Live updates: Biden to meet with Ireland’s leader as officials testify on Hill on coronavirus, migrant surge
Ireland #Ireland
To mark St. Patrick’s Day, President Biden attended mass on Wednesday and is hosting a virtual meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin while senior administration officials travel to Capitol Hill to detail efforts on combating the coronavirus and addressing a surge of migrants on the southwestern border.
Meanwhile, in a television interview broadcast on ABC, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin would “pay a price” for seeking to influence the U.S. 2020 presidential election and that New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) should resign if an investigation confirms allegations of sexual harassment.
9:12 AM: Analysis: The talking filibuster — and its limits
Senate Democrats recently passed Biden’s historic $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on a party-line vote. But the exercise reinforced the reality for the party moving forward: GOP votes will be very hard to come by, and passing virtually any other significant Democratic legislation will be very difficult. This one required just 50 votes under the reconciliation process, but that legislative maneuver can be used only sparingly, and everything else will require 60 votes.
Enter the most likely current candidate for reform: the talking filibuster.
Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) is one of two moderate Senate Democrats posing the biggest obstacle to the left’s quest to get rid of the filibuster — the source of the effective 60-vote threshold. He and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have said there are no circumstances under which they would nuke the filibuster. Given that a majority of the Senate is needed to undo it — and Democrats have just 50 votes — that’s prohibitive for now.
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By: Aaron Blake
9:00 AM: Cedric Richmond endorsement before joining White House roils Louisiana race
In his final act as a member of Congress, Cedric L. Richmond weighed in on the race to fill his soon-to-be-empty seat.
After representing Louisiana’s 2nd District since 2011, Richmond was leaving to serve as a senior adviser to Biden. He threw his support behind Troy Carter, a state senator vying for the safely Democratic seat in a special election this Saturday.
That decision blindsided some of Richmond’s colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, who had received mixed messages from him about choosing sides in the hard-fought primary, which pits Carter against 14 other candidates, including Karen Carter Peterson, a state senator and former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. The race has divided heavily along gender lines, with Peterson garnering endorsements from many Democratic women and Carter mostly backed by men.
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By: Tyler Pager
8:29 AM: Major Biden is at home in Delaware being trained, president says
Biden said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that his dog Major is at home in Delaware being trained following what the White House characterized as an incident that resulted in a minor injury this month to an “unfamiliar person” at the White House.
“Major was a rescue pup. Major did not bite someone and penetrate the skin,” Biden told ABC News. “The dog’s being trained now — our trainer at home in Delaware.”
Biden gave no indication about when Major and Champ, the family’s other dog, will return.
Both dogs have been in Delaware since the incident. But Biden said they weren’t banished because of Major’s aggression.
“I didn’t banish him to home,” he said. First lady Jill Biden “was going to be away for four days. I was going to be away for two, so we took him home. But you turn a corner, and there’s two people you don’t know at all. You know, and he moves to protect. But he’s a sweet dog. Eighty-five percent of people there love him. Just all he does is lick them and wag his tail.”
By: John Wagner
8:03 AM: Analysis: Only about one-fifth of Senate Democrats are committed to totally scrapping the filibuster
Biden said for the first time Tuesday he supports overhauling the filibuster. He told ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos he wants to bring back the talking filibuster, which would force opposing senators to talk on the floor to hold up a bill.
But despite loud calls from liberals to end the procedural maneuver they see as preventing major political change, a review of Democratic senators revealed ending it only has the clear support of roughly 20 percent of the caucus.
The wind, though, may be shifting as Biden’s comments indicated. Some Democrats, like Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), who firmly rejects ending the filibuster, say they could see making its use more “painful” by forcing senators to endlessly stall a bill by talking on the floor. Right now, a simple signal of objection can derail legislation.
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By: Jacqueline Alemany
7:56 AM: Biden says he thinks Putin is a ‘killer,’ says he will ‘pay a price’ for election interference
Biden said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that he considers Russian President Vladimir Putin a “killer” and said he would “pay a price” for seeking to influence the U.S. 2020 presidential election.
“So you know Vladimir Putin. You think he’s a killer?” ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos asked Biden.
“Mmm hmm, I do,” Biden responded.
His comments came after the U.S. intelligence community said in a report Tuesday that Putin and other senior officials in Moscow sought to influence the 2020 election by spreading misleading information about Biden through prominent individuals, some of whom were close to Trump.
