 May 28, 2021 | by Lauren Dezenski and Sonnet Swire A stormy summer for bipartisanship ahead  More than three months after Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell laid blame for the January 6 insurrection at former President Donald Trump's feet, Senate Republicans -- thanks to pressure from McConnell -- blocked a bill that would establish a commission to investigate the US Capitol attack.
For what it's worth, six Republican senators — Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Rob Portman, Lisa Murkowski and Ben Sasse — voted to advance the bill. But with four more Republicans needed to meet the 60-vote threshold, Senate Democrats were quick to point out that the number of Republicans who voted against the commission marked another sign of the GOP's shift toward Trump.
"Out of fear or fealty to Donald Trump, the Republican minority just prevented the American people from getting the full truth about January 6," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said after the vote.
Even West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who has sought cooperation with the GOP whenever possible, sounded defeated about the prospect of working with his Republican colleagues. "I'm very disappointed, very frustrated," Manchin said after the vote. "The politics is Trump, literally and figuratively."
Friday's proceedings, which had been delayed because of partisan debate on an unrelated bill aimed at increasing US competitiveness with China, signal a bumpy future for any bipartisan prospects on Capitol Hill.
As the Senate adjourned for the Memorial Day holiday, Schumer told Senate Democrats that the June work period "will be extremely challenging … the next few weeks will be hard and will test our resolve as a Congress and a conference."
There is a lot on the horizon over the next month, including: policing reform, the behemoth that is President Joe Biden's infrastructure package, the Paycheck Fairness Act and the sweeping voting rights package known as the For the People Act, or S 1.
The Point: Bipartisanship isn't dead -- but it's not exactly thriving right now.
QUOTE OF THE DAY "As more Americans get vaccinated, the days grow brighter and brighter, but let me be clear: We're not done yet." -- President Biden emphasized that the US can't let up on Covid-19 vigilance now. He urged those not yet vaccinated to get their shots. THE WEEK IN 14 HEADLINES  This week, the nation marked one year since the death of George Floyd at the hands of a now-former Minneapolis police officer, and the racial reckoning that happened in its wake. Meanwhile, legal challenges swirled around former President Donald Trump.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
LAUREN'S GOOD READS  Edward-Isaac Dovere's new book, "Battle for the Soul," is already on my summer reading list, so this write on "Andrew Yang, Political Kardashian" for The Atlantic is perfect to kick off my Memorial Day Weekend reading.
Harry Reid helped make UFOs mainstream! This is a fun Politico piece.
A solid, if a little depressing, read in The Washington Post: five days, 100 vaccine doses and a wildfire of conspiracy theories. Related in the NYT: Facebook takes on the superspreaders.
Go, Simone Biles!!!
MUSICAL INTERLUDE It has been a week since Olivia Rodrigo's new album came out ... and "brutal" still absolutely slaps. ONE BIG HISTORIC FIRST  Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman to give the commencement speech at the US Naval Academy when she addressed the 2021 graduating class on Friday. You are receiving this message because you subscribed to CNN's The Point with Chris Cillizza newsletter. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get The Point in your inbox.
Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski. You can follow Chris and Lauren on Twitter and connect with The Point on:
Our mailing address is:
Copyright © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Top Scopings
-
Plus: The high costs of housing, school board politics and alien life abroad July 16, 2021 View in B...
