7 Things: Manchin takes blame for thwarting Build Back Better, Biden ready to change posture as school coronavirus cases tick up, CNN botches report on Alabama’s U.S. Senate race and more …

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December 20, 2021

7. Low unemployment and record jobs numbers

The unemployment rate for November in Alabama was 3.1%, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. November 2020 had an unemployment rate of 4.7%. In addition to the low unemployment rate, Alabama has also reported the highest job numbers in 2021.
In November, there was a job count of 2,071,100, according to ADOL. While the unemployment rate has stayed the same, the number of unemployed individuals increased. In October, there were 67,860 people unemployed, and in November there were 68,673 unemployed.

6. Marshall is making it clear why states need to stand up against vaccine mandates

A federal judge has reinstated President Joe Biden’s private employer vaccine mandate. This will clearly be challenged moving forward. But Attorney General Steve Marshall appeared on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal” where he discussed fighting the coronavirus vaccine mandate. Marshall said that he was “standing up for the rule of law.”
Marshall advised, “[H]istorically…states’ role versus the federal government role in the public health area, vaccination regimes or the requirements for immunization historically always belong to the states.” He added, “Sometimes the federal government has to be reminded the states form the federal government and not the other way around.”

5. Britt isn’t advocating for a toll bridge

U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt addressed the issue of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway, specifically related to adding a toll to the bridge. Britt emphasized that the focus needs to be on local leadership decisions.
Britt said, “[L]ocal leaders know best, and we need local solutions to problems.” She went on to say that she’s “committed to no tolls and will certainly work as your next United States Senator to find funding from all over to meet the needs of this project.”

4. Error-filled report on Alabama Senate race spurs clarifications

In an attempt to cover the U.S. Senate race in Alabama, CNN’s Gabby Orr and Manu Raju released a piece on the politics between U.S. Senate candidate Katie Britt and U.S. Representative Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville). The story is full of unnamed sources and mislabeled sources, including one that was listed as a “campaign aide” with the Brooks campaign that now CNN says is “someone that claims he is familiar with the Mo Brooks campaign,” but that is not reflected in the article yet.
In the article, Orr and Raju claim that Brooks has received the support of Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, but this is inaccurate, according to Merrill, who was quick to correct the claim. Merrill’s office released a statement saying, “Secretary of State John H. Merrill has not endorsed and will not endorse any candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in the 2022 election cycle.” The statement goes on to clarify that Merrill has met with all of the candidates in the race. The article has now been corrected to read, “Merrill spoke favorably of Brooks’ chances but not endorsed in the primary.”

3. The state and schools see an uptick in coronavirus cases

Before schools across Alabama went on break for the holidays, some had started to report a slight increase in coronavirus cases. This is not a surprise, since cases have been increasing across the state and country. In Alabama, coronavirus cases in schools went from 440 to 750 within a week.
Schools will now be on a break until January. Across the state, there’s an average of 766 people testing positive for the coronavirus daily. The Omicron variant has been spreading throughout the country, but it’s still not been determined how severe the infections could be, although many of the cases have been mild.

2. Biden administration is about to suggest a return to normal after high-profile positives

Reports indicate that President Joe Biden is preparing to change his posture on the coronavirus pandemic and move towards a position that the vaccinated are protected from severe cases as the coronavirus pandemic appears to be entering a phase where it is more transmissible but far less severe. This comes as major sports and political figures are testing positive by regular screening associated with their fields, leading the NFL to end asymptomatic testing and the NBA to bring back an unvaccinated player to fill in for those who are vaccinated.
Biden’s statement is pretty clear and signals a massive shift in public posturing by the White House. He outlined, “For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated — for themselves, their families and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm. But there’s good news: If you’re vaccinated and you have your booster shot, you’re protected from severe illness and death.” There will be questions about how different states, private entities and even the federal government will react to this.

1. Manchin won’t vote for Build Back Better

After months of negotiating, multiple statements indicating he wasn’t being moved, it’s been announced that U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) won’t vote for President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Act. Manchin said he spoke with Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), but even after that, there was no deal made that could convince him to vote for the legislation.
Machin explained that with inflation and the national debt, “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation.” The decision has already been unpopular with Manchin’s Democrat colleagues, as losing his vote will guarantee the bill’s failure in the Senate. The media and their Democrats are not happy, even though it is reported U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and as many as seven other Democrat senators were against this bill.