The Threat of Veto
Joe Biden has been president for a little more than 25 months, a bit over half a term. To this point…he has not yet used his veto pen.
That’s not tremendously surprising, given that fellow Democrats had the majority in both the House and Senate for virtually all of that time.
But POLITICO is reporting that there is talk that the first one may be forthcoming.
Republicans are leading an effort to undo a D.C. law lowering mandatory minimum sentences for some violent crimes in the District. Since D.C. is a territory, it’s under the purview of Congress.
Normally, we’d think it may pass the House but be rebuffed in the Senate…but the numbers game figures into this one.
There are 49 Republicans in the U.S. Senate, and 48 Democrats…but the 3 independents caucus with Democrats, so that’s what leads to folks call their 51-49 majority.
But John Fetterman remains hospitalized due to depression…that drops it to (at best) 50-49. Now West Virginia’s Joe Manchin says he’ll support the GOP-sponsored bill…and presuming all Republicans stand firm as a caucus…that’s the single flip vote needed to make it 50-49 away from Democrats.
The White House has gone on record opposing the bill. What if it passes? Do they make good on their opposition with the first Biden presidential veto? That may play well with some in the progressive base, but Republicans will hammer Biden as soft on crime if he runs for re-election—and this will be one more arrow in their quiver.
Much has been made, understandably, about the slim Republican House majority. Here’s an example where Democrats could be thwarted…and given that Fetterman may be hospitalized for weeks to come, it may not be the last.
