The Beltway Briefing

Public Strategies' team of strategic advisors and partners share lobbying tips to be successful on Capitol Hill. Being an expert in your field is only part of the formula, understanding the importance of etiquette, finding common ground, and the interacting spheres of influence, will make or break you inside the beltway.   Featuring: CPS' Howard Schweitzer & Rodney Davis   Interested in learning more? Follow Beltway Briefing and subscribe to our weekly political            roundup for the C-suite, Cozen Currents, at rb.gy/8x107.

From the crowded 2024 Republican presidential field to the influence of media, Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies (CPS) discusses Trump's most recent indictment and arraignment, and their impact on a potential 2024 Biden-Trump rematch.   Featuring: CPS' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Patrick Martin & Kaitlyn Martin   Interested in learning more? Follow Beltway Briefings and subscribe to our weekly political roundup for the C-suite, Cozen Currents.

After weeks of political impasse and tense negotiations, the Senate voted 63-36 to approve bipartisan legislation to raise the nation's debt limit, sending the compromise bill to the White House ahead of a projected Monday default deadline. The result, at least until January 2025, will allow the Treasury to immediately resume paying bills with borrowed funds and it will impose spending caps on portions of the budget for two years. Public Strategies' Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, and Towner French discuss this truly bipartisan success and break down the final tallies in both chambers. Also, as former VP Pence is set to launch his presidential campaign on June 7, they also ponder what impact it will have on the growing 2024 Republican primary

President Biden, Speaker McCarthy, and other congressional leaders were scheduled to meet on Friday to talk about a possible deal to increase the borrowing limit and meet the GOP demand of reducing federal spending. But the meeting has been postponed until early next week. On Wednesday, in what was the first major television event of the 2024 presidential campaign, CNN hosted a prime-time town hall with Donald Trump, propelling a tsunami of criticism from inside and outside the network.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss the debt-ceiling fight gripping Washington and the renewed questions about how the news media should handle the challenge of covering the Republican Party's leading candidate going into the 2024 election.

High prices, rising interest rates, stubborn inflation, and banking uncertainty be damned: the U.S. labor market is still chugging along. Employers added 253,000 jobs in April, a higher-than-expected number that suggested the labor market remains strong despite the Fed's continued campaign to fight inflation. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Rodney Davis, Patrick Martin, and Kaitlyn Martin break down the latest jobs report and its impact on the overall economy. And, ahead of a looming June 1 deadline to raise the debt ceiling and avoid the first default in U.S. history, they also discuss what the White House and lawmakers are doing to revive the stalled debt-limit negotiations.

  What a week it has been: on Wednesday, Public Strategies hosted a reception for Rodney Davis, officially welcoming the former five-term congressman representing Illinois' 13th District to the firm. On Tuesday, after months of teasing and a lot of built-up anticipation, President Biden announced he will seek a second term in office, joined by Vice President Harris as his running mate. And on Monday, Fox News star host Tucker Carlson was abruptly fired.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin talk about Biden's announcement and discuss the impact on the conservative media landscape of Carlson's sudden departure.

Gov. DeSantis made a trip to Washington, DC this week in a bid to rally congressional support, but his trip was overshadowed by a parade of new endorsements of Donald Trump, including those from several Florida House Republicans. DeSantis is widely viewed as Trump's chief competitor in next year's GOP presidential primary.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Rodney Davis, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin ponder if this week's announcements underscore Trump's enduring strength among Republicans and discuss President Biden's likely announcement of his 2024 re-election bid next week and the possibility of a Trump-Biden rematch in 2024. And, as the federal government is expected to run out of cash as early as June, they also revisit the status of debt-ceiling negotiations.

  Dave McCormick, a former under secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs and a well-funded former hedge fund CEO, has released a new book and is launching a new PAC. It's fueling speculation he might run again for a Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2024, after narrowly losing to Mehmet Oz last year. Meanwhile, there are calls for 89-year old Senator Feinstein (D-CA) to resign because of her prolonged absence from the Senate due to her health.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Kaitlyn Martin ponder whether McCormick may be the GOP's ticket to a 2024 win in Pennsylvania and discuss how Sen. Feinstein's temporary replacement or permanent resignation could impact the Senate Democrats. 

Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Rodney Davis, and Patrick Martin ponder the legal and political implications of the former President's arraignment. And, as tensions mount between Washington and Beijing, they also discuss the ramifications of the meeting in California on Wednesday between House Speaker McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai.

With the 2024 presidential election inching closer, the looming potential indictment of the former President dominated the news this week, alongside discussions of a potential TikTok ban. Trump faces scrutiny in four ongoing criminal investigations that are gaining momentum, with the potential to upend the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump has already announced his candidacy. TikTok is under fire following its CEO Chew's Congressional testimony on Thursday.   Public Strategies' Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin highlight the complexity of the legal calculations being made by prosecutors in New York, Georgia, and DOJ as they examine Trump's conduct on several fronts, and discuss a Senate bill that would give Commerce Department the ability to review and potentially ban technologies associated with foreign governments, as TikTok faces increased congressional scrutiny.

In what was a textbook case of classic bank runs, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed with astounding speed last weekend. Are these failures the legacies of poor practices specific to these banks, or did aggressive interest-rate hikes and poor bank supervision cause their downfall?  Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, and Towner French break it all down and debate the makeup of the Republican presidential field. 

With less than two years to go until the 2024 presidential election, reports are swirling about which public figures may throw their hats in the ring for what is already shaping up to be one of the most heated political races in American history.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin debate whether Trump still remains a power center within the Republican electorate or if his influence may be on the decline. They also discuss how the White House is trying to navigate the politically charged issue of crime, including President Biden's decision not to use his veto power to block a GOP-led effort to repeal changes to the District of Columbia criminal code.

Last Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her re-election bid by failing to garner enough votes to make a runoff race. It was a stunning fall for a candidate who in 2019 had won all 50 of Chicago wards, becoming the city's first Black woman mayor as well as its first openly gay mayor.  It was also the first time in 40 years that the city didn't elect a sitting mayor who sought re-election.  Paul Vallas, a more moderate Democrat who had won the support of the city's police union, and Brandon Johnson, a liberal county commissioner and teachers union organizer, secured the two spots to advance to April's runoff election.    Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies' Chicago team members Pat Carey, John Dunn, and Sydney Holman breakdown the results of the mayoral election and the city's shifting political dynamics, and discuss what we can expect in the runoff that will elect the 57th mayor of Chicago.

On President's Day, after a clandestine journey involving a 10-hour train ride from Poland, President Biden made a surprise and historic visit to Ukraine, to show solidarity with a war-torn democratic nation battling for its survival and try to break an impasse as Russia's invasion enters its second year. It was the first time in modern history a U.S. president entered a war zone where there was not an active U.S. military presence. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss Biden's trip to Ukraine and the sharp response it drew from Congressional Republicans who have been critical of the U.S funding of the war effort and accused the President of neglecting issues back at home. They also break down the political fallout over the Administration's response to a toxic train derailment and the resulting environmental disaster in Ohio that had the White House take bipartisan heat.

On Tuesday night, President Biden delivered his second State of the Union address, and his first before a joint session of the newly divided Congress, with Republicans in control of the House after they reclaimed the majority in the 2022 midterms.  Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered a GOP response, drawing a sharp contrast with Biden.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Patrick Martin, and Towner French discuss the key takeaways from the President's address, which seemed less about the usual laundry list of policy priorities and more about Biden building the political narrative for his all but certain re-election campaign.  

