Direct payments are likely back in the emerging Covid package. Not clear how much. Thune says $600-$700. Mnuchin suggested $900, per one source. Sanders/Hawley want $1,200.
For the first time since the spring, Congress looks likely to pass a Covid aid deal. It’s not just happy talk — there is a real path to agreement and negotiators are moving fast. nbcnews.com/politics/congr…
.@BernieSanders is happy direct cash is added but wants it higher.
“It's progress,” he tells me. “A week ago, there was no discussion of direct payments, which to me is the most important thing that the American people want and need. People are hurting.”
.@ewarren comes out swinging: "After weeks of refusing to acknowledge Biden's victory, some Republicans have now decided that sabotaging his presidency is more important than helping our economy recover"
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…
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."
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