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."
The House Financial Services Committee had more pointed questions for Facebook's David Marcus about the governing structure of the Libra Association in the second day of Congressional grilling.
Ebony Underwood was just 13 years old when her father William was arrested in 1988. Today, more than 30 years later, Underwood has joined a broad coalition of activists and lawmakers working for criminal justice reform. Through her advocacy group, We Got Us Now, she is fighting to make sure that children of incarcerated adults are not overlooked on the path to rectification.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, July 17, 2019.
The banking system relies on public trust; unfortunately for Facebook's cryptocurrency ambitions, the social media Goliath doesn't have an abundance of it.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) adds her own critiques of Facebook's proposed digital currency Libra, and states that it's the responsibility of Congress to potentially break apart tech firms that appear to acquire too much power.
The Republican National Committee and key party leaders have pushed back against condemnation of President Trump's racist tweet he directed at four Democratic Congresswomen of color.
Amid an investigation by Health Canada, CannTrust has halted sales of its cannabis and products. Although CannTrust's regulatory snag does not directly impact U.S. cannabis supply, Cowen analyst Jaret Seiberg said that any turbulence in Canada's nascent industry could be cause for concern for its neighbor to the south.
President Donald Trump said the government will investigate Google following an accusation by tech billionaire Peter Thiel that the company is working with China and committing treason.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, July 16, 2019.
More Americans are going to college than at any time in history. And more are graduating with a student debt burden that will follow them for years. Cheddar asked every 2020 Democratic candidate how they will handle student debt. Here's what they said.
