This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/nov/29/joe-biden-coronavirus-covid-omicron-variant-us-politics-live
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Joe Biden says Omicron Covid variant a ‘cause for concern, not panic’ – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President speaks on variant after briefing from health officials and says best protection is to get vaccinated and boosted – follow all the latest | |
| “If you are 18 years and older and got fully vaccinated before 1 June go get the get booster shot today,” Joe Biden said today. “They’re free and they’re available at 80,000 locations coast to coast. A fully vaccinated booster person is the most protected against Covid. | |
| “Do not wait. Go get your booster if it’s time for you to do so. And if you are not vaccinated, now is the time to go get vaccinated and to bring your children to go get vaccinated.” | |
| So far, no cases of the new omicron variant of Covid-19 have been reported in the US. But Biden said it’s only a matter of time. “Sooner or later, we are going to see new cases of this new variant here in the United States and we’re going to have to face this new threat just as we have faced the ones that came before it.” | |
| Joe Biden took to the podium to tell Americans that the new omicron variant of Covid-19 “is a cause for concern, not a cause for panic”. | |
| “We’ll fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed, not chaos and confusion,” he said. “We have more tools today to fight the variant than we ever had before, from vaccines to boosters, to vaccines for children.” | |
| “A year ago, America was floundering against the first variant of Covid,” Biden continued. “We beat that variant significantly, and then we got hit by a far more powerful threat, the Delta variant. But we took action and now we’re seeing deaths from Delta come down. | |
| “Look, we’re going to fight and beat this new variant as well.” | |
| Joe Biden is expected to speak momentarily about the new omicron variant of Covid-19. | |
| The Associated Press is reporting that the president is expected to urge Americans to get vaccinated - but not push for more restrictions - in the face of this new variant, of which there are no reported cases yet in the US. | |
| Democrat congressman Tom Suozzi has just announced that he will be running for governor of New York. | Democrat congressman Tom Suozzi has just announced that he will be running for governor of New York. |
| This is significant in that Suozzi is now the 18th Democrat in Congress to not seek reelection in 2022, putting at risk the very narrow majority that the left holds. | This is significant in that Suozzi is now the 18th Democrat in Congress to not seek reelection in 2022, putting at risk the very narrow majority that the left holds. |
| Actor Matthew McConaughey has officially announced that he will not be running for governor of Texas, a seat for which former Democratic congressman and candidate for Senate and president Beto O’Rourke is also vying. | Actor Matthew McConaughey has officially announced that he will not be running for governor of Texas, a seat for which former Democratic congressman and candidate for Senate and president Beto O’Rourke is also vying. |
| Read more about it here: | Read more about it here: |
| Tis the season for the White House to unveil its holiday decorations - a task that falls under the purview of first lady Jill Biden. | Tis the season for the White House to unveil its holiday decorations - a task that falls under the purview of first lady Jill Biden. |
| Rand Paul, a senator from Kentucky, has clashed publicly with Anthony Fauci over virus research carried out before the pandemic. Ted Cruz, from Texas, has said Fauci should be prosecuted regarding his handling of the Covid response. | Rand Paul, a senator from Kentucky, has clashed publicly with Anthony Fauci over virus research carried out before the pandemic. Ted Cruz, from Texas, has said Fauci should be prosecuted regarding his handling of the Covid response. |
| “Yeah,” Fauci told CBS in his Sunday interview. “I have to laugh at that. I should be prosecuted? What happened on 6 January, senator?” | “Yeah,” Fauci told CBS in his Sunday interview. “I have to laugh at that. I should be prosecuted? What happened on 6 January, senator?” |
| Cruz was among Republicans who voted to object to electoral college results in key states, even after Trump supporters mounted a deadly attack on the US Capitol. | Cruz was among Republicans who voted to object to electoral college results in key states, even after Trump supporters mounted a deadly attack on the US Capitol. |
| Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump’s failings under Covid, Fauci said: “Of course, you have to be asleep not to figure that one out … That’s OK, I’m just going to do my job and I’m going to be saving lives and they’re going to be lying.” | Asked if he was being made a scapegoat for Trump’s failings under Covid, Fauci said: “Of course, you have to be asleep not to figure that one out … That’s OK, I’m just going to do my job and I’m going to be saving lives and they’re going to be lying.” |
