What to Know in Washington: Republicans Look to Woo Union Voters

Former Rep. Mike Rogers remembers working in a car factory to put himself through college. This year, the longtime Republican is leaning into his ability to connect with historically Democratic unionized autoworkers in a competitive Senate race in Michigan.

“I understand these people,” Rogers said in an interview last month. “You’re going to see a shift from voting on UAW here in Michigan in a way we probably haven’t seen maybe since Ronald Reagan. They’re going to vote for Republicans.”

Photographer: Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg

Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is making a bid for union workers in his race for Senate,

Democrats have traditionally been the party of unions, and members of the party are stressing their pro-labor messaging as they seek gains in Congress come November. But on the heels of a strike-heavy year, Republican candidates are making a 2024 play for union voters — even if they can’t win over leadership.

Donald Trump’s strong working-class support, coupled with a growing populist insurgency in the GOP, makes conservatives think they can grab a significant chunk of the labor vote.

Despite dwindling union membership across the nation, the demographic still represents a key constituency as both parties battle for votes in competitive congressional races in Rust Belt states that could determine control of the House and Senate next year. Unions flexed their power in the past year with a series of high-profile labor demonstrations such as the United Auto Workers and writers’ strikes.

As the Republican Party increasingly wins over working-class Americans with Trump-aligned populists, union membership will trend away from its more progressive leaders, said Oren Cass, the executive director of the center-right group American Compass.

“Frankly, it’s hard for me to envision a crop of conservative union activists taking over these unions,” Cass said. Instead, he expects “the endorsements just become irrelevant. Like at some point, everybody’s in on the joke.” Read more from Maeve Sheehey, Zach C. Cohen, and Dieg Areas Munhoz.

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• The president heads to New York and will arrive at the Wall Street Landing Zone around 1 p.m.
• Shortly after 8 p.m., President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will participate in a campaign reception at Radio City Music Hall to raise $25 million alongside former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Read more about the event.

Also Happening on the Hill

Al Drago/Bloomberg Finance LP

Rep. ANDY HARRIS said the federal government should make sure foreign companies pay their fair share of the bill for rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed Tuesday.

Harris, a Republican who represents a Maryland district less than 20 miles from the bridge, pointed to the ship owner, the shipping company that contracted it, and their insurers as possible funding sources. “Before we allocate or before we commit the American taxpayer to pay for the whole bill, we should find out how much these foreign companies are going to pay or their insurance,” Harris told Bloomberg Government yesterday.

Federal officials told Maryland lawmakers that replacing the bridge would cost at least $2 billion. An 1851 law capping liability at ship’s value after a crash could impede those efforts, and shipping giant Maersk — which chartered the vessel — may not be liable as the Danish company did not have crew on board and the ship was operated by a charter company.

Harris — a member of the Appropriations Committee who plans to push federal officials to cut down regulatory burdens to expedite rebuilding — said “it’s probably legitimate for the federal government to pick up” costs that the foreign companies don’t cover. Read more from Lillianna Byington.

Sen. JACKY ROSEN will oppose for ADEEL MANGI’s judicial nomination, making her the latest Democrat to pledge withholding support for the New York litigator.

• The Nevada senator’s decision further jeopardizes his chances for confirmation to become the first Muslim federal appeals court. Read more.

Sen. BERNIE SANDERS blasted Novo Nordisk on the price of Ozempic, with the Vermont independent arguing the medication’s $1,000 monthly price tag has “no rational reason, other than greed.” Read more.

Defense & Foreign Affairs

An investment firm founded by RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRES with ties to Vladimir Putin has financed legal fights around the world, occasionally working with the firm’s directors, clients, and Russian banks to evade sanctions.

• A Bloomberg Law investigation found A1, a subsidiary of Russian financial giant Alfa Group, has backed suits in New York and London, all while its founders were sanctioned after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• Though banks are easy targets for Western governments, the opaque world of litigation finance is more elusive—with no reporting rules and few regulations. Read a special report by Bloomberg Law.

Venezuela’s President NICOLAS MADURO has brazenly disrespected the deal he struck five months ago with the Biden administration to allow democratic elections in exchange for the removal of some of the crippling sanctions imposed years ago on the crisis-torn country.

• Each snub raises the volume on an increasingly uncomfortable question for officials in Washington: whether or not to reimpose crucial oil and gas sanctions during an election year. Read more.

People, Power, and Politics

John Eastman in Los Angeles in 2023. Photo by Eric Thayer/Bloomberg

JOHN EASTMAN should be disbarred for knowingly making bogus, unfounded claims that alleged election irregularities cost Trump the White House, undermining the Constitution, a judge ruled.

• California State Bar Court Judge Yvette Roland rejected Eastman’s contentions he was acting in good faith in advising a client and was exercising his First Amendment rights. Read more.
• Clark Case: Ex-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said Jeffrey Clark violated the Justice Department’s conduct policy by meeting with Trump to discuss election fraud claims. Read more.

MEAT MANUFACTURERS using cultured animal cells are under attack by red-state legislatures, from Alabama to Florida to Tennessee, backed by powerful agriculture lobbying groups. Read more.

FLORIDA didn’t violate the Constitution when it eliminated a congressional district that gave Black voters the opportunity to select a candidate of their choice, a federal judicial panel said. Read more.

What Else We’re Watching

Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks as demonstrators gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept.19, 2023.

JOE LIEBERMAN, the Connecticut senator whose voyage from reliable liberal to stubborn centrist led him to abandon the Democratic Party, earning him both admiration and contempt, has died. Read more.

The OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET issued a government-wide policy today to mitigate the threats posed by AI — including discrimination and privacy violations — and increase transparency over how government uses the technology. Read more.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION plans to issue a final rule today to curb the sale and availability of “short-term limited-duration insurance” plans, which critics say provide low-cost, but low-quality, coverage that skirts consumer protections in the Affordable Care Act. Read more.

Acting Labor Secretary JULIE SU, facing budget caps and congressional roadblocks, plans to do more with less and use the agency’s enforcement funding and staff in a more calculated approach. Read more.

VISA and MASTERCARD’s $30 billion swipe fee settlement with merchants provides only temporary relief for businesses and won’t stop new litigation against the payment networks, critics say. Read more.

Virginia Gov. GLENN YOUNGKIN and the city of Alexandria failed to agree on terms for a project to bring a pair of professional D.C. sports teams across the Potomac, effectively shelving the plans.

• D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis announced a deal last night to renovate and modernize the downtown arena where the Wizards and Capitals play. Read more.

VIRGINIA landowners are asking the SUPREME COURT to hear their challenge to the Mountain Valley Pipeline company’s use of their private land, seeking to reverse a ruling by the D.C. Circuit. Read more.

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

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