Today in US politics
That’s all from the US politics live blog today. Here’s how the day unfolded in Washington and across the pond:
The White House said Iranian troops are assisting Russia’s drone operations against Ukraine. According to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, a “relatively small number” of Iran’s troops are helping Russian forces launch the Iranian-made drones. The US said over the summer that Iran was selling its drones to Russia, but Tehran has denied the charge.
Republican leaders are clashing over sending additional military aid to Ukraine. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who could become speaker after the midterm elections next month, has expressed skepticism about approving more funding to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia. But Mike Pence, former vice-president to Donald Trump, said yesterday, “There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin.”
Lawmakers of both parties are reportedly considering passing another Ukraine aid package during the lame-duck session. According to NBC News, the lawmakers are discussing passing a very substantial funding bill – potentially in the neighborhood of $50bn – to keep Ukraine well supplied even if Republicans refuse to approve more aid after January.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned after just 45 days in office. Becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history, Truss was forced to step down after proposing (and then scrapping) a widely unpopular budget plan and losing the confidence of many fellow Tories.
Joe Biden thanked Truss for her service and her partnership in helping to hold Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine. “We will continue our close cooperation with the UK government as we work together to meet the global challenges our nations face,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to tout the enactment of the bipartisan infrastructure law. The president spoke at the site of the Fern Hollow Bridge, which collapsed into a ravine earlier this year. A new section of the bridge is now being constructed, and Biden credited infrastructure law with helping to make the project possible. “For too long, we talked about building the best economy in the world and the best infrastructure in the world,” Biden said. “We’re finally getting to it.”
The US politics blog will return tomorrow with more updates from Washington and the campaign trail, so make sure to tune back in.
Lawmakers of both parties are considering trying to pass another Ukraine aid package during the lame-duck session, according to a new report from NBC News.
The report comes days after House minority leader Kevin McCarthy suggested he would block additional military aid to Ukraine if Republicans regain control of the lower chamber in the midterm elections next month, as they are favored to do.
NBC reports:
With that threat to Ukraine aid looming, the bipartisan idea under consideration would use a government funding bill during the lame-duck session after the midterms to secure a much higher level of military and other assistance than prior aid packages for Ukraine, according to [one] lawmaker and [congressional] aides.
Congress last month approved $12 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine, but the package being contemplated would be dramatically larger, the sources said.
The amount would be enough ‘to make sure [Ukraine] can get through the year,’ a Republican senator with knowledge of the matter told NBC News. ‘It’ll make the $12 billion look like pocket change.’
The new aid package, which most likely would be part of an omnibus spending bill, could be within the range of roughly $50 billion, congressional aides and a source close to the Ukraine government said.
Some Republicans have signaled they would be open to approving additional funds for Ukraine, and Mike Pence, the former vice-president to Donald Trump, called on his party to stand up against Russia in a speech yesterday.
“As Russia continues its unconscionable war of aggression to Ukraine, I believe that conservatives must make it clear that Putin must stop and Putin will pay,” Pence said. “There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin.”
Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a spokesperson for the defense department, said the drones that Iran is allegedly providing to Russia are being deployed as “psychological weapons used to create fear” in Ukraine.
Ryder emphasized that Ukrainian forces are still notching some important victories against Russian troops, which “continue to lose territory or at best hold ground” in the war.
The Pentagon spokesperson reiterated that Russia appears to be reaching out to countries like Iran and North Korea as its own munitions stockpile gets depleted because of the war in Ukraine.
Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a spokesperson for the defense department, was asked what role Iranian troops are playing in Crimea as they assist Russia’s drone operations against Ukraine.
“My understanding is, it’s the Russians who are flying the drones, and yes, [Iranians] are assisting the Russians in those operations,” Ryder said.
Ryder declined to comment on press reports that US intelligence officials have assessed photos of drone strike sites in Ukraine to determine that Russia has been using Iranian-produced weapons in their attacks.
The US said over the summer that Iran was providing Russia with drones, but Tehran has denied that allegation.
The Pentagon echoed the White House’s assessment that Iranian troops have been on the ground in Crimea to assist Russia’s drone operations against Ukraine.
“We continue to see Iran be complicit in terms of exporting terror, not only in the Middle East region, but now also to Ukraine. And so I think that speaks for itself,” Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a spokesperson for the defense department.
When asked about potential sanctions against Iran for working with Russia, Ryder deferred those questions to the state department, but he reiterated America’s commitment to providing all available support to Ukrainians as they seek to defend their country.
