Today In US Politics - February 5, 2021

Vote-a-rama in the Senate; Greene is stripped of House committee assignments; and Democrats consider a (partial) repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Vote-a-Rama

In the early hours of the morning the US Senate approved a budget measure which takes the chamber one step closer to passing President Biden’s $1.9 trillion covid relief bill.  To be clear, the Senate hasn’t passed the actual relief bill yet despite what some news organizations are reporting; that comes later.  What cleared the Senate is part of the procedural theater that surrounds budget reconciliation. Democrats have to follow the process closely because, if they don’t, the Senate’s standard rules apply and Republicans can filibuster the bill.  

That means that, last night, the US Senate stayed up until 5:30 in the morning running through a process Senators jokingly refer to as “vote-a-rama.”  Reconciliation rules allow any Senator to propose an amendment to fast-tracked legislation and require the chamber to offer an up-or-down vote on the amendment.  Typically, the minority party uses the opportunity to force votes that will make the majority uncomfortable when election season rolls around and this time was no different but several key amendments did pass.

Probably the most important of these was an amendment which prohibits raising the minimum wage during the pandemic.  Democrats shrugged off the amendment and allowed it to pass the Senate uncontested via voice-vote, arguing that their proposed minimum wage hike will likely take effect after the pandemic is over.

The enabling measure that passed early this morning did so on a strict party-line with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Democrats have a lot of negotiation still to come on the covid relief bill as they try to find a consensus among their own caucus about the specifics but, at this point, it’s safe to say that there will be another relief bill.

Greene Stripped Of Committee Assignments

The House of Representatives voted 230 to 199 to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from her committee assignments for endorsing the executions of other members of the House.  Eleven Republicans with House Democrats.  In an interview with Fox News, Greene said:

Greene suggested that, as a conservative, she had no influence on the committees anyway because “we have basically a tyrannically controlled government right now.”  Greene’s comments essentially denying the legitimacy of majoritarian government suggest that she will continue to be an albatross around the neck of the more mainstream GOP.

The Senate Moves on 230

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) will introduce the “Safe Tech Act” which would allow Americans to hold online platforms accountable for harm done in the real-world as a result of their content.  Warner’s bill attempts to find bi-partisan consensus on a fairly wonkish issue that has risen to peculiar prominence in Washington DC in recent months.

In brief, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects online platforms (like Facebook, Google, and Voice) from being sued over the content posted to the platform and any moderation decisions they take.  Former President Trump became fixated upon Section 230 when, after the 2020 election, numerous silicon valley companies began to strictly moderate content which cast doubt upon Mr Biden’s victory.  Trump even vetoed a major defense bill because Congress did not include an unrelated repeal of Section 230.

But the attack on the Capitol on January 6th created bi-partisan interest in reexamining Section 230.  Parler, TheDonald.win and other social media companies served as planning and coordination hubs for the insurgents.  That, and a national uptick in hate speech and hate crimes have contributed to a growing call from the left to reevaluate Section 230.

While Warner’s bill is rather less sweeping than what Mr Trump called for, many of the same issues that social media companies raised in objection to Trump’s calls for a 230 repeal apply here as well.  The modern internet is largely built on user generated content and the moderation of that content at scale in an imprecise science at best.  Without a liability shield it is unclear how or even if social media can survive.  

Warner’s bill has a better shot with this Congress than any other in recent memory but its passage is by no means assured.  Warner himself is treading on thin ice; Amazon is set to become a big player in Virginia politics with the opening of its HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia.

Bonus Stories

The Virginia legislature voted to abolish the commonwealth’s death penalty today. The bill could still be derailed as the House and Senate reconcile their different takes on the ban, but at this point it looks as if the Old Dominion will abolish the death penalty.

The Pentagon will deploy 1,000 active duty military personnel to support coronavirus vaccination sites.  That’s one-tenth of the resources FEMA asked for but the move signals the Biden administration’s willingness to mobilize the full strength of the federal government for the vaccine rollout. 

A bunch of differentpeople involved in the Capitol Hill insurrection were arrested in various states today.  There’s no indication that these arrests were coordinated; law enforcement just had a busy day. 

And Senate Democrats are considering a push to forgive $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower, making 36,000,000 people student-debt-free.

Required Reading

Time has a fascinating story up discussing a quiet alliance between labor and business to ensure that the 2020 election would be free, fair, and respected.  It is an inspiring tale of Americans coming together to protect their democracy.