Biden’s Health Agenda, Nominees Get Big Boost As Dems Win Senate Control
Securing the two Georgia Senate runoffs sets up narrow Democratic control of both chambers of Congress. News outlets examine the implications for the Biden administration's planned health care policies.
Politico:
Democrats Retake The Senate With Georgia Sweep
Democrats have won the Senate majority after a remarkable pair of runoff victories in Georgia, giving the party control of Congress and smoothing the path for President-elect Joe Biden to enact the agenda he ran on in 2020. ... The results of the Senate flip could be felt immediately. [Jon] Ossoff and [Raphael] Warnock campaigned vigorously on additional Covid-19 relief measures, while Senate GOP leaders had declined to commit to additional stimulus funding after recently approving a $900 billion package. (Arkin, Desiderio and Forgey, 1/6)
The New York Times:
With New Majority, Here’s What Democrats Can (And Can’t) Do On Health Care
The Democrats’ new congressional majority puts a variety of health policy ideas suddenly into reach, even if big structural changes remain unlikely. A series of tweaks bolstering the Affordable Care Act stands the best chance of passage. Legislators could make insurance subsidies more generous, get coverage to low-income Americans in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, and render moot a pending Supreme Court lawsuit that aims to overturn the entire law. (Kliff and Sanger-Katz, 1/7)
USA Today:
With Jon Ossoff And Raphael Warnock Wins, Biden Poised To Cut Taxes And Boost Health Care
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in the middle of this year on whether the Affordable Care Act is constitutional. ... Biden has said he has a plan for not only salvaging the law but making it stronger. "What I’m going to do is pass Obamacare with a public option,'' Biden said in the final presidential debate against Donald Trump. "It becomes Bidencare." He says Americans can maintain private insurance, but a public option will also be available, particularly benefiting Americans who couldn't access Medicaid because they live in the dozen states that didn't allow them to do so under the ACA. (Jones, 1/7)
USA Today:
Georgia Senate: How Democratic Control Could Advance Biden’s Agenda
The Senate sweep in Georgia gives the party control of the upper chamber for the first time since the 2014 elections and boost President-elect Joe Biden’s ability to carry out his early legislative agenda. ... Biden has said he would rejoin the World Health Organization, which President Donald Trump began to withdraw from in July, and reestablish the White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense, which was eliminated by the Trump administration in 2018. ... Biden [also] hopes to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care for millions of Americans. (1/6)
Politico:
Biden’s Health Agenda Is About To Get Bigger
President-elect Joe Biden’s health agenda is about to get more ambitious. ... Adding Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the Senate means that suddenly Republicans’ threats to block HHS nominee Xavier Becerra from confirmation over his abortion rights record don’t mean much of anything. (Cancryn, Diamond and Roubein, 1/6)
Los Angeles Times:
Democratic Wins In Georgia Ease Biden’s Path, Starting With Xavier Becerra’s Confirmation
Xavier Becerra’s path to President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet just got smoother, $2,000 relief checks for Americans became significantly more likely, and a passel of Trump-era regulations got shakier Wednesday as advocates and strategists began calibrating how Democratic control of the Senate would reshape the new administration’s agenda. (Lauter and Hooker, 1/6)
Also —
The Wall Street Journal:
What Happens When The Senate Is Split 50-50?
The party in Senate control decides what comes to the floor for a vote. A Democratic majority means that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), the expected leader, will be able to control what legislation is given priority and what proposals are blocked. It also allows for more coordination with the Democratic-led House and the new Democratic White House. Still, in the Senate, lawmakers need 60 votes to advance most legislation. This often forces legislators to work together across party lines because supermajorities are rare. (Andrews, 1/6)
The Washington Post:
Joe Biden’s Cabinet And Administration Picks
One of President-elect Joe Biden’s very first tasks will be filling the top positions in his White House and Cabinet. ... Once confirmed, they will be instrumental in carrying out Biden’s goals and setting the tenor of his presidency. We’re tracking the people who Biden has already named and the top contenders for unfilled roles. (1/6)
