Mike Lee, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, is *not* wearing a mask as he gives his opening statement.
Lee declined to tell reporters this morning whether he tested negative for the virus today. He has said he's been cleared by his doctor.
Excuse the reflection of my colleague @MelissaQuinn97 's water bottle and laptop - but it does not look like Mike Lee is sitting six feet away from John Cornyn.
Good morning! Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham just began day one of today's hearings to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. @MelissaQuinn97 and I will be following the hearing and providing updates here: cbsnews.com/live-updates/a…
Barrett, with her family sitting behind her. WH Counsel Pat Cipollone is on the right.
Graham, making the case that Barrett is well qualified: "Is she as qualified as Sotomayor and Kagan? I think so."
Graham does not mention whether Garland was qualified.
"I don't understand why you're asking me as a public health official who should get arrested or not," Fauci says as Jim Jordan continues to press him on whether protesters should be arrested.
When Jordan continued after his time, Fauci did the universal New York hand gesture of "you know what? whatever."
NEWS: House Dems will unveil police reform legislation tomorrow. The bill will include provisions on:
- Making it easier to prosecute police officers for misconduct
- Creating a National Police Misconduct Registry
- Banning no-knock warrants in drug cases and police chokeholds
Other provisions include:
- Changing the standard for use of force from whether the force was reasonable to whether it was necessary
- Limiting transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local law enforcement
- Requiring federal law enforcement to wear body cameras
The bill, which is led by the Congressional Black Caucus, does not include new federal funds for police departments but would implement grants to community organizations with the aim of building partnerships which allow for greater accountability.
Marie Yovanovitch is speaking at Georgetown, her first public comments since leaving the administration.
"There is nothing more gratifying than working for the American people, making the U.S. and the world more democratic, more prosperous and more secure," Yovanovitch says.
Yovanovitch obliquely criticized Trump foreign policy, saying the U.S. may be "abandoned" by allies. "The policy process has been replaced by decisions emanating from the top," she says, and officials are afraid to "express concerns about policy even behind closed doors."
Yovanovitch: “Working off of facts is not the work of the deep state, but of the deeply committed state.”
Good afternoon, and welcome to day 8 of your Senate chamber ~vibe check~ during the impeachment trial.
Although the proceedings started late, senators seemed far more eager to get to the business of the day than they have before, especially during the past few days.
The senators reminded me of students starting a new unit in class - finally, we're done with World War I, time to move onto the interwar period. The senators are like older, wiser students more comfortable with how it all works, and ready to move onto the next thing.
There is a lot to notice in the chamber while questions are being asked. First, the page collecting the question must walk down the middle aisle of the chamber, meaning that there's a lot of walking around before the question actually gets to the chief justice.