THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON
August 14, 2020
Welcome to the Georgia edition of This Week in Washington. Thank you for your interest in politics and policy from the Peach State to the Potomac.
 
This week we have a special ‘Cleaning off the Desk’ version of Heard on the Hill. Ramona Lessen covers a recent House Subcommittee hearing discussing the urgent need for a national plan to contain the novel coronavirus.  
 
Jesse Weathington gives us an update on the elections this week and the latest in Georgia with his Gold Dome Report. As always, make sure to check out the Infographs for an in-depth look at current hot topics.
 
Our Total Spectrum colleagues are taking some time off, as well as preparing for and managing the education of their children.  We will be back right after Labor Day, or before if circumstances warrant.
 
Y’all stay safe, healthy AND sane…

Todd Smith
Chairman, Georgia Group
Jesse Weathington
Director, Georgia Group
Heard on the Hill
by Todd Smith, Partner and Georgia Group Chairman; Steve Gordon, Managing Director; and
U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen (2009-2019), Strategic Consultant

The Recovery Legislation
Senators and Members of Congress have left Washington. They could be called back if there is progress on a recovery package, but the sides are far apart.
 
There’s little question that the Speaker had the advantage in early discussions. Some observers say she and Senator Schumer overplayed their hand, while others wonder if the Speaker will sign off on any deal that might possibly benefit President Trump. There is also little question that Republicans were not unified then and are not now.
 
Some people wonder if Treasury Secretary Mnuchin could have gotten to an agreement, much as he did on previous bipartisan COVID legislation, if Chief of Staff Mark Meadows had not been part of the negotiations. Other people say that Mr. Meadows and others in the administration prevented an agreement that would have spent a lot more money than necessary. Where you stand depends on where you sit.

Continued below after the Gold Dome Report
Partner and
Georgia Group Chairman

Partner and
Georgia Group Director

Partner

Partner
INFOGRAPHS
Click image to download
What you need to know about
Biden Health Care Policies
How Amtrak has spent CARES Act funding
Vaccination strategies applied to infectious outbreaks
Gold Dome Report
 
This week saw the conclusion of several run-off elections around the state to settle the remaining primaries. Georgia requires a candidate to win 50% plus one vote to be declared the winner of an election, so open seats tend to attract lots of candidates which makes it difficult to get over the threshold - hence lots of run-offs.  

In the northeast Georgia 9th district, entrepreneur Andrew Clyde bested State Rep. Matt Gurtler to replace Rep. Doug Collins in the House. Over in northwest Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Green easily beat Rome neurosurgeon John Cowan to replace retiring Rep. Tom Graves in the 14th district. Greene generated many headlines over the course of the run-off and wasted no time in generating more after her victory, taking aim at the mainstream media and Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a no-holds barred statement typical of the candidate’s style. She was also recognized in a tweet by President Donald Trump, so look for her high profile to continue. Both seats are in deep red territory, meaning Clyde and Greene are almost certain to be seated in the next Congress, despite facing opposition in November.  

Two longtime Democratic incumbents in the State House were sent home by voters, with Rep. Sharon-Beasley Teague falling to Mandisha Thomas and Rep. Michele Henson being bested by attorney Zulma Lopez. Additionally, former GOP Rep. Charlice Byrd won the nomination for House District 20 and will return to the Gold Dome next year.  

In Fulton county, the 24-year long tenure of District Attorney Paul Howard was ended in a landslide victory by former Assistant DA Fani Willis, who took 71.93% of the vote. Howard came in second in the primary and faced a steep uphill battle to retain his seat and was dogged by controversy throughout the campaign. In the end, he could not overcome Willis’ momentum and countywide support.  

One race we would be remiss for failing to mention is Senate District 31, where Jason Anavitarte narrowly clinched a win against former Dallas mayor Boyd Austin. Jason is a longtime friend to the Total Spectrum family; we were proud to support him and equally proud of his victory. Congratulations Senator-elect Anavitarte! 

Rumors and innuendoes continue to circulate about a potential special session, as well as a percolating movement to attempt to override a gubernatorial veto in the form of HB 991. Governor Kemp has been mum about the timing or content of the call for a special session to perhaps address a tax issue. Be sure this will continue to drive speculation among the legislative and lobbying community in the coming weeks.  
Heard on the Hill continued

Both sides say they want a deal, and there is a compromise to be made. But a watched pot never boils, so Leader McConnell sent the Senate home so Republican incumbents could get out and campaign.
 
Both sides also say that they do not want to wait for a deal until after September 1, but a deal before Labor Day is possible but unlikely. Next week is the Democratic convention, now fully virtual. Republicans will have their virtual convention during the week of August 24. A full list of the scheduled speakers at the Democratic Convention has been published; a similar list of speakers for the Republican Convention is not yet available.
 
November Elections
In our March 3 Heard on the Hill, we said that “The President, until COVID-19, was running on the strength of the economy. Stuff happens. Now he will have to run on the strength of his response to this public health challenge.”
 
