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(The Center Square) – President Biden may not mention Bidenomics during his visit to Milwaukee this afternoon, but Republicans in the state talked about little else ahead of his visit.

Wisconsin Republican Chairman Brian Schimming and Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany spoke to reporters ahead of Biden’s stop in the state.

“It’s costing more to fill-up your gas tank, a $1.40 a-gallon more than when Joe Biden took office. We’re receiving paychecks that are literally worth less because of the cost of living being up. We’re paying 30% more for a cup of coffee. Everything in this administration has gone up,” Schimming said. “There is no amount of political spending that the president can do in Milwaukee today that can fool Wisconsinites.”

The president’s visit includes a tour of a green energy manufacturing center in Milwaukee. It is Biden’s first visit to the state in the 2024 election cycle.

Schimming noted that.

“Wisconsin is important. We’re really not one of 50 states for this election, we’re one of only five,” Schimming said. “We’ve had 12 races in the last 24 years in this state of 6 million people that have been decided by less than 30,000 votes.”

President Biden won Wisconsin by about 20,000 votes in 2020. Former President Donald Trump won the state by about 27,000 votes.

Tiffany said President Biden should talk about Bidenomics to explain to voters why things like cars and homes now cost so much.

“People are going to have to pay interest rates that are not 2% or 3% like they were paying in the previous administration. They’re now going to have to pay 7% or 8% for a new home loan,” Tiffany said. “And that’s made it further out of reach for young people to live the American dream.”

Home prices in Wisconsin are rising. The latest report from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors said the average price for a home in the Milwaukee metro area is now more than $400,000.

As for the Republican presidential candidates, who will be in Milwaukee next week, Schimming avoided a specific endorsement.

“Look, we have a number of people running for president on our side,” Schimming said. “Anyone of them would be better than Joe Biden.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday night, reshaping the Republican primary field and forcing Republicans to take sides.

Former President Donald Trump welcomed DeSantis to the primary race with a barrage of attacks on his platform of choice, TruthSocial.

“‘Rob,’ My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!), yours does not! (per my conversation with Kim Jung Un, of North Korea, soon to become my friend!),” he wrote.

Trump posted several videos of DeSantis as well. One video points out how a Trump endorsement likely propelled DeSantis to victory in his Florida governor’s race in 2018. The video features old campaign videos where DeSantis held a Trump sign, praised Trump, and thanked him for standing by him, even "when it wasn't necessarily the smart thing to do."

DeSantis secured billionaire Elon Musk’s endorsement as well as praise from U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., during the Twitter Spaces event. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wore a “Make America Great Again” hat to Capitol Hill Thursday morning, hours after DeSantis’ announcement.

On Twitter, pundits and popular conservative voices chose sides, posting in favor or against DeSantis through the night and into the morning depending on their allegiances. The announcement has divided the party more than any other.

Many Republicans hope DeSantis can provide the party with a more effective, drama-free, post-Trump future while others think Trump is the only way to take on the deep state and liberal establishment.

DeSantis was widely mocked for the technical glitches of his announcement, which was delayed more than 20 minutes as Musk and entrepreneur and author David Sacks, who moderated the Twitter Spaces event, tried to get the production working.

Sacks waved off the technical glitches, saying they were likely "melting the servers" and likely breaking records with their Twitter announcement. There is dispute over the actual number of online attendees with different outlets reporting different figures, but DeSantis had several hundred thousand users listening in for his event to begin before many gave up because of the technical difficulties. DeSantis' team claimed that within 15 hours of the announcement, it had more than 30 million views.

DeSantis’ camp tried to reframe the technical issues as “breaking the internet,” a sign of overwhelming interest. Musk said on the broadcast that breaking new ground online, especially while live, naturally comes with these kinds of issues.

Liberal media outlets poured in criticism of DeSantis for the launch with a string of blistering headlines. Politico called the tech failures "horrendous" while the Washington Post said it "didn't work." CNN called the launch "embarrassing," and NBC said the launch "melts down."

It is worth noting, though, that both Trump and DeSantis have built their brands by mocking and disregarding those very same media outlets.

Trump jumped on this opportunity as well, sharing a video on Truth Social of one of Musk’s rockets failing to launch and then exploding with DeSantis’ logo overlaid on the crashing missile.

