White House outlines plan to vaccinate US children once FDA gives approval – live

More than a dozen Democratic senators have requested for paid family leave to remain in the Biden administration’s flagship $3.5tn spending package, reports the Associated Press.

In a letter sent to Biden, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House speaker Nancy Pelosi of California today, 15 senators, with moderate and progressive leanings, demanded for paid family leave to remain in the final version of the $3.5tn bill, a package that lawmakers are working to scale down.

“The pandemic has exposed an acute emergency on top of an ongoing, chronic caregiving crisis for working people and employers alike,” wrote the group in the letter. “We cannot emerge from this crisis and remain one of the only countries in the world with no form of national paid leave.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who took lead on the letter, told AP that while there is widespread support for paid family leave to be included in the final bill, she and other Democrats wanted to make sure the initiative wasn’t sacrificed to scale the bill down to $2tn.

Today, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the nomination of former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel for US ambassador to Japan amid pushback about Emanuel’s role in covering up the murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

During prepared remarks to the committee, Emanuel did not mention his involvement in the coverup of McDonald’s murder, instead discussing his priority to deepen an alliance between the US and Japan, reported the Associated Press.

McDonald was killed after being shot 16 times while running away from police officers. Emmanuel’s confirmation comes on the seventh anniversary of McDonald’s death.

Emanuel, who served as Chicago’s mayor for two terms, has been a controversial pick to the ambassadorship position. Progressives democrats and activists have argued that Emanuel’s handling of McDonald should disqualify him from assuming the role, who delayed releasing footage of the police killing while he was running for a second term as Chicago mayor and only did so after being mandated by a state court. The released footage resulted in protests across the nation and resulted in former officer Jason Van Dyke being convicted for second degree murder.

“We need justice for Ahmaud Arbery and Laquan McDonald. Confirming Rahm Emanuel a complacent man in the face of Black people dying, should be improper representation of this country,” tweeted Democratic congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York about the hearing. “We need justice on every level for every Black person that has died in the hands of the system.”

When asked about Emanuel’s nomination amid stiff criticism, press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden’s “commitment to police reform speaks for itself.”

“At the same time, he selects and has nominated a range of ambassadors to serve the United States overseas because of their qualifications, whether it’s from business, public service, or other reasons that would make them qualified for these positions,” Psaki said.

Joe Biden met privately with around 20 centrist and progressive Democratic senators yesterday in hopes of reworking and passing his version of his $3.5tn spending package, reports the Associated Press.

In meetings yesterday evening, Biden described a $2tn scaled-down version of the social care package with at least $500 billion allocated to fight climate change and provide money for free pre-kindergarten, health care, paid family leave and middle-class child tax credits.

As Democrats appear ready to abandon hopes of passing the larger $3.5tn package, several programs will likely be cut or significantly reduced including tuition free community college, ways for undocumented immigrants to receive legal citizenship, and a previous energy plan that was the focal strategy for Biden’s attempt at combatting climate change, with details shared by those familiar with the conversation who were granted anonymity.

According to press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden felt “more confident” following yesterday’s meetings.

“There was broad agreement that there is urgency in moving forward over the next several days and that the window for finalizing a package is closing,” Psaki said.

Five activists with the climate youth organization, Sunrise Movement, have begun fasting in front of the White House in protest today, demanding that Congress pass climate crisis action programs in the Biden administration’s $3.5tn social care package, a key part of Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda, reported the New Republic.

“Movement activists are ready to put everything on the line. @POTUS must choose between our future and fossil fuel CEOs. Meet at 9am at the White House tomorrow,” tweeted the group yesterday.

Protestors made the decision to strike after the New York Times broke the news on Friday that Democrats were considering getting rid of the Clean Electricity Performance Program, an initiative within the $3.5tn proposed legislation that would incentivize utility companies to increase their use of renewable energy and switch from fossil fuels – chiefly because of opposition from Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

The fasting strategy is one action in a longer week of protests attempting to get key Democrats to support the legislation. Protestors have also previously protested next to Manchin’s yacht.

Sunrise activists also slept outside of Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona’s office yesterday, calling on her to support the bill with its climate elements included.

The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol, which voted last night to pursue a criminal contempt charge against Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena from the committee, has said that other top aides to Donald Trump are still in discussions – sort of – about subpoenas served to them.

Committee chair Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi, has talked about former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, deputy chief Dan Scavino and defense department aide Kash Patel this morning.

As Hugo Lowell reported for Guardian US, the select committee had issued a bevy of subpoenas to some of Trump’s closest advisers.

Last night it approved the contempt of Congress citation against Bannon unanimously, sending the report to the Democratic-controlled House, which is expected tomorrow to authorize the panel to go to court to punish Bannon for his noncompliance.

“It is essential that we get Mr Bannon’s factual and complete testimony in order to get a full accounting of the violence of January 6th and its causes,” said Thompson.

“Mr Bannon will comply with our investigation or he will face the consequences,” he said. “We cannot allow anyone to stand in the way of the select committee as we work to get to the facts. The stakes are too high.”

Members on the select committee took the aggressive step against Bannon to sound a warning to Trump White House officials and others connected to the Capitol attack that defying subpoenas would carry grave consequences, according to a source on the panel.

It will remain to be seen if Meadows, Scavino and Patel avoid similar action.