws.

The Environment:

In November the UK hosted Cop26, the annual climate change conference. One of the well publicized “victories” was the agreement to phase out coal power by the end of 2040. India weakened the official position on coal power. Biden's U.S. climate envoy John Kerry claimed the United States would no longer employ coal after 2030. Considering the inability of Congress to pass a single law curbing climate change, and the likelihood of Republicans reclaiming at least one chamber of Congress in 2022, this seems frighteningly optimistic, bordering on the dangerously naive. Kerry also claimed that Cop26 set the planet on a clear plan to halt global warming at 1.5 C. Meanwhile experts at Climate Action Tracker estimated that the framework would lead to 2.4 C of warming. Greta Thunberg called Cop26 a “failure”. Many others agreed with this assessment. Cop26 did nothing to curb the carbon burning of the ultra wealthy. A study by Oxfam estimates that the richest 1% account for 16% of total emissions.

What did Democratic politicians do shortly after Cop26? Demand more and cheaper oil. With prices rising at the pump, the Senate Majority leader asked Biden to open the strategic oil reserves. The President complied. Conservative Democrats urged Biden to suspend the federal gas tax. And the White House auctioned off the largest ever sale of oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico. Biden is averaging more drilling permits per month than Trump.

A massive storm swamped the American and Canadian Pacific north-west.

Infrastructure:

Biden's PR flacks claim he is working harder than ever to pass his Build Back Better agenda. After progressives in the House refused to vote for the Manchin/Collins deal unless Democrats simultaneously passed Biden's $3.5 trillion climate change and social spending plan, the President demanded they cave to conservative Democrats and reduce the package by half. Then he pressured them to pass the Manchin/Collins bill separately, with the promise that their bill would pass in the future. Progressives caved, and Congress passed the infrastructure bill. After the CBO found the bill would add minimally to the deficit (the White House estimates disagree), the House passed the reduced ($1.75 trillion over ten years) Build Back Better policy. It isn't clear it will clear the Senate. Conservative former Democrat Joe Lieberman urged Manchin and Sinema to prevent the BBB from ever getting a floor vote. Though a recent poll showed nearly 80% of voters wanted to expand Medicare to cover vision and dental, Manchin forced Democrats to cut them from the bill. Democrats also backed off closing loopholes used by the ultra wealthy to avoid paying taxes. Progressives began to realize they were duped when a vote on their priorities were pushed off until December. Even if they do pass the BBB (and in spite of all its insufficient awfulness, they need to because it is the only potential climate legislation to at least slow down global warming – even if, again, the amount is insufficient to truly tackle the threat posed to the planet) it is packed with tax breaks for the wealthy, mostly in the reversal of SALT tax caps enacted in the Republican Tax Cuts for the wealthy of 2017. The second most expensive part of the $1.75 trillion dollar plan enables the super wealthy to reduce their tax burden by writing off some of their expenses based on their property tax. The only people who have a chance of receiving some of this cash are those who itemize their tax returns, an estimated 13% of Americans.

Recent:

Return of the Obra Dinn: Identifying the Wreckage of a Calamity

Relevant:

The Presidential Events: October 2021

The Democratic Party Shouldn't Embrace Militarism

Democratic Error Sacrifices the Climate for a Bipartisan Bill