The White House moves forward with a series of meetings with lawmakers and other stakeholders, while President Biden pushes for approval of his $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus control proposal.
press secretary Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiOvernight Health Care: Biden Takes Steps to Increase Vaccine Doses Sent to States | CDC Investigators Find ‘Little Evidence’ of Major School Outbreaks, With Precautions | Eli Lilly says antibody combination significantly reduces COVID-19 mortality risk Biden takes steps to increase number of vaccine doses sent to states Biden has first phone call with Putin as president MORE told reporters Wednesday that Biden and Vice President Harris are “directly” involved with members of Congress about COVID-19 assistance, describing talks as productive, although she did not provide specific details about their meetings.
Psaki said the director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese
Brian Deese Portman’s exit underscores Republican identity crisis Collins: Minimum wage hike must be separate from COVID-19 aid package The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Focus on vaccine, virus, travel MORE and Jeff Zients
Jeff ZientsBiden officials hold call with bipartisan group of senators about coronavirus contingency plan. Disjointed Vaccine Distribution Poses Early Test for Biden Biden Under Pressure to Deliver More COVID-19 Shots MORE, which oversees the White House response to the coronavirus, will meet with members of the New Democrat Coalition or moderate congressional Democrats.
Zients led a bipartisan meeting on Tuesday, and Deese held meetings with lawmakers, including a bipartisan call on Sunday. The weekend’s call did not seem to make any tangible progress in reaching a deal.
Psaki said the White House Office of Public Engagement, led by Cedric Richmond
Cedric Richmond – An attack on America that divides Congress – and a nation of Pelosi who seats Iowa Republican as Democratic challenger disputes election results Louisiana Rep.-elect Luke Letlow dies of COVID-19 MORE, would meet 100 presidents of historically black colleges and universities on Thursday. The agency met with civil rights groups on Tuesday and on Wednesday will inform workers leaders, youth advocates and organizations focused on building wealth in the black community.
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain
Ron Klain Top Biden Assistant Says Schools Should Get Money Before Reopening Skepticism Rules As Biden, McConnell Starts New Era Sunday Show Preview: All Eyes On Biden Administration To Tackle Coronavirus MORE and senior adviser Anita Dunn have also been in touch with members of Congress, Psaki said.
Meanwhile, Biden will meet with the newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Janet Louise YellenBlinken Holds First Calls as Biden’s Secretary of State Yellen Thanks Rapper Behind Hamilton-Style Song About Her: ‘Your Tune Is Money’ On The Money: GOP Digs In To Defend Trump Tax Cuts | Democrats optimistic about raising the minimum wage | The financial sector is bracing for the choice of the consumer agency of Biden MEER and other economic officials on Friday to receive a briefing “on the effects of slowing moving forward with the additional economic easing,” Psaki said.
“Our team continues to build support for the US bailout as more and more voices across the country recognize the urgent need to provide American families with the help they need,” she told reporters at a briefing Wednesday afternoon.
The $ 1.9 trillion emergency relief proposal aims to help U.S. workers, businesses, and state and local governments affected by the virus, which has lost millions of jobs. Much of the proposal is also dedicated to supporting nationwide testing, a vaccine distribution plan, and efforts to reopen safe schools.
Biden meets with resistance from Republicans as he pushes for the proposal to be approved in a Congress closely controlled by Democrats. The president has said he would like to get bipartisan support for the package, but the White House has not ruled out using reconciliation to pass a narrow-majority bill.
The legislative push represents the first test of the ability of Biden, a former senator, and his team to negotiate with Capitol Hill. The White House has not set a specific timeline for when they would want a deal to be passed.
Biden acknowledged on Monday that it could take “a few weeks” to reach an agreement and said the Democratic leaders would eventually decide whether to use reconciliation, depending on how the negotiations go.