MNI POLITICAL RISK ANALYSIS - US Daily Brief 01-02-23

Executive Summary:

• President Joe Biden will hold a highly anticipated meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at the White House today – the first significant meeting of what is expected to be a months-long showdown between Democrats and Republicans over the debt ceiling and government spending.
• President Biden yesterday contrasted an “extreme” Republican Party with his administration’s bipartisan achievements at a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law event in New York City: “You know, look, this is not your father's Republican Party… This is a different breed of cat…They want to get rid of Social Security and Medicare.”
• The US is preparing to announce the provision of longer-range rocket systems to Ukraine as 40% of Republican-leaning voters say the US is doing “too much” to support Ukraine.
• Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) engage in a war of words as the latter prepares for a 2024 presidential campaign launch.
• Former Republican South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will formally announce a 2024 bid on February 15.
• An omission in Attorney General Merrick Garland’s timeline of Biden’s document controversy may invite more pressure on the White House.
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday refused to be drawn on the Biden Administration’s position on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
• The US State Department yesterday accused Russia of breaching the terms of the New START nuclear treaty by blocking US inspectors’ access to sites within Russia.
• President Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Brazil President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva at the White House on February 10.
• US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will hold a joint press briefing today with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Carlito Galvez following meetings on increased US military presence in the South East Asian country.
• The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on February 7 entitled, “Joint Legislative Hearing on Unleashing American Energy.”
• United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai yesterday announced that the United States will pursue a USMCA dispute settlement panel regarding Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quota (TRQ) allocation measures.
• Poll of the Day: Republican voters consider it important to “stand up to” the Biden administration, even if it makes it more difficult to address critical problems.

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