The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on an emergency aid package related to the growing coronavirus outbreak, with a focus on relief for employees and protections for children in school. The package, as it stands, includes paid sick leave, aid for nutrition, and unemployment assistance, but some Republicans have indicated they don't support the bill.
After passing an $8.3 billion aid package, Democrats this week proposed a plan late Wednesday night to expand financial safety nets, as Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass. 5th District) described it. The plan would also make coronavirus testing free and more widely available in an attempt to stall the spread of the illness by covering those who can't afford to seek out healthcare.
Some GOP leaders have indicated they do not support a paid leave portion of the plan and changes to Medicaid to help cover the costs of the uninsured. Also, the proposal currently does not include the White House's own economic relief plans, but it will likely continue to evolve after Republicans made their objections known.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly told his fellow Republicans that the party will oppose the bill as it currently stands, though he also said the legislature should stay in session until a deal is finalized. Congress is scheduled to begin a weeklong recess.
For Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's part, he called the Democratic plan an "ideological wish list."
"If the Republicans are serious about their oath of office and protecting the American people, they will join with us," Rep. Clark told Cheddar on Thursday morning. "I am very discouraged at the rhetoric from some of the leaders on the Republican side of the aisle calling this package partisan."
With the virus confirmed in 44 states as of Thursday according to CDC Director Robert Redfield, Clark argued Congress needs to act quickly to protect citizens and provide relief as the U.S. grapples with the accelerating outbreak and moves from a strategy of containment to one of mitigation.
"We don't get to choose the President's actions, but we can choose in the House our response," she said. "Today, we are taking the next necessary step of making sure that Americans can make the choice to stay home and be safe and protect their families without throwing their economic lives into peril, and that's what we're putting together today with this package."
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
