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.’
The United Nations COP26 climate talks are scheduled for October 31 to November 12 in Glasgow, Scotland. Heads of state will be joined by private sector leaders to once again discuss the shrinking window of time left to take action against global temperature rise. Barbara Humpton, CEO of focused technology company Siemens U.S., is also attending and spoke to Cheddar about what she hopes to see during the conference for both the public and private spheres. "What we are really urging is that there are large commitments made in Glasgow and that we really commit to this next decade of action," she said.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, Senior Vice President and Executive Editor at Rewire News Group and co-host of the Rewire News Group podcast, 'Boom! Lawyered,' joins Cheddar News to discuss the Supreme Court decision to hear Texas abortion ban cases on Monday, November first and the complicated timeline of legal challenges up to this point.
According to new research by Twitter, the social media platform algorithm amplifies content from the "political right" rather than those on the left. The company says this data comes as the platform has been taking the time to research the implications of its algorithm and whether or not it has caused any "unknown harm". President and CEO of Media Matters for America Angelo Carusone, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments in the Alec Baldwin prop gun shooting, when vaccines for kids as young as 5 should be approved, new reporting on Facebook and more.
Dana Sussman, deputy executive director at the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, joined Cheddar News to talk about Brittney Poolaw, who was sentenced to four years in state prison for a miscarriage she suffered last year.
Despite Joe Biden having won the state of Virginia in 2021 by 10 points, the race between his fellow Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Glenn Youngkin has tightened considerably down to the wire. Dave Levinthal, the deputy Washington bureau chief for Insider, joined Cheddar to give his analysis of the bellwether gubernatorial race in the year before the midterm elections.
Laura Vozzella, local reporter for the Washington Post, joins Cheddar News to discuss the razor-thin edge Democrat Terry McAuliffe has over Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.
A judge has temporarily put on hold United Airlines' unpaid leave policy for workers who claimed either religious or medical exemptions from COVID vaccinations. Six workers filed a suit against the company, calling the policy unreasonable.
President Joe Biden took to the podium to discuss the deal that will keep the Port of Los Angeles open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week as the nation grapples with supply chain issues.
