Tipsheet

Dems in Disarray Are Calling Their Retreat 'Cursed'

Katie Pavlich
Katie Pavlich  |  March 10, 2022 7:30 AM

It's no secret Democrats are having a hard time keeping the party together and ongoing disarray has been on display for everyone to see.

Last week squad member Rashida Tlaib gave a response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. During her remarks, she blasted who she perceives as moderate members of the party unwilling to get onboard with Biden's failed Build Back Better agenda. 

Yesterday and late into the night, House Democrats were forced to drop $15 billion in new and unnecessary Wuhan coronavirus "relief funding" in order to pass a government funding bill. Despite having a majority in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed Republicans. 

"As you know, the Administration has requested that we include in our omnibus package additional funding to continue our battle against COVID.  The funding requested will protect against potential new variants and help vaccinate the world," Pelosi wrote in a letter to colleagues Wedsnday afternoon. "Republicans resisted this deeply needed funding, demanding that every cent requested by the Administration be offset, including through state and local funds scheduled to be released this spring.  Democrats fought to ensure that no localities saw their funding cuts, while negotiating that only half of the Administration’s $15 billion request be offset through remaining funds from expired programs."

"Because of Republican insistence — and the resistance by a number of our Members to making those offsets — we will go back to the Rules Committee to remove COVID funding and accommodate the revised bill," she continued. 

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A $1.5 trillion omnibus package, full of pet projects, was passed late last night. 

Infighting delayed Democrats' arrival to a planned retreat in Philadelphia, which one Democrat is calling "cursed."  From POLITICO: 

As soon as Democrats decided to remove the contentious Covid provisions, Democrats knew they would have the votes to clear the government funding bill. But the more immediate question was whether the caucus could still leave for their retreat. If it was canceled, for instance, they would have needed to get some members’ luggage back from Philadelphia.

And moving the caucus’ transportation to Thursday wasn’t exactly an option, given what appeared to be a bus shortage due to ongoing college basketball tournaments, according to multiple people familiar with the arrangements. Getting to Philadelphia before dawn was hardly the entrance Pelosi’s members planned to make, however.

“This retreat is cursed,” quipped Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), when asked about how the day played out as he left the House floor.

Meanwhile the entertainment for the retreat has some interesting opinions.