Putin targeted people close to Trump in bid to influence 2020 election, U.S. intelligence says
Biden said that he had warned Putin about a potential response during a call in late January.
“He will pay a price,” Biden said. “We had a long talk, he and I, when we — I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.’ ”
Biden, who did not elaborate on what price Russia will pay, also recalled having previously told Putin that he doesn’t think he has a soul.
“He looked back at me and said, ‘We understand each other,’ ” Biden said.
Despite his assessment, Biden said he thinks it’s possible to “walk and chew gum” at the same time, meaning he can work with Russia on issues that benefit the United States, such as arms agreements.
During the interview, Biden also criticized a deal negotiated between Trump and the Taliban under which the U.S. would pull out all of its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 if the Taliban met certain requirements.
“I’m in the process of making that decision now as to when they’ll leave,” Biden said. “The fact is that, that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president — the former president — worked out. And so we’re in consultation with our allies as well as the government, and that decision’s going to be — it’s in process now.”
By: John Wagner
7:43 AM: Biden derides the ‘sort of macho thing’ expressed by some who won’t get vaccinated
Biden, in an interview broadcast Wednesday, lamented the role that politics is playing in the U.S. vaccination effort and derided the “sort of macho thing” being expressed by some who say they won’t get the coronavirus vaccine.
Asked by ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos about how to get politics out of vaccinations, Biden said: “I honest to God thought we had it out.”
“I honest to God thought that, once we guaranteed we had enough vaccine for everybody, things would start to calm down,” Biden said. “Well, they have calmed down a great deal. But I don’t quite understand — you know — I just don’t understand this sort of macho thing about, ‘I’m not gonna get the vaccine. I have a right as an American, my freedom to not do it.’ Well, why don’t you be a patriot? Protect other people.”
Biden said that having been vaccinated himself has allowed him to “hug my grandkids now.”
“They come over to the house,” the president said. “I can see them. I’m able to be with them.”
By: John Wagner
7:11 AM: Biden has been briefed on Atlanta shootings, press secretary says
Biden was briefed overnight about “the horrific shootings” in Atlanta, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Wednesday.
“White House officials have been in touch with the Mayor’s office and will remain in touch with the FBI,” Psaki said.
Her statement came after shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlors on Tuesday left eight people dead, including six Asian women, spurring concern among advocates and police that the killings could be the latest in a surge of hate crimes against Asian Americans.
By: John Wagner
6:45 AM: Traditions of a St. Patrick’s Day event with Ireland to continue virtually
Biden and his administration on Wednesday is holding a series of meetings with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, attempting to maintain many of the traditions of a St. Patrick’s Day event between the countries that dates to 1952.
Rather than a traditional breakfast, however, Vice President Harris will hold a virtual meeting. The traditional shamrock bowl, usually presented in person, was sent overseas ahead of time.
Biden’s remarks at the top of his meeting will be public, but a senior administration official said that he and the Irish leader will not be taking two questions from reporters from each country, as has been the tradition during foreign bilateral meetings.
The administration official, speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon on the condition of anonymity ahead of the meetings, said the U.S. government is not taking a firm position on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Those new rules, implemented as part of Brexit, have resulted in disagreements on border controls between Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, which is a member of the European Union.
“The U.S. administration is not looking to take sides in this disagreement,” the White House official said. “We’re aware there have been challenges over its implementation. We see it as something the U.K. and the E.U. need to resolve.”
“We hope they’re able to find ways to work well together,” the official added.
The topics likely to be discussed include vaccine distribution and how both countries are combating the pandemic.
By: Matt Viser
6:35 AM: DHS Secretary expected to face pointed questions on border at House hearing
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to face pointed questions from members of both parties about the surge in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as he appears at a House Homeland Security Committee meeting on Wednesday.
During a television interview recorded Tuesday, Biden offered a blunt message to would-be asylum seekers.
“Don’t leave your town or city or community,” he said to ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos.
In a statement Tuesday, Mayorkas acknowledged that the situation at the southwest border, particularly a surge in unaccompanied minors, is “difficult” but contended the Biden administration is “making progress” in managing the situation.
“We are working around the clock to manage it and we will continue to do so,” Mayorkas said. “That is our job. We are making progress and we are executing on our plan. It will take time and we will not waver in our commitment to succeed.”
Mayorkas said the United States is encountering more individuals on the border than it has in the past 20 years but stressed that there have been previous surges, including in 2014 and 2019, and said the current situation has been building since April 2020, before Biden’s arrival.
