McConnell declines to say Trump lost. "This has become a weekly ritual," he replies. "The Electoral College is gonna meet on the 14th and cast a vote. We're gonna have a swearing in of the next president on [1/20]. Why don't we concentrate on what we have to do the next 2 weeks?"
McConnell isn't ready to discuss President-elect Biden's nominees. "All the discussion about who may come next in the cabinet is something I'm not prepared to address yet. We've got two weeks of important business left to do and that's where I'm going to concentrate my time."
McConnell signals a possible endgame if a deal isn't struck soon: Cut liability shield and state/local aid for now, pass consensus policies. "Leaving here without a covid relief package cannot happen. We have to get that done," he says. "I think both sides fully understand that."
Pelosi pushes back hard on McConnell's suggestion to pass a covid package without state/local aid if lingering disputes aren't resolved. She says: "With vaccine distribution being administered by the states, state and local funding is central to our efforts to crush the virus."
Speaker Pelosi brought this to her press conference.
Pelosi says the emerging covid package is smaller than the country needs, cites "a completely changed dynamic" as she discusses her support. "In less than 1,000 hours, Joe Biden will be inaugurated president of the United States."
Nancy Pelosi on the NDAA: "80% of the House voted for the legislation, which the president threatens to veto."
"I don't like Section 230. I think it needs to be revised," she says. "But we cannot repeal it."
NEW: Biden's nomination of Lloyd Austin puts Democrats in a bind—confirm a historic first Black defense secretary or uphold a law designed to bolster civilian control of the military. The retired general will need a waiver from the 7-year cool off period. nbcnews.com/politics/congr…
Both chambers would need to approve such an exemption and Democrats are split on whether to grant it. Some like Duckworth are opposed. Others like Hirono are undecided. Yet others like Stabenow sound inclined toward it. nbcnews.com/politics/congr…
It gets tricky because Trump SecDef nominee James Mattis was granted a waiver over the objections of numerous Democrats. Some Dems now say Austin shouldn't be treated differently. Experts warn that the law becomes useless if waivers are normalized. nbcnews.com/politics/congr…
NEW from me: Joe Biden is executing a tough balancing act with early personnel picks. He’s seeking to unify rather than inflame competing Dem factions. He’s addressing diversity demands. And he wants institutionalists who can get through a divided Senate. nbcnews.com/politics/2020-…
Turns out Joe Biden intends to govern as a moderate-liberal institutionalist and not a radical socialist, which will surprise precisely nobody who's been paying attention. nbcnews.to/39fMF1M
NEW: Top Democrats are pushing President-elect Joe Biden to move quickly and aggressively with executive actions on causes ranging from climate action to relieving student debt to immigration.
Sen. @EdMarkey: “The president-elect, beginning on January 20, should act as aggressively as possible to reverse the effects of the four years of Donald Trump, and to ... make the United States the leader in fighting the climate crisis.” nbcnews.com/politics/white…
Democratic senators are warning Joe Biden not to count on Republican cooperation for his agenda. Some say he should expect McConnell to reuse the Obama-era “one term president”playbook on him.
"We've watched Mitch. He's ruthless," says Sen. @MazieHirono.
New: Republican senators are mostly standing by Trump as he refuses to concede defeat and pursues litigation. But there are growing signs that they see the writing on the wall… and inch toward acceptance.
America's democratic institutions face an extraordinary stress test in the middle of a crisis, but most GOP lawmakers are wary of contradicting a president who's in denial but has the power to turn voters against them.