Latest news with #RaphaelWarnock
Yahoo
3 days ago
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Warnock dodges question on whether Biden should've dropped out in 2024: ‘It's over'
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) sidestepped a question on whether former President Biden should have dropped out of the 2024 presidential race sooner, saying in a Sunday interview that the election is 'over.' 'Here is what we absolutely know about last year's election: It's over. And I'm going to spend all of my energy focused on the task in front of us,' he told NBC News's Kristen Welker on 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, before railing against the GOP tax and spending bill, which the Senate is poised to take up this week. 'We are headed into a very critical week,' the senator continued. 'The Republicans are trying to push forward this big, ugly bill that's going to literally cut as many as 7 million Americans off of their health care. It is a drag not only on their health care, it is a drag on the American economy.' 'This is an unfunded mandate at a time when Donald Trump's tariff tax is literally raising the cost of groceries. And so I've got my sleeves rolled up and in front of me is the American people, the people of Georgia. I'm doing everything I can to save them from Trump's big, ugly bill,' he added. Warnock's comments came in response to Welker's question about a quote from David Plouffe, a senior campaign adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris, reported in the recent book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios's Alex Thompson. 'If Biden had decided in 2023 to drop out, we would have had a robust primary. Whitmer, Pritzker, Newsom, Buttigieg, Harris, and Klobuchar would have run. Warnock and Shapiro would have kicked the tires. Maybe Mark Cuban or a businessperson of some sort. Twenty percent of governors and 30 percent of senators would have thought about it. We would have been eminently stronger,' Plouffe said in the quote, which Welker read to Warnock in the interview. After Warnock gave his response, Welker noted that she 'didn't hear a direct answer to the question there,' but tried to move on. Warnock interrupted the anchor and again focused on the GOP legislative package that passed the House late last month. 'Well, I take very seriously my job. The people of Georgia hired me to stand up for them. And this really is a critical week,' Warnock said, continuing to talk about the bill. The interview comes as high-profile Democrats have been asked to reckon with new reporting alleging Biden's mental and physical decline in the final few years of his term was more severe than what had previously been disclosed to the American public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Absolute Disaster:' Senate Dems Take Aim At Trump's Tax Bill
Senate Democrats laid into President Donald Trump's sweeping tax bill on Sunday, emphasizing the impact it is poised to make on millions of Americans on Medicaid. 'This Republican budget bill is an absolute disaster for the country, in particular for middle-class and poor people,' Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said in an interview on CNN's State of the Union, noting that it seeks to pay for tax cuts by curbing spending on social programs. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) echoed these concerns in an interview on NBC News's Meet the Press, stressing that 'Republicans are trying to push forward this big ugly bill that's going to literally cut as many as seven million Americans off of their healthcare.' Murphy and Warnock's statements come as Republicans' massive tax and spending bill heads to the Senate, where it's likely to face staunch Democratic opposition as well as GOP dissent. The bill slashes spending on social programs like SNAP and Medicaid, while proposing trillions in tax cuts and billions in investments to strengthen border security. According to an initial analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it would push 7.6 million people off Medicaid, in part by making it more difficult to qualify for the program. One way it does so is by imposing a new work requirement, which would force many able-bodied recipients to prove that they've worked, volunteered or attended a training program to obtain Medicaid coverage. Warnock stressed that a similar policy in Georgia has added new barriers for people in need of healthcare. This 'work reporting requirement is very good at kicking people off of their health care,' he said. 'It's not very good at incentivizing work at all.' Earlier this May, House Republicans narrowly passed the bill by just one vote. It'll take a simple majority – which Republicans have – to advance again in the Senate, though some GOP lawmakers have said they'd like to make changes of their own to tax and Medicaid provisions. GOP Senators like Rick Scott (R-FL) have also raised concerns about how the bill could add to the federal debt, an issue Murphy alluded to as well on Sunday. 'It's just unreal the amount of gaslighting this administration is doing,' Murphy said, while referring to the White House's claims that the legislation won't alter the deficit at all.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Absolute Disaster:' Senate Dems Take Aim At Trump's Tax Bill
Senate Democrats laid into President Donald Trump's sweeping tax bill on Sunday, emphasizing the impact it is poised to make on millions of Americans on Medicaid. 'This Republican budget bill is an absolute disaster for the country, in particular for middle-class and poor people,' Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said in an interview on CNN's State of the Union, noting that it seeks to pay for tax cuts by curbing spending on social programs. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) echoed these concerns in an interview on NBC News's Meet the Press, stressing that 'Republicans are trying to push forward this big ugly bill that's going to literally cut as many as seven million Americans off of their healthcare.' Murphy and Warnock's statements come as Republicans' massive tax and spending bill heads to the Senate, where it's likely to face staunch Democratic opposition as well as GOP dissent. The bill slashes spending on social programs like SNAP and Medicaid, while proposing trillions in tax cuts and billions in investments to strengthen border security. According to an initial analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, it would push 7.6 million people off Medicaid, in part by making it more difficult to qualify for the program. One way it does so is by imposing a new work requirement, which would force many able-bodied recipients to prove that they've worked, volunteered or attended a training program to obtain Medicaid coverage. Warnock stressed that a similar policy in Georgia has added new barriers for people in need of healthcare. This 'work reporting requirement is very good at kicking people off of their health care,' he said. 'It's not very good at incentivizing work at all.' Earlier this May, House Republicans narrowly passed the bill by just one vote. It'll take a simple majority – which Republicans have – to advance again in the Senate, though some GOP lawmakers have said they'd like to make changes of their own to tax and Medicaid provisions. GOP Senators like Rick Scott (R-FL) have also raised concerns about how the bill could add to the federal debt, an issue Murphy alluded to as well on Sunday. 'It's just unreal the amount of gaslighting this administration is doing,' Murphy said, while referring to the White House's claims that the legislation won't alter the deficit at all.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warnock dodges questions from NBC host on whether Biden should have dropped out earlier