| Playing politics with his role in the Covid response, Fauci said, was “unbelievably bad because all I want to do is save people’s lives. That’s what I have done for the last 50 years … | Playing politics with his role in the Covid response, Fauci said, was “unbelievably bad because all I want to do is save people’s lives. That’s what I have done for the last 50 years … |
| “I mean, anybody who’s looking at this carefully realises that there’s a distinct anti-science flavor to this. So if they get up and criticize science, nobody’s going to know what they’re talking about. But if they get up and really aim their bullets at Tony Fauci, well, people could recognize there’s a person there. There’s a face, there’s a voice you can recognize, you see him on television. | “I mean, anybody who’s looking at this carefully realises that there’s a distinct anti-science flavor to this. So if they get up and criticize science, nobody’s going to know what they’re talking about. But if they get up and really aim their bullets at Tony Fauci, well, people could recognize there’s a person there. There’s a face, there’s a voice you can recognize, you see him on television. |
| “So it’s easy to criticise, but they’re really criticising science because I represent science. That’s dangerous. To me, that’s more dangerous than the slings and the arrows that get thrown at me. | “So it’s easy to criticise, but they’re really criticising science because I represent science. That’s dangerous. To me, that’s more dangerous than the slings and the arrows that get thrown at me. |
| “I’m not going to be around here forever, but science is going to be here forever. And if you damage science, you are doing something very detrimental to society long after I leave. And that’s what I worry about.” | “I’m not going to be around here forever, but science is going to be here forever. And if you damage science, you are doing something very detrimental to society long after I leave. And that’s what I worry about.” |
| Here’s video of one memorable exchange between Paul and Fauci, from a Senate hearing in July: | Here’s video of one memorable exchange between Paul and Fauci, from a Senate hearing in July: |
| In an interview broadcast by CBS on Sunday, Dr Anthony Fauci had strong words for Republicans attacking him over his role in the federal coronavirus response. | In an interview broadcast by CBS on Sunday, Dr Anthony Fauci had strong words for Republicans attacking him over his role in the federal coronavirus response. |
| Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser has served seven presidents since 1984 and is now to the fore in preparations for the arrival of the Omicron coronavirus variant and efforts to increase vaccination against Covid-19. | Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser has served seven presidents since 1984 and is now to the fore in preparations for the arrival of the Omicron coronavirus variant and efforts to increase vaccination against Covid-19. |
| Under Donald Trump, Fauci was often at odds with his boss or attacked by him. He attracted death threats as well as the ire of Republicans in Congress. | Under Donald Trump, Fauci was often at odds with his boss or attacked by him. He attracted death threats as well as the ire of Republicans in Congress. |
| He told CBS: “I dealt with it by focusing on what my job is from the time that I went into medicine to right now. Where I am at my age” – nearly 81 – “my job has been totally focused on doing what I can with the talents and the influence I had to make scientific advances to protect the health of the American public. | He told CBS: “I dealt with it by focusing on what my job is from the time that I went into medicine to right now. Where I am at my age” – nearly 81 – “my job has been totally focused on doing what I can with the talents and the influence I had to make scientific advances to protect the health of the American public. |
| “So anybody who spins lies and threatens and all that theatre that goes on with some of the investigations and the congressional committees and the Rand Pauls and all that other nonsense … that’s noise. I know what my job is.” | “So anybody who spins lies and threatens and all that theatre that goes on with some of the investigations and the congressional committees and the Rand Pauls and all that other nonsense … that’s noise. I know what my job is.” |
| Punchbowl News, a Capitol Hill-focused outlet, is reporting that House leaders are ready to introduce a stopgap funding bill to extend government funding beyond the current deadline – Friday 3 December – through mid- to late January, with 21 January and 28 January the dates up for discussion. | Punchbowl News, a Capitol Hill-focused outlet, is reporting that House leaders are ready to introduce a stopgap funding bill to extend government funding beyond the current deadline – Friday 3 December – through mid- to late January, with 21 January and 28 January the dates up for discussion. |
| A floor vote could take place as early as Wednesday, but then Senate leaders will need an agreement to push the resolution through by Friday. | A floor vote could take place as early as Wednesday, but then Senate leaders will need an agreement to push the resolution through by Friday. |