Following a months-long speculation she might throw her hat in the presidential ring, Nikki Haley – a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N and former two-term South Carolina governor, is expected to officially announce a White House bid on Feb. 15. So far, former President Trump is the only high-profile Republican who has formally announced a presidential campaign. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, and Patrick Martin look at several widely floated contenders likely to challenge Trump and discuss the possibility of a crowded GOP presidential primary in 2024. And, as Democrats balk at negotiating on the borrowing limit while GOP pushes spending cuts, they also review the start of debt-ceiling discussion between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy, with the latter expressing cautious optimism they can come to a deal to avoid the first-ever default of the country's debt.

  Since making concessions to his holdouts and winning a protracted Speaker's race as a result, GOP leader McCarthy has appointed several Freedom Caucus members to the powerful House Rules Committee. Their appointment to the Rules panel gives them significant influence over when legislation is brought to the floor and how it is debated in the 118th Congress.    Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Rodney Davis, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin break down the first three weeks of the Rules Committee work. And, now that a split Congress is upon us again, with Republicans looking to deploy their power with a fragile majority in the House and Democrats looking to advance their own policy priorities in the Senate, they discuss the status of inter-party negotiations over several must-pass bills and ponder how the new era of divided government translates into the 2024 presidential politics.

Since winning a Long Island congressional seat last year, a flood of recent reporting has exposed George Santos as an alleged serial liar who embellished or fabricated a shockingly large part of his life story during his election campaign. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss the impact of the Santos controversy, which has drawn a divide within the House GOP conference, with some Republicans coming out against the freshman and others backing his continued service. And, as the U.S. government hit the statutory debt ceiling on Thursday, prompting the Treasury to institute extraordinary measures to allow the government to pay its obligations until early June, they also break down the status of debt-ceiling negotiations and ponder the economic damage a first-ever default on U.S. debt would cause around the world.

In this episode, Public Strategies introduces Rodney Davis, a former five-term congressman representing Illinois' 13th Congressional District, who has joined the firm as a Managing Director. Rodney will leverage his substantial experience in public affairs to provide strategic counsel to the firm's government relations clients. Rodney and regular co-hosts Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin break down the measures taken up to advance the GOP's agenda during the first full week of the new Congress, with a House speaker finally elected, members sworn in, and the rules for the 118th Congress adopted. They also discuss why President Biden, who began the year with a surge of political momentum, propelled by better-than-expected midterm election results and Republican disarray, suddenly confronts a ballooning political problem, albeit not necessarily a legal one, resulting from revelations that classified documents dating from his vice presidency were found at his home and private office.

After a chaotic week of harsh rhetoric, backstage maneuvering, and brinkmanship politics, Rep. Kevin McCarthy became the 55th speaker of the House on a historic post-midnight 15th ballot early Saturday, finally breaking the impasse and overcoming a fierce challenge to his leadership by hard-right defectors that led him to make steep concessions. For better or worse, this exercise represented the most thorough review of House rules and processes since the chamber's reorganization efforts in the mid-1970s.    On a somber two-year anniversary of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss the stalemate not seen on the House floor since 1923 that laid bare the divisions among House Republicans and tested McCarthy's and the new GOP majority's ability to effectively govern in the 118th Congress.   NOTE TO LISTENERS: this episode was recorded at 9 a.m. on Friday, after the House had just finished its 11th Speaker vote.

Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Kaitlyn Martin wrap up this year's Beltway Briefing podcast series as they reflect on key political and legislative battles of 2022 and – as the 118th United States Congress gets ready to convene, look ahead to events in Washington and beyond in 2023. And, as it's now a tradition, our podcast co-hosts sing and recite their own Christmas carols. Wishing you all a very merry holiday season and a happy and prosperous New Year, --Your Beltway Briefing podcast team

On November 8, voters across the country cast their ballots for governor, U.S. Senate, the House, and several down-ballot seats. Americans in 37 states also voted on 132 statewide ballot measures,including cannabis legalization, guns, abortion rights, voting policy, and sports betting. The results were consequential for both the states and the nation as a whole. Public Strategies' Jim Davis, Katie Schwab, Matt Glavin, John Reich, and Julia Hammond provide a state-by-state breakdown of the results of the midterm races in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia. They also offer an overview of the nationwide midterm election results and their impact from the perspective of their respective state politics.