“I know Ron,” Trump said. “The way he handled his announcement, he will handle the Country!”

During the Twitter event, DeSantis took subtle shots at Trump without naming him, saying he had frustration with the former president's inability to enact his agenda and blasted the "culture of losing" in the GOP.

DeSantis hit on several key issues for Republican voters during his announcement, namely the border crisis, rising crime, critical race theory, media bias and censorship as well as the government response to COVID-19, saying his response in Florida kept states around the country from "rolling lockdowns."

"First, we need an honest reckoning about what happened during COVID," DeSantis said, calling the federal pandemic response "authoritarian" and not in line with the data. "I saw an interest in the narrative and politics over evidence..."

The first GOP caucus is in Iowa on Jan. 22, 2024, while the first GOP primary is Jan. 30 of the same year in New Hampshire. The first group of states holding their presidential primary votes is in March of next year.

Polling from Morning Consult surveyed Republican primary voters and put DeSantis in second place among the contenders with 18% support, though far behind Trump, who came in at 61% support.

Radio host and commentator Larry Elder, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy have announced their 2024 ambitions as well. The Morning Consult poll put Haley and Ramaswamy both at 4% support. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., announced he is running on Monday.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is still considering a bid.

U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., failed a fourth time in two days to win his bid to serve as Speaker of the House Wednesday as Republicans remain divided and the position remains unfilled.

Another vote will be needed to confirm a speaker, and until then the newly seated chamber will remain stalled.

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, nominated U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., to oppose McCarthy Wednesday, pointing out this is the first time two black Americans have been nominated for Speaker of the House.

“Byron Donalds is a good man raised by a single mom who moved past adversity, became a Christian man at the age of 21, and has devoted his life for…his country, and he has done it admirably,” Roy said. “But there is an important reason for nominating Byron, and that is this country needs a change. This country needs leadership that does not reflect this city, this town that is badly broken.”

The new speaker would need 218 votes to secure a majority. After November's elections, Republicans hold 222 in the House, leaving them a slim majority.

Donalds was able to peel away enough votes to keep McCarthy from winning the speaker's role and force another vote.

Wednesday’s vote comes a day after McCarthy failed to get the needed 218 votes for the position three times on Tuesday. About 20 Republicans voted for U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, that day with Democrats backing Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the expected Democratic successor of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Former President Donald Trump vocalized his support behind McCarthy in a post on TruthSocial Wednesday.

“Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN, CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA,THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE ‘HOUSE’ TWICE!” he wrote. “REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT. IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT. Kevin McCarthy will do a good job, and maybe even a GREAT JOB - JUST WATCH!”

The failure to confirm a speaker marks a divide in the party and growing frustration from the conservatives in Congress who feel betrayed by party leadership as the deficit continues to rise and conservatives have won few legislative victories in recent years. Even during Trump’s term, the party struggled to implement his agenda in Congress, though that was in part because of Trump’s failure to rally support and remain focused on the legislative agenda, opting to rely more on executive action.

That party division was further highlighted late Tuesday by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who sent a letter to the Architect of the Capitol blasting McCarthy, who has already moved into the Speaker’s office, saying “no member can lay claim to this office.”

“What is the basis in law, House rule, or precedent to allow someone who has placed second in three successive speaker elections to occupy the Speaker of the House Office?” the letter said. “How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter?”

Despite the opposition, McCarthy told reporters Tuesday night that he was not dropping out.

Some conservative Republicans, though, have been unwilling to throw their support behind the California Republican, who many saw as too liberal, but so far no challenger has arisen with enough clout to get the needed votes.

“In his 14 years in Republican leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Penn., said. “Despite our deep reservations we have continued to work in earnest to find a path forward with McCarthy, knowing that this crucial moment would come.

As The Center Square previously reported, Perry said he and other conservative members in the House laid out conditions for McCarthy but that he “balked” when faced with them. Those conditions included a promise to vote on a balanced budget, the “Texas Border Plan,” term limits for members of Congress, and the Fair Tax Act, which would create a national sales tax on certain services and property to replace the current income tax, payroll taxes, and estate and gift taxes.

“We requested transparent, accountable votes on individual earmarks that would require two-thirds support to pass, and to ensure that all amendments to cut spending would be allowed floor consideration,” Perry said. “He dismissed it.”