| There is also the small matter of the debt limit, the arbitrary borrowing cap that is raised each year to prevent the US from defaulting on its debts – a move that would cause economic catastrophe across the globe. The treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, has said the US can meet its obligations till 15 December or so. | There is also the small matter of the debt limit, the arbitrary borrowing cap that is raised each year to prevent the US from defaulting on its debts – a move that would cause economic catastrophe across the globe. The treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, has said the US can meet its obligations till 15 December or so. |
| Punchbowl isn’t expecting the same high drama on the issue as October, when Biden bluffed on filibuster reform to get Republicans to move amid heated words from both sides. But the week’s still young. | Punchbowl isn’t expecting the same high drama on the issue as October, when Biden bluffed on filibuster reform to get Republicans to move amid heated words from both sides. But the week’s still young. |
| Republicans believe Democrats and Democrats alone should raise the debt limit, which would be fine if the Democrats held workable majorities in both the House and the Senate. Last time, the Republicans twice used their beloved filibuster to block efforts to raise the debt limit which required 60 votes. | Republicans believe Democrats and Democrats alone should raise the debt limit, which would be fine if the Democrats held workable majorities in both the House and the Senate. Last time, the Republicans twice used their beloved filibuster to block efforts to raise the debt limit which required 60 votes. |
| In October, Republicans wanted Democrats to raise the debt limit through budget reconciliation, a complicated process that neither Biden nor Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer were very keen on – in part because there are only so many times Congress can consider reconciliation bills each year. One has already gone to the Covid bill and the ambitious Build Back Better Act is now before the Senate. | In October, Republicans wanted Democrats to raise the debt limit through budget reconciliation, a complicated process that neither Biden nor Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer were very keen on – in part because there are only so many times Congress can consider reconciliation bills each year. One has already gone to the Covid bill and the ambitious Build Back Better Act is now before the Senate. |
| Last time out, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell eventually agreed to a short-term deal that increased the borrowing limit by $480bn – sufficient to prevent the government from defaulting by keeping debt payments up until mid-December. | Last time out, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell eventually agreed to a short-term deal that increased the borrowing limit by $480bn – sufficient to prevent the government from defaulting by keeping debt payments up until mid-December. |
| Which is quite soon, if not so soon as the deadline to fund government itself. | Which is quite soon, if not so soon as the deadline to fund government itself. |
| Ahoy there, live blog readers. Let’s strap in for the week, shall we? | Ahoy there, live blog readers. Let’s strap in for the week, shall we? |
| Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks at the White House twice today. He’s sure to field questions about supposedly impending economic doom but the main purposes of the remarks will be the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant (first, at 11.45am ET) and issues with the supply chain (second, at 3.45pm ET). | Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks at the White House twice today. He’s sure to field questions about supposedly impending economic doom but the main purposes of the remarks will be the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant (first, at 11.45am ET) and issues with the supply chain (second, at 3.45pm ET). |
| The World Health Organization said this morning Omicron is likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk where Covid-19 surges could have “severe consequences”. | The World Health Organization said this morning Omicron is likely to spread internationally, posing a “very high” global risk where Covid-19 surges could have “severe consequences”. |
| “Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic,” the WHO said. “The overall global risk related to the new variant of concern Omicron is assessed as very high.” | “Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic,” the WHO said. “The overall global risk related to the new variant of concern Omicron is assessed as very high.” |
| No cases have yet been reported in the US. Press secretary Jen Psaki is scheduled brief too, at 1pm ET. | No cases have yet been reported in the US. Press secretary Jen Psaki is scheduled brief too, at 1pm ET. |
| Congress has plenty on its plate too. We’re on the cusp of December, which for all those keeping score out there means it’s time to once again talk about the possibility of the federal government shutting down and/or disaster over the debt ceiling. | Congress has plenty on its plate too. We’re on the cusp of December, which for all those keeping score out there means it’s time to once again talk about the possibility of the federal government shutting down and/or disaster over the debt ceiling. |
| More to come. | More to come. |