Is the Democratic dam breaking for Biden to drop out?
Rep. Adam Schiff speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2023. Photo by Jose Luis Magana, AP Photo
Saying it’s time for President Joe Biden to “pass the torch,” U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff on Wednesday became the highest-profile Democrat so far to publicly call for Biden to end his re-election bid.
In a statement, the Burbank Democrat — who is running for U.S. Senate — says he has “serious concerns” about whether Biden can defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
Not to be outdone, Schiff’s Republican opponent, former Los Angeles Dodgers star Steve Garvey, argued that Biden “should resign immediately for the good of the nation.”
The push for Biden to withdraw began after a poor performance in a June 27 debate with former President Donald Trump. After a brief lull following Saturday’s assassination attempt on Trump, the calls for Biden to bow out of the race are growing louder again — putting more pressure on Democrats in swing House districts in California and elsewhere.
As CalMatters politics reporter Yue Stella Yu and Capitol reporter Sameea Kamal explain, presidential races are typically the driving force behind voter turnout. A lack of enthusiasm among Democrats for Biden could impact down-ballot races — further jeopardizing Democrats running in competitive districts that could help decide control of the U.S. House and potentially turning relatively safe Democratic districts into closer races.
But with little chance of swaying the party at large and at the risk of losing out on Biden-loyal donors, Democrats, for the most part, have remained mum about the president. Some political consultants also argue that distancing from Biden won’t change voters’ minds anyway, given the current polarized climate.
Paul Mitchell, vice president of voter data firm Political Data Inc.: “We live in a world of vegetarians who will only eat non-meat products and absolute carnivores that will only eat meat. And just changing one little thing, is it going to get a bunch of vegetarians to go get a hamburger?”
Read more about the political calculations in Stella and Sameea’s story.
In other election news:
Rent control: Supporters of Proposition 33, a rent control measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, are ramping up their campaign. They unveiled radio ads featuring labor leader Dolores Huerta speaking to voters in both English and Spanish: “The rent is too damn high. Don’t be fooled by the California Apartment Association. California needs rent control.”
Prop. 33 is sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a frequent funder of ballot measures — and the target of Prop. 34, which would severely limit its campaign spending. Opponents of the measure argue that it’s unconstitutional because it would only apply to one organization, but the state Supreme Court refused Wednesday to remove it from the ballot.
Minimum wage: The California Labor Federation has endorsed Prop. 32, which would raise the state minimum wage from $16 an hour to $18. But it hasn’t decided how much money to put into the campaign. Labor was a driving force behind the $20 wage for fast food workers. The National Federation of Independent Business has come out against the measure.
Climate poll: Another ballot measure, Prop. 4, would allow the state to borrow $10 billion for climate action programs; 59% of likely voters are in favor, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday night. The sentiments run along party lines: 78% of Democrats say they plan to vote “yes,” compared to only 25% of Republicans.
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Other Stories You Should Know
ICE detainees want labor rights
People detained inside the Golden State Annex in McFarland on July 8, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local
With Prop. 6 on the November ballot, voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution to ban forced labor in state prisons. If passed, it’s unclear whether inmates’ pay — which is less than 74 cents an hour for most — will increase.
But others in detention are also seeking better pay and working conditions: Immigrants in two privately-run facilities in Kern County. In a landmark case, state officials are seeking to extend labor rights to those in the middle of deportation or asylum cases, writes CalMatters Capitol reporter Jeanne Kuang.
The Mesa Verde and Golden State Annex facilities, which house as many as 880 immigrants, are operated by The GEO Group under contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In 2022, some detainees went on a labor strike, which escalated to a hunger strike, to protest alleged labor violations, including exposure to workplace hazards.
Typical work assignments at the facilities include cleaning bathrooms and giving haircuts to fellow detainees. One detainee who was housed at the Golden State Annex for nearly two years said he was paid $1 a day to work as an aide for a dormmate who had a mental health condition.
Cal/OSHA cited The GEO Group for labor violations, accused it of resisting state inspections and — in an unusual move — requested deportation protections for complainants in the lawsuit. The company is appealing the citation, arguing the alleged violation was only technical, and that it “disputes the notion that any of these individuals are employees.”
Learn more about the case in Jeanne’s story.
Big bills for involuntary treatment
Sultan Khan in Martinez on June 27, 2024. Photo by Florence Middleton, CalMatters
Two years after his release from Napa State Hospital where he was involuntarily committed, Sultan Khan received a $769,490 bill from the state for his care and three-year stay.
“I’m basically going to be in debt for the rest of my life,” he told CalMatters health reporter Jocelyn Wiener.
Khan, newly diagnosed with schizophrenia, was sent to the state hospital after pleading not guilty by reason of insanity to an assault. Though he said the psychiatric treatment he received helped him, he might have opted to go to prison instead had he known he’d face this massive debt.
Recent laws prevent some government entities from charging big fees to vulnerable populations — such as a 2018 measure that bans fees for juvenile offenders, and a 2022 law that prevents inmates from paying fees associated with their incarceration.
But the Department of State Hospitals is still required by law to bill patients for the cost of care. Attorneys and advocates, however, argue that patients do not have the resources to complete the necessary paperwork to have their debt forgiven, and the amount of some of these bills are “shocking.”
Learn more about state hospital billing in Jocelyn’s story.
And lastly: Faculty free speech
The UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2022. Photo by Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters
The University of California board of regents is one step closer to ironing out its rules on faculty political speech — in the spotlight during Gaza war protests. Find out what they are from CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn.
California Voices
CalMatters commentary is now California Voices, with a fresh look and new features. Check it out.
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters is away.
Other things worth your time:
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SoCal school district sues Gov. Gavin Newsom over new gender-identity law // AP News
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Apple, Silicon Valley billionaire back $50M housing fund // San Francisco Chronicle
Why SF police are now restricted from certain traffic stops // KQED
Salesforce mandates October return to office as layoffs continue // The San Francisco Standard
SD County to crack down on corporate homebuyers, landlords // The San Diego Union-Tribune
Why fentanyl users on SF streets bend over at extreme angles // San Francisco Chronicle
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