Biden Seeks to Focus on Trump Cases: What to Know in Washington

Biden Highlights Trump Cases

President Joe Biden called on voters to “render a judgment” on Donald Trump in televised remarks Monday, after a Supreme Court ruling paved the way for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to potentially escape prosecution for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Biden’s address was the culmination of a day-long push by Democrats to seize on the issue in hopes of turning the page from the debate debacle. The president’s team believes Biden’s increasingly narrow path to victory relies on focusing the national spotlight on Trump’s behavior and away from concerns about the 81-year-old’s fitness to serve. Read More

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers are taking preliminary steps to get the former president’s hush-money conviction tossed after the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. They also proposed delaying his July 11 sentencing in the meantime to allow time for briefing and arguments.

The letter, which Trump’s lawyers will submit to Justice Juan Merchan, won’t be made public until at least today. They will ask for permission to formally argue that the conviction should be overturned. Read More

“That hearing will likely occur this summer, but unless the judge completely dismisses the case — which seems unlikely — I imagine Trump will appeal,” said Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor. “Working through the appellate courts will delay a trial in this case until well into 2025 or beyond.” Read More

Read More:

• Justices Avoid Talking About 2024 Race in Trump Immunity Ruling

BIDEN’S SCHEDULE

• 11:45 a.m. — Biden receives an operational briefing and delivers remarks on extreme weather D.C. Emergency Operations Center.
• 2:30 p.m. — Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will hold a briefing.
• 5:15 p.m. — Biden participates in a campaign reception in McLean, Va.

Politics & Probes

Gavin Newsom Hailed Within China After Biden’s Debate Troubles

After President Joe Biden’s catastrophic debate performance, Gavin Newsom has emerged among a handful of names being floated to replace him. In China, that would be a popular outcome.

Biden Touts $127 Million June Haul to Counter Post-Debate Angst

President Joe Biden’s campaign said it raised $127 million in June, offering a lifeline to the Democratic incumbent as he faces pressure to step aside following a harrowing debate performance last week.

Whitmer Says She’s 100% Behind Biden, Dismissing Talk of Tension

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was proud to support President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, pushing back against suggestions that there was tension between her team and the Biden campaign following his struggles in the debate last week.

Gerrymandering Challenge to US House District in Ohio Tossed

A panel of federal judges on Monday tossed a lawsuit that alleged that an eastern Ohio congressional district was drawn in a way that unlawfully gerrymandered away the influence of Black residents.

Happening on the Hill

Reps. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) are both running to succeed Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) as the top Republican on the panel, sources familiar confirmed to Bloomberg Government.

Foxx is on her fourth term leading the committee, after securing a waiver to skirt the GOP conference’s three-term leadership limit atop any given panel. Fiery protests about the war in Gaza and allegations of on-campus antisemitism have given the Education and Workforce Committee a high profile over the past year.

The 2025 chairmanship or ranking member position — depending on whether Republicans keep the House — will be one of multiple battles for high-profile conference jobs next year. Republicans are already preparing fights to lead the Financial Services and Foreign Affairs committees.

News from the Biden Administration

Biden Awards $504 Million to Tech Investment Hubs Across US

President Joe Biden’s administration is awarding $504 million in funding for 12 regional technology hubs to expand research in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing and clean energy, part of an effort to boost private investment in cutting-edge industries outside the country’s traditional innovation centers.

OSHA to Unveil First-Ever National Worker Heat Stress Proposal

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration will issue a proposed rule to protect about 36 million indoor and outdoor workers from heat stress, according to a senior Biden administration official.

What Else We’re Reading

FDA Drug Approvals, Rulemaking Are Tested After Chevron Decision

The FDA’s power to determine a drug’s exclusivity or review tobacco marketing applications faces fresh vulnerability to legal battles after the Supreme Court’s decision to nix a legal doctrine that empowered agency interpretations.

Bank Regulators to Lean on Enforcement as High Court Hits Rules

A pair of US Supreme Court decisions curtailing the rule-writing authority of federal regulators will likely force banking agencies to rely on their supervisory and enforcement powers to police Wall Street.

US Business Regulations Upended with Back-to-Back Court Rulings

The Supreme Court delivered a one two-punch to federal regulators by eliminating a legal doctrine that gave them the upper hand in court and then allowing rules to be challenged long after they’re finalized.

Immigration Proponents Get Boost From End to Chevron Doctrine

The US Supreme Court’s decision curtailing federal agencies’ leeway to interpret ambiguous laws will benefit many immigrants and businesses stymied in efforts to obtain employment-based visas and green cards, immigration lawyers said.

US Inks Vaccine Deal With Moderna as Bird Flu Threat Looms

Moderna Inc. secured nearly $200 million from the US government to speed development of an mRNA vaccine for pandemic influenza as a dangerous strain of bird flu sweeps through the nation’s dairy farms, fueling concern about a budding health crisis.

Weather Damaged F-35s Parked in Texas May Cost Pentagon Millions

US taxpayers could be on the hook for millions of dollars in repairs if F-35 fighter jets suffer major weather damage while waiting on a Texas tarmac for a long-delayed software upgrade, according to the Pentagon’s contracts oversight agency.

Fed’s Goolsbee Says Policymakers Should Prepare for Rate Cuts

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said policymakers should cut interest rates if US inflation continues to fall back to the 2% target.

US to Fight Labor Shortage With New Chips Act Worker Program

The Biden administration is kicking off a program to cultivate the US computer-chip workforce, aiming to stave off a labor shortage that threatens to undermine domestic semiconductor production.

Lawmakers Urge Pentagon Review of TransDigm Acquisitions

Lawmakers including Senator Elizabeth Warren urge the Justice Department, Department of Defense and Federal Trade Commission to review TransDigm Group Inc.’s acquisitions of aerospace contractors SEI Industries LTD and Raptor Labs Holdco, LLC, according to a statement.

Questions About the Chevron Ruling? We’re Answering Them.

On Reddit today, Bloomberg Law reporters Courtney Rozen and Robert Iafolla will discuss the decision and its aftermath in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA). Navigate here to ask your question on July 2 at 11:30 a.m. EST.

To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com; Jeannie Baumann in Washington at jbaumann@bloombergindustry.com; Maeve Sheehey in Washington at msheehey@bloombergindustry.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com; Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com