Alejandro Padilla

President Joe Biden recently signed into law a measure led in part by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, to cut red tape for veterans looking to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

Kamala Harris’ campaign is launching a blitz in Arizona, with plans to swamp the state with events and canvassing efforts, all timed around the start of early voting.

CIRM has come to stand for California Institute for the Redistribution of Money.

Left-wing groups are shocked by Vice President Kamala Harris' sudden bounce to the right on immigration, but some say she will revert once in office.

Dozens of immigration and progressive groups believe Vice President Harris' recent hawkish immigration policy pledges are "harmful" and part of a "MAGA anti-immigrant agenda" — but many are backing her anyway.Why it matters: Democrats are temporarily uniting to stop a second Donald Trump presidency, but immigration could immediately splinter the party if Harris wins in November.Immigration is likely to be a central focus for the White House and Congress next year regardless of how the Nov. 5 election turns out, given the historic migration crises across the globe.Some progressive groups are quietly hoping that Harris' tough-on-the-border rhetoric is just a posture to help her win in November — and that she'd govern closer to the more liberal stances she held during the 2020 Democratic primary. Driving the news: After more than 31⁄2 years in the Biden administration, Harris has largely shifted from framing herself as a longtime immigrant advocate to a tough border hawk.She has pledged to sign a White House-backed bipartisan bill that failed during the current Congress. It would significantly restrict asylum, continue building a border wall, and dedicate historic levels of funding to detain undocumented immigrants.It's a contrast to the stance she had as a California senator. In her first speech on the Senate floor in 2017, Harris said she'd prosecuted "everything from low-level offenses to homicides. I know what a crime looks like. I will tell you: an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal."While running for president in 2019, she pledged to make illegally crossing the border a civil rather than a criminal offense. Zoom in: Several organizations made clear they would oppose Harris if she tried to pass the border bill next year, as president.Kerri Talbot, executive director of the Immigration Hub, told Axios the group "still opposes this bill.""If you take out the Ukraine aide that was originally part of the compromise, it's just a Republican bill."David Stacy, vice president of government affairs at the Human Rights Campaign, told Axios the bill "undermines asylum protections for LGBTQ+ people fleeing violence."Oxfam America's Gina Cummings said the group believe the bill "should not be brought to the Senate floor or passed under any current or future administration."Sunil Varghese, policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said the group opposes the bill because it would gut asylum access and legalize "anti-immigrant policies rather than reform or modernize the sorely outdated U.S. immigration system."Between the lines: Talbot added that she still supports Harris."We all know and trust Harris to make the right decisions when she's in office. I don't think this bill will ever come up again, as is," Talbot said.What they're saying: Axios asked Harris' campaign whether she was available for a five- to 10-minute interview to discuss her position on immigration. A campaign spokesperson declined.Harris' campaign pointed to a recent radio interview she had with a friendly host in which she said: "We have to have immigration policy that understands that we can fight for our Dreamers, provide a pathway to citizenship for those who have earned it."We can keep families together, and we can secure the border."Reality check: Many Democrats are pushing aside their disagreements with Harris' recent positions at a time when Trump is pledging the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, sweeping domestic raids, and other far more hawkish policies. California Sen. Alex Padilla, who replaced Harris in that chamber after she became vice president, said in May that the border bill "contains some of the same tried and failed policies that would actually make the situation worse at the southern border."But Padilla said Harris "is the only candidate in this race who also values keeping families together and providing a pathway to citizenship for long-term residents. And I'm proud to support her."The progressive group Indivisible told Axios that although it doesn't back Harris "on every position ... there is a yawning abyss between her and Trump on immigration policy.""Stopping Trump is absolutely critical."

The California Legislature passed more than a dozen bills to regulate artificial intelligence in recent days, though some ambitions fell short.

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Niels Lesniewski, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire We have reached the point in the campaign cycle where there are too many ads [...]The post At the Races: Number crunch appeared first on Roll Call.

Three incumbents - Velveth Schmitz, Debby Stegura and Frank Zerunyan- were the only ones to file as candidates for the Nov. 5 election.

Do's name was listed on the candidates' endorsement page as recently as mid-July, but he has since been removed.

From the editorial: "Of course, grocery bag bans won’t alone solve the global plastic trash problem."

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. From concerts to campaign cash, 2024 is shaping up as a test of the crypto industry’s political strength. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Charles [...]The post At the Races: Crypto campaigning appeared first on Roll Call.

