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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe, and I'm here with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. Today is the first day of a new Congress. Can Democrats, Republicans, and the Biden administration find common ground in a divided government in 2023? And California remains on the leading edge of progressive policy with a slew of new legislation going into effect in 2023. We break down the new laws and how they impact the Golden State. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The U.S. has updated travel restrictions as COVID cases in China surge, but critics say a full travel ban is necessary. Here to discuss the situation is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: So, Georgia. Well, China is, of course, not known for its transparency, so any numbers out of the communist nation need to be looked at skeptically. Remember, China, a nation of more than 1.2 billion people, they still maintain they've suffered only 5,200 deaths from the virus ever. But outside experts weighing in believe there could be up to 10 million new cases each day. And it's estimated that there could be as many as 1.7 million deaths from the virus over the next four months.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Now, they recently lifted their lockdowns. Is that why we're seeing so many new cases? Yeah, that's part of it. There's also this issue of low population immunity due to the fact that people were locked down for multiple years at this point. When other parts of the world were gaining herd immunity, China was enforcing extremely strict lockdowns. We saw a little bit of that lowered immunity here in the U.S., and our restrictions weren't nearly as severe as the ones in China. So this weakened immune system, coupled with the ineffective vaccines being employed in China, are the two major things being blamed for the spike.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Now, we've been receiving travelers from China for years now. Most people have either had COVID or been vaccinated or both. What's the reasoning behind restricting travel now? Well, officials are warning that another variant or mutation could be spreading in China and that President Xi Jinping could actually be trying to spread such a variant across the globe. That's obviously a strong claim to make. But here former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying just that. Just as in the spring of 2020, he sent people around the world who he knew were infected. He's doing the same darn thing again. We shouldn't let that happen.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Pompeo called for a complete ban on travel from China to keep Americans safe. That would be far more restrictive than what the Biden administration is currently doing, which is merely requiring a negative test for travelers from China. But the current protocol doesn't capture everyone who's had the virus, since false negatives can occur in someone who, for example, is tested too soon after exposure.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Now, has the Biden administration indicated that a full ban on travel from China could be on the table? That's unclear. It's politically difficult for Biden, but it's possible there'll be pressure to do so this time around. You may remember in a campaign speech, Biden called Trump's travel ban hysterical xenophobia and fear-mongering and suggested instead that we should lead with science. Biden officials, though, have attempted to distance the current situation from those claims.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right. Well, Amanda, thanks so much for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: No problem.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo. Coming up, the new year brings a new, divided Congress. Man, are you feeling less like your old self these days? Well, now there's something you can do about it. Nugenix Total T Testosterone Booster safely boosts free and total testosterone for better results in and out of the gym. No stimulants, no fillers, no watered-down ingredients. Get a complimentary bottle of Nugenix's Total Tea when you text WIRE to 231-231. Text now and you'll get a bottle of Nugenix's Thermo, their most powerful fat incinerator, absolutely free. Text WIRE to 231-231. Again, that's WIRE to 231-231.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Today in Washington, the 118th Congress will convene for the first time, kicking off a new era of divided government in the nation's capital. Here with more on how the new Congress will operate is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, the 20th Amendment stipulates that each new session of Congress will start at noon on January 3rd. So later this afternoon, the 118th Congress will convene for the first time. The Senate will look more or less the same, though Democrats will have a more clear majority after gaining a seat in November. That 51-49 advantage will allow them the power to confirm President Biden's federal judges at a much faster pace and also control powerful committee assignments. All that will take place under Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, two people very familiar to the American people.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So familiar faces in the Senate, but it's the House where things are going to look quite different this term, right? Exactly. So Republicans took control of the chamber, ending up with a 222 to 212 margin. The big shakeup in the House, of course, is the departure of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who announced in December that she'd be stepping down from her role in House leadership. She'll be replaced by New York's Hakeem Jeffries, a 52-year-old progressive who Democrats are celebrating as the first Black member to lead either party.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But we're still waiting to see exactly who will be leading the Republican Party as Speaker of the House. Yeah, there's been more of a power struggle than we expected there. Where does that stand now? Well, it had been widely presumed that if Republicans took the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy would take over as Speaker. But because of how slim the Republican majority is, McCarthy now needs to count on near-unanimous support from GOP members if he wants to spot. And that has not happened so far. It looks like he could only afford to lose four Republican votes. And right now, there are around a dozen hardline conservative members who say that they definitely won't or likely won't support him.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That has left McCarthy frantically trying to win them over. Among other things, he publicly given in to their demands to amend rules that will make it easier for the Speaker to be voted out down the road. He's really just trying to do anything he can to get their support. And if he's not able to secure those votes, there will be another round of voting and so on and so on later Tuesday until someone comes out on top. We heard names like Steve Scalise of Louisiana thrown around as another potential option, maybe Jim Jordan from Ohio. But we'll just have to wait and see who comes out on top.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But just the fact that it might not be McCarthy is pretty stunning. Yeah. So from a policy perspective, what are the main issues we're expecting to see debated in the House as this session kicks off? Well, House Republicans have unveiled a plan they're calling the Commitment to America, which focuses on four main subjects, fighting inflation and high cost of living, reducing crime and securing the border, freedom and education for parents, and increased government accountability.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, at the moment, it looks like the first vote they'll actually hold will be an attempt to repeal increased funding for the IRS, which, remember, had passed as part of the Democrats' so-called Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans are also expected to launch formal investigations into the Biden family's business dealings, the origins of COVID, and the job performance of cabinet members in the Biden administration to consider potential impeachment hearings.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: How will all this, this new divided Congress, affect the Biden administration? Well, let's put it this way. The days of President Biden being able to pass sweeping far-left measures through Congress are likely over. As Republican member Patrick McHenry put it, quote, there's not been a concerted effort from this White House to have interaction with many Republicans, that's going to have to change. Now, it's well known that President Biden and Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell have a working relationship that goes back decades, but that's just not the case in the House.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: We've heard from other Republican leaders who say that they're not actually that interested in working with Biden after he's demonized their party as extremists. And on top of that, among the two dozen or so Republicans who have voted with Democrats on major bills in the last year, a large chunk of those members were either voted out in midterms or stepped down. So do not be surprised if the White House is forced to resort to smaller executive orders as opposed to sweeping legislation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: OK, so we can expect more pen and phone decrees by the president. Right. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime. That was Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As California rings in the new year, a number of new controversial laws pushed through by progressives in the state legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom are set to take effect. Here to discuss the new laws and the impact they could have on California is columnist David Marcus.