On Thursday night, the White House hosted the first state dinner of Biden's presidency in honor of France, a key American ally.  Joining President Biden and French President Macron were more than 350 guests, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, whose quest to secure the 218 votes he needs to be elected Speaker of the House in January looms over lame-duck legislative debates.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Towner French share their thoughts on the first post-Covid state dinner. They also break down end-of-the-year partisan maneuvering over key government appropriations bills, including the National Defense Authorization Act and the shutdown deadline-facing 2023 Omnibus spending package, before current funding expires on December 16.

Democrats' strongest showing in a presidential midterm in the last two decades enabled them to retain control of the Senate. After more than a week of vote counting, Republicans secured a slender majority in the House on Wednesday, a delayed yet consequential finish to the 2022 midterm elections that will reorder the balance of power in Washington and is certain to complicate the Biden administration's efforts to enact parts of the President's legislative agenda for the next two years. After leading the House Democrats since 2003, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she will step down next year from her spot at the top of the party, leading to a seismic change on Capitol Hill.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin reflect on Speaker Pelosi's momentous leadership and ponder how a coming shift in power dynamic, which in January will end two years of unified Democratic control, will transform the workings of Washington.

The midterms were poised to usher in a “red wave” in the House and potentially the Senate, teeing up a heavily Republican U.S. legislature in 2023, based on the disapproval of President Biden, record inflation, and traditional losses for the party that holds the White House. But on election night, the results painted a different picture for the future Congress. Democrats appeared to defy historical odds, as the Republican landslide political pundits had been predicting for months failed to materialize.   The 2022 election remains in the balance, as the battles for both chambers are still too close to call, with Republicans favored to win what increasingly looks like a narrow majority in the House and Democrats moving closer to retaining their Senate majority. As the votes continue to be counted, Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin break down the results of key midterm races and offer some early election takeaways.

On November 8, New Yorkers cast their ballots for governor, U.S. Senate, the House, and several down-ballot seats. The results were consequential for both the state and the nation.   New York Public Strategies' Katie Schwab, Stuart Shorenstein, Rose Christ, and Jamie Ansorge break down the results of the midterm elections in New York and provide an overview of the nationwide midterm election results from the perspective of New York politics.

The 2022 midterm elections could be the most consequential in years. Every seat in the House of Representatives is up for grabs, as are 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships. Several more down-ballot races for secretary of state, attorney general, or control of state legislatures could have wide-ranging effects on the 2024 presidential elections and hot-button issues like abortion rights, health care, and climate change.  Public Strategies' Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss what's at stake on November 8, and break down the top House and Senate races to watch on Election Day and how they could alter the balance of power in Washington.

Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer and Mark Alderman discuss Israeli business and politics directly from Tel Aviv, Israel.

The 2022 midterms are around the corner, and there may not be a more consequential election than this one. From inflation to a possible recession, tax policy, gun control, abortion law, immigration reform, and more, American voters have a plethora of issues to consider on November 8. All 435 House seats are up for election, and a shift of only five seats would transfer control of the chamber to Republicans. In the Senate, a total of 35 seats are up for election, with a net change of one seat in either direction altering the balance.   As Republicans and Democrats battle it out with just weeks of campaigning left before the election day, Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin break down the electoral map and discuss the impact of the last January 6 Committee hearing.

Will Vladimir Putin use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, or elsewhere in the West? It's not an idle question as the Russian dictator, who doesn't believe in the credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, grows increasingly agitated with mounting setbacks in Ukraine.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin ponder the seriousness of the prospect of Armageddon, raised for the first time since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis. They also break down the implications of President Biden's decision this week to take his first major steps toward decriminalizing marijuana, by issuing a blanket pardon for all prior federal offenses for simple possession of the drug, and discuss the latest developments in the 2022 midterm races.

Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin and Joe Hill discuss how President Biden and Governor DeSantis are managing the Hurricane Ian crisis on the federal and state levels. They also breakdown the high-profile, high-stakes races in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and extrapolate the trends that could have nationwide implications and affect the country's political makeup in November.

The 2022 midterms are around the corner, and there may not be a more consequential election than this one. From inflation to a possible recession, tax policy, gun control, abortion law, immigration reform, and more, American voters have a plethora of issues to consider in November. The Biden administration's politics, policies, and polling will shape the national atmosphere, as midterms are generally viewed as a referendum on the president. All 435 House seats are up for election, and a shift of only five seats would transfer control of the chamber to Republicans. In the Senate, a total of 35 seats are up for election, with a net change of one seat in either direction altering the balance.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Towner French ponder different case scenarios for the midterms, including one of the House flipping to Republican control, and how the shift in the balance of power and the resulting legislative gridlock could pose serious challenges to Biden's agenda. They also discuss the potential impact of a divided government on the 2024 presidential elections.

The 2022 midterm elections will be incredibly consequential.  While it's conventional wisdom that the House will flip to Republican control, 35 U.S. Senate seats and 36 governorships are also up for grabs. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Patrick Martin, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss Trump's political influence and other potential factors affecting voters in November. And with just over two years to go until the 2024 presidential election, they discuss the issue seemingly on every voter's mind: who will throw their hats in the ring for what is already shaping up to be one of the most heated political races in American history.

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at 96. Elizabeth's broadly popular 70-year reign was widely considered a symbol of decorum and a rare bastion of stability and permanence in a world of shifting values and tectonic challenges that followed World War II. Against a backdrop of the passing of such an unwavering institutionalist, Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss the extremism and ongoing threats to democracy in the United States, and consider President Biden's record and Trump's legal jeopardy.

Heading into August recess, Congress is on the cusp of delivering President Biden two back-to-back legislative victories: on Wednesday, after more than a year of wrangling and frustration, Senate Democratic leaders and Joe Manchin announced a reconciliation agreement for a sweeping tax-and-spend plan known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The breakthrough bill includes $433 billion in new federal spending, including $369 billion in energy and climate change investments, and is designed to generate an estimated $739 billion in revenue and reduce federal deficits by $300 billion over 10 years. On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, a $280 billion funding package that will boost the U.S. semiconductor industry and cut reliance on chip products from foreign sources. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin breakdown the two pieces of legislation and discuss what they mean for Biden's Build Back Better agenda and an administration that had appeared to be running out of steam ahead of the critical midterm elections in November.

Looking ahead at the critical midterm elections, perhaps no issue is likely to motivate Americans more at the polls than the state of their own finances. So just like it was in 1992, is it “the economy, stupid” again in 2022 and, if so, which economy? The one reflecting soaring gas, food and housing prices and historically high inflation, or the one indicating a tremendous labor market, sustained consumer spending, and continued strong business investment? Meanwhile, in a recent poll, only 13 percent of voters said the country is on the right track, prompting some in the media to note that “everything is broken.” Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin discuss the economic crosswinds and the fact both Democrats and Republicans are pouncing on the economy's diverging paths to support their policymaking pursuits ahead of the midterms. And they ponder whether the system is indeed fundamentally broken or if it's still strong enough that it can be repaired.   

Midway through the 2022 primary season, as the challenges facing the nation mount, there is growing speculation among both Democrats and Republicans that neither Biden nor Trump will be on the ballot in 2024. Meanwhile, the House Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, during its prime-time televised hearings, continues to present evidence of a conspiracy to overturn a free and fair democratic election. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Towner French, and Kaitlyn Martin ponder whether Biden and Trump will run in 2024, discuss the impact, if any, the January 6 Committee hearings are having on the presidential race, and break down the most recent attempts to get the reconciliation bill across the finish line.

