Latest news with #Gillibrand
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gillibrand's dual role: The Republican-friendly Democratic campaign chief
Days after Donald Trump won a second term, Kirsten Gillibrand said that Democrats might need four years to retake the Senate majority. She's more optimistic these days. 'A lot has changed in the last four months,' Gillibrand told Semafor in an interview this week from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters as she navigates her party's steep path back to Senate control. 'I did not expect all of these horrible things to happen so quickly.' Gillibrand was referring to the president's tariffs and the Medicaid cuts that Republicans attached to their tax and spending bill. But the New Yorker is not the typical campaign arm chief — for all her criticism of the GOP agenda, she maintains surprisingly close relationships with Republican senators, even doing joint media hits with one of them. And she's the lead Democrat on a crypto bill that's split her party. Another thing that sets Gillibrand apart: She actually wanted the DSCC job, unlike some predecessors who were talked into it. And her fellow New York senator is a former DSCC chief who remains one of Washington's most intense political strategists. 'She's very friendly with Republicans. That's an asset,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said of Gillibrand. 'But I don't think it will detract from her making sure we win every seat we can.' Gillibrand's chief opponent in that task is National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C. He's one of her close GOP friends, in fact; they attend Thursday Bible study together, and she likened their rivalry to Looney Tunes characters. 'We joke [at] every Bible study that we're like Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote,' Gillibrand said. She needs to make sure she plays the role of Roadrunner, angling to drop an anvil on the coyote's head by picking up the four Senate seats needed to flip the majority back to Democrats. Most analysts see Democrats as underdogs in the battle for the chamber. Still, Democrats have major recruiting aspirations, particularly in Maine and North Carolina – their best pick-up opportunities. Democrats want the popular former Gov. Roy Cooper to run against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis; Cooper will make a decision this summer. Former Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-N.C., is already running. Tillis told Semafor he occasionally buttonholes Gillibrand about his own race. 'I asked her how recruiting was going. 'I'm hearing different things. Is Cooper in? Is he out?' … she demurred,' Tillis said, recalling a recent conversation. 'I'll razz her again when I see her.' Gillibrand said Cooper would be 'a formidable candidate' but signaled that her hopes to unseat Tillis don't solely rest on him. Similarly, Gillibrand said Maine Gov. Janet Mills would be a 'very strong candidate,' but not the only viable one, against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. 'There's a bunch of candidates that could run in Maine, and I believe we will have a very strong candidate in Maine. And I would just suggest that Senator Collins' numbers are as weak as they've ever been,' Gillibrand said. Some polls have shown Collins with tough approval ratings or facing a steep path to re-election next year; Collins faced similar challenges in 2020 and won handily. A Pan Atlantic Research poll released this week showed Mills with +8 favorability and Collins at +4. A Collins aide said Gillibrand is 'flat-out wrong' about the Republican's prospects. In order to put Democrats back in charge, Gillibrand also must protect all of her Democratic-held seats — including in Michigan and Georgia — and win at least two more Senate seats in solidly red states. Among the states Democrats are discussing: Iowa, Alaska, Kansas, Ohio, Texas and South Carolina, where they just scored a recruit against Sen. Lindsey Graham. Two Democrats are already running against Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, whose 'we are all going to die' rebuttal to critiques of Medicaid cuts piqued Democratic interest. New York's two Senate Democratic leaders see a recruiting upside to what Schumer called 'negativity toward Trump and the negativity towards reconciliation.' 'It's a bigger map that people would expect. We are looking at all states; no state is off the list,' Gillibrand said. 'I hope we can have candidates, certainly by January of next year. It's early.' Gillibrand succeeds Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who chaired the DSCC for four straight years. She's revisiting Peters' hands-off stance in contested primaries, saying she 'will support the candidates that we think are the most formidable and most exciting.' 