Senate debates as Republicans try to derail $ 1.9 million Covid relief law – live | US News

The White House briefing has already concluded. Here is the day so far:

• The U.S. economy added 379,000 jobs last month, according to the latest report from the labor department. The unemployment rate fell slightly to 6.2%.
• The Senate has begun its “branch vote” on the coronavirus relief bill. Senator Bernie Sanders has already submitted a proposal to add a $ 15 federal minimum wage to the relief package, but that measure seems to have failed.
• Chuck Schumer promised that the Senate will remain in session until the coronavirus relief bill passes. “The Senate will get a lot of votes. But we will take power and end this bill, no matter how long it takes, “the Democratic majority leader said this morning.” The American people count on us and our nation depends on it. “

The blog will have more, so stay tuned.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki rejected the notion that Joe Biden he was “sweeping” lawmakers delaying his first speech at a joint session of Congress.

“This is not a bewilderment here,” Psaki said. “We are in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Psaki added that Biden intended to address Congress soon and is in close consultation with Congress leaders to determine the date of that speech.

The White House has previously indicated that Biden wants to wait to address Congress until he signs the coronavirus relief bill.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki he wondered if Joe Biden he would soon speak to the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Psaki said the two leaders would talk “at some point,” but did not give a clear idea of ​​when this could happen.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki dit Joe Biden “does not engage in talks or negotiations on lowering the minimum wage threshold.”

Psaki reiterated that Biden strongly supports it Bernie Sanders proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15 per hour, but said the president is currently focusing on passing the coronavirus relief bill.

Psaki’s comments come as the Senate appears to have rejected Sanders ’amendment to add a minimum wage provision to the relief package.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki he wondered if Joe Biden he was concerned that it looks like his coronavirus relief bill will not attract bipartisan support in Congress.

“Bipartisanship is not determined by a single zip code in Washington, DC,” Psaki responded.

The press secretary noted that polls have shown that a large majority of the American people support the relief package, and argued that these polls were a better reflection of bipartisan support for the bill.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki wondered about the Detroit mayor’s rejection of a Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine shipment because of its lower efficacy rate compared to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

“Our team has been in contact with the mayor. There was a bit of understanding, “said Psaki.

Echoing public health experts, the press secretary once again encouraged Americans to receive any of the three approved coronavirus vaccines available to them.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki He said a group of senior officials will soon travel to the U.S.-Mexico border to provide them Joe Biden with an information session on the influx of unaccompanied migrant children to the border.

Citing security concerns, Psaki would not provide details on where officers were going or where they would travel specifically along the border.

When a reporter pointed this out Donald Trump has criticized Biden’s immigration agenda, Psaki responded: “We don’t take our advice or ex-President Trump’s advice on immigration policy.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki he wondered again about Joe BidenThe views of the Senate filibuster.

“His vision and position have not changed,” Psaki said.

Biden has previously been opposed to the idea of ​​scrapping the filibuster, although it has been abandoned Republicans attempt to obstruct his entire agenda, which progressives have said is a virtual certainty.

From now on, Democrats I don’t have the votes to remove the filibuster because at least two moderate Democratic senators, Joe Manchin i Kyrsten Cinema, he has said they are against the idea.

Jen Psaki dit Joe Biden will hold its first full press conference as president “before the end of the month.”

Biden has received some criticism for not holding any solo press conferences, as many journalists have pointed out. barack Obama i Donald Trump at this point they had already held press conferences in their presidencies.

Psaki defended the timing of the press conference, saying Biden has focused on responding to the coronavirus pandemic and the aftermath of the economic consequences.

The press secretary also noted that Biden used to ask questions to reporters after his events, but the president usually answers one or two questions before leaving.

Joe Biden will travel to Baltimore on Wednesday to meet with Johnson & Johnson and Merck CEOs Jen Psaki just announced.

The trip comes days after the president announced that Merck would begin producing the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine.

Biden said he would invoke the Defense Production Act to help Merck facilities get the resources it needs to start producing the vaccine.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki now holds her daily session, and began the event by commenting on the latest job report.

“While it shows some progress, it also shows the long way to go,” Psaki said.

The press secretary noted that the U.S. economy still has about 9.5 million fewer jobs than in February 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic began.

The work report will be discussed when Joe Biden receives an economic briefing from the Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen later today Psaki said.

Richard Luscombe reports from The Guardian:

A former assistant of Andrew Cuomo who has accused the New York governor of sexual harassment has said he believes he is a “textbook abuser” who knew she was a survivor of sexual violence and yet made inappropriate advances.

Charlotte BennettThe 25-year-old former executive assistant and health policy adviser at Cuomo told CBS Evening News on Thursday that Cuomo was trying to propose sex to him during an “awkward” encounter in his office last spring and that he felt he “had to get out of this room as soon as possible ”.

She said it was one of multiple incidents in which the 63-year-old governor, who also faces similar charges from two other women, acted inappropriately.

“He’s a textbook abuser,” Bennett said, when asked how he would describe Cuomo. “Let your temper and rage rule the charge, but it was very sweet for me for a year in the hope that maybe one day, when it came to me, I would think we were friends or that it was appropriate or that I AGREED. ”