Prior to heading to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. energy industry invited President Joe Biden to visit American energy sites.

The Texas Oil and Gas Association, Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, and over 25 U.S. energy associations invited Biden and his cabinet members to visit U.S. energy facilities throughout the U.S.

The Texas groups represent high-skilled workers in a state that if it were its own country would be the world’s third largest producer of natural gas and fourth largest producer of oil. Texas producers are leading the U.S. in crude production in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale, recognizing that “energy is the cornerstone of security and prosperity,” Todd Staples, president of TXOGA, said.

Nationwide, the groups represent 11 million workers in an industry that propelled the U.S. to lead the world in crude production in 2019. Under the Trump administration, the U.S. became the largest producer of crude oil in the world, led by Texas. Under the Biden administration, within months of implementing a range of restrictive policies, gas prices reached a seven-year-high and inflation reached a 40-year high. Last month, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. surpassed $5 for this first time ever.

From cancelling federal land and offshore leasing permits, to increased regulation and proposed taxes, to depleting the Strategic Oil Reserves, to turning to foreign oil production, Biden has done everything to hamper domestic oil production, those in the industry contend.

While in Saudi Arabia, Biden is continuing his efforts to encourage members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to expand output.

Still, TIPRO President Ed Longanecker told The Center Square, "There are continued efforts to work with the Biden Administration to prioritize and support domestic oil and natural gas production to address global supply shortages, inflation and an escalating energy crisis in Europe.”

The groups wrote Biden a letter, urging him to “consider taking another look at made-in-America energy” before he left for the Middle East. They said they’d “be honored to show you how our industry is involved in every step of the energy process, from fuel pumps to critical product delivery infrastructure to production zones across our vast nation.”

But they didn’t hear back.

Instead, Biden wrote an op-ed published by The Washington Post justifying his trip. "As president, it is my job to keep our country strong and secure,” he wrote. “We have to counter Russia's aggression, put ourselves in the best possible position to outcompete China, and work for greater stability in a consequential region of the world.

"To do these things, we have to engage directly with countries that can impact those outcomes. Saudi Arabia is one of them, and when I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that's based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values.”

But Staples told The Center Square, “American consumers suffer” when U.S. energy policies don’t “recognize and promote the long-term domestic development of oil and natural gas, indispensable commodities that are literally essential to modern life.

“Oil and natural gas produced in the United States, and largely right here in Texas, are leading the way in production and offer continued environmental progress. Oil demand is forecasted to continue growing in 2022 and into 2023, further suggesting that the Administration must provide certainty and consistent opportunities for domestic production, pipelines and processing of these products that our world depend upon.”

Instead of prioritizing domestic production, “Unfortunately, we are witnessing a concerted effort to significantly expand federal regulations that target American businesses, which will undoubtedly increase our reliance on foreign sources of energy,” Longanecker said. “Bolstering domestic oil and gas output, developed under the highest environmental standards in the world, is a key answer to addressing these challenges, enhancing America's national security and expanding U.S. competitiveness, and should be the top priority of this administration.”

OPEC announced Tuesday that it expected to increase crude output by nearly 1 million barrels a day next year. “In 2023, expectations for healthy global economic growth amidst improvements in geopolitical developments … are expected to boost consumption of oil,” it said in its monthly report released July 12.

But Ben Cahill, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters “a surge in Saudi production seems unlikely.” Bloomberg News reported that OPEC producers would need to “pump crude at the fastest pace in five years in 2023 if they are to balance oil supply and demand,” which is unlikely for a number of reasons.

Longanecker adds that “global energy demand will continue to outpace supply for the foreseeable future, even with the easing of production quotas from OPEC members, many of which simply cannot increase capacity and output in the short term."

(The Center Square) – A federal judge on Monday struck down the Biden administration's controversial mask mandate for planes, airports and trains.

U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle called the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mandate “unlawful” for overstepping its authority and not following normal rulemaking procedures.

"But the mandate exceeded the CDC's statutory authority, improperly invoked the good cause exception to notice and comment rulemaking, and failed to adequately explain its decisions," she wrote in the ruling.

