Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - May 24, 2019

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May 24, 2019

Weld focuses on states with crossover voting   May 24, 2019: John Delaney released a $4 trillion climate action proposal. Bill Weld said he will focus his campaign on states with crossover voting. We’ll be back on Tuesday, May 28! Share the latest from the campaign trail.         Each Friday, we'll highlight a presidential candidate's key campaign staffer. Zach Graumann is a former financial planner and executive. He has no prior campaign management experience. Other experience: 2014-present: Suit Up Incorporated, co-founder and chief executive officer 2014-2018: UBS Wealth Management, director of client philanthropy solutions 2012-2014: UBS Wealth Management, associate director 2011-2013: St. Mary's Catholic Academy, treasurer What he says about Yang: "An outsider candidate raising nearly $2 million in two months in entirely small contributions is unheard of. Andrew Yang has proven he can build an online fundraising army from scratch — the Yang Gang effect is real." ​​ Notable Quote of the Day “Still six years short of the Constitution's minimum age requirement to be president herself, [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez's massive social media following and ability to generate news headlines has made her a key player in the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. With progressives looking to stand out in the crowded field of more than 20 candidates, some Democrats believe that no endorsement—other than the Obamas—would be more potent in [sic] than one from Ocasio-Cortez.” – Eric Bradner, CNN national political reporter Democrats Michael Bennet introduced the Opioid Crisis Accountability Act to fund programs to address the opioid crisis through a general fine on opioid manufacturers and distributors covered by federal health programs beginning in 1993. Joe Biden tweeted support for McDonald’s workers striking for a $15 minimum wage. Cory Booker announced more than a dozen new national campaign staff, including Amanda Perez as national policy director, Emily Norman as chief innovation officer, and Jen Kim as states chief of staff. Steve Bullock has also hired 10 new staffers in Iowa with Nick Marroletti as state organizing director and Jack Segal and Alexandra Cleverly as Iowa political coordinators. Pete Buttigieg said he supported athletes who kneel during the National Anthem to protest police brutality. “I felt that I was watching Americans exercise a right that I had put my life on the line to defend,” he said. In an appearance on NPR’s Morning Edition, Julián Castro discussed immigration and border crossings. John Delaney released a $4 trillion climate action proposal that would introduce a carbon tax and set out to reduce carbon emissions by 90 percent by 2050. During an interview on Fox News, Tulsi Gabbard said a U.S. conflict with Iran would likely lead to a destabilized region and millions of refugees fleeing into Europe. In an interview on PBS NewsHour, Kirsten Gillibrand discussed abortion and trade policy with China. “We can use the WTO, we can use multilateralism to effect a different outcome on how they deal with competitors and how they deal with the world economy. And I would hold them accountable. I would prosecute these cases of dumping of steel,” she said. Mike Gravel called for a federal investigation into the police shooting of a Lakota man named Clarence Leading Fighter. Kamala Harris canceled a trip to Iowa Thursday to vote on a disaster aid bill. John Hickenlooper will campaign in Connecticut over the weekend, including a meet and greet with the Connecticut High School Democrats. The New York Times profiled Jay Inslee and his campaign focus on climate change. Amy Klobuchar opened her presidential headquarters in northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota, Thursday. Tim Ryan introduced a bill to establish a chief manufacturing officer who would coordinate manufacturing policies and strategy across government. Bernie Sanders will campaign in his home state Vermont this weekend with a rally in Montpelier. Eric Swalwell will accept donations in cryptocurrencies, becoming the second candidate after Yang to do so. Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin questioning him about his possible involvement in the decline of Sears. By polling at 1 percent in a Monmouth University poll released Thursday, Marianne Williamson has met the polling criteria for the first primary debate, likely guaranteeing her a spot on the debate stage. Earlier this month, she met the fundraising criteria. Republicans Vanity Fair reported on how the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign are conducting and planning to use opposition research against Biden. Bill Weld discussed his primary strategy in an interview with Politico. “I’ll be focusing on the 20 states that permit crossover voting. It’s not just Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, it’s 17 other states,“ Weld said.   What We’re Reading The Hill: Gillibrand 'very unhappy' with 'Game of Thrones' finale Politico: Warren and AOC knock 'Game of Thrones' finale in new video Twitter: Andrew Yang: That was a beautiful ending to the best show on TV. Flashback: May 24, 2015 The Washington Post reported on the rise of student loan debt as a key campaign issue. “A part of the reason student debt is so important for Democrats is that it’s a crucial motivator to get younger people to vote,” Democratic pollster Geoff Garin said. “Student debt is often the defining economic fact of their lives.”