Republicans overshadow anti-Biden unity: The Note

The TAKE with Rick Klein

Republicans would like nothing better to focus on President Joe Biden and the Democratic agenda.

But they're continuing to find reasons to have to talk far more about themselves.

Congressional leaders reach the weekend just barely avoiding a government shutdown. The near-crisis came because a few GOP senators insisted on a vote to halt vaccine mandates as a condition of allowing government funding to continue -- even though Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wanted a different strategy.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, has had to spend a good chunk of his week smoothing over Twitter fights involving a few of his Trump-friendliest members and others in his conference. McCarthy holds his weekly news conference Friday having to face questions about the latest rhetorical dust-ups involving Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

For his part, former President Donald Trump is amplifying his efforts to back primary challengers against incumbents he views as disloyal. He greeted the retirement announcement of Gov. Charlie Baker, R-Mass., with glee, and responded to news of Stacy Abrams' candidacy with a fresh attack on Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga.

All of this comes as the Jan. 6 committee is prepared to step up its public activities, at least according to its Republican vice chairman. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Thursday that the committee is planning "multiple weeks" of public hearings -- putting the actions of Trump and those around him back into focus.

The RUNDOWN with Averi Harper

Texas, which already boasts the nation's most restrictive abortion law, just added another abortion restriction to its books.

Effective Thursday in the Lone Star state, it is a felony to provide medically prescribed drugs used to bring about an abortion after seven weeks of pregnancy. That is three weeks before the FDA's cut off. It also makes it a crime to send the medication through the mail. Medical abortion is the most common method of the procedure in the state.

It comes as the nation awaits decisions from the Supreme Court in high-stakes reproductive rights cases.

Supreme Court Justices heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization on Wednesday. The case seeks to challenge Mississippi's ban on abortions past 15 weeks and could determine the fate of Roe v. Wade. During two hours of arguments, statements from conservative justices seemed indicative of a willingness to uphold the Mississippi law and upend the decades-old precedent that protects a woman's right to end a pregnancy before fetal viability.

Last month, the court heard arguments in the case pertaining to the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans abortions before 6 weeks of pregnancy and deputizes private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who aids a person in receiving an abortion.

It could be months before opinions are issued in either case, but the conservative majority on the court has conjured fears that a woman's right to choose is in danger.

The TIP with Alisa Wiersema

The political calendar has 2022 as the headline, but for Democrats, the campaign trail looks a lot like 2018.

The reemergence of Stacey Abrams and Beto O'Rourke in two of next year's most high-profile gubernatorial races serves as a reminder of the kind of energy Democrats were able to harness four years ago. Although, at the time, those mobilization efforts fell short, both campaigns laid the groundwork for Democrats' ability to expand their ground game in 2020 before ultimately winning the White House and taking control of the Senate.

This time, Abrams and O'Rourke will be running without the actions of the Trump administration playing out in the background of their campaigns. Instead, both candidates are likely to be tied to the policies of the Biden White House while testing the waters for long-lasting Democratic success in their respective, traditionally red states.

For Abrams, a second gubernatorial run will not only serve as a rematch against incumbent GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, but it will also show whether her work as a voting rights advocate permeated Georgia politics enough to make the state solidly blue for years to come.

Meanwhile, though O'Rourke faces an uphill battle against the Republican-dominated political environment in Texas, his return to state politics could highlight whether Democratic voters have the tenacity to successfully rally against GOP-backed policies at the ballot box.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast. On Friday morning, ABC News Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott breaks down the late-night vote to avoid a government shutdown. Then, the big takeaways from ABC's George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with Alec Baldwin on the "Rust" movie set shooting. And, Dr. Richard Besser answers the frequently asked questions about the new omicron variant.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEKEND

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The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the day's top stories in politics. Please check back Monday for the latest.