Iranian troops are 'directly engaged' in Crimea supporting Russian drone strikes, US says
Iranian troops are “directly engaged on the ground” in Crimea supporting Russian drone strikes against Ukrainian forces, the White House said this afternoon.
“The information we have is that the Iranians have put trainers and tech support in Crimea, but it’s the Russians who are doing the piloting,” said John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council.
According to Kirby, a “relatively small number” of Iran’s troops are helping Russian forces launch the Iranian-made drones. The US said over the summer that Iran was selling its drones to Russia, but Tehran has denied the charge.
Updated
Joe Biden closed his infrastructure remarks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his standard message of optimism about the future of the nation.
“For most of the last century, we led the world by a significant margin because we invested in our people. We invested in ourselves, we invested in our land. But along the way, we stopped doing that – but not anymore. We’re back on track,” Biden said.
“We’re proving our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. We just have to keep going, and we know we can. I have never been more optimistic about America’s future.”
With that, Biden wrapped up his speech. He will soon start his trip to Philadelphia, where he will participate in a fundraiser with Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman.
Joe Biden expressed pride that the bipartisan infrastructure bill he signed into law last year is helping to improve the roads and bridges of Pennsylvania, where the president was born in 1942.
Biden said his staff informed him that he has visited Pittsburgh 19 times since he launched his presidential campaign there in 2019. After securing the Democratic nomination in 2020, Biden’s first campaign stop was in Pittsburgh.
“Let me tell you, I’m a proud Delawarean, but Pennsylvania is my native state. It’s in my heart,” Biden said. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be part of rebuilding this beautiful state.”
Updated
Biden touts bipartisan infrastructure law at site of Pittsburgh bridge collapse
Joe Biden is now delivering remarks on strengthening America’s infrastructure in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the president seeks to tout Democrats’ legislative accomplishments ahead of the midterm elections next month.
The president chose to speak at the site of the Fern Hollow Bridge, which collapsed into a ravine earlier this year. Democrats have cited the bridge collapse, which thankfully resulted in no deaths, as an alarming example of the country’s crumbling infrastructure.
A new section of the bridge is now being constructed, and Biden credited the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law last year with helping to make the project possible.
“For too long, we talked about building the best economy in the world and the best infrastructure in the world,” Biden said. “We’re finally getting to it.”
A portion of the bridge is expected to be completed by December, and Biden joked in his speech, “I’m coming back to walk over this sucker.”
Congressional Republicans introduced a measure Tuesday that would prohibit federal money from being used to teach children under 10 about LGBTQ issues.
The bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to teach children about “sexually-oriented material” as well as “any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects.”
The effects of such a law, if enacted, would be far-reaching since a range of institutions – schools, libraries, among them – receive public money.
The bill also gives parents the ability to sue in federal court if their child is exposed to the barred material that is funded “in whole or in part” by federal funds.
The bill was introduced by Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and 32 other GOP members of Congress.
Read the Guardian’s full report:
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
Republican leaders are clashing over sending additional military aid to Ukraine. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who could become speaker after the midterm elections next month, has expressed skepticism about approving more funding to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia. But Mike Pence, former vice-president to Donald Trump, said yesterday, “There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin.”
British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned after just 45 days in office. Becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history, Truss was forced to step down after proposing (and then scrapping) a widely unpopular budget plan and losing the confidence of many fellow Tories.
Joe Biden thanked Truss for her service and her partnership in helping to hold Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine. “We will continue our close cooperation with the UK government as we work together to meet the global challenges our nations face,” Biden said in a statement.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
More Americans are getting the latest Covid-19 booster shot, but the White House warns that vaccination rates are still too low headed into the winter months when cases could surge again.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One moments ago, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said 4.5 million Americans received booster shots in the past week.
A White House official told CNN that about 20 million Americans in total have now gotten their booster shots, but that number represents less than 10% of the country’s eligible population.
“The work we’re doing to reach Americans through on the ground work with trusted organizations in communities across the country and paid media is helping drive the urgency for all Americans to get the protection they need ahead of the winter,” White House Covid-19 coordinator, Dr Ashish Jha, said in a statement to CNN.
“But to be very clear: it’s going to take everyone talking to their family and friends to ensure the country is as protected as possible. Our message is simple: do not wait to get your updated vaccine.”
Joe Biden described Liz Truss as a “good partner on Russia and Ukraine,” after the British prime minister announced she would step down after just 45 days in office.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for Pennsylvania, Biden added, “The British are going to solve their problems.”
