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| Jill Biden to kick off campaign to encourage US child vaccination – live | Jill Biden to kick off campaign to encourage US child vaccination – live |
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| First lady to visit clinic in Virginia with surgeon general after officials approved lower dose for children five to 11 – get the latest | First lady to visit clinic in Virginia with surgeon general after officials approved lower dose for children five to 11 – get the latest |
| After the House passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Democrats’ attention has turned to the $1.75tn reconciliation package, which includes more than $500bn for climate initiatives. | |
| A handful of House progressives voted against the infrastructure bill because of their demand that the reconciliation package advance at the same time. | |
| Progressives worried that some of their centrist colleagues, like Senator Joe Manchin, would not feel motivated to pass the reconciliation package once the infrastructure bill was sent to Joe Biden’s desk. | |
| Asked about concerns that Democrats may lose momentum in the negotiations over the reconciliation bill, Biden said on Saturday, “I feel confident that we will have enough votes to pass the Build Back Better plan.” | |
| Barack Obama addressed the Cop26 climate change conference today, opening with a cheery “Hello, Glasgow!” | |
| The former US president, tieless and looking relaxed, said that he doesn’t need to attend such conferences anymore, but “you will have a hard time keeping me away” when it comes to the future of the planet. | |
| Obama said “meaningful progress” has been made since the Paris climate accords, which he helped to strike, but he acknowledged that more needs to be done. | |
| “What is also true, collectively and individually we are still falling short,” he said. “We have not done nearly enough to address this crisis, we will need to do more.” | |
| Obama admitted that “some progress stalled” when Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris deal. “I wasn’t real happy about that,” he added, but said the “US is back” under Joe Biden’s leadership. | |
| He also argued that, despite opposition within the Democratic party, some version of Biden’s ambitious $555bn climate package will pass in Congress in the coming weeks. “It will set the United States on course to meet its new climate targets,” he said. | |
| Follow the Guardian’s live blog for more updates from Cop26: | |
| Joe Biden has now arrived back at the White House, after he and the first lady spent some time at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, this weekend. | Joe Biden has now arrived back at the White House, after he and the first lady spent some time at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, this weekend. |
| As the president approached the White House, reporters shouted questions at him about his economic agenda and the results of last week’s elections. | As the president approached the White House, reporters shouted questions at him about his economic agenda and the results of last week’s elections. |
| When asked about whether he would soon speak to Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor-elect of Virginia, it sounded like the president replied, “I tried to call him.” | When asked about whether he would soon speak to Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor-elect of Virginia, it sounded like the president replied, “I tried to call him.” |
| The White House deputy press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said on Thursday that the president had not yet spoken with Youngkin. | The White House deputy press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said on Thursday that the president had not yet spoken with Youngkin. |
| “The will of the people is clear, and the president has always believed in working across party lines for the good of the American families,” Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing. “And he looks forward to doing that with Governor-elect Youngkin.” | “The will of the people is clear, and the president has always believed in working across party lines for the good of the American families,” Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing. “And he looks forward to doing that with Governor-elect Youngkin.” |
| The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly and David Smith report: | The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly and David Smith report: |
| In his Saturday remarks, Joe Biden praised the infrastructure bill as a “once-in-a-generation investment that’s going to create millions of jobs, modernise our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our broadband, a range of things turning the climate crisis into an opportunity, and a put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we face with China and other large countries in the rest of the world”. | In his Saturday remarks, Joe Biden praised the infrastructure bill as a “once-in-a-generation investment that’s going to create millions of jobs, modernise our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our broadband, a range of things turning the climate crisis into an opportunity, and a put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st century that we face with China and other large countries in the rest of the world”. |
| The House approved the $1tn bill late on Friday, after Democrats resolved a months-long standoff between progressives and centrists. The measure passed 228-206. Thirteen Republicans, mostly moderates, supported the bill while six progressive Democrats opposed it, among them Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. | The House approved the $1tn bill late on Friday, after Democrats resolved a months-long standoff between progressives and centrists. The measure passed 228-206. Thirteen Republicans, mostly moderates, supported the bill while six progressive Democrats opposed it, among them Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. |
| Approval sent the bill to the desk of a president whose approval ratings have dropped and whose party struggled in elections this week. | Approval sent the bill to the desk of a president whose approval ratings have dropped and whose party struggled in elections this week. |
| Biden said he would not sign the bill over the weekend because he wanted those who passed it to be there when he did so. | Biden said he would not sign the bill over the weekend because he wanted those who passed it to be there when he did so. |
| “We’re looking more forward to having shovels in the ground,” Biden said. “To begin rebuilding America.” | “We’re looking more forward to having shovels in the ground,” Biden said. “To begin rebuilding America.” |
| Joe Biden will travel to Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday to deliver a pitch for the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which passed the House on Friday. | Joe Biden will travel to Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday to deliver a pitch for the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which passed the House on Friday. |
