Iowa caucus fallout, news from Congress, election updates, and more
Dec. 5 edition of "Capitol Week" is online
Everyone wants to talk about the Democratic National Committee’s new proposed calendar, which knocks Iowa out of the early group.
Over the weekend, I wrote for Bleeding Heartland about the missed opportunities to reform the caucuses, and I wrote for CNN Opinion about how losing the caucuses will create many challenges for Iowa Democrats, who are already at a low point following another disappointing election cycle.
On Monday afternoon, Justin Brady interviewed me about the caucuses for his new Iowa podcast (the episode’s not online yet, but should be posted here on Wednesday or Thursday), and John Howell interviewed me for WLS radio in Chicago.
And on Monday at 7:00 pm, Dennis Hart and I were live on KHOI Community Radio. Here’s the audio for our latest show (the full archive is on KHOI’s website).
Topics we covered during the December 5 show:
The DNC’s proposed calendar, which leaves Iowa out in the cold (the schedule for other early states may change slightly before it’s finalized in January);
Why the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to remove Iowa from the early group;
Why Iowa Democrats will hold caucuses in early 2024 despite the DNC’s decision, and what those gatherings would look like in the absence of a competitive presidential race;
What sanctions the DNC may impose on any presidential candidates who campaign in Iowa, and how that may set the stage for more changes in 2028, when Democrats will have a more competitive race for the nomination;
How Iowa Democrats could have addressed valid criticisms about the caucus process years ago;
Senator Chuck Grassley’s comments urging Democrats to hold caucuses at the usual time, despite the DNC’s decision;
The U.S. Senate vote on a bill that would provide some federal protections for same-sex marriage rights (I covered this in more depth at Bleeding Heartland, because it’s rare for Senators Grassley and Joni Ernst to land on opposite sides on a high-profile vote);
Congress approving and President Joe Biden signing a bill designed to avert a rail strike by forcing a new five-year contract on railroad workers (I had more to say about this at Bleeding Heartland as well, where I’m not constrained by KHOI’s policy against hosts editorializing);
A proposal to make permanent federal approval for year-round sales of E15 (a higher ethanol blend);
Governor Kim Reynolds joining other Republican governors in demanding to repeal the U.S. military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate;
The recent upswing in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Iowa;
Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald determining that Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver’s voter registration was valid; a voter in his new Senate district had challenged it, saying Whitver didn’t actually live at the address where he registered to vote;
The status of the recount in Iowa House district 81, where Democrat Craig Cooper led Republican Luana Stoltenberg by six votes, according to unofficial results;
The news that the federal government will be monitoring Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center, where residents with complex medical needs will be transitioned to other care settings over the next few years (Michaela Ramm wrote a good article on this for the Des Moines Register);
The U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to expedite the case challenging Biden’s student loan debt relief program (Governor Reynolds joined this lawsuit on behalf of Iowa).
Here are the members of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, in alphabetical order.