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A memo by Senate Republicans’ campaign arm has admitted that control of the upper chamber is “at risk” and that Democrats could win the Senate in November’s elections.
The September 2020 political update from the National Republican Senatorial Committee summarizes the state of the race of 10 states with Senate races around the country and how the outcome of each could factor into whether Republicans or Democrats control the chamber in January.
The memo, obtained by the Guardian, has been circulating among political operatives, donors and interested parties. It comes just shy of 50 days before the November 2020 elections.
“The next few weeks will define the future of our country for generations to come,” the NRSC memo reads.
Memos like these are often shaped like dispassionate updates but in actuality they are often used to convince interested parties that races slipping out of reach are still in play. They are also often used to juice donations to lagging candidates and counter trending narratives.
Democrats need to pick up three or four seats to take control of the Senate. The fact that the NRSC memo categorizes seven Senate races as ones that simply can’t be lost or deserve serious attention suggests that it’s possible, but not certain that Democrats can take control of the Senate.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has concluded her briefing with reporters.
Shortly before leaving the podium, McEnany was asked about the announcement that HHS spokesperson Michael Caputo will be taking a leave of absence, following reports that he pressured CDC officials to alter key reports on coronavirus.
McEnany did not address Caputo’s departure and instead pivoted to discussing the normalization agreements signed by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at the White House yesterday.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to answer questions about Trump’s health care plan, which the president has been promising to release for more than a year.
A reporter noted that three senior health officials testified today they were not involved in the formulation of such a plan.
"I'm not going to give you a readout of what our health care plan looks like and who's working on it. if you want to know, come work here at the White House" -- Kayleigh McEnany pic.twitter.com/wjGyKalfX0
When asked who was working on the proposal, McEnany gave a vague answer, saying “multiple stakeholders” in the White House were involved.
After a reporter pressed for a more specific answer, McEnany said, “I’m not going to give you a readout of what our health care plan looks like and who’s working on it. If you want to know, come work here at the White House.”
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany dodged a question about whether any White House staffers had recently tested positive for coronavirus.
“I don’t share people’s personal medical information,” McEnany said.
A member of the White House press pool was told earlier today that a couple staffers tested positive this morning, delaying the distribution of tests to reporters.
The White House called the journalists from the pool 30 minutes late to get our routine covid test. I was told they were late because "It was a very busy morning. We had a couple of positives today"
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted the president supported mask usage to limit the spread of coronavirus, despite Trump’s comments at his town hall last night.
“The president has always supported mask-wearing,” McEnany said.
But here’s what Trump said yesterday: “A lot of people don’t want to wear masks. There are a lot of people think that masks are not good. ... The concept of a mask is good, but it also does ... you’re constantly touching it.”
McEnany claimed Trump was trying to highlight the potential “unintended consequences” if masks are not worn properly.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is now holding a briefing with reporters.
McEnany opened the briefing by praising the Big Ten’s announcement that the conference would play a shortened season of college football, after initially saying the season was canceled.
Trump previously took credit for helping the conference make its decision, but a Big Ten president told NBC News that Trump “had nothing to do with our decision and did not impact the deliberations.”
A Big Ten president involved in the decision to resume the season tells @NBCNews, “President Trump had nothing to do with our decision and did not impact the deliberations. In fact, when his name came up, it was a negative because no one wanted this to be political.” https://t.co/pEQf7yT4xl
HHS spokesperson taking leave of absence amid controversy
Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary for public affairs for the department of health and human services, is taking a leave of absence amid a controversy over his efforts to pressure CDC officials to alter key reports on the coronavirus pandemic.
HHS said in a statement, “Today, the Department of Health and Human Services is announcing that HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Caputo has decided to take a leave of absence to focus on his health and the well-being of his family. Mr. Caputo will be on leave for the next 60 days.”
The department also announced that one of Caputo’s deputies, Dr Paul Alexander, would be permanently leaving HHS.
The announcement comes days after reports emerged that Caputo had urged the CDC to alter reports on coronavirus because they “would undermine the president’s optimistic messages about the outbreak.”
Caputo also received criticism for suggesting (without evidence) that CDC officials were forming a “resistance unit” to undermine Trump.
The HHS spokesperson said in a Facebook live video, “There are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well, not until after Joe Biden is president.”
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested face masks may be “more guaranteed to protect me against Covid” than a vaccine. Testifying before a Senate subcommittee, Dr Robert Redfield described masks as “the most important, powerful public health tool we have.” His comments came one day after Trump said at an ABC News town hall, “A lot of people don’t want to wear masks. There are a lot of people think that masks are not good.”
Redfield predicted a vaccine would not be widely available to the American public until “late second quarter, third quarter 2021.” The CDC director told senators, “If you’re asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public so we can begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life, I think we’re probably looking at third -- late second quarter, third quarter 2021.” Trump claimed yesterday that a vaccine would be available within “weeks.”
Trump urged Republicans to push for a larger coronavirus relief package, aligning himself with Democrats in the negotiations over the bill. “Go for the much higher numbers, Republicans, it all comes back to the USA anyway (one way or another!),” Trump said in a tweet. Democrats have called for spending $2.2 trillion on the next relief package, but Republicans have dismissed that top-line cost as a non-starter.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to furlough staff at City Hall, including himself, in response to a budgetary shortfall due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The policy would affect 495 mayoral staff members, who would have to take an unpaid, weeklong furlough at some point between October and March 2021. The furloughs would apply to everyone from administrative assistants to Mr. de Blasio and the office of his wife, Chirlane McCray.
The mayor intends to work during his furlough without pay, his spokesman said.
Facing a $9 billion, two-year revenue shortfall because of the coronavirus’s impact on the economy, Mr. de Blasio this year closed the city’s budget with $1 billion in unspecified labor savings.
De Blasio has previously warned that he would have to lay off 22,000 city employees if New York did not receive federal aid or permission from the state to extend its debt limit. So far, neither has come through.