The Hill's Morning Report — Midterms turn on potent policy mix
Pundits for months predicted the midterm contests were destined to be a clearcut referendum on Joe Biden’s presidency. With 49 days to go until Nov. 8, voters’ decisions might indeed follow that calculus, but an unusually potent stew of issues color this year’s political “choice.” If Biden, who is not on any ballot this fall, is a threshold hurdle for midterm voters, the upward slope of his job approval trajectory, albeit hovering at 45 perce
Read MoreNew evidence shows GOP’s Trump problem may be getting worse
Republicans are growing more concerned that President Trump could be a drag — and not a help — in tight midterm races that will determine the majorities in the House and Senate. Trump remains overwhelmingly popular among Republican voters, but he’s just as unpopular with Democrats, and there is a growing body of evidence that he is losing more support from independent swing voters as he grapples with a slew of investigations. A new NBC News poll released Sunday found just 34 percent of registered voters said they have a positive view of Trump, co
Read MoreDemocrats think GOP governors may torpedo Republicans with immigrant moves
Democrats say GOP governors sending migrants to liberal cities in blue states are making a political mistake, potentially turning the issue of immigration and the border into a loser for Republicans. They say sending plane- and busloads of men, women and children to unfamiliar cities with the promise of jobs and care is coming off as cruel and careless, even if the intention is to make a statement about the difficulties border areas face with a surge of immigrants. “DeSantis and Abbott thought they were going to put immigration on the ballot, but what the
Read MoreThe Memo: Biden bounce lifts Democrats’ midterm chances, but how high?
President Biden is bouncing back — but the question is how high his fortunes can rise and how much they can help his party in the midterms. The latest evidence of Biden’s improved political standing came in an NBC News poll released Sunday, which showed the president’s approval rating ticking up to 45 percent, its highest level since last October. The poll also showed a dead-even race for Congress, with 46 percent of voters saying they would prefer Democrats to be in control on Capitol Hill and an equal share saying they favored the GOP. The N
Read MoreDems say they're close on police funding and stock ban bills
House Democrats scrambling to secure a few last-minute wins ahead of the midterm elections say they're close to reaching deals on two elusive issues — a stock ban and police funding — that would free them to vote on both items this month. While most of the focus of the short September session is on the must-pass legislation to keep the government running beyond Oct. 1, a number of vulnerable front-line Democrats are hoping also to move the other two high-profile bills before November's elections. While neither the stock ban nor the policing legislation has a chance to pa
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