- Kennedy’s retirement will put all eyes on the Senate, where Republicans have a slim majority but have also changed the rules to allow confirmation with only 51 votes instead of the usual 60.
- The fight over Kennedy’s replacement is likely to galvanize both Republicans and Democrats, but also put in the hot seat the two Republican female senators who have supported abortion rights — Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
- This week’s primaries again put the spotlight on Democratic support of single-payer health proposals, as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez upset the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House in New York and former NAACP head Ben Jealous won the Democratic nomination for governor in Maryland. But while Democrats have made clear that health is their top issue for the coming campaign, they have so far managed to paper over their intraparty differences on incremental versus wholesale change.
- The California legislature could vote on a measure as soon as Thursday that would gut efforts by municipalities to put in place soda taxes. If it passes, it will mark a change in momentum away from the success of these measures across the country. The soda industry took a page from the tobacco companies in executing this plan.
- The controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration policy that separates children from their parents at the border continued to be a flashpoint this week. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was questioned about it on Capitol Hill during a hearing about drug pricing. Congressional Republicans find themselves in a difficult position. Many don’t want to defend the administration, but there doesn’t seem to be an avenue by which to move forward either.
