House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeated a phrase throughout her update this morning on the latest federal response to the coronavirus: "Testing, testing, testing."
The speaker said testing is "so very important, to take inventory, to understand the epidemiological spread of the virus, and also to meet the needs of the people affected."
She confirmed that Democrats and Republicans are working closely to pass a bill today that would provide additional protections, and free testing, following an $8.3 billion aid package last week. "No one will say I can't afford it," she said.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act would ensure free coronavirus testing, paid emergency sick leave, expanded unemployment insurance, increased protections for health care workers on the frontline, and food security initiative for children while schools are closed.
The bill is currently being debated in the House, but the clock is ticking as lawmakers consider whether they should leave the capital out of an abundance of caution.
When asked if House Democrats would stick around if a deal was not made within the next two days, Pelosi insisted lawmakers would get it done.
"We don't need 48 hours. We need to make a decision to help families now," she said.
"If people have to stay home, we have to stay home, but we don't want people to panic," Pelosi added but held off from outlining further plans to address the virus.
"We're here to pass a bill. When we pass a bill, we'll make a judgment about what comes next," she said.
As an addendum to her update on the coronavirus response, the speaker chimed in on the Democratic primary race.
"In case you were going to ask, no, I don't think Bernie Sanders should get out of the race. I'm a grassroots person. I'm chair of the California Democratic Party. I know the enthusiasm of supporters of candidates, and they want to see it play out."
President Trump and the Republican party filed multiple lawsuits on Tuesday to block California’s recently implemented law that requires presidential hopefuls to release their tax returns in order to appear on the state’s primary ballot.
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and Republican Rep. Peter King publicly called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a vote on a bipartisan background check legislation, just days after two back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton killed over 30 people.
Congressman Matt Gaetz told Cheddar Monday that a focus on mental health is the answer to stop domestic-based gun violence, not gun control or background checks.
A full transcript of President Trump's statement from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Monday morning addressing the mass shootings that took place over the weekend.
President Trump denounced white supremacy and called for a bipartisan effort to combat gun violence on Monday, two days after back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio killed nearly 30 people and shocked the nation. He did not propose any major overhaul to gun control legislation.
President Trump announced a deal with the European Union on Friday that will nearly triple the amount of U.S. beef exported to Europe in the coming years. The hike in U.S. beef exports to the EU will boost the industry’s sales in Europe from $150 million to an estimated $420 million annually.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Stock markets worldwide tumbled on Friday following President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will impose tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports. Trade groups across industries also came out in fierce opposition to the move, which is the latest escalation in the now years-long trade dispute between the U.S. and China.
The U.S. is escalating the enduring trade war with China with a new round of 10 percent tariffs that will be imposed on $300 billion worth of Chinese imports, President Trump announced Thursday.
The candidate from Hawaii doubled-down on her criticism of the California Senator regarding her record on criminal justice policies like the death penalty and marijuana prosecution.
