1 Senate Takes Up Debt Ceiling/Funding Bill
With Friday’s deadline to raise the debt limit and extend funding for the federal government looming, Senate Republicans blocked debate on the House bill yesterday that would avoid a shutdown of the government. The Senate voted 48 to 50 to start debate on the House measure, well short of the 60 votes needed to move past a Republican filibuster. Republicans are insisting that Democrats should deal with the debt limit on their own to avoid supporting the ‘tax and spend’ priorities of the Democrats. The Democrats, meanwhile, are pointing out that the debt limit was raised three times during the Trump administration and that both parties should support raising it again to avoid a default that could start a worldwide economic crisis. Without a funding extension, the federal government will shut down Friday, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has projected that the U.S. will reach its borrowing limit in mid-October.
2 White House Moves To Protect DACA Program
The Biden administration announced a proposed rule yesterday that would help block legal challenges to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. The rule, expected to be formally published today, would give the public 60 days to submit comments for or against the DACA policy. DACA has been under fire since 2017 when the Trump administration tried to discontinue it. The new rule is the most significant effort from the Biden administration to protect the program. The policy provides deportation protection and work permits to over half a million “Dreamers.” Challenges to DACA didn’t end with the Trump administration; a federal judge in Texas declared it unlawful in July, barring the government from processing applications from first-time applicants; earlier this month, the Justice Department appealed that ruling. A Democratic plan to create a legalization program for “Dreamers” through the budget reconciliation process was dealt a blow last week when the Senate parliamentarian said it couldn’t be included in that process, meaning the Democratic Senators couldn’t pass the program with a simple majority.
3 Brian Laundrie Search Scales Back As FBI Takes Over
Local law enforcement in Florida announced yesterday that they’re scaling back their search for Brian Laundrie as the FBI takes up the search. More than 75 law enforcement personnel were searching for Laundrie in the 24k-acre Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida using search dogs and drones. North Port Police Department spokesperson Josh Taylor told reporters yesterday that the geography of the area could be affecting the search, saying “Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access.” Investigators have labeled Laundrie a “person of interest” in the death of Gabby Petito, and the FBI issued an arrest warrant for him after a grand jury indictment in Wyoming.