Obviously, it would be impossible to write a note on public policy today without taking note of Thursday night’s debate. As I have previously written, as someone who has done debate preparation for US Senate candidates, the debate posed real risk for both candidates. Former President Trump had to stay on message and not tell unrelated tales, and President Biden had to demonstrate that he had the energy to serve four more years as President.

The debate has been widely covered in all forms of media, but the bottom line is clear: Trump passed his test, and Biden failed. In social media and the mainstream press, Biden’s friends and foes alike are writing about his inability to demonstrate energy, his monotone delivery, and, perhaps most seriously, his rambling answers that failed to adequately respond to the former President’s statements .

A number of political leaders and academics are writing about the possibility of a late change in the top of the ticket, and this will undoubtedly be a major topic in DC in the coming days and weeks as the Democratic Convention approaches in August. Biden himself is reportedly holding firm that he has no intention of stepping aside.

Budget

The House will vote today (Friday) on three key Appropriation Bills for fiscal year 2025, which begins on October 1. The three bills up today are for the State Department and Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and the Defense Department. As with similar legislation approved by the House, the bills will be filled with clauses pushing a social agenda that will make the final votes largely partisan.

These are three Departments that in the past have seen large bipartisan votes for essential government services, but that will not be the case this year. The harshly partisan provisions in the House bills will be removed by the Democratic-controlled Senate, and then the two Chambers will see if a consensus can be found. If not, the default fallback is a Continuing Resolution to avoid a government shutdown in the fall.

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