Joe Biden is in Japan attending the G7 summit as brinksmanship debt ceiling negotiations take place in Washington, D.C. Where is his vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency and president of the Senate? Not at the table, not in the room. Kamala Harris is a continent away from the deal making, spending the weekend with husband Doug Emhoff in their hometown, Los Angeles, California with “no public events scheduled.”
Harris attended a WNBA game in L.A. Friday night between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury to mark the return to the league of star player Brittney Griner after Griner was freed in a prisoner exchange between Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin last December. Biden gave up a notorious Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, for the release of Griner who was convicted on drug possession charges in Russia.
https://twitter.com/cryptocomarena/status/1659769804797140993
Great time at the game tonight cheering on the @LASparks and @PhoenixMercury as we celebrated @BrittneyGriner's return to the court.
Her grace, courage, and determination are an inspiration to all. pic.twitter.com/0fTx952IWj
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 20, 2023
https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1659757423626797058
Kamala Harris spent her evening with Brittney Griner at a WNBA game in California instead of staying in Washington for budget negotiations.
With just days to go until Biden forces a default, neither the president nor the VP are in town. pic.twitter.com/AlKX6KdqNB
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 20, 2023
Harris was cheered by the hometown crowd.
https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1659761455116296192
Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman posted the Vice President’s office release of Harris’ weekend schedule, “The Vice President and Second Gentleman are in Los Angeles, CA and have no public events scheduled.”
The VP this weekend pic.twitter.com/Vo9JLCf9Kv
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) May 20, 2023
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stayed in D.C. this weekend for the negotiations. He was spotted by Bloomberg reporter Kailey Leinz walking on the National Mall Saturday morning.
Speaker McCarthy spotted on a Saturday morning walk along the National Mall. I yelled to ask how debt ceiling talks are going, he said “so so” pic.twitter.com/g1L7cgTSm2
— Kailey Leinz (@kaileyleinz) May 20, 2023
To ensure taxpayers paid for Harris’ weekend vacay back home, an official event was scheduled to justify the trip, (KCBS-TV excerpt):
Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Los Angeles Friday and toured a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing supplies and support to needy new mothers, while also announcing a federal partnership aimed at improving maternal health.
Harris touched down at Los Angeles International Airport around 1 p.m. and was taken by motorcade to the headquarters of the nonprofit Baby2Baby, which provides baby supplies to low-income mothers locally and nationally, and also offers information on available government support resources.
Harris met with a group of mothers during the visit, and announced a partnership between the nonprofit and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will distribute Newborn Supply Kits — including essential goods and maternal health items — to new moms.
…She had been scheduled to make an appearance at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday for a town hall meeting marking Mental Health Action Day. The Los Angeles Times reported that Harris pulled out of the event in a show of solidarity with striking Writers Guild of America members.
https://twitter.com/baby2baby/status/1659700717358297088
NBC News reported Thursday that Biden is keeping Harris out of the debt ceiling negotiations after she was photographed at this week’s Oval Office meeting between Biden and House and Senate leaders. Harris has been tasked with public messaging instead (excerpt):
My latest w/ @albamonica & @katiadoyl:
VP Kamala Harris is taking on a larger role in the White House’s efforts to talk to the public about the debt ceiling & dangers of default — but the former senator will not be involved in daily negotiations. https://t.co/WROfXKapsF
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 18, 2023
Vice President Kamala Harris is taking on a larger role in the White House’s efforts to talk to the public about the need to raise the debt ceiling — but thus far there is no indication she will be involved in daily negotiations.
…As part of the plan, Harris will leave most of the negotiations with congressional Republicans to staffers, including Louisa Terrell, Shalanda Young and Steve Ricchetti, the three aides Biden designated to represent him in the talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s team, the official said. (Terrell is the White House legislative affairs director, Young is the budget director, and Ricchetti is counselor to the president.)
Harris, a former senator, has been increasingly visible in the White House’s debt ceiling efforts after having not attended a meeting last week between Biden and the top four congressional leaders — there was an empty seat next to Biden where Harris traditionally sits in Oval Office meetings. This week, Harris was seated to the immediate right of the president at a second meeting with the same congressional leaders.
Asked why Harris wasn’t at the first meeting but attended the second, the senior administration official said that it was a “joint decision” between Biden and Harris to have her attend this time and that she “should be in those meetings because of not only just what’s at stake, but because of the role that she plays in the partnership.” The official said Biden “values her input, her thoughts and her opinion.”
