Biden on #CancelStudentDebt: "I'm prepared to write off the $10,000 debt but not 50 because I don't think I have the authority to do it by signing."
Schumer & Warren push back on Biden comments: "The Biden administration has said it is reviewing options for cancelling up to $50,000 in student debt by executive action, and we are confident they will agree with the standards Obama and Trump used..."
Full statement from Schumer and Warren on #cancelstudentdebt after President Biden suggested last night that $50,000 in debt cancellation can't be done through executive action says that even though he poured cold water on it, his administration is studying it.
Psaki says in response to @jendeben Q that once Biden's DOJ choices are confirmed, "he will ask them to conduct a legal review of his authority to act by executive action in conjunction with a policy review from his Domestic Policy Council."
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NEW: President Biden has invited Sen. Collins and the other Republican senators who signed the letter to him to meet with him at the White House early this week “for a full exchange of ideas.”
Clear WH sees GOP 10’s $600B offer to Biden’s $1.9T plan, proposed 2+ weeks ago, as insufficient. Psaki: “With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large.”
Biden invites 10 Republican senators to the White House for covid relief Bill negotiations bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Biden: "The decision on reconciliation will be one made by the leaders of the House and the Senate."
"No one wants to give up on their position until there's no other alternative," says Biden, a veteran of many congressional negotiations.
Unity doesn't have to be bipartisan, Biden says. "Trying to get at a minimum if you pass piece of legislation that breaks down along party lines when it gets passed. it doesn't mean there wasn't unity. It just means it wasn't bipartisan. I prefer these things to be bipartisan..."
President Biden "believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity," White House says as he signs an executive order reversing the Trump administration's policy on transgender service members.
The Biden EO "Immediately Prohibits Involuntary Separations, Discharges, and Denials of Reenlistment or Continuation of Service on the Basis of Gender Identity or Under Circumstances Relating to Gender Identity," WH says.
The order directs an immediate review (and correction) of records of "service members who have been involuntarily separated, discharged, or denied reenlistment or continuation of service on the basis of gender identity or under circumstances relating to gender identity."
SCOOP: Biden has chosen Gary Gensler as his nominee to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission and Rohit Chopra to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to people familiar with the matter. More on @TheTerminal. Web soon.
Gensler and Chopra both have experience as financial regulators and are well-regarded by progressives, including Elizabeth Warren, who is close to both of them.
Biden builds out the NEC with two more hires. Sameera Fazili will be a deputy director focused on manufacturing, innovation and competitiveness. Nadiya Beckwith-Stanley will be special assistant to the president for budget and tax policy. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Brian Deese described the new hires to me as “people with really impressive economic-impact credentials, but also deep experience in inclusive economic development, racial equity, and a sort of place-based and community-based focus on economic engagement.” bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Biden transition just rolled out additional policy staff, including: @StefFeldman, sr advisor to director of the Domestic Policy Council @CarmelMMartin, dep dir of DPC for economic mobility
Esther Olavarria, dep dir of DPC for immigration @clinkeyoung, dep dir for health & VA