Over the past several months, significant events have impacted the American political system. From failed legislation, to Supreme Court decisions, updates concerning the Jan. 6 House Committee, international relations, and other fields, the past few months has been active for political events in this country and the world at large.
In concern to Congress, a recent attempt to pass a bill pertaining to voting rights, alongside a measure to dismantle the filibuster, were both defeated in the Senate. The bill, known as the Freedom to Vote Act, includes a variety of clauses that range from allowing same day voter registration, automatic voter registration, prevention of partisan gerrymandering, alongside other protections and expansions, such as ensuring two weeks of early voting.
After Democrats forced a matter of debate on the bill, it was defeated when the Senate rejected altering filibuster rules, with Democratic Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AR) joining Republicans in blocking the effort. Senator Sinema has since been censured by the Arizona Democratic Party for her vote. The failure of the bill is a major setback for the Biden Administration’s domestic agenda, tacking on another legislative defeat that Democrats worry may cost them seats in the 2022 Congressional Elections.
The Supreme Court has also been busy lately, issuing important rulings on prominent cases. In terms of the Biden Administration’s efforts to establish a nation-wide vaccine mandate, the court voted 6-3 against the motion, with its liberal justices voting in dissent. However, the court allowed a mandate to exist for healthcare workers who work in medical centers funded by the Federal Government. Justice Kavanaugh and Chief Justice Roberts sided with the liberal justices to form a majority on the healthcare worker mandate.
The Supreme Court also rejected the case of Texas healthcare providers to have the state’s restrictive abortion law struck down. The majority ruling provided no official reasons for their decision, however Justice Sotomayor can be quoted as saying “this case is a disaster for the rule of law and grave disservice to women in Texas, who have a right to control their own bodies.” The case comes during a time of renewed debate concerning the case of Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that permits abortion in the United States.
The Supreme Court also rejected the request of former President Donald Trump to prevent the release of White House records relating to matters concerning the January 6th insurrection. The records, long sought after by the Jan. 6 House Committee, have been extensively defended by Trump, who worked to prevent their release to the body. In the aftermath of the ruling, the committee received hundreds of documents from the National Archives, with both Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Liz Cheney (R-WY), chairman and vice chairwoman of the committee, calling the decision “a victory for the rule of law and American democracy.”
Shortly after the release of these documents, the Committee requested the voluntary cooperation of Trump’s daughter Ivanka, who during Trump’s Presidency had an official title and White House office, and was closely involved with the workings of the administration. The request caught the distaste of Donald Trump. Trump and his children are facing subpoena in regards to an investigation conducted by the New York Attorney General concerning possible fraud in Trump’s businesses.
Outside the realm of domestic politics and looking outwards, the situation concerning Russia and Ukraine has continued to escalate. Several diplomatic efforts between the United States and Russia to resolve the crisis have failed, with Russia stating the Western side is not respecting its security proposals.
Russia’s proposals include a veto decision on Ukraine joining NATO, alongside a complete drawdown of NATO forces in Bulgaria and Romania. These positions are considered non-starters by the United States, and have frustrated talks to the point of failure. Russia has continued to deploy its military to the Ukrainian border both in Russia and Belarus, with whom it has a Union State with.
Western observers are concerned that Belarussian and Russian military drills slated for next month on Belarus’ Ukrainian border could be a cover for invasion. Investigative journalists who have allegedly spoken with the relatives of Russian servicemen have been reportedly told their deployment times far exceed that of the planned exercise time. Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom have drawn down staff at their respective Ukrainian embassies, however Russia denies such a move, alongside denying any plans to invade Ukraine.
Looking back on a year of Biden’s presidency, one can see the world is potentially on the brink of war, and political divisions at home are still red hot, despite Biden’s calls for unity. How this storm will be weathered is a matter of time telling the story, and for now, we merely have to sit and watch.
