Democrats celebrate 1-year anniversary of signature legislation, and more trail takeaways

(WASHINGTON) — Democrats took a victory lap Wednesday to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act into law, the legislation they hope will help propel them to victory in 2024.

Elsewhere, former Vice President Mike Pence knocked his old boss and current 2024 primary front-runner — former President Donald Trump — over Trump’s unfounded claims that election fraud cost him victory in Georgia in 2020.

Here’s what to know from the trail on Wednesday.

Happy anniversary

Democrats gathered at the White House Wednesday to promote the one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act into law.

The celebration was part of a broader blitz over “Bidenomics,” Democrats’ name for the economic policy pushed by the White House that the party insists is responsible for ameliorating families’ fiscal health.

At the jamboree, Biden dubbed the $740 billion climate, health and tax bill as one of the “most significant laws” ever enacted.

“Taking on the special interests and winning,” Biden said. “Delivering on promises that have long been made to the American people to lower cost for families, especially health care costs; increase America’s energy security; restore fairness to a tax code; create good paying jobs here in America; and to address the potential threat of climate crisis.”

“Bidenomics is anchored in what’s always worked best for the country, investing in America, investing in Americans,” he added. “Because when we invest in ourselves, when we strengthen the middle class, we see stronger economic growth that benefits everybody.”

Not everyone was on board, though.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., an architect of the bill, stayed away from the celebration and panned its implementation as he tries to separate himself from the party ahead of a possible bruising reelection effort in ruby red West Virginia.

“With respect to energy security, and contrary to those in the Biden Administration who seek to undermine this goal, this law re-established an all-of-the-above energy policy and empowered the growth of fossil fuels and renewables. If implemented as designed the IRA will ensure that all Americans have more reliable and more affordable power for years to come,” he said in a statement.

Continued split over 2020 election

Pence on Wednesday gave a full-throated rebuttal of Trump’s claims that election fraud robbed him of victory in Georgia three years ago.

Trump has reiterated his baseless allegations after he and 18 others were charged in a sprawling indictment from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over efforts to have his loss overturned. Trump denies any wrongdoing.

“[W]ith respect to what the former president and his allies have said for now more than two-and-a-half years, and continue to insist at this very hour: The Georgia election was not stolen, and I had no right to overturn the election on Jan. 6,” Pence told a group of Republican state lawmakers at the National Conference of State Legislatures Summit in Indianapolis.

Pence has repeatedly said he had now power to overturn the 2020 election results and that Trump was wrong to think he could, though the former vice president remains mired in the single digits in national and statewide polling, according to FiveThirtyEight.

Rival campaigns throw their hands in the air

Speaking of Trump’s latest indictment, rival campaigns are making their peace that it will likely do little, if anything, to dent his primary support.

Trump has seen fundraising and polling bumps after his three previous indictments, and conversations with a half-dozen strategists working on rival Republican presidential campaigns suggested nobody’s holding their breath for the fourth time to bring Trump back down to earth.

“Trump will see a significant fundraising bump,” said one strategist working on a rival campaign. “While more money will be coming in, more of it will pour into his legal fees. More pertinent to the election, with every indictment, his legal situation becomes more perilous, while at the same time further solidifying his guarantee of clinching the nomination.”

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