Biden re-elect: President Joe Biden is expected to announce his re-election campaign with the release of a video as soon as Tuesday, timed to mark the four-year anniversary of the launch of his 2020 campaign.
What we’re watching: Biden will launch with a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential primary’s front-runner, if trends in our tracking of the hypothetical contest persist. It comes despite the fact that Biden’s net approval rating — the share of voters who approve minus the share who disapprove — is underwater in 40 states, suggesting Trump’s own unpopularity is a major advantage for Biden looking toward 2024.
Trump to New Hampshire: Trump is poised to hold a campaign rally in Manchester, N.H., on Thursday.
What we’re watching: The trip comes after Biden’s expected announcement, giving him a chance to respond to what is likely to be a couple days of coverage of the Democrat’s campaign launch. But Trump being Trump, the event also raises the chance for him to elevate his attacks on the criminal probes into him and on DeSantis.
Debt-limit talks: House Republicans are expected to vote this week on their plan to raise the federal debt limit by $1.5 trillion or suspend it through March 31, 2024, in exchange for a range of Republican-backed spending cuts, an expansion of work requirements for some entitlement programs and energy and regulatory policies.
What we’re watching: Moderate and conservative GOP lawmakers are pressing House Republican leaders to make changes to their proposed legislation to raise the federal debt limit, but those leaders appear reluctant to open the measure up for changes. The whole exercise is a messaging play by the GOP to draw their line in the sand, and as they work to advance their approach to the looming crisis, a number of Democrats, including Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Dean Phillips of Minnesota, are pressing on Biden to budge from his position of refusing to negotiate with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.).
Yoon in DC: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday as part of a six-day state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
What we’re watching: In addition to the pomp and circumstance of a state visit, Biden and the South Korean leader are set to discuss North Korean deterrence and economic cooperation as the U.S. president works to expand domestic chip manufacturing.
‘Tennessee three’ in DC: Biden is set to meet tomorrow with Tennessee Democratic state Reps. Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson and Justin J. Pearson, known as the “Tennessee three,” who faced expulsion from the state House over gun control protests.
Why it’s worth watching: The White House has cast the visit as another step in Biden’s effort to ban the sale of the assault-style weapons used in numerous American mass shootings — largely a shaming effort since the proposal is dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled House.
Immigration: The Biden administration is expected to announce its plans to deal with an expected influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border this week ahead of the May 11 lift of pandemic-related immigration restrictions.
What we’re watching: Despite Biden’s unpopularity on immigration, the issue continues to befuddle Capitol Hill. House Republicans are divided over how to pass their own legislation amid concerns about asylum and e-verification, raising questions over whether they have the votes to advance their own bill out of the House Homeland Security Committee this week. It all comes as that committee’s chairman, Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), told Republican donors this month that he would pursue the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
SCOTUS drama ahead: Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) invited Chief Justice John Roberts, or any other justice he selects, to testify to his panel on May 2 about the ethics rules that govern the court following the ProPublica report detailing Justice Clarence Thomas’s relationship with billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow.
What we’re watching: The matter is expected to raise more uncomfortable questions about Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) after Republicans blocked the Democratic effort to temporarily replace her on the committee, since Durbin is unlikely to be able to issue a subpoena to force such testimony without her presence.
Hearings to keep your eyes on: Senate Appropriations subcommittees are set to hear from the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police (Tuesday) the secretary of Veterans Affairs (Wednesday) and the secretary of Commerce (Wednesday). A House Appropriations subcommittee will hear from the Federal Aviation Administration’s acting administrator (Wednesday). The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a confirmation hearing to consider Julie Su’s embattled nomination to become secretary of Labor (Wednesday).