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., was pressed by NBC News host Kristen Welker on whether former President Joe Biden should have dropped out sooner or run for re-election at all, dodging the question and insisting that he was focused on what's in front of him. Welker quoted former Harris campaign aide David Plouffe, who told authors Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper in their new book that if the former president dropped out in 2023, the Democratic Party could hold a "robust primary." Welker noted that Plouffe name-dropped Warnock as a potential candidate and asked him to respond. "Kristen, here's what we absolutely know about last year's election. It's over, and I'm going to spend all of my energy focused on the tank in front of us. We are headed into a very critical week. The Republicans are trying to push forward this big, ugly bill that's going to literally cut as many as 7 million Americans off of their health care," Warnock said, referring to Trump's "big, beautiful bill." Plouffe told the authors that Biden "f----- us," and said "it was a disservice to the country and to the party for his family and advisers to allow him to run again." Nbc Host Questions Adam Schiff On Whether Biden Officials Mislead The Public About Former President Welker pushed back on Warnock, noting that he didn't give a "direct answer" to her question. Read On The Fox News App "Well, I take very seriously, my job. The people of Georgia hired me to stand up for them, and this really is a critical week. This big, ugly bill is going to strip people of their health care. It's going to rob working-class people of the resources that they need, they're literally trying to take health care from children," Warnock responded. Several Democrats have been asked to respond to questions about the former president's health and whether he should have run for re-election or had dropped out sooner. Democratic leadership, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said \they're trying to look forward and move on. Schumer dismissed the questions surrounding Biden's decline on CNN, MSNBC, and during a press conference in early May. Chuck Schumer Confronted With Old Clip Of Himself Declaring Biden's Decline 'Right-wing Propaganda' Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture "Kasie, we're looking forward. We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us. We have the whole federal government," Schumer told CNN's Kasie Hunt during. He used the same phrase on MSNBC and during the press conference. Jeffries issued a similar response during a press conference in May, telling reporters, "We're not looking backward, we're looking forward at this particular moment in time." Some Democrats, including former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, acknowledged the former president might have harmed the party's chances by remaining in the race for as long as he did. Buttigieg said that Biden "maybe" hurt Democrats in running for re-election. However, he defended the former president against allegations of article source: Warnock dodges questions from NBC host on whether Biden should have dropped out earlier
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Warnock dodges questions from NBC host on whether Biden should have dropped out earlier
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., was pressed by NBC News host Kristen Welker on whether former President Joe Biden should have dropped out sooner or run for re-election at all, dodging the question and insisting that he was focused on what's in front of him. Welker quoted former Harris campaign aide David Plouffe, who told authors Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper in their new book that if the former president dropped out in 2023, the Democratic Party could hold a "robust primary." Welker noted that Plouffe name-dropped Warnock as a potential candidate and asked him to respond. "Kristen, here's what we absolutely know about last year's election. It's over, and I'm going to spend all of my energy focused on the tank in front of us. We are headed into a very critical week. The Republicans are trying to push forward this big, ugly bill that's going to literally cut as many as 7 million Americans off of their health care," Warnock said, referring to Trump's "big, beautiful bill." Plouffe told the authors that Biden "f----- us," and said "it was a disservice to the country and to the party for his family and advisers to allow him to run again." Welker pushed back on Warnock, noting that he didn't give a "direct answer" to her question. "Well, I take very seriously, my job. The people of Georgia hired me to stand up for them, and this really is a critical week. This big, ugly bill is going to strip people of their health care. It's going to rob working-class people of the resources that they need, they're literally trying to take health care from children," Warnock responded. Several Democrats have been asked to respond to questions about the former president's health and whether he should have run for re-election or had dropped out sooner. Democratic leadership, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said \they're trying to look forward and move on. Schumer dismissed the questions surrounding Biden's decline on CNN, MSNBC, and during a press conference in early May. "Kasie, we're looking forward. We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us. We have the whole federal government," Schumer told CNN's Kasie Hunt during. He used the same phrase on MSNBC and during the press conference. Jeffries issued a similar response during a press conference in May, telling reporters, "We're not looking backward, we're looking forward at this particular moment in time." Some Democrats, including former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, acknowledged the former president might have harmed the party's chances by remaining in the race for as long as he did. Buttigieg said that Biden "maybe" hurt Democrats in running for re-election. However, he defended the former president against allegations of decline.
