This week on Democrats’ agenda: everything

Congress rushes to pass legislation before August recess; the White House tries to persuade Nancy Pelosi against visiting Taiwan.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

It’s crunch time for Congress

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

• This week, Congress is looking to pass legislation on everything from lowering the cost of prescription drugs to investing in US technology before the scheduled House recess in August. [Washington Post / Yasmeen Abutaleb and Mike DeBonis]
• First up is the bipartisan CHIPS bill; it would give the US semiconductor industry billions, with a goal of reducing dependence on Chinese manufacturing. [NPR / Barbara Sprunt]
• Senate Democrats are also weighing a slimmed-down Build Back Better bill that will allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of some prescription drugs and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. [Wall Street Journal / Siobhan Hughes]
• The Senate may also vote on legislation protecting same-sex marriage (which passed the House last week) if Democrats can find 10 GOP senators to support it. [The Hill / Mychael Schnell]
• Also left on the docket: approving Sweden and Finland for NATO membership, a ban on assault weapons, and bills to help the West counter wildfires. [NBC News / Scott Wong and Sahil Kapur]
• Time is short: recess begins in a week and a half. Congressional Democrats hope to capitalize on their slim majority to accomplish their legislative agenda before this year’s midterm elections. [Politico / Burgess Everett]

The White House doesn't want Pelosi to visit Taiwan

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned visit to Taiwan is raising concerns for the Biden administration after China threatened “resolute and forceful measures” if she goes. [CNN / Nectar Gan]
• Pelosi planned to visit to show solidarity with the self-governing island country; however, experts warn it could increase regional tensions. [Associated Press]
• Some Republicans and former Trump officials expressed support for Pelosi’s visit, but the White House worries it would embolden Beijing to take retaliatory actions. [Guardian / Martin Pengelly]
• The Biden administration is now reportedly working behind the scenes to persuade Pelosi to cancel her trip. [New York Times / Edward Wong, David E. Sanger, and Amy Qin]

Tuesday, Russia announced it would pull out of the International Space Station at the end of 2024. [NYT / Kenneth Chang and Ivan Nechepurenko]

• A third set of human remains was found at Lake Mead on Monday, as the reservoir’s water level dropped due to a prolonged drought. [CNN / Michelle Watson]
• The International Monetary Fund has predicted slower global economic growth this year. [Axios / Courtenay Brown]
• Hulu faces Democratic criticism for refusing to run political ads on abortion rights and gun control measures. [Washington Post / Michael Scherer]

  Support our journalism

Reader contributions help keep newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a one-time gift today.

“It is not Medicare negotiating drug prices and bringing costs down for people this year, or even next year. It is a very small number of drugs that are on the table right now, over a very long period of time.”

[Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) on prescription drug legislation / WSJ]

Banning abortion doesn’t eliminate the need for it. Here are 4 ways Americans are still getting abortion pills. [Vox on YouTube]

Read more from Vox

What if the suburbs were just a first draft?

The International Space Station isn’t above global politics

Rewatching Gigli in the age of Bennifer’s triumph

A Black rodeo rewrites the story of the West

Democrats are taking what they can get on Build Back Better

This email was sent to you. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.

View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.

Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036.
Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.