NotedDC — Biden leans in on abortion despite warning signs

President Biden is promising Democrats he’ll introduce legislation to codify abortion rights as his first proposal of the new year if they elect enough Democrats to keep control of the House and Senate.

“If you care about the right to choose, then you gotta vote. That’s why these midterm elections are so critical … if we do that, here’s the promise I make to you and the American people: The first bill I will send to the Congress will be to codify Roe,” Biden said during a speech in Washington, D.C., Tuesday while standing under a giant “Restore Roe” banner.

It’s a major gambit for the president, whose party has struggled to overcome 40-year-high inflation at a time when both chambers of Congress — and a significant portion of Biden’s agenda — remain on the line this November.

Polls increasingly suggest voters see economic concerns as more pressing this election cycle than abortion rights, a warning sign for Democrats who have focused their midterm messaging on trying to protect abortion access across the country.

Biden alluded to the shift on Tuesday during his speech at the Democratic National Committee event, saying he was “asking the American people to remember how you felt the day … Roe was overturned after 50 years.” 

Democrats and abortion rights advocates protested the Supreme Court ruling this summer that upended the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling and vowed to fight back.

But as the months have stretched on, polls have shown Republicans are gaining momentum as Election Day nears and voters have shifted much of their focus back to pocketbook issues, such as sky-high food and gas prices and soaring interest rates.

A New York Times/Siena College poll released this week found that likely voters surveyed most often identified the economy as the most important issue they face, at 44 percent and up from 36 percent in July immediately after the abortion ruling.

BUT: Veteran Democratic political strategist James Carville predicted in an August interview with CBS News that Democrats could try to keep the spotlight on abortion with results. Earlier that week, Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to restrict abortion in a 59 percent to 41 percent.

“You could feel there was a lot of energy,” Carville said about the Kansas vote. “They were very smart in the way they went about this.”

More than a dozen states have moved to ban abortion since the Supreme Court ruling, and some GOP lawmakers have suggested they’ll pursue a nation-wide ban if they gain control of Congress.

Klain chimes in: The president’s chief of staff and prolific Twitter user, Ron Klain, clarified after the speech that Biden is not ignoring other pressing issues with the renewed focus on abortion rights, saying it’s not an “either / or” matter.

Filibuster factor: A constant theme running through Tuesday’s event was the reality that Democrats don’t have enough congressional support currently to address abortion. The party holds a razor-thin 50-50 advantage in the Senate, with Vice President Harris serving as the tie-breaker.

But major policy changes, like abortion legislation, must have 60 votes to get over the chamber’s filibuster rule unless the majority bands together for an exception. Conservative Democrats have resisted carving out one for abortion, citing concerns over future use down the road.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t answer when reporters asked after the event how many Democratic senators would be “enough” to the president.

Welcome to NotedDC, your guide to politics, policy and people of consequence in D.C. and across the U.S. Today’s newsletter comes from The Hill’s Liz Crisp. 

🏗 Trickle-down infrastructure

Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D), who Biden picked to be his infrastructure czar, has been making the rounds with lawmakers in recent weeks to tout the effects of the bipartisan infrastructure law on their communities.

• When the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package passed last November, many saw the legislation — with its millions in upgrades for lawmakers’ states and districts — as an easy election booster for incumbents who voted for it.
  
• The White House has released the first tranche of money to states, setting off announcements from state and local officials about the projects that will get funding (and all the favorable local coverage that goes along with it).

Biden is also getting on the infrastructure train, with planned events Wednesday in D.C. and Thursday in Pennsylvania to highlight efforts on inflation and infrastructure.

Bottom line: Voters need critical infrastructure upgrades. While not the shiniest topic in these blistering battles, it is an issue that polls well and hits local districts. 

😤 Debate night turns fight night

Monday night included three key debates for candidates running in November’s election — Ohio Senate, Utah Senate and Georgia governor.

The one major takeaway from all three: The candidates really don’t appear to like their rivals.

OHIO — Rep. Tim Ryan (D) vs. businessman JD Vance (R)

• Vance took a swing at one of Ryan’s TV hits: “It’s actually a pretty funny TV commercial … where he says he only agrees with his own wife 70 percent of the time. Yet he votes and agrees with [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi 100 percent of the time. It must make things a little awkward in the Ryan household.”
  
• Ryan shot back: “You keep talking about Nancy Pelosi. If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You’re running against me.” 