In the statement, Mayorkas argued that several Trump administration actions and policies have significantly added to the challenge, as has the pandemic.
He detailed several steps the Biden administration has taken, including tapping the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist the Department of Health and Human Services in “developing the capacity to meet the surge of unaccompanied children.”
“We have no illusions about how hard it is, and we know it will take time,” Mayorkas said. “We will get it done. We will do so adhering to the law and our fundamental values.”
By: John Wagner
6:30 AM: Senate poised to confirm Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative
Katherine Tai, a veteran congressional staff attorney, appears headed for Senate confirmation Wednesday as the first woman of color to serve as the top U.S. trade negotiator.
The Senate on Tuesday voted 98-0 to end debate on her nomination, paving the way for Wednesday’s anticipated final action.
Among her first tasks will be advising Biden on what to do about existing tariffs on most imported Chinese products, presiding over enforcement of a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada, and seeking a negotiated end to a long-running commercial dispute with the European Union.
Tai will be a key player in crafting the “worker-centered” trade policy that Biden has promised and making sure his efforts to promote domestic manufacturing comply with U.S. trade commitments.
Tai, 46, will become a cabinet officer after a career of behind-the-scenes work as a government and corporate attorney.
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By: David J. Lynch
6:28 AM: Biden, for the first time, says he wants to overhaul the Senate’s filibuster
WILMINGTON — Biden said Tuesday he wants the Senate to overhaul the filibuster, embracing for the first time a major change to the chamber’s rules that could make it easier for him to enact a far-reaching agenda that is blocked by Republicans.
“I don’t think that you have to eliminate the filibuster. You have to do what it used to be when I first got to the Senate back in the old days,” Biden told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview to be aired Wednesday. “You had to stand up and command the floor, you had to keep talking . . . so you’ve got to work for the filibuster.”
“So you’re for that reform? You’re for bringing back the talking filibuster?” Stephanopoulos said.
“I am. That’s what it was supposed to be,” Biden replied. “It’s almost getting to the point where democracy is having a hard time functioning.”
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By: Annie Linskey and Donna Cassata
6:26 AM: House Democrats bring back Medicare-for-all, seeking to push Biden left
House Democrats on Wednesday will renew their effort to enact Medicare-for-all, arguing the year-long pandemic was a “wake-up call” to replace the nation’s fragmented health insurance system — and betting they can pressure Biden to embrace a government-run program that he famously rejected.
“Everybody is seeing the chaos and the destruction that the pandemic has caused,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and one of the bill’s lead authors. “And it’s really making people look and [ask], could we have had something different had we had a Medicare-for-all system in place?”
Advocates acknowledge that a Medicare-for-all bill has never cleared a single committee, let alone Congress. But Jayapal, co-lead author Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and their 109 co-sponsors, who represent more than half of the Democratic caucus, argue the case for it has never been stronger.
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By: Dan Diamond
6:25 AM: Migrants are not overrunning U.S. border towns, despite the political rhetoric
SAN ANTONIO — The way many Republicans describe it, Biden has thrown open the border between Mexico and the United States so that anyone who wants to come into the country can do so, illegally or legally.
Trump accused Biden of “recklessly eliminating our border, security measures, controls, all of the things.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) says Biden has rushed to implement “open border policies.” Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) says the new president “sent a message around South and Central America that our border is open.”
But many of those who live along the border in Texas say that while there has been a dramatic increase in the number of migrants caught crossing illegally, the border itself has been heavily restricted for nearly a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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By: Arelis R. Hernández
6:20 AM: Republican attorneys general threaten key element of $1.9 trillion stimulus
Twenty-one Republican state attorneys general on Tuesday threatened to take action against the Biden administration over its new $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus law, decrying it for imposing “unprecedented and unconstitutional” limits on their states’ ability to lower taxes.
The letter marks one of the first major political and legal salvos against the relief package since Biden signed it last week — evincing the sustained Republican opposition that the White House faces as it implements the signature element of the president’s economic policy agenda.
The attorneys general take issue with a $350 billion pot of money set aside under the stimulus, known as the American Rescue Plan, to help cash-strapped cities, counties and states pay for the costs of the pandemic. Congressional lawmakers opted to restrict states from tapping these federal dollars to finance local tax cuts.
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By: Tony Romm and Jeff Stein