If she wins, Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to name a Cabinet and West Wing that are younger than President Biden's, with more people of color, sources close to her tell us.Why it matters: Biden took a comfort-food approach to staff, so a second term could've looked like a rerun. Despite her risk aversion, Harris — while turning to plenty of familiar names — will also add some powerful new characters to Washington's cast. It's been 18 days since Biden bowed out. Harrisworld has been consumed with locking up the nomination, rebooting the campaign, preparing for the convention in Chicago two weeks from now — and getting ready for last night's captivating debut with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.So staffing the government hasn't been a central obsession. But based on conversations with a wide variety of current and former aides and associates, we can give you a good sense of her early shortlists. "You won't see a bunch of new people you've never heard of," said one Harris adviser, noting she kept much of Biden's campaign hierarchy.What we're hearing: The options listed below are preliminary. But they show how Harris and her team will start mapping her prospective administration:White House chief of staff: Harris, who has already made lots of history herself, might well make history with the first chief of staff who is Black — perhaps former Attorney General Eric Holder, who led the vetting of her veep options. Or the first chief of staff who's a woman — perhaps Lorraine Voles, her vice-presidential chief of staff, or Jen O'Malley Dillon, the campaign chair. Either could also be rewarded with the plum West Wing jobs of counselor or senior adviser. Secretary of State: Sen. Chris Coons (Del.), who's on the Foreign Relations Committee, would love to run Foggy Bottom. For confirmation reasons, Harris could be expected to lean into senators and former senators if Republicans take the Senate. CIA director Bill Burns and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also would be on the list. Treasury: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is popular with business and would be considered for Treasury. Wally Adeyemo, now deputy Treasury secretary, is one of the Biden officials most likely to get promoted in a Harris administration. Blair Effron, an investment banking partner who's very active in D.C. and New York, is another name to watch.Defense: Another place to make history — perhaps with Michèle Flournoy, who was undersecretary of Defense for policy under President Obama, as the first woman to lead the Pentagon.Attorney General: Former Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, a former U.S. attorney, could be confirmed to head Justice, even if Republicans win control of the Senate.Commerce: Ray McGuire, president of the investment bank Lazard, Charles Phillips (a tech executive on the Defense Innovation Board), and other Black business leaders would be on the list.U.S. ambassador to the UN: Pete Buttigieg, 42, the Transportation Secretary and a finalist for Harris' running mate, still has ambitions to be president one day. So a role where he gets international experience would be attractive to him. We're told he and Harris have gotten friendlier since they were rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.U.S. trade representative: Tom Nides — U.S. ambassador to Israel under Biden, and deputy secretary of state under Obama, now with the private equity and real estate giant Blackstone — would be strong for USTR, UN ambassador, or other top international roles.White House counsel (or Justice): Tony West is a top Harris campaign adviser who's chief legal officer at Uber, a former U.S. associate attorney general, and is married to Harris' sister, Maya. But bringing a family member into the White House is complicated. So West could remain an outside adviser. Brian Nelson, a close California ally who just left the Treasury to join her campaign, could land in a top role, either as White House counsel or at Justice.National security adviser: Phil Gordon, Harris' national security adviser in the V.P.'s office, looks headed for this role. Others to watch include Tom Donilon, who was Obama's national security adviser, and Rahm Emanuel, now U.S. ambassador to Japan.White House press secretary: Brian Fallon, the Harris campaign's senior adviser for communications, would be a top contender for the podium. Fallon is an alumnus of Sen. Chuck Schumer's tough office, plus the Justice Department and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. Ian Sams, who has done well in podium outings as White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, worked on Harris' 2019 presidential campaign. Communications director: Lily Adams, assistant Treasury secretary for public affairs, was communications director in Harris' Senate office and on her 2019 campaign.Watch for: Ambassador Emanuel to be a key player in the transition if Harris wins. Emanuel is a former House member, Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff for Obama.Emanuel would be interested in a Cabinet job with an international dimension.Harris sources mentioned several current officials who would have a good chance at a variety of Cabinet roles:At the top of this list is Sen. Laphonza Butler, 45, a longtime labor leader from Harris' home state of California. She was appointed to fill out the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Butler isn't seeking a full term, so she leaves office in January.Sen. Alex Padilla — California's senior senator and the son of parents who emigrated from Mexico — was appointed to fill Harris' term after she was elected vice president, making him the first Latino to represent the Golden State in the Senate.If Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were to take a job in a Harris administration, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II would become the Wolverine State's first Black governor.All three of those officials would be considered confirmable, even by a Republican Senate.Between the lines: Harris has had a stair-step progression to the pinnacle of American power — from elected D.A. of San Francisco, to state attorney general, to U.S. senator, to vice president, to party nominee. So look for her to reward officials who similarly have worked their way up and are super-prepared — even over-prepared — for the jobs she gives them.Her roster of options is likely to include state attorneys general she served with from 2011 until she went to Capitol Hill in 2017. Plus also-rans from the V.P. search that ended yesterday with Walz as winner.Axios' Hans Nichols contributed reporting.

As mayor of Los Angeles, and as host city for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Karen Bass will have an official role at the closing ceremony in Paris.

Sen. Alex Padilla - who succeeded Kamala Harris in California's Senate seat - has added his voice to the growing chorus backing the vice president in her new presidential bid.

A number of Democratic lawmakers, governors and past leaders were quick to rally behind Vice President Harris as she pursues the Democratic Party's presidential nomination following President Biden's withdrawal from the race. Shortly after dropping out of the presidential race, Biden endorsed Harris as his successor, stating it is "time to come together and beat" [...]

Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey gained in the latest U.S. Senate race poll and leads the GOP field, but with two other Republicans still drawing significant support, Garvey trails the two top Democrats.