Another Greek letter enters the lexicon
Americans are dealing with omicron, another new variant of COVID-19 that threatens public health, the economic recovery and, consequently, public sentiment about the Biden presidency.
In an effort to get out in front of a potential surge as the variant landed in the United States, Biden announced new steps to target the virus, including a push for more vaccinations and booster shots, additional testing on people arriving in the country and a plan to make at-home testing free for Americans covered by private health insurance. White House aides are also reportedly considering whether to go to Congress in search of new funding to take on the virus.
On the vaccination front, public health officials have recommended all vaccinated Americans get booster shots, and regulators are working for a quick review of vaccines and drugs to fight the omicron variant, reportedly meeting with drugmakers and setting guidelines to quickly evaluate shots and treatments.
There might be a new appetite among some in the public to get the shots. As Biden cited in remarks from the White House, a new Morning Consult poll found 3 in 10 unvaccinated adults said that given the new variant, they’d consider getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
At the same time, the push to coerce some people to get the shots has hit a roadblock: In response to a lawsuit from Louisiana and 13 other states, a federal judge in Louisiana issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate for more than 10 million health care workers that was set to go into effect next week. It followed another injunction issued by a federal judge in response to a case brought by Missouri that barred it from taking effect in 10 states.
And then there’s the blame game.
One of those lawsuits was brought by an attorney general seeking the Republican nomination for Senate next year. On Capitol Hill, some Republicans threatened to shut down the government over vaccine mandates. And Republican governors with aspirations for higher office have pushed back on efforts to stem the pandemic.
In a rare aside on his political rivals, Biden called the politicization of the virus a “sad, sad commentary,” and blamed people “on the other team” for endangering the nation’s credit to push back against the vaccination push, adding, “Go figure.”
Campaigns
Two more House Democrats are calling it quits. In New York, Rep. Tom Suozzi said he will run for governor, joining the crowded field challenging Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul. And House Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio of Oregon said he will not run for re-election next year, setting up a Democratic primary in his district that’s expected to lean further left after redistricting.
Respectively, the lawmakers became the 18th and 19th House Democrats to announce plans to vacate the premises after the midterm elections in what’s widely seen as a tell-tale sign of a caucus that’s headed for a return to the minority.
But it’s not all good news for the Republican Party.
Democrat Stacey Abrams announced a campaign for governor of Georgia – a bid that could set up a rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp should he win his primary election next year. And in Massachusetts, the GOPs best hopes of holding the governor’s mansion – incumbent Charlie Baker, America’s second-most popular state executive, per our polling – said he would not seek re-election, a move that prompted new talk of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh returning to the state to seek the job.
And then there’s Pennsylvania, where the competitive primary for the Republican nomination to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey was rocked late last month by the exit of Trump-backed candidate Sean Parnell. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon made famous by Oprah Winfrey, announced his bid for the seat, and he could soon be joined by former Rep. Keith Rothfus and hedge fund executive David McCormick, the CEO of Bridgewater Associates.