| In Baltimore, the president will “discuss how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal delivers for the American people by upgrading our nation’s ports and strengthening supply chains to prevent disruptions,” per the White House’s guidance on the trip. | In Baltimore, the president will “discuss how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal delivers for the American people by upgrading our nation’s ports and strengthening supply chains to prevent disruptions,” per the White House’s guidance on the trip. |
| The House was able to pass the bill on Friday night, after speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to delay another planned vote on the larger spending package championed by Democrats. | The House was able to pass the bill on Friday night, after speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to delay another planned vote on the larger spending package championed by Democrats. |
| The infrastructure bill, which passed the Senate in August, provides $555bn in new federal funding for roads, bridges and railways, among many other projects. | The infrastructure bill, which passed the Senate in August, provides $555bn in new federal funding for roads, bridges and railways, among many other projects. |
| Celebrating the House’s passage of the bill, Biden said on Saturday, “This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America. And it’s long overdue.” | Celebrating the House’s passage of the bill, Biden said on Saturday, “This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America. And it’s long overdue.” |
| As Jill Biden launches her campaign to encourage American parents to vaccinate their children against coronavirus, the White House is taking additional steps to boost vaccination rates among kids. | As Jill Biden launches her campaign to encourage American parents to vaccinate their children against coronavirus, the White House is taking additional steps to boost vaccination rates among kids. |
| The AP reports: | The AP reports: |
| Many US schools have been affected by coronavirus-related closures this year, and there are high hopes that the approval of a vaccine for all school-aged children could help keep classrooms open moving forward. | Many US schools have been affected by coronavirus-related closures this year, and there are high hopes that the approval of a vaccine for all school-aged children could help keep classrooms open moving forward. |
| Eric Berger reports on the Biden administration’s efforts to enact vaccine requirements in workplaces: | Eric Berger reports on the Biden administration’s efforts to enact vaccine requirements in workplaces: |
| Biden administration plans to get US companies with more than 100 or more workers to vaccinate their staff or bring in regular tests have been welcomed by public health groups but slammed by Republicans and trade groups, who claim government overreach with negative economic consequences. | Biden administration plans to get US companies with more than 100 or more workers to vaccinate their staff or bring in regular tests have been welcomed by public health groups but slammed by Republicans and trade groups, who claim government overreach with negative economic consequences. |
| Such divided reaction to the rules announced last week mirrors much of America’s problematic vaccine rollout, where social and political headwinds have seen vaccination take-up slow down worryingly. | Such divided reaction to the rules announced last week mirrors much of America’s problematic vaccine rollout, where social and political headwinds have seen vaccination take-up slow down worryingly. |
| US vaccination rates are some of the lowest in industrialized countries where the vaccine is readily available. | US vaccination rates are some of the lowest in industrialized countries where the vaccine is readily available. |
| Subject at least to a temporary stay issued by a circuit court in New Orleans on Saturday, the new rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) will take effect on 4 January. | Subject at least to a temporary stay issued by a circuit court in New Orleans on Saturday, the new rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) will take effect on 4 January. |
| But the rules sparked new backlash from Republican lawmakers and conservative groups who described the measures as unconstitutional. Republican governors or attorneys general in 15 states plan to file lawsuits against the mandate, according to the Associated Press. “This rule is garbage,” South Carolina’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, a Republican, said, according to the AP. “It’s unconstitutional and we will fight it.” | But the rules sparked new backlash from Republican lawmakers and conservative groups who described the measures as unconstitutional. Republican governors or attorneys general in 15 states plan to file lawsuits against the mandate, according to the Associated Press. “This rule is garbage,” South Carolina’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, a Republican, said, according to the AP. “It’s unconstitutional and we will fight it.” |
| Greetings from Washington, live blog readers. | Greetings from Washington, live blog readers. |
| First lady Jill Biden will kick off a campaign this afternoon to convince more American parents to vaccinate their children against coronavirus. | First lady Jill Biden will kick off a campaign this afternoon to convince more American parents to vaccinate their children against coronavirus. |
| Biden and Dr Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, will visit a vaccination clinic at Franklin Sherman elementary school in McLean, Virginia, which was the first school to administer the polio vaccine in 1954. | Biden and Dr Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, will visit a vaccination clinic at Franklin Sherman elementary school in McLean, Virginia, which was the first school to administer the polio vaccine in 1954. |
| The event comes less than a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the administration of a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children between the ages of five and 11. | The event comes less than a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the administration of a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children between the ages of five and 11. |
| The Biden administration is now coordinating with schools, pharmacies and local health departments to ensure families have access to vaccines and (perhaps more crucially) give parents information about why kids should get their shots. | The Biden administration is now coordinating with schools, pharmacies and local health departments to ensure families have access to vaccines and (perhaps more crucially) give parents information about why kids should get their shots. |
| The first lady, who is an educator herself, will have the opportunity to deliver that message in person today. | The first lady, who is an educator herself, will have the opportunity to deliver that message in person today. |
| Stay tuned. | Stay tuned. |