June's primary calendar came to a close on June 28 with five states – including Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah – holding key contests.   In Illinois, all six statewide offices were up for election, including an open race for secretary of state after a long-time incumbent announced his retirement and a competitive Republican primary for the opportunity to challenge Governor Pritzker. Additionally, redistricting of state House, state Senate and U.S. congressional maps led to several retirements and competitive primaries. Meanwhile, voters in the Empire State picked their candidates for governor come November, potentially setting the stage for the first female elected governor in the state's history, and cast their ballots in other statewide races - for lieutenant governor, state attorney general and state comptroller. Primary races for the state Assembly and judicial delegates were also on the ballot. Due to redistricting litigation, primaries for Congress and the state Senate were pushed to Aug. 23.   Public Strategies' Chicago-based Matt Glavin and Pat Carey are joined by their New York City-based colleagues Rose Christ and Jamie Ansorge to break down the key races and discuss the potential national implications of the primaries in Illinois and New York.

On Friday, in a 6-3 decision by a majority of conservative justices, the high court overturned the landmark 1973 precedent in Roe v. Wade, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion. And on the heels of a Supreme Court decision earlier in the week overturning a century-old New York concealed-carry gun law, on Saturday President Biden signed the nation's most consequential gun reform bill in decades into law.    Cozen Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, and Towner French break down the events that took place during one of the most consequential weeks in Washington and discuss how they may impact the midterm elections in November.

On Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House passed a broad set of gun-control measures, largely along party lines, making it a nonstarter in the evenly split Senate. The bill, called the Protecting Our Kids Act and intended to reduce gun violence, would raise the age for purchasing semiautomatic rifles and shotguns to 21 from 18. On Thursday, after nearly a year of investigation and more than 1,000 interviews, the House Jan. 6, 2021 committee held its first prime-time public hearing on the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and the events leading up to it. Meanwhile, U.S. consumer inflation hit 8.6% in May - its highest level in more than four decades, as surging energy and food costs pushed prices higher, with little indication of when the upward trend could ease.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Towner French discuss the proposed legislation and key takeaways from the hearing, and ponder how the burden of inflation on the Biden Administration, along with the President's falling approval ratings and Americans' pessimism about the economy and the nation's political system, may spell trouble for Democrats in the midterm elections later this fall.

The 2022 midterm elections are set to be historic, and Tuesday was the most dramatic night of the primary election season to date. Voters in five states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Idaho, Kentucky and Oregon, cast ballots for Senate, governor and House. Some of the highest-profile battles were fought in Pennsylvania, where the night's marquee contest — the GOP Senate primary - has yet to be decided. Members of Public Strategies' Pennsylvania team – including Jim Davis, Joe Hill, and Kevin Kerr – join Howard Schweitzer and Mark Alderman to discuss the key takeaways from the primary election in the Commonwealth, which in many ways encapsulates America's choice in the 2022 midterms.

The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol issued five subpoenas this week for members of Congress. Meanwhile, geopolitical risks and economic headwinds are rattling markets, stores nationwide are struggling to stock enough baby formula, and gas prices are setting records on an almost daily basis.   Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux discuss the current developments and the country's increased polarization along political and ideological lines, and ponder what it would take to bring the country back together and restore our confidence in government.

The Supreme Court stands on the brink of striking down the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, and the news has hit the political world like an earthquake. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, Towner French, Kaitlyn Martin, and Tristan Breaux discuss the leak of a draft opinion itself, unprecedented in the Supreme Court's recent history, on the court's standing, and ponder the potentially seismic consequences of overturning the landmark decision across the social, demographic, and political spectrum.

A barrage of divisive economic signals played a role in recent market turmoil. On Capitol Hill, politicians are pouncing on the numbers to support their political agendas ahead of the critical 2022 midterm elections. Meanwhile, the path forward in the war in Ukraine remains unclear, as what many predicted would be a swift victory for the Russian military enters its third month, with no end in sight. Public Strategies' Howard Schweitzer, Mark Alderman, Patrick Martin, and Kaitlyn Martin take a step back from the minutiae of Washington to reflect on the bigger picture of politics and try to bring some perspective to the challenging environment in which the country finds itself.