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."
China, the world's largest auto market, announced it will cut taxes on imported cars from 25 percent to 15 percent in its latest attempt to appease Washington. But most global car makers don't pay that added tariff because they've set up manufacturing plants in China. Cheddar's Kristen Scholer and Tim Stenovec look into the details.
The Dow crossed 25,000 points on Monday for the first time in two months and the S&P 500 and NASDAQ were also up as two of the world's largest economies appeared to back away from a full-blown trade war.
The Vermont Senator's 2016 campaign manager says Sanders hasn't made up his mind one way or the other. "At the end of the day, it comes down to who is going to be the strongest candidate to beat Trump," Jeff Weaver tells Cheddar's J.D. Durkin.
The South African-born host of "The Daily Show" says President Trump's behavior reminds him of strongmen, dictators, and corrupt leaders from Africa or the Middle East.
Stocks kick off the week with a rally after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the prospect of a trade war was "on hold" following an agreement to suspend tariff threats. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveils details of the souped-up Model 3. President Trump is going after the FBI. Fortnite is launching on Android phones this summer.
There are meaningful gun reform bills that never make it to the floor of the House because Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) is standing in the way, says Rep. Green, a Democrat representing Texas's 9th District. A shooter opened fire at a high school in Santa Fe, Tex., on Friday, killing at least 10 people. The incident is reigniting the national gun reform debate that emerged after the high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., three months ago.
A school shooting in Santa Fe, Tex., on Friday left at least 10 people dead and 10 more wounded. The fact that students around the country "know that this is a possibility, and the fear that they carry with them every day when they walk into their school" is horrifying, says Becca DeFelice, San Antonio volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action. The Texas shooting comes just three months after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead and reignited the national debate on gun control.
The Senate's confirmation of Gina Haspel as director of the Central Intelligence Agency comes at a time when President Trump faces several national security concerns.
A gunman opened fire at Santa Fe High School on Friday, killing 10 people, said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. He identified the alleged gunman as 17 year-old student at the school 35 miles southeast of Houston.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) says the racist rant by a New York lawyer that went viral is a reflection of the "toxic rhetoric" coming from the White House. The Congressman filed a formal complaint against the attorney on Thursday.