President Biden on British Prime Minister Truss: "She was a good partner." pic.twitter.com/vpVBBK1qZl
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 20, 2022
Biden also pushed back against one reporter’s question about why only a handful of Democratic candidates have chosen to campaign with the president.
“That’s not true. There have been 15. Count, kid, count,” Biden told the reporter. Asked if he was going to participate in additional campaign events with candidates before election day next month, Biden said yes.
The president is now en route to Pittsburgh, where he will deliver remarks on strengthening America’s infrastructure. This evening, Biden will also appear at a fundraiser with Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman.
If, after the 8 November midterms, Americans wake up to find their statehouses and congressional seats packed with Republicans who deny the outcome of the 2020 election, participated in the January 6 insurrection and hold extremist views on abortion, they may well have high inflation to thank
The rising cost of just about everything Americans buy has become a major liability for Democrats fighting to maintain their narrow control of Congress, and a pair of recent surveys has dashed hopes that the trend is fading – or that voters have found a bigger worry.
Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly consumer price data, which indicated inflation remained high in September, even if it was down from earlier this summer. On Monday, a New York Times/Siena College poll showed more voters than ever rank the state of the economy as their top concern, and Republicans have a four-point lead over Democrats when it comes to which party respondents plan to vote for.
“Prices just simply haven’t come down, and I think for a lot of people that’s a reflection of government spending and that there hasn’t been enough action by the Biden administration to tackle inflation,” said Jonathan McCollum, a lobbyist with Davidoff Hutcher & Citron who has advised Democrats on campaign strategy.
“Republicans have spent a tremendous amount of money in advertising, especially in these swing states and just really hitting on inflation over and over and over again, and I think that message has started to break through.”
Read the Guardian’s full report:
With less than three weeks to go until the midterm elections, Republicans maintain their slight advantage on the generic congressional ballot, according to a new Monmouth University poll.
The survey found that 49% of Americans want Republicans to control Congress after the midterm elections, while 45% said the same of Democrats. That result is virtually unchanged from last month, when Republicans enjoyed a 47% to 44% advantage on the generic ballot.
Perhaps more concerning for Democratic congressional candidates is the poll’s data on Americans’ impressions of Joe Biden’s policy priorities.
Just 31% of Americans say Biden has been giving enough attention to the issues that are most important to their families, while 63% of those surveyed believe he needs to be giving more attention to those concerns.
In terms of what issues Americans are prioritizing, inflation continues to top the list, with 46% of respondents describing rising prices as “extremely” important.
“Simply put, America remains divided, but the fundamentals and issue environment gives a small but consequential edge to Republicans,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Biden thanks Truss for her service: 'We will continue our close cooperation with the UK'
Joe Biden has issued a statement in response to the resignation of British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has stepped down after just 45 days in office.
“The United States and the United Kingdom are strong Allies and enduring friends — and that fact will never change,” Biden said.
“I thank Prime Minister Liz Truss for her partnership on a range of issues including holding Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine. We will continue our close cooperation with the UK government as we work together to meet the global challenges our nations face.”
Biden and Truss met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York late last month, giving the US president an opportunity to express his condolences over the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
After Truss scrapped her widely criticized budget proposal last week, Biden acknowledged that he had opposed the plan.
“I wasn’t the only one that thought it was a mistake,” Biden said Saturday. “I think that the idea of cutting taxes on the super wealthy at a time when - anyway, I just think - I disagreed with the policy, but that’s up to Great Britain to make that judgment, not me.”
With the House Republican leader suggesting that he may not support additional military aid for Ukraine, Joe Biden must decide whether to try to get more funding approved during the lame-duck session after the midterm elections this month.
As Biden weighs his options, some Republicans have suggested that they would be open to sending more money to Ukraine as it continues its fight against Russia.
Politico reports:
Privately, Biden aides believe that [House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy] will blink and keep the funnel open to Ukraine, at least for a while, though he may insist on smaller numbers. They also forecast internal pressure from Republicans — some from House members like Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, and more in the Senate, including from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (who’s exerted it before) — to keep the money flowing.
Their calculus is that a political blowback would singe the GOP if the money stopped, Ukraine suffered, and Russia emerged triumphant. …
Fitzpatrick said that while he agrees with McCarthy’s comments to Punchbowl News that U.S. assistance shouldn’t be ‘a blank check,’ halting the flow of weapons and other critical aid would be a mistake.
Ukraine has introduced an emergency schedule of power cuts to help stabilise the country’s energy supply, badly damaged by Russian drone and missile attacks over the past 10 days.
