Convention-season political trinkets get the nod

NEWS AND OPINION:

Having thoughts about the fast-approaching presidential election? These trinkets go beyond conventional convention thinking.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled a pair of limited-edition bobbleheads featuring the familiar Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey. The pair commemorate the 2024 Republican and Democratic conventions, which are being held in Milwaukee and Chicago, respectively.

No, really. These commemorative objects have signature bobbing, nodding heads and a patriotic color scheme.

“Standing on a base reading ’Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 2024’ with a backing of the Milwaukee skyline, the Republican Elephant bobblehead is colored red, white and blue with three white stars across his side,” the organization said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Standing on a base reading ’Chicago, Illinois – 2024’ with a backing of the Chicago skyline, the smiling Democratic Donkey bobblehead is colored red, white and blue with four white stars across his side,” the organization said.

The bobbleheads are both individually numbered to 2,024, the museum added.

“We’re excited to create bobbleheads of the Republican Elephant and Democratic Donkey to commemorate this election cycle’s conventions taking place in Milwaukee and Chicago this summer,” museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said, also in a statement.

“A symbol of their parties since the late-1800s, these bobbleheads will be a great keepsake for those attending the convention, Milwaukee and Chicago area residents, collectors, and anyone else looking for a fun way to remember the conventions!” Mr. Sklar advises, exclamation point and all.

Find these bobbleheads — and many others — at Bobbleheadhall.com.

ON THE AGENDA

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has revealed what’s on the agenda of 35 House Republican committees this week. Here are just a few of the matters the lawmakers will address, verbatim from the source:

The Armed Services Committee will debate, amend and rewrite the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

The Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a full committee hearing, “Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos.”

The Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security will hold a hearing, “Green Building Policies: Jeopardizing the American Dream of Homeownership.”

The Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a full committee hearing, “The State of American Diplomacy in 2024: Global Instability, Budget Challenges, and Great Power Competition.”

The Committee on Homeland Security will hold a full committee hearing, “Advancing Innovation (AI): Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Defend and Secure the Homeland.”

The Committee on Rules will meet on H.R. 192 to prohibit individuals who are not U.S. citizens from voting in elections in the District of Columbia.

The Committee on Small Business will hold a full committee hearing, “Burdensome Regulations: Examining the Biden Administration’s Failure to Consider Small Businesses.”

The Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce will hold a hearing, “What We Have Here Is a Failure to Collaborate: Review of GAO’s Annual Duplication Report.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Rep. Byron Donalds, widely speculated on as a possible vice presidential pick for former President Donald Trump, recently journeyed to the Granite State to address the New Hampshire Republican Party’s annual gathering at a splendid waterfront venue Friday night in Portsmouth.

The Florida Republican had some sound advice for his enthusiastic audience.

“If we are united, there’s nothing the crazy left can do to stop us. The race for America is on,” Mr. Donalds told the crowd, according to a statement from the host organization.

Yes, that certainly is true.

“President Joe Biden returns to New Hampshire next week for his second visit in two months to the only general election battleground state in New England. The president will hold an official White House event in Merrimack,” the Concord Monitor reported.

“Afterward, Democratic sources told the Monitor that Biden will head down to Boston to hold two fundraising events,” the Monitor noted.

“Democratic sources say to expect regular visits in New Hampshire between now and the November election from either the president, Vice President Kamala Harris, their spouses, and other top Biden campaign surrogates,” it said.

THE CHANGING POPULATION

The foreign-born or immigrant population — both legal and illegal — has hit a record high 51.6 million, constituting 15.6% of the U.S. population, according to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies.

That’s an increase of 5.1 million since 2022, the largest two-year increase in American history, the center said.

Since President Biden took office in January 2021, the foreign-born population has increased by 6.6 million in just 39 months.

“If present trends continue, the foreign-born population will reach 62.5 million in 2030 and 82.2 million by 2040 — larger than the current combined populations of 30 states plus the District of Columbia,” the study said.

“Many observers think of immigrants solely as workers, but only 46% of the foreign-born who arrived in 2022 or later were employed in the first part of 2024 — similar to the share of new arrivals employed during previous economic expansions,” it said.

There’s much more research to examine. Find the Center for Immigration Studies at CIS.org.

POLL DU JOUR

• 89% of U.S. adults have not yet achieved what they consider “financial success.”

• 53% say they need to make more money and achieve financial success.

• 49% say they need to increase their savings to achieve financial success.

• 34% say they need to pay down their debt.

• 30% say they need to invest more.

• 26% say they need to stick to a budget.

• 13% say they need to take on more work responsibilities and longer hours.

• 9% say what they do “doesn’t matter” and they will never achieve financial success.

• 5% cite some “other” factor.

• 4% “don’t know” about the issue.

SOURCE: A Bankrate survey of 2,320 U.S. adults conducted April 15-17 and released Monday. Respondents could cite multiple possible situations from a supplied list.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X at @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperBulletin.