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US watchdog to investigate whether officials made 'improper attempts' to alter election result – live US watchdog to investigate whether officials made 'improper attempts' to alter election result – live
(32 minutes later)
Department of Justice’s internal watchdog will investigate possible internal collusion with Trump’s attempts to overturn Biden’s 2020 victoryDepartment of Justice’s internal watchdog will investigate possible internal collusion with Trump’s attempts to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory
Here’s more on South Africa and coronavirus travel restrictions in relation to the US.
The White House confirmed Joe Biden is signing an order today imposing a ban on most non-US citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa, starting on Saturday.
Spokeswoman Jen Psaki also confirmed Biden will re-impose an entry ban on nearly all non-US-citizen travelers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders - a ban that was set to expire tomorrow.
“With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isn’t the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” Psaki said at a news briefing, Reuters reports.
The briefing is just about to wrap up.
The Treasury Department is taking steps to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, as was planned in the Obama administration.
Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist and political activist who as a young age escaped slavery herself and subsequently made incredibly dangerous missions back to slaveholders’ estates to rescue enslaved people, using the network of activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
Barack Obama decided that Tubman should replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, leading to celebrations that an escaped slave would be honored over a slaveowner president, as the Guardian put it at the time, 2016.
Donald Trump, who placed a portrait of “bloody, bloody” Andrew Jackson, murderous enemy of Native Americans, prominently in the Oval Office, squished that plan. Now it looks like Joe Biden has revived it (as well as replacing the Jackson portrait in the Oval with one of Benjamin Franklin).
Obama at one point nicknamed what he hoped would be the forthcoming new $20 bills as “Tubmans”.
As my colleague Amanda Holpuch wrote:
Among 200-year-old facts that will be new to many is that Tubman was the first woman in US history to plan and lead an armed expedition, liberating nearly 750 enslaved men and women in the process.
She also fought for decades to gain compensation for her work as a spy, scout and nurse during the US civil war and was an advocate for both women’s suffrage and proper care of the elderly.
The US federal government under the new president, Joe Biden, does not know exactly how many doses of coronavirus vaccines are in the federal supply or immediately incoming right now.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki just said that the administration was in a mode of “eyes wide open” about the lack of organized plan it inherited from the Trump administration on vaccine supplies, distribution and administration (shots actually getting into arms).
“We knew we were not walking into circumstances where there was going to be a concrete plan presented to us,” she said.
The new head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, said this morning that the agency “does not know how much vaccine we have or how much is coming [from producers Pfizer and Moderna] in the next two to three weeks.”
Meanwhile, Psaki said public officials will hold Covid-19 briefings three times a week, beginning on Wednesday.
Psaki just announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been dispatched to assist at an under-staffed vaccination site.Psaki just announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been dispatched to assist at an under-staffed vaccination site.
More details shortly.More details shortly.
Psaki just confirmed that Joe Biden tore up Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.Psaki just confirmed that Joe Biden tore up Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.
And Biden is to maintain travel restrictions on Europe, Britain, Ireland and Brazil and add South Africa restrictions, to try to curb the spread of variants of the coronavirus disease.And Biden is to maintain travel restrictions on Europe, Britain, Ireland and Brazil and add South Africa restrictions, to try to curb the spread of variants of the coronavirus disease.
An update, the vaccination center was in West Virginia, MSNBC reports.An update, the vaccination center was in West Virginia, MSNBC reports.
The White House press briefing has just begun. Press sec Jen Psaki just announced that from now on, her briefings will be accompanied by someone delivering the material using sign language.The White House press briefing has just begun. Press sec Jen Psaki just announced that from now on, her briefings will be accompanied by someone delivering the material using sign language.
Five days after the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, the supreme court today halted lawsuits accusing him of violating the US Constitution’s anti-corruption provisions by maintaining ownership of his business empire, including a hotel near the White House while in office.Five days after the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, the supreme court today halted lawsuits accusing him of violating the US Constitution’s anti-corruption provisions by maintaining ownership of his business empire, including a hotel near the White House while in office.
The action means that after four years of litigation the top US judicial body will not rule on the meaning and scope of the Constitution’s so-called emoluments provisions, a largely untested area of constitutional law.The action means that after four years of litigation the top US judicial body will not rule on the meaning and scope of the Constitution’s so-called emoluments provisions, a largely untested area of constitutional law.
The provisions bar presidents from accepting gifts or payments from foreign and state governments without congressional approval.The provisions bar presidents from accepting gifts or payments from foreign and state governments without congressional approval.
The justices threw out lower court rulings that had allowed the lawsuits to proceed, Reuters reports, and ordered the two cases dismissed because they became moot with Trump leaving office.The justices threw out lower court rulings that had allowed the lawsuits to proceed, Reuters reports, and ordered the two cases dismissed because they became moot with Trump leaving office.
One of the cases was filed by the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland, while the other by plaintiffs including the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Trump had appealed the lower court rulings.One of the cases was filed by the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland, while the other by plaintiffs including the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Trump had appealed the lower court rulings.
“Only Trump losing the presidency and leaving office ended these corrupt constitutional violations and stopped these groundbreaking lawsuits,” CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement.“Only Trump losing the presidency and leaving office ended these corrupt constitutional violations and stopped these groundbreaking lawsuits,” CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement.
Maryland attorney general Brian Frosh and District of Columbia attorney general Karl Racine said in a joint statement that their case was significant because a lower court “ruled on the meaning of ‘emoluments’ for the first time in American history.”Maryland attorney general Brian Frosh and District of Columbia attorney general Karl Racine said in a joint statement that their case was significant because a lower court “ruled on the meaning of ‘emoluments’ for the first time in American history.”
Frosh and Racine said Trump and his Justice Department appointees who defended him “went to extreme lengths to prevent us from uncovering the true extent of his corruption.”Frosh and Racine said Trump and his Justice Department appointees who defended him “went to extreme lengths to prevent us from uncovering the true extent of his corruption.”
The Justice Department, now under Democratic president Joe Biden’s administration, declined to comment on the Supreme Court’s action.The Justice Department, now under Democratic president Joe Biden’s administration, declined to comment on the Supreme Court’s action.
In one of the cases, plaintiffs including CREW, a hotel owner and a restaurant trade group said the Republican former president’s failure to disentangle himself from his businesses had made him vulnerable to inducements by officials seeking to curry favor.In one of the cases, plaintiffs including CREW, a hotel owner and a restaurant trade group said the Republican former president’s failure to disentangle himself from his businesses had made him vulnerable to inducements by officials seeking to curry favor.
The plaintiffs said that they lost patronage, wages and commissions from clients who chose Trump’s businesses over theirs because of the ability to gain his favor. After a federal judge initially threw out the case, the New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals revived it in 2019.The plaintiffs said that they lost patronage, wages and commissions from clients who chose Trump’s businesses over theirs because of the ability to gain his favor. After a federal judge initially threw out the case, the New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals revived it in 2019.
A 2020 decision by the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US circuit court of appeals allowed the similar lawsuit by the District of Columbia and Maryland to proceed. That suit focused on the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which became a favored lodging and event space for some foreign and state officials visiting Washington.A 2020 decision by the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US circuit court of appeals allowed the similar lawsuit by the District of Columbia and Maryland to proceed. That suit focused on the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which became a favored lodging and event space for some foreign and state officials visiting Washington.
A third lawsuit filed by congressional Democrats against Trump ended last year after the Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal of a lower court ruling that the lawmakers lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the case.A third lawsuit filed by congressional Democrats against Trump ended last year after the Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal of a lower court ruling that the lawmakers lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the case.
Walter Shaub, the former top US government ethics watchdog, who resigned early in the Trump administration, was sharply critical of the Scotus decision. today.Walter Shaub, the former top US government ethics watchdog, who resigned early in the Trump administration, was sharply critical of the Scotus decision. today.
Shaub had previously strongly criticized the president over his failure to divest from his business holdings, saying he was “extremely troubled” that Trump simply turned over his investments to his two oldest sons.Shaub had previously strongly criticized the president over his failure to divest from his business holdings, saying he was “extremely troubled” that Trump simply turned over his investments to his two oldest sons.
It looks as though Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy will preside over Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the senate next month.It looks as though Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy will preside over Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the senate next month.
It was known that it wouldn’t be Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts, as it was during Trump’s 2019 impeachment trial when Trump was a sitting president, and there was growing speculation that vice-president Kamala Harris, as the president of the Senate, would not preside over the upcoming melodrama.It was known that it wouldn’t be Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts, as it was during Trump’s 2019 impeachment trial when Trump was a sitting president, and there was growing speculation that vice-president Kamala Harris, as the president of the Senate, would not preside over the upcoming melodrama.
So it looks like Leahy will be in charge, as president pro tempore.So it looks like Leahy will be in charge, as president pro tempore.
The senate describes the role of president pro tempore as: the person who presides over the [senate] chamber in the absence of the vice president. The president pro tempore (or, “president for a time”) is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.The senate describes the role of president pro tempore as: the person who presides over the [senate] chamber in the absence of the vice president. The president pro tempore (or, “president for a time”) is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
Leahy is also a movie star.....having appeared in Batman films.Leahy is also a movie star.....having appeared in Batman films.
Major changes.Major changes.
Some more details on that new investigation by the DoJ watchdog:Some more details on that new investigation by the DoJ watchdog:
The Justice Department’s inspector general is launching an investigation to examine whether any former or current department officials “engaged in an improper attempt” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.The Justice Department’s inspector general is launching an investigation to examine whether any former or current department officials “engaged in an improper attempt” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Inspector General Michael Horowitz said today that the investigation will investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current Justice Department officials - but will not extend to other government officials, The AP reports.Inspector General Michael Horowitz said today that the investigation will investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current Justice Department officials - but will not extend to other government officials, The AP reports.
The investigation comes after The New York Times reported that a former assistant attorney general, Jeffrey Clark, had been discussing a plan with the then-president, Donald Trump, to oust the acting attorney general, try to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential race and suggest falsely that there had been widespread election fraud.The investigation comes after The New York Times reported that a former assistant attorney general, Jeffrey Clark, had been discussing a plan with the then-president, Donald Trump, to oust the acting attorney general, try to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential race and suggest falsely that there had been widespread election fraud.
The announcement of the investigation comes two days after Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer demanded the inspector general launch a probe “into this attempted sedition.”The announcement of the investigation comes two days after Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer demanded the inspector general launch a probe “into this attempted sedition.”
The New York Democrat, Schumer, said it was “unconscionable a Trump Justice Department leader would conspire to subvert the people’s will.”The New York Democrat, Schumer, said it was “unconscionable a Trump Justice Department leader would conspire to subvert the people’s will.”
Election officials across the country, along with Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have confirmed there was no widespread fraud in the election.Election officials across the country, along with Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have confirmed there was no widespread fraud in the election.
Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, key battleground states won by Biden, also vouched for the integrity of the elections in their states.Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, key battleground states won by Biden, also vouched for the integrity of the elections in their states.
The vast majority of the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which includes three justices nominated by Trump.The vast majority of the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which includes three justices nominated by Trump.
Well that jogged things along. Joe Biden just signed the executive order at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office reversing Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.Well that jogged things along. Joe Biden just signed the executive order at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office reversing Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Biden said he would take questions later in the day, from gathered media. This was just a ‘spray’ as it’s known - a brief witnessing by members of the selected press pool of the president meeting someone or announcing something at the White House, etc.Biden said he would take questions later in the day, from gathered media. This was just a ‘spray’ as it’s known - a brief witnessing by members of the selected press pool of the president meeting someone or announcing something at the White House, etc.
Biden was wearing a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as was the vice-president Kamala Harris, and the new defense secretary, Lloyd Austin.Biden was wearing a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as was the vice-president Kamala Harris, and the new defense secretary, Lloyd Austin.
Austin is the first Black American to serve as US defense sec and, of course, Harris is the first female and first Black veep, as Biden continues to mark the changes from the Trump era.Austin is the first Black American to serve as US defense sec and, of course, Harris is the first female and first Black veep, as Biden continues to mark the changes from the Trump era.
As we await Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appearing at the White House for an event with Lloyd Austin (20 mins behind published schedule, and counting....), here are some details from the WH fact sheet released with the announcement that the president is dropping Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, thanks to my Washington colleague Joan Greve for pinging that on in full.As we await Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appearing at the White House for an event with Lloyd Austin (20 mins behind published schedule, and counting....), here are some details from the WH fact sheet released with the announcement that the president is dropping Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, thanks to my Washington colleague Joan Greve for pinging that on in full.
We paws for happy news.We paws for happy news.
The US Department of Justice’s internal watchdog has said today that his office is launching an investigation in whether any department officials engaged in an improper attempt to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
This news just snapped on Reuters and clearly refers to the New York Times report at the weekend that said Trump plotted with an official at the Department of Justice to fire the acting attorney general, then force Georgia Republicans to overturn his defeat in that state.
Reuters adds that the investigation will be into whether current or former department officials made an “improper attempt” to seek to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has brought back Dr. Kevin O’Connor as his physician, replacing Donald Trump’s doctor with the one who oversaw Biden’s care when he was vice president.
The White House confirmed that Dr Sean Conley, the Navy commander who served as the head of the White House Medical Unit under Trump and oversaw his treatment when he was hospitalized with Covid-19, will assume a teaching role at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, The AP reports.
O’Connor, a retired Army colonel, was Biden’s doctor during his entire tenure as vice president, having remained in the role at Biden’s request. He remained Biden’s physician while assuming a role on the faculty of George Washington University.
The White House said O’Connor was being commissioned by the president but was not rejoining the military. He is the first non-active duty doctor to serve as physician to the president in almost three decades.
Conley faced intense scrutiny over his lack of transparency during Trump’s illness with Covid-19.
Then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said at the time that Trump’s condition was worse than Conley had let on.
Some recent history. It’s been just under a decade since Bill Clinton’s awful compromise law on gays in the military “Don’t ask, don’t tell” formally ended.
Clinton introduced the “DADT” law in 1993 as a compromise step to full equality, DADT allowed gay and lesbian members of the military to serve only if their sexuality remained secret or was not reported.
The Service-members Legal Defence Network estimated that since the law’s introduction and its end, 13,000 gay men, lesbians and queer troops more widely had been discharged after their sexual orientation was revealed.
Barack Obama had pledged to overturn “DADT” during his 2008 election campaign, but action on the issue appeared stalled until his January 2010 state of the union speech, when he said: “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”
The call was met with stony silence from members of the military seated in front of the president, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Obama was behind the curve compared with Joe Biden on making gay marriage legal in the US. But he made steady progress on all things queer and gender non-conforming as his years in the White House went on, and in the summer of 2016 the Obama administration ended the ban on openly transgender troops serving in the military.
Six months after taking office, Donald Trump went smartly about face on that.
The then freshly-minted 45th president tweeted at the time: “After consultation with my generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow … transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military.”
Today is a new day for LGBTQ members and aspiring members of the US military.
More on that:
Joe Biden has overturned a controversial ban by his predecessor on transgender individuals serving in the US military, a move that fulfills a campaign promise and will be cheered by LGBTQ advocates, Reuters reported seconds ago.
“President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity,” the White House said in a statement.
“Allowing all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform is better for the military and better for the country because an inclusive force is a more effective force. Simply put, it’s the right thing to do and is in our national interest,” it said.
Former Democratic president Barack Obama in 2016 allowed trans people to serve openly and receive medical care to transition genders, but Republican president Donald Trump froze their recruitment while allowing serving personnel to remain.
Here’s a vital read on this topic from the Guardian in 2019.
Speculation that Joe Biden will issue an executive order today to reverse a Pentagon policy that largely bars transgender individuals from joining the military appears to be about to come to fruition.
Reuters just pinged out a own-line snap, which backs up earlier reporting that the Biden/Harris administration plans on dumping a ban ordered by former president Donald Trump in a tweet during his first year in office.
The move to reverse the policy has the support of Biden’s newly confirmed defense secretary, retired Army General Lloyd Austin, who spoke of the need to overturn it during his Senate confirmation hearing last week.
“I support the president’s plan...to overturn the ban,” Austin said. “If you’re fit and you’re qualified to serve and you can maintain the standards, you should be allowed to serve.”
The decision comes as Biden plans to turn his attention to equity issues that he believes continue to shadow nearly all aspects of American life. The move to overturn the transgender ban is also the latest example of Biden using executive authority in his first days as president to dismantle Trump’s legacy.
It was unclear at present how quickly the Pentagon can put a new policy in effect, and whether it will take some time to work out details. Over the weekend Austin announced that he had ordered a comprehensive review of the sexual harassment prevention efforts within the US military.
The Guardian reported in 2019 that in the US, all four military service chiefs had testified before Congress that there were no known negative effects during the three years in which president Barack Obama opened the doors of the military to trans people.
Trump’s policy was a ridiculous, cruel mess.
California governor Gavin Newsom will lift regional stay-at-home orders later today and announce the state is returning to a system of county-by-county restrictions intended to stem the spread of the coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic crisis, two administration officials with knowledge said.
The decision comes with improving trends in the rate of infections, hospitalizations and intensive care unit capacity as well as vaccinations, The Associated Press reports.
The order had been in place in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. The change will allow businesses such as restaurants to resume outdoor operations in many areas.
During the weekend, San Francisco Bay Area ICU available capacity improved to 23% while the San Joaquin Valley increased to 1.3% - its first time above zero in the current surge of infections. The huge Southern California region, the most populous, remains at zero ICU capacity, however.
The change is based on projections, but the state has not disclosed the data behind the forecasts.
Early last year, the state developed a system of color-coded tiers that dictated the level of restrictions on businesses and individuals based on virus conditions in each of California’s 58 counties.
Then, as Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations rocketed, Newsom put in place a new system that grouped counties into five regions: Southern California, San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area, Greater Sacramento and Northern California.
Stay-at-home orders took effect if a region’s ICU capacity fell below 15%.
Here’s more from the Cincinnati Enquirer’s report about Ohio’s GOP Senator Rob Portman winding down his career in Congress.
Portman, 65, will be sworn in tomorrow as a juror in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.
The Enquirer further reports that “after three decades in Washington, Portman has grown tired of the incivility in politics and the increasing partisan divide. One of Greater Cincinnati’s most prominent politicians, he was once expected to be headed to national office. He sticks to policy and refrains from personal attacks”.
But the timing from Portman seems extraordinary.
Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio said today he won’t seek re-election and plans to end a career in federal government spanning more than three decades.
Portman’s announcement comes the same day the Senate is receiving the House impeachment article against former the Republican president, Donald Trump.
While some Republican senators have criticized going ahead with the trial next month with Trump out of office, Portman said last week he would listen to both sides before making a decision on how to vote, The Associated Press reports.
Portman, who turned 65 last month, is among establishment Republicans who clearly struggled with supporting Trump.
Once dubbed “The Loyal Soldier” in a front-page profile story in his hometown newspaper the Cincinnati Enquirer, Portman usually supported Trump in carefully worded statements. After Trump called the presidential election rigged, Portman said Trump had a right to a probe of any irregularities.
But in the immediate aftermath of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, Portman said Trump needed to go on national TV to address his supporters and tell them to refrain from violence.
“Both in his words before the attack on the Capitol and in his actions afterward, President Trump bears some responsibility for what happened on January 6,” Portman said.
Portman was elected handily twice to the US Senate, but was considered likely to face primary opposition in 2022.
Portman, who served in the presidential administrations of both Bushes (George HW and George W), was under consideration by both the late John McCain and Mitt Romney to be their running mates in their respective presidential bids.
Portman also helped them and other GOP presidential candidates practice for debates by playing their Democratic rival.
He was elected to Congress from southern Ohio in a 1993 special election and won six more elections before being tapped by president George W. Bush to serve as US trade representative in 2005. Bush then nominated him to be his White House budget director in 2006.
Portman stepped down in 2007, then returned to politics in 2010 with a successful US Senate run, and won again in 2016, both times by landslide margins in a traditional swing state.
The United States is “proud to be back” in international efforts to slow the climate crisis, Washington’s new special climate envoy John Kerry told a summit of leaders earlier today.
Joe Biden’s administration is this week expected to release more policies it believes are needed to tackle climate change after rejoining the 2015 Paris climate agreement that predecessor Donald Trump quit saying it was too costly to the US economy, Reuters reports.
“We’re proud to be back. We come back with humility for the absence over the last four years and we will do everything in our power to make up for it,” Kerry told the Climate Adaptation Summit by video link.
Kerry was joined by China’s Deputy Prime Minister Han Zheng, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other leaders.
“President Biden has made fighting climate change a top priority of his administration. We have a president now, thank God, who leads, tells the truth and is seized by this issue,” Kerry said.
Leaders stressed the importance of having Washington back at the table.
“Since I’m the first to take the floor after John Kerry, a warm welcome to the US back in the Paris Agreement,” said International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva.
“To tackle this great challenge we need all hands on deck and certainly the US is so critical for success.”
The online event, hosted by the Netherlands, aims to set out practical solutions and plans for dealing with climate change in the vital period until 2030.
As secretary of state under former US president Barack Obama in 2015, Kerry helped bring China to the table at the UN climate conference in Paris.
The Senate is aiming to pass additional Covid-19 economic relief and healthcare funding legislation before the former, Donald Trump’s impeachment trial begins in early February, a lawmaker said this morning.
The news comes amid growing signs of agreement on the need to speed up vaccine distribution and administration services, which have had a very rocky start since the first vaccines received federal emergency authorization in December.
A day after some Republicans pushed back on the size of Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief proposal, Senator Angus King said the Senate plans to consider a bill in the next two weeks, while it also moves to confirm Biden’s Cabinet ahead of Trump’s trial start during the week of February 8, Reuters reports.
“We’re going to try to do something between now and the time of the impeachment trial beginning. That’s a tall order, because we also have to do the confirmations,” King, a Maine independent who caucuses (ie including the way he generally votes) with Democrats who lead the Senate, told National Public Radio.“Two weeks would be an aggressive schedule but I think that’s where we’re going to be going,” he added.
It was not clear whether the Senate would try to pass the entire Biden proposal before February 8 or focus on legislation with a more limited scope.
King and Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who both participated in a call about Covid-19 relief with Biden administration officials yesterday, said there is broad agreement about the need to move forward on vaccinations.
“We can all agree: we need to have money out there for vaccines,” Cassidy told Fox News on Monday. “And testing, we can accept that.”
King said there was a general consensus on Sunday’s call to do “whatever we have to do to speed up the vaccination process. I don’t think there’s going to be any debate about that.”
He added that the group on Sunday’s call would speak again on today or tomorrow.
In addition to the size of Biden’s plan, Republicans and some Democrats are concerned about a proposal to send $1,400 stimulus checks to most Americans, even some with fairly high incomes.
While Congress has already authorized $4 trillion to respond, the White House says the additional $1.9 trillion is needed to cover the costs of responding to the virus and provide enhanced jobless benefits and payments to households.
House committees are expected to work on legislation this week, with the aim of being ready to put a bill on the House floor during the first week of February.