That is still our view, but the question is one of perspective. Some voters will focus on the early problems (frankly, at all levels of government) with the response to the pandemic and the economic crisis that followed. Other voters will focus on the slow but steady return of the economy, and the exciting promise of several American vaccines that are being created and manufactured in record time under Operation Warp Speed.
 
Pardon our Progress
After Labor Day, you will start to see more frequent reports. We will also include short video interviews with newsmakers and industry leaders. Our goal will remain the same: to provide you with accurate information about legislative issues and political trends that will have an impact on future legislation.  
Hearing Report:
House Oversight and Reform Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis hearing entitled, “The Urgent Need for a National Plan to Contain the Coronavirus.”
July 31, 2020
 
By Ramona Lessen, Executive Director, Total Spectrum
 
We strive to provide vital and current information on key subjects. I covered the July 31 hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis regarding our current pandemic situation. This report is not intended to be a transcript, but rather my notes trimmed to fit available space. Click here to download the full report including the hearing’s lengthy but important Question and Answer session.
 
Witnesses: 
Anthony Fauci, MD
Director
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institutes of Health
 
Admiral Brett P. Giroir, MD
Assistant Secretary for Health
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
 
Robert R. Redfield, MD
Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
 
Attending Committee Members:
James Clyburn, Chairman
Maxine Waters
Carolyn Maloney
Nydia Velazquez
Bill Foster
Jamie Raskin
Andy Kim
 
Steve Scalise, Ranking Member
Jim Jordan
Blaine Luetkemeyer
Jackie Walorski
Mark Green
 
Opening Statements:
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC 6), Chairman: On our current path through the pandemic, another 150,000 Americans could die by the end of the year. Our goal today is to hear from our top health experts about how to stop unnecessary deaths. We need to correct past failures, especially those ongoing. The federal government still doesn’t have a national strategy to protect the American people. The Administration has failed on testing. States face severe shortages on testing; eleven states are currently conducting 30 percent of the tests they need to control the virus. Without rapid testing it is impossible to control the virus and open the economy. The President has downplayed the virus, sidelining government experts who disagree. When the public health experts contradicted the Administration - when CDC warned that opening schools could be difficult - the Administration forced them to change their suggestions.
 
It is clear that the Administration is deferring to the states and sidelining the experts. The United States is the worst of any country in the world. Where should we go from here? I am calling for the Administration to provide a comprehensive national plan that prioritizes science over politics. That should include buying and distributing enough tests and gear for anyone who needs them. We need clear guidance to help curb the spread of the virus. I look forward to hearing what common sense things we can do to accomplish this goal. Our witnesses have a long history with Democratic and Republican administrations. 
 
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA-1), Ranking Member: This is our first meeting since the passing of Rep. John Lewis. Mr. Chairman, you personally were friends with him for 60 years. We all feel that loss. It was a great tribute yesterday. He was a key important part of the movement that has made our nation greater. I want to thank your team, Mr. Chairman. However, the hearing title today is false. Federal agencies have published how states, schools, nursing homes can open and care for their people. If five governors would have followed these plans in nursing homes, we would not have the devastation we see today. I thank the witnesses for carrying out the President’s plan as we learn about the virus and the cure. Operation Warp Speed is part of the President’s national plan; it’s revolutionary to be this close to a vaccine. I appreciate the work that everyone continues to do. You start with a plan and the plan has to change as you go along. When you look at the work that has been done, we haven’t always been in agreement. A virus that no one knew about six months ago… China lied to the U.S. and we should be having hearings on that topic. The original 15 days to stop the spread, encouraging states to pull back wasn’t an easy plan to issue, but it was necessary. Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx were there and thought we should go 30 days. Trump Administration released guidelines for how states could open. People shouldn’t read tweets, but rather read the plans that the organizations have released. Some complain that the President didn’t have power to reopen the states. Nursing homes are regulated by the states, not the federal government. We hear about the need for testing; we see 800,000 tests conducted per day now. We are trying to limit the number of days for people to get results. We have rapid point-of-care tests for nursing homes which will save lives. Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership to develop, manufacture and distribute a vaccine of 300 million doses approved by the FDA by January 2021. They are mass producing right now. We are ready to go - part of the money was in the CARES Act. Dr. Fauci, I will be anxious to hear from you about the vaccine progress. We still don’t have a vaccine for HIV, but we have a therapy to extend lives. However, we don’t have a vaccine yet for HIV. I hope to get into conversations about how many lives were lost because the Chinese government refused to provide information about the virus. Now we need to get information about how to open schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics gave great guidance about opening schools. There will be so much damage if we don’t. There are funds for sanitizer, masks, etc. - everything needed to open the schools. Every day we learn more and address the new challenges. We mourn every loss but recognize the lives that would have been lost if we didn’t have the accomplishments we have up to this point. 
 
Report shortened to fit space allotted. You may download Ramona’s full report, including the hearing’s lengthy but important Question and Answer session here.
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