Anita Dunn: Senate control by Democrats is "hugely consequential"

Susan Walsh

White House adviser Anita Dunn appeared on some Sunday morning political shows to tout the success of Democrats in the midterm elections. Her message was that because the Democrats have majority control of the Senate after the results of the race in Nevada were called yesterday, control of the senate is “hugely consequential” for Biden’s success in the coming two years.

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“He believes that at the end of the day, there are going to be things that Republicans and Democrats can work on together as they did over the last two years,” Dunn said in an interview with “Face the Nation,” referring to the president. “Control of the Senate is hugely consequential both for judiciary nominations and appointments, the most diverse group of judicial nominations ever under the first two years of President Biden, but also for controlling the agenda in the U.S. Senate, and that means continued progress for the working families, middle class of this country.”

Lawmakers in both parties know the importance of judicial nominees. In the previous administration, one of Trump’s shining accomplishments was the number of judicial positions filled, with the help and guidance skills of Mitch McConnell in the Senate. If Warnock wins in Georgia, it will be the first time no Senate incumbent has lost since 1914. McConnell has skill when it comes to working the processes and procedures in the Senate and was able to ram through judicial nominees at a record pace. Conservative-leaning judges were put into slots previously filled by liberal judges.

A victory by Warnock would help Biden in the Senate because he would provide a cushion vote, as the 51st Democrat vote, in agenda items where he may not have full support by all Democrats. For instance, on abortion, Anita Dunn said a top priority for Biden’s agenda is for Congress to codify Roe v Wade. He wants to see it done if Democrats control both the House and Senate. Biden wants to send a bill to Congress, Dunn said. I don’t see how it gets passed, though, given the make-up of the Senate. Sure, Pelosi could get a bill passed in the Democrat-controlled House to codify Roe v Wade but it won’t pass in the Senate, whether Warnock is re-elected or not. There would have to be 60 senators to vote in favor of it and there aren’t 10 Republicans that will do that. Schumer tried to ram through extreme legislation on abortion after the Dodd decision came down and failed because no Republican would vote for it, not even a pro-abortion Republican like Susan Collins of Maine. So, I’m not sure what Anita Dunn is talking about here but that was her talking point. Besides, Republicans are going to be the majority in the House, slowly but surely. Codifying Roe v Wade is a top priority for our devout Catholic president.

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Abortion played a bigger role in the election than Republicans expected it to do. After the initial anger over the Dodds ruling seemed to fade after August, it was still on the minds of voters, especially independent voters and white suburban voters. Republicans were right to predict that the economy would be first among priorities but in some areas, that was not the case and that is why Democrats won. In Pennsylvania, for example, exit polls in suburban areas showed that abortion outperformed the economy as the top issue on voters’ minds. Voters chose a Democrat senate candidate who is suffering from the effects of a stroke over a pro-life Republican who believed that states should determine abortion laws, not the federal government. That support from independents and suburban women is what emboldens Biden to push ahead to codify Roe v Wade.

“The President has been very clear. He believes Congress needs to codify Roe versus Wade, so that it is the national law of the land and we do not have states that have, in effect, prohibited abortion totally,” Dunn said when asked by host Margaret Brennan what Biden could do if Republicans claim control of the House and if there is any room to compromise on restrictions with Republicans who are open to securing abortion access.

Biden will “continue to work” to ensure women can travel for abortion access, that they can receive the reproductive health care they need, and that women with other medical issues are not denied medical care, Dunn added.

Biden has maintained since Roe v. Wade was overturned that it is a political issue that voters would need to “make their voices heard” on, Dunn said, noting that “there’s a huge amount of evidence that’s exactly what happened.”

“So the real question is whether the Republicans will listen to those voices.”

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Dunn knows, as Biden does, that Republicans will not go along with it. Dunn’s statement was meant to vilify Republicans for pro-life philosophy. It also should be noted that in states with some of the most strict abortion laws, like Florida, Texas, and Ohio, economic issues won out over abortion and all the governors of those states were up for re-election and handily won.

When asked about the investigations House Republicans say will happen beginning in January 2023, Dunn said that the White House would cooperate with House investigations. Yeah, right. Partisan Margaret Brennan, the host of Face the Nation was making a point to say that the Trump administration didn’t cooperate with the House and then Dunn made an amusing remark. “We are a White House that respects norms and the rule of law.” That’s a knee-slapper. What about the open southern border and unconstitutional actions like forgiving student loans, to name a couple of issues that spring to mind?

Sleepy Joe sees no reason to change. Dunn may give lip service to how he wants to work with both sides of the aisle to accomplish things but we know that isn’t his history from the past two years. The only solace Republicans have is the fact that Democrats have lost the House and therefore control of the purse strings and the investigations moving forward.

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