Critics of the mandate praised the judge’s ruling. They had argued it was not necessary and conflicted with the Biden administration’s decision to lift Title 42, a Trump-era immigration rule that allowed border agents to immediately expel illegal immigrants to slow the spread of COVID into the U.S.

“The federal district judge correctly held that that CDC transportation mask mandate was unlawful and violated the Administrative Procedure Act," Texas Public Policy Foundation Executive Director and General Counsel Rob Henneke said. "The Court’s order vacates the CDC Mask Mandate, which will be effective for all persons nationwide as soon as final judgment is entered by the Clerk of the Court. While the Court’s order stops the mask mandate for now, TPPF’s lawsuit representing Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne continues to litigate the underlying constitutional issues.”

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden delivered the State of the Union address for the first time in his presidency Tuesday night, tackling a range of issues from the invasion of Ukraine and the status of the economy to funding police and securing the border.

“Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart,” Biden said to kick off the address. “This year, we're finally together again.”

Biden quickly turned to Russia, rebuking Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.

“Tonight, I'm announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy,” Biden said.

The ambassador from Ukraine attended the address and received a standing ovation. Biden also praised the resolve of the Ukrainian people.

“From President Zelenskyy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, literally inspires the world,” Biden said.

“Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people,” he said. “He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world.”

Biden took a shot at the tax cuts passed during the Trump administration, which was met by boos from some Republicans and cheers from Democrats.

“Unlike the $2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefits the top 1% ... the American Rescue Plan helped working people and left no one behind,” Biden said.

Biden called for background checks and a ban on firearms with high capacity magazines and went out of his way to emphasize the need for funding police as he hit a litany of issues.

“Fund them,” Biden said. “Fund them. Fund them with resources and training. …They need to protect our communities.”

Biden touted his Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, calling her “one of our nation’s top legal minds who will continue in Justice Breyer’s legacy of excellence.”

Biden called for securing the border and fixing the immigration system and pointed to new border technology, joint patrols and dedicated immigration judges. He also called for providing a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers.”

Biden touted job creation last year, a result of the rebound from lifting COVID-19-era lockdowns. He also touted his proposal of a global minimum tax rate for corporations.

“What are we waiting for?” he asked. “Let’s get this done.”

Biden called for lowering energy costs, child care costs and drug prices, saying Medicare should be able to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, emphasizing the cost of insulin.

“They already set the price for VA drugs,” he argued.

Critics pointed out the Biden administration overturned a Trump-era rule that would have lowered the price of insulin.

“Donald Trump cut the price of insulin and Joe Biden ended it,” said Brigitte Gabriel, founder of Act For America.

Biden announced there would be a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud, which has been rampant since Congress passed pandemic relief funding.

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds gave the Republican response to Biden’s speech. She compared America today with the America of the late 1970s and early 1980s with soaring inflation, violent crime and a dangerous Soviet Union.

“We shouldn’t ignore what happened in the run up to Putin's invasion: waiving sanctions on Russian pipelines while eliminating oil production here at home, focusing on political correctness rather than military readiness, reacting to world events instead of driving them," Reynolds said. "Weakness on the world stage has a cost, and the president's approach to foreign policy has consistently been too little too late.

“It’s time for America to once again project confidence,” she said. "It's time to lead."

Reynolds turned to domestic issues such as inflation and gas prices, saying, "We can't project strength abroad if we are weak at home."

"The president and Democrats in congress have spent the last year either ignoring the issues facing Americans or making them worse," she said. "They were warned that spending trillions would lead to soaring inflation. They were told that their anti-energy policies would send gas prices to new heights, but they plowed ahead anyway."

Other Republicans released statements in response to the president’s speech and pointed at the economic issues since Biden took office.

“Under President Trump, our economy was booming,” U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said. “We need to replicate that success. Americans are anxious for those days to return. To build optimism and prosperity again, we must ease regulatory burdens, strengthen critical American supply chains, unleash American energy and stop the Left’s extreme spending and socialist agenda.”

Other Republicans pointed to the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan and Biden’s handling of Putin and Ukraine.

“Are you better off than you were a year ago?” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said. “For most people, the answer is, 'no.' ”

Biden ended his more-than-an-hour-long speech by painting an optimistic picture for the nation.

“The state of the Union is strong because you, the American people, are strong,” Biden said.