House to vote on sweeping government, ethics and election bill
By Clare Foran and Annie Grayer, CNN The House is expected to vote Wednesday on HR 1, a sweeping government, ethics and election bill that Democrats have made a signature legislative priority. HR 1 passed the House during the last Congress after Democrats won back the majority, but it failed to advance in the Republican-controlled Senate. Now that Democrats also control the White House and the Senate, House Democrats, led by Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland, are poised to pass the legislation again. It is still likely to hit a roadblock in the Senate, however, where it’s not clear there
Left out of House stimulus, hospitals and nursing homes pin hopes on the Senate
By Tami Luhby, CNN Shut out of the stimulus package that passed the House last week, hospitals and nursing homes are hoping they can convince the Senate to give them an additional infusion of funding in its version of the $1.9 trillion relief bill. Congress last year created and poured $178 billion into the Provider Relief Fund to help hospitals, nursing homesand other health care providers pay for coronavirus-related expenses and offset revenue losses from postponing elective procedures. Hospitals, however, say that only $4.4 billion will remain in the fund by the end of the month. Yet the pandemicremains a
Frustration is growing over the obstacles Biden’s nominees of color are facing
Analysis by Maeve Reston, CNN President Joe Biden succeeded in nominating the most racially diverse slate of Cabinet nominees in history. But now the slow and contentious process of getting some of his top picks confirmed is leading progressive groups to question whether his nominees of color are facing a higher level of scrutiny than White male nominees of past administrations. It’s not yet possible to make hard data comparisons with past administrations, in part because the confirmation process is ongoing and in part because Biden’s picks have been more diverse overall. But there is a growing sense of frustration
Biden to huddle with Senate Democrats on Covid relief ahead of push for passage
By Clare Foran, CNN President Joe Biden is expected to huddle with Senate Democrats on Tuesday as the chamber gears up to pass the White House’s top legislative priority: a major pandemic relief plan. Biden is slated to join Senate Democrats virtually during their caucus lunch Tuesday afternoon, a meeting that comes as Democrats face pressure to stick together to pass the sweeping rescue package. Biden also held a virtual meeting with a group of Senate Democrats on Monday. The President’s ongoing outreach underscores the important role the narrow Democratic majority will play in getting the Covid package across the
UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield: Congress’ work in wake of Capitol riot ‘shows that our democracy is resilient’
By Caroline Kelly, CNN US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Monday that Congress’ work in the immediate wake of the US Capitol insurrection confirmed to her that American democracy had survived the January 6 attack. Asked by CNN’s Don Lemon how, as ambassador, she would calm allies’ potential concerns over what happened that day, Thomas-Greenfield replied: “What they saw on that day was extraordinarily painful for all of us. But what they also saw on that day that made us extraordinarily proud is that … after the riots ended, the Senate came back to their chambers and
Progressive House Democrats pressure Harris to invoke rarely employed move to ignore parliamentarian decision on wage hike
By Manu Raju, Chief Congressional Correspondent Liberal House Democrats are pleading with Vice President Kamala Harris to ignore the ruling of the Senate’s parliamentarian and decide that the $15 federal minimum wage can stay in the Covid relief package during Senate floor debate this week. Such a move has not been employed since 1975 — and taking that tack would generate pushback from senators from both parties who say relying on advice of the parliamentarian is paramount to maintaining order in the Senate. Moreover, the White House has been leery of taking that step, which would also generate staunch opposition
Lawmakers to revive proposal for federal commission tasked with examining America’s history of racism
By Nicquel Terry Ellis Two Democratic lawmakers will reintroduce legislation Thursday calling for the formation of the first federal racial justice commission tasked with examining the country’s history of systemic racism against Black people, addressing inequities and backing efforts to provide reparations for slavery. Rep. Barbara Lee of California, who first proposed the creation of a US Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation last summer following the police killing of George Floyd, will bring the bill back to the House and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey will revive it in the Senate. The bill garnered 169 co-sponsors in
Harris addresses vaccine hesitancy in DC pharmacy visit
By Kate Sullivan and Betsy Klein, CNN Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday visited a local pharmacy in Washington, DC, to highlight the Biden administration’s retail pharmacy vaccination program and combat vaccine hesitancy. Harris stressed the importance of all Americans, particularly those in communities of color hesitant about getting the vaccine, signing up for it as soon as it becomes available. The vice president spoke to a woman who was at the pharmacy receiving her second dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. After getting the shot, the woman told Harris she was looking forward to being able to see her
Senate parliamentarian rules against including minimum wage in Covid relief bill
By Lauren Fox, Ryan Nobles, Manu Raju and Phil Mattingly, CNN The Senate parliamentarian has ruled against including the increase in the minimum wage in the Covid relief bill. While Democrats had pushed for the increase to be included — and leadership expressed its disappointment in the ruling Thursday evening — its removal may actually make it easier to pass the bill, senior Democratic sources believe, because it’ll avoid a messy fight over whether to strip it out of the bill and whether to compromise. “President Biden is disappointed in this outcome, as he proposed having the $15 minimum wage
Blinken says he aims to create a more diverse State Department
By Nicole Gaouette, CNN Secretary of State Antony Blinken will launch a diversity initiative to make the US’ oldest Cabinet agency look more like America itself, an effort he is framing as a national security imperative to make the country’s diplomacy “stronger, smarter, more creative and more innovative.” Blinken announced Wednesday that he will appoint a chief diversity and inclusion officer for the department who will report directly to him, will soon release a ‘Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan,’ and will create a “D&I Leadership Council.” In his statement, the secretary also said he will require each of the State