'I'm not going to rule anything out,' Gillibrand said of her strategy. Well, except for one thing. She's taking presidential aspirations off the table for now: 'I'm ruling that out. Not ever in my lifetime, but definitely this cycle. I'm all in for DS.' NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said the GOP is not 'taking any races for granted' and will combat Democrats' attacks on its agenda by highlighting their opposition to the tax bill, Trump's agenda, 'and forcing ridiculous mandates like men in women's sports.' Perhaps the most interesting dynamic in Gillibrand's political life right now, though, is how much praise she gets from Republicans for compartmentalizing it as she works on pro-crypto legislation. One of her GOP partners in that effort, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said her cross-aisle ally has remained 'rock solid' even while taking on one of the most partisan jobs in Washington. 'She is acting in the best interests of the state of New York, and I'm acting in the best interests of the state of Wyoming. So our interests are aligned on this issue,' Lummis said. 'Now, on a lot of other issues she's perfectly aligned with the Democratic Party.' Gillibrand sees it as part of her job to educate her party about digital assets that many progressives criticize as economically risky. 'Not many senators have that background to understand why this regulation is so important. so I've tried to make the case to my colleagues. 19 [Democrats] voted with us. We may have a few more,' she said. I've covered Sen. Gillibrand for a long time. I see her taking over the DSCC, despite its draining nature and difficulty, partly because she wants to be on the leading edge of party politics. In Schumer's words: 'She was very eager to do the job, and that was one of the selling points.' She's relentless in her drive on everything from combatting military sexual assault to crypto to paid family leave. She hasn't won every battle she's picked, but that tenacity easily translates to fundraising and candidate recruitment. Tough decisions are still to come, and Democratic activists will closely scrutinize how she handles contested primaries and spending decisions as the midterms approach. She seems ready for it. telling me: 'I love this job … I fundamentally love politics.' That's not a sentiment you hear every day, even from sitting lawmakers. Republicans have an early edge on the Senate map, according to the Cook Political report and Crystal Ball. Still, Schumer Semafor in April that he'll be majority leader in 2027.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senators predict passage of bipartisan crypto bill — without language targeting Trump
Key architects of a Senate bill that would create rules for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency pegged to other assets like the US dollar, told Semafor Wednesday that they expected revised legislation to pass by the end of next week — without language aimed at the Trump family's crypto profits. A push to advance the legislation last week imploded after crypto-friendly lawmakers were unable to finalize Democrat-sought revisions in time. Some Democrats had advocated for language that would prevent President Donald Trump from making money off an affiliated meme coin and stablecoin. 'I do think that's a fair target,' Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said when asked whether the Senate would pass stablecoin legislation by Memorial Day. She was speaking onstage with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong at an event hosted by Stand With Crypto and moderated by Semafor. People familiar with the talks told Semafor Wednesday that key senators had finalized text of the legislation. The contours of their compromise remain unclear, though Gillibrand said that the bill has moved more in Democrats' direction. 'When this language comes out, you will see really good refinements, a lot of progress — on things like consumer protection, and bankruptcy protection, and ethics,' Gillibrand said. But she also indicated that the bill would not include provisions targeting Trump's crypto profits. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., made similar comments last week. 'A lot of what President Trump's engaged in is already illegal,' Gillibrand said. 'So I'm not that worried about this bill having to deal with all of President Trump's ethics problems. What this bill is really intended to do is regulate the entire space of stablecoins.' 'What this bill does have is ethics requirements, and I think they're very strong, very good,' Gillibrand added. 'But it's not an ethics bill per se, and if we were dealing with all of President Trump's ethics problems, it would be a very long and drawn-out bill.' Asked about the president's crypto business and its impact on bipartisan legislation, Armstrong declined to weigh in. 'Anybody should be able to sell artwork or coffee mugs or whatever. Now, is it good for the president to do it? I'm going to leave that for others to opine on,' Armstrong said. 'It's not my place to really comment on President Trump's activity. What I do think is important is this bill remains focused on stablecoins.' Also on Wednesday, Armstrong acknowledged that Coinbase's initial preference was for Congress to advance stablecoin legislation alongside a broader overhaul of crypto regulation. But he said the exchange got behind senators' eventual decision to move them separately. 'Originally when this process started, we were a little worried about the nuance between the two bills getting lost,' Armstrong said. 'But the Senate decided to move forward with stablecoin, and we were very supportive of that.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's China tariffs raise costs for baby products, families pay more
