Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House Democrats will pass the ‘Families First Coronavirus Response Act’ on Friday, though she did not mention support from Republicans or the White House.
The aid package secures paid sick leave, free testing, and strengthens food security initiatives, but the future of the bill remains unclear as House Republicans await a signal from the president. Pelosi added that the bill will also strengthen unemployment insurance. This bill is meant to expand upon the $8.3 billion dollar coronavirus package already signed by President Trump.
Pelosi, who delivered her remarks from the rarely-used speakers balcony, said the three most important parts of the bill are “testing, testing, testing” providing free tests to everyone including the uninsured and noted the legislation is “focused directly on providing support for America’s families, who must be our first priority.”
"Sadly, and prayerfully, we have learned of the tragic death of at least 41 Americans from this public health emergency so far," Pelosi said. "The American people expect and deserve a coordinated, science-based, and whole-of-government response to keep them and their loved ones safe."
Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have been negotiating on the deal for days, and the Speaker’s office has been publicly tracking the calls between them to show the evolution of the negotiations.
President Trump, slated to speak Friday afternoon, could deliver a statement that will either signal to the GOP bipartisan support for the measure or leave the bill to face the hurdle of a Republican-controlled Senate.
Updated March 17 to clarify that $8.3 billion price tag refers to the initial coronavirus relief bill, not the ‘Families First Coronavirus Response Act.’
Heading into 2022, the eyes of political nerds like us are fixed on statehouses across the country. State legislatures are in the process of taking the data from the 2020 census and using it to draw new congressional districts. The process has major implications for midterms, as Republicans could retake the majority just by gerrymandering enough seats into their column. In Maryland, state level Democrats are considering several maps, one of which would completely draw out the only Republican from the state in Congress.
Bruce DePuyt, senior reporter at Maryland Matters, and Helen Brewer, legal analyst at Princeton's Electoral Innovation Lab, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
Today is Veterans Day, a day each year that gives us a chance to honor our service members and reflect on the issues they face in our armed forces. One issue that's gotten a lot of scrutiny recently is the handling of sexual assault cases in the military. The military has long been criticized for how it handles cases of sexual assault, with particular attention paid to how cases are investigated and prosecuted usually within the chain of command. The defense department has said sexual assault cases will be removed, but it's not the same as Congress changing the law itself.
Lory Manning, retired U.S. Navy captain and the director of government operations at the Service Women's Action Network, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Greenwood, a digital banking platform aimed at supporting Black and Latino businesses and clients, is launching its very own GreenBook. Named after the historic publication for Black travelers during the era of Jim Crow, the online guide will provide a directory of Black- and Latino-owned businesses across the country. Ryan Glover, the founder and chairman of Greenwood, joined Cheddar to provide additional details about the listings.
President Biden's infrastructure plan will be pumping billions of dollars into the EV sector. David Shepardson, Correspondent at Thomson Reuters, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down all of the details.
Al Root, Senior Writer at Barron's, joined Wake Up With Cheddar's Jill Wagner to break down who qualifies for the proposed EV tax credits and why some automakers aren't too pleased about extra incentives for vehicles made at union plants.
Jill Wagner is joined by Baker to talk about kids and vaccines: we finally know how many young kids are getting vaccinated. Plus, Democrats are working on a Plan B for paid family leave. And the salad chain Sweetgreen goes public.
A breakthrough deal between the U.S. and China when it comes to climate has finally been reached. The two countries have pledged to work together to curb carbon emissions. Amy Harder, executive editor at Cipher, joined Cheddar News to discuss more.
President Joe Biden is expected to visit GM's 'Factory Zero' plant in Detroit, where mass production of its electric vehicle fleet will get underway. Biden is likely to tout his recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan, which allocates $7.5 billion toward EV infrastructure.
