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."
Cheddar speaks with two Congresswomen about what, if anything, will move the needle on gun reform after the Parkland school shooting. In tech news, Apple is reportedly working on new AirPods. Twitter alienated conservatives by accidentally freezing their accounts. Plus, we're joined by Olympic luger Chris Mazdzer who recently became the first American to medal in the men's singles luge event.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) tells Cheddar how the state is coping with the most recent mass shooting in Parkland, FL. She speculates about how this tragedy will influence the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential election.
New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney discusses the future of gun reform in the U.S. following the Parkland school shooting. We talk about the students who marched on the Florida State Capitol and how they're changing the conversation around guns.
Kristin Koch, digital director of Seventeen.com, discusses why the Parkland school shooting has remained in the public's consciousness while others have faded. The students who survived the attack have played a huge role in keeping the conversation going.
Apple is reportedly working on new AirPods. Twitter alienated conservatives by accidentally freezing their accounts.
The Florida Congresswoman told Cheddar that the upcoming midterms will send a definitive message on gun reform. She says that, if current legislators can't get laws passed to protect this country, we need to elect people who will.
Even with the President's support of stricter background checks and a ban on bump stocks, the Congresswoman says there are so many other laws on the books that prevent comprehensive gun reform.
House Democrats are calling for Equifax to extend its promise to give customers free credit monitoring from one year to three years. Ariel Evans, CEO of Innosec, joins Cheddar to discuss what this means for the company and the consumer.
The indictment of 13 Russians for interfering with the Presidential election has intensified the pressure put on Facebook, which uncovered about three-thousand Russian-linked ads on its platforms before and after November 2016. Cheddar Senior Reporter, Alex Heath, breaks down the the latest developments.
Uber has a new, cheaper feature. Tesla gets hacked. A polar vortex is bringing record weather across the country. Students across the nation push for gun control, while President Trump holds a listening session with survivors and families of mass shootings. Apple looks to buy cobalt directly from miners.