--:-- David Marcus: So, Dave, a lot of controversy here. Which of the new laws really stand out to you? I think the crime measures, I can't in good faith call them anti-crime measures, may be the most vital here. One law, Assembly Bill 2598, is a call to use what is called restorative justice for students who commit crimes to keep them out of the prison system. This really amounts to taking responsibility for crime among young people away from cops and into the hands of social workers. Look, it's pretty standard lefty fare. But the fear is that with issues like gangs and drug dealing, there's no evidence that social workers can actually fix the problem. And look, it could give a green light to people under 18 to commit crimes.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, some criminal activity in school has gotten quite a different treatment from California lawmakers. Hate crimes at schools will now face actually greater penalties. What's the thinking behind this? It's frankly kind of amazing. So this is AB 2282, and it would create harsher criminal penalties for people who display hateful material like nooses or swastikas in or around schools. First of all, it's not clear that this is some huge problem. Last year, it was only a few dozen cases. But there's also a bit of hypocrisy here. One proponent of the bill says that, quote, I think, especially in high school, the threat of legal consequence will mitigate behavior, end quote. So basically if you bring a gun to school you get a chat with a social worker, but if you wear an offensive t-shirt, you might be looking at jail. It really shows where the priorities of California progressive government are.
--:-- David Marcus: Now on the economy there are two measures dealing with the minimum wage that have created some controversy. What are they and why do they have conservatives and some moderates so worried? Right. So one of them essentially creates a council to establish a new minimum wage for fast food workers with an upward limit of an astounding $22 an hour. The other ticks the overall minimum wage up from $15 to $15.50. As to the fast food workers, it was just last month that McDonald's opened its first fully automated location. And at $22 an hour, we'll see a whole lot more of that.
--:-- David Marcus: There's also some environmental measures, one having to do with neighborhoods near oil fields and another for bicyclists. What exactly do these laws do? The first requires that there be a 1,200-foot buffer between oil and gas wells and houses. The second is a set of protections for cyclists, in part to encourage bike riding over driving cars. So this latter one requires drivers to change lanes when passing a bike. It also makes it illegal for cities and towns to institute licenses for bike riding. Gavin Newsom wants driving to be as difficult and expensive as possible and biking to be as easy as possible to save Mother Earth.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, whether people can actually get to work without cars in California, that's another story. Yeah, it's a big one. There's also a ban on large trucks and buses made before 2010 that just went into effect, correct? Right. And this chases back to a bunch of clean air regulations passed by the California Air Resources Board over a decade ago, but has now officially gone into effect as of Sunday. So the law bans any large trucks or buses made before 2010 from operating on California roadways. One analysis estimates that this will affect some 10 percent of the commercial motor vehicles operating in the state. That's around 200,000 vehicles.
--:-- David Marcus: Now, we've reported before on probably the most controversial measure being enacted this year. That's the state's new transgender treatment sanctuary law, but there's also another hot button measure on abortion that's meant to increase access. How exactly does this law work and why now? Right. This allows some nurse practitioners to perform first trimester abortions, and it is in response to California's desire to be really an abortion destination. Bottom line, more abortions. And as you mentioned, more transgender treatment for minors. They really want to be at the fore of this part of culture war.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, California, once again, pushing leftward in its policies. David, thanks for reporting.
--:-- David Marcus: Thanks.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Other stories we're tracking this week. Tens of thousands of people lined up to pay their last respects to Pope Benedict at St. Peter's Basilica on Monday. The viewings will continue until the funeral, which will be presided over by Pope Francis on Thursday. The funeral for soccer star Pele will be held today. Thousands of mourners filed past his body at a soccer stadium in Brazil on Monday. Pele won three World Cups and died at age 82 after a battle with cancer. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.
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