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a press conference Thursday addressing the impact tariffs on China could have on the availability and cost of baby products. As the Trump Administration has raised tariffs on Chinese imports to the United States by 145 percent, Gillibrand claims shipments of goods into the U.S. have plunged, including strollers, car seats, and other baby essentials. She said this could lead to families spending more on new products, or force them to buy older products that do not meet up-to-date safety standards. 'President Trump might want us to manufactory these essentials in the United States,' Gillibrand said. 'The truth is we don't have the supply chain or the manufacturing capabilities to do that right away. Even if we did, it is unlikely we could do so at a competitive price.' According to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, over 70 percent of baby essentials sold in the United States are made in China, including 98 percent of car seats and 97 percent of strollers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
02-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Trump coins spark Democratic feud over crypto legislation
Democratic leaders engaged in a tense, closed-door debate Thursday on the fate of a crypto regulation bill — and the best way to force changes to legislation that could hit the floor this month, according to people familiar with the matter. Why it matters: Crypto divides Democrats on policy and politics. Some progressives, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), are concerned about fraud and corruption. Others, like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), are eager to provide firm guidelines and regulatory certainty for the industry. 🔥 Two causes fueled the latest flareup: The New York Times reported that President Trump's family members could profit from the $2 billion worth of their Stablecoins that would be used for a foreign transaction involving an Abu Dhabi investment fund. Then Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) announced Thursday he was moving forward a procedural vote, as early as next week, on the GENIUS Act legislation that Gillibrand is cosponsoring. Driving the news: Those developments prompted a concerned Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to ask Gillibrand for an update about the bipartisan bill, which would establish the first-ever stablecoin regulatory framework. Gillibrand ticked through the changes she has fought for that she believes address Democratic concerns. A handful of lawmakers, including Warren, argued against passing the bill in its current form. Warren noted many Democratic amendments were rejected in committee, especially those that address potential corruption. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) took aim at the Trump family and possible conflicts of interest. "We should file an amendment to end the sale of coins by elected officials," he said. Schumer cautioned senators to avoid committing to the legislation. He wants Democrats to have maximum leverage to make changes to the bill. What they're saying:"Sen. Gillibrand has worked closely with Sen. Schumer on providing clear regulations for stablecoins, and that collaboration is continuing as we work to pass the strongest bill possible," said Evan Lukaske, a Gillibrand spokesperson. Zoom in: Five Democrats voted for the bipartisan legislation in committee in March, including another Democratic cosponsor, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.). Many Democratic amendments were defeated and it ultimately passed 18-6 in committee. If all Republicans support the bill — and all five committee Democrats continue to support it — the legislation would need just one more Democrat to reach the 60 votes necessary for cloture. Warren and Merkley argued the bill doesn't provide basic safeguards against corruption, pointing to the New York Times story.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gillibrand: Trump's policies risk seniors' financial safety
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand spoke out Thursday against the Trump Administration and policies that she says are leaving senior citizens vulnerable to financial fraud. Recently, President Donald Trump has made moves to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the CFPB, which is a federal agency that prevents Americans from getting scammed by big banks and corporations. The Trump Administration has attempted to fire most of the agency's staff, which Gillibrand said would put their many services at risk. 'So, many seniors fall victim to financial scams every day, and now more could become vulnerable without the services provided by the CFPB,' Senator Gillibrand said. 'I am laser focused on protecting older Americans against fraud.' In 2023, over 4,300 older New Yorkers fell victim to fraud, losing over $200 million. Trump was asked earlier this week if his intention is to eliminate the agency, to which he replied, 'We're trying to get rid of waste: fraud and abuse.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
