Politics

Sen. Harry Reid’s Exit Sets Off Senate Leadership Scramble

Published

9 years ago

April 2, 2015

This June 3, 2014, file photo shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., as he speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Senate voted to advance an election-year bill limiting tax breaks for U.S. companies that move operations overseas. But big hurdles remain. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

This June 3, 2014, file photo shows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., as he speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

ERICA WERNER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A very public spat between the No. 2 and No. 3 Senate Democrats is dashing the party’s hopes for a drama-free succession in the wake of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s retirement.

Dick Durbin of Illinois and Chuck Schumer of New York are longtime colleagues and former housemates in a group home on Capitol Hill who have clashed for power in the past.

This time, Durbin stood aside in the hours before Reid’s retirement became public Friday morning, throwing his backing to Schumer and allowing the outspoken New Yorker to lock up support for the job of Democratic leader. Reid, D-Nev., publicly blessed Schumer, long seen as his likeliest successor, and Democrats hoped a messy leadership fight had been avoided.

The mess was still to come.

According to Durbin’s version of events, in the same conversation where Durbin told Schumer he would not challenge him for leader, Schumer pledged his support for Durbin to hang onto the No. 2 job as Democratic whip.

According to Schumer, that never happened.

Remarkably, for a town that thrives on anonymous gossip, spokesmen for both men have taken the disagreement public.

Durbin spokesman Ben Marter is telling Durbin’s side of the story to anyone who asks, asserting, “The two senators agreed to support one another, and shook hands on the deal.”

Schumer spokesman Matt House, whose office is just across the hall on the ornate third floor of the Capitol, is disputing Durbin’s version of events just as openly, insisting, “That’s not what happened.”

Reid himself waded into the dispute between his lieutenants on Wednesday, giving an interview to CNBC in which he noted that the leadership election remains nearly two years away, and counseled all involved to “just sit down, relax.” Although Durbin’s staff says Reid privately backed Durbin for whip, Reid said in the interview he would not be taking sides.

Waiting in the wings is Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., now No. 4 in the leadership echelon. She is being talked about for the whip job and would likely have support from a number of other female senators. Murray is carefully leaving the door open, backing Schumer for leader but declining to weigh in on the question of whether Durbin should stay on as his No. 2.

“I’m always open to whatever opportunity is there to make sure that I can be the strongest voice possible for the people of our state,” she told reporters at an event earlier this week in Seattle.

Schumer is not publicly backing Murray. But the fact that he is refusing to endorse Durbin to remain in his current job has created the impression that the combative New Yorker is maneuvering to push the more mild-mannered Illinoisan out the door.

By Wednesday night, though, there were signs that Reid’s comments aimed at ratcheting down the conflict were having an impact. Schumer and Durbin connected over the phone for the first time since the disagreement emerged, and House, Schumer’s spokesman, amended his denials to add that “regardless, Sen. Schumer considers Sen. Durbin a close personal friend.”

Durbin and Schumer roomed together for 22 years in a row house on Capitol Hill owned by former California Rep. George Miller, until Miller sold the house last year. The living arrangement was the basis for the Amazon television series “Alpha House.”

Yet both eyed the top Senate job. Over time, Schumer outmaneuvered Durbin, winning over fellow Democrats with his fundraising prowess and skill as a political tactician and spokesman for his party.

In anointing Schumer, Reid seemed to be aiming for a bloodless succession as he announced plans to retire, he said, so as to focus on helping Democrats regain the Senate majority they lost in last fall’s midterm bloodletting, rather than on his own re-election.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

8 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.