The country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said people needed to be “especially conscious of electricity consumption” from 7am and avoid using unnecessary appliances as he warned of local “stabilisation blackouts”.
Three energy facilities were destroyed by Russia on Wednesday, the president added, with a further strike reported in the region of the southern city of Kryvyi Rih overnight amid growing official alarm over the impact of the Russian campaign.
“We are preparing for all possible scenarios in view of the winter season. We assume that Russian terror will be directed at energy facilities until, with the help of partners, we ensure the ability to shoot down 100% of enemy missiles and drones,” Zelenskiy said in his overnight address.
Read the Guardian’s full report:
Liz Truss was is office for just 45 days, making her the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history. (The previous recordholder was George Canning, who lasted 119 days in 1827, per Reuters. Condolences to the late Mr Canning for the lost title.)
To help Americans better understand how short Truss’ tenure was, Anthony Scaramucci, who served as Donald Trump’s communications director for 11 days in 2017, has provided an informative guide.
He wrote on Twitter, “Liz Truss lasted 4.1 Scaramuccis.”
Liz Truss lasted 4.1 Scaramuccis
— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) October 20, 2022
Truss resigns after just 45 days in office
Given that you are already on the Guardian’s website, you have likely heard that British Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned after just 45 days in office.
Becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in UK history, Truss was forced to step down after proposing (and then scrapping) a widely unpopular economic plan and losing the confidence of many fellow Conservatives.
The Guardian’s UK politics team has all the latest news over on our other live blog:
Pence drops another hint about potential White House bid
On Wednesday night I watched Mike Pence, the former US vice president, brush off a student protest and drop another hint that he is mulling a run for the White House.
After Pence gave a speech at a Georgetown University event hosted by the conservative Young America’s Foundation, he was asked by a student if he would vote for Donald Trump in 2024 should Trump be the Republican nominee.
“There might be somebody else I’d prefer more,” Pence quipped to laughter. “What I can tell you is I have every confidence that the Republican party is going to sort out leadership.”
The former Indiana governor added: “All my focus has been on the midterm elections and it will stay that way for the next 20 days. But after that, we’ll be thinking about the future.”
Earlier, during Pence’s prepared remarks, a disparaging reference to “woke agenda” prompted a few dozen students to stand up and walk out. Pence responded by adding to his speech a dig at those intent on imposing their agenda or “walking out on people that might have a different view”.
As Pence makes reference to “woke agenda”, some students at Georgetown University stand up and walk out: pic.twitter.com/sS9U3qGZKP
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) October 19, 2022
People in the room clapped and whooped, but outside I could hear the defiant chants of demonstrators.
Pence spoke far less about the issue of abortion to a student audience than he had that morning to conservatives at the Heritage Foundation thinktank, where he stated: “On January 22, 2023, we’re going to have pro-life majorities in the House and the Senate – and we’re going to be taking the case for life to every state in America.”
In an apparent effort to distance himself from Trump, he also warned that the conservative movement should not be “led astray by the siren song of unprincipled populism” and insisted: “There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin.”
Republicans split over sending more military aid to Ukraine
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Recent comments from Kevin McCarthy, the top House Republican leader, have caused widespread concern that the US may be unable to approve more military aid to Ukraine if Democrats lose control of Congress in the midterm elections next month.
“I think people are going to be sitting in a recession, and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine,” McCarthy recently told Punchbowl News. “They just won’t do it.”
If Republicans flip the House next month, McCarthy will likely become speaker, giving him the power to block passage of another Ukraine aid package. But not all Republicans are on board with McCarthy’s suggestion of cutting off financial support to Ukraine in the middle of its war against Russia.
Speaking at the Heritage Foundation yesterday, Mike Pence, former vice-president to Donald Trump, said, “As Russia continues its unconscionable war of aggression to Ukraine, I believe that conservatives must make it clear that Putin must stop and Putin will pay … There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin.”
Now Joe Biden must decide whether to try to advance another Ukraine aid package during the lame-duck session or take his chances with Republicans if they regain control of the House and/or the Senate. For Ukrainians, the stakes could not be higher.
Here’s what else is happening today:
Biden will deliver remarks on infrastructure in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 2.15pm ET. The president is hitting the road to highlight Democrats’ legislative accomplishments, with less than three weeks to go before election day.
Biden will also join Senate candidate John Fetterman at a fundraiser this evening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Recent polls have shown Fetterman’s lead over celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz shrinking.
The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, will gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Pittsburgh. Jean-Pierre will likely face more questions about the White House’s plans for sending more military aid to Ukraine.
That’s all still coming up, so stay tuned.