GEORGIA — Gov. Brian Kemp (R) vs. Stacey Abrams (D)

• Kemp, who narrowly defeated Abrams four years ago, said, “I would just say that Ms. Abrams is going to do a lot of attacking of my record tonight because she doesn’t want to talk about her own record.”
  
• Abrams took aim: “This is a governor who, for the last four years, has beat his chest but delivered very little for most Georgians.” 

UTAH — Sen. Mike Lee (R) vs. Independent Evan McMullin

• Lee: “Parties are an important proxy. They’re an important proxy for ideas.”
  
• McMullin: “I’m not going to Washington … to be a bootlicker for Donald Trump or Joe Biden.” 
  
• At one point, McMullin also knocked Lee for flashing his pocket Constitution: “Sen. Lee has been doing this thing with his pocket Constitution for the last several years … Sen. Lee, it is not a prop.”

The Hill has comprehensive recaps of each of the debates: Ohio • Georgia • Utah

‘IMMIGRATION IS A REALITY OF OUR TIME’

Vanessa Cárdenas, the new leader of leading immigration advocacy organization America’s Voice, chatted exclusively with The Hill’s Rafael Bernal about what she hopes to bring to the role and her vision for the organization’s future. 

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

Nominations for The Hill’s 2022 Top Lobbyists are now open. The list — set to come out in December — will highlight the most impactful advocates at K Street firms, companies, trade associations and grassroots advocacy groups. Nominations are due Nov. 14 and must be submitted through this form.

QUOTABLE

“I think that to be the best Speaker of the House and to please the base, he’s going to give me a lot of power and a lot of leeway … and if he doesn’t, they’re going to be very unhappy about it. I think that’s the best way to read that. And that’s not in any way a threat at all. I just think that’s reality.”

– Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) discussing House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) if Republicans win a majority in the midterms.

Read the full excerpt from Robert Draper’s book “Weapons of Mass Delusion: When the Republican Party Lost Its Mind” out this month

📺 Jill Biden talks political vitriol with Newsmax 

IN A RARE one-on-one interview, first lady Jill Biden sat down with conservative cable channel Newsmax to preach unity, address vitriol and talk about efforts to fight cancer.

“People just need to get rid of a lot of their anger,” Biden told Nancy Brinker of Newsmax’s “Conversations With Nancy Brinker.” “Even if somebody doesn’t agree with you, if you can just talk to them civilly and hear their point of view – maybe you’ll never agree – but just acts of kindness toward your fellow Americans.”

• The interview, which aired Monday night, focused on efforts to address cancer, but the choice of the media venue was not lost on progressives given the network’s reputation as a flamethrower for rightwing causes.
  
• Some Republicans also expressed frustration at Newsmax for giving Biden a platform to appeal across the aisle.

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy addressed the odd pairing, noting the special has little to do with politics.

“There are things Americans disagree with, but fighting cancer is one thing that unites Americans; and we’re honored to have Dr. Biden talk of her efforts and President Biden’s to combat this deadly condition,” Ruddy said.

Brinker, a former Bush-era U.S. ambassador and founder of the Susan G. Komen organization that is dedicated to fighting breast cancer, said she’s known Biden for decades and always found her to be a staunch supporter of the Komen mission. 

President Biden’s son, Beau, died of brain cancer in 2015. The president has pushed a “Cancer Moonshot” initiative aimed at prevention, diagnosis and treatment to ultimately reduce cancer deaths.

“It’s not a red issue, a blue issue,” the first lady said. “Cancer affects every American.”  

You can watch the full interview here. 

MAKING MOVES

The Hill’s Karl Evers-Hillstrom has the latest lobbying news in his regular Wednesday column. We got a sneak peak of some on the list:

Four veteran DLA Piper lobbyists — Mac Bernstein, John Merrigan, Jessica Woolley and Stephanie Jebeyli — are leaving for Dentons Global Advisors.  

Jamie Wall, a former aide to Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), will lead ExxonMobil’s Washington, D.C., office.  

Biden White House advocacy director Deirdre Schifeling will be ACLU’s next national political director. 

Check out the full list when it publishes Wednesday morning here.

ONE NUMBER TO KNOW

34%

Americans who indicated they believe major news organizations will report “fully, accurately and fairly” on current events, according to a new Gallup survey.

🍸 One more thing

Former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were spotted eating at the swanky L’Ardente Italian restaurant in Capital Crossing over the weekend. 

• A stealthy Twitter user first noted the couple. Per the Washingtonian: The Obamas had martinis and the restaurant’s famous 40-layer lasagna, among several other Italian delicacies, and ultimately ended with a tiramisu flambé. 
  
  

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