Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Tom McClintock (R-CA) discusses potential Covid-19 relief legislation, Friday's House vote on decriminalizing marijuana, and other news of the day.
Members will debate legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, removing cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances and expunge federal convictions for lower-level marijuana offenses.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held her weekly briefing with reporters on Capitol Hill where she answered a range of questions on the status of the coronavirus relief package negotiations and the recent jobs report. Speaker Pelosi stressed that the relief package had to be done before before Congress recessed for the holidays.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow spoke to reporters outside of the White House on the latest job numbers. Mr. Kudlow said the economy is still coming back amid the coronavirus pandemic and said Congress should pass targeted stimulus to help certain areas of the economy. However, he would not go into details about ongoing negotiations between Congressional Republicans and Democrats. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs and unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent in November.
President-elect Biden delivered remarks on the November 2020 jobs report, which showed 245,000 jobs were created in the month. After his remarks, he took questions from reporters.
The U.S. House debated a proposal to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. It leaves state laws on cannabis unchanged. HR 3884 would provide some federal oversight of marijuana distribution nationwide and add a federal tax on sales. Federal non-violent marijuana convictions would be expunged, going back to 1970 when marijuana was made a controlled substance.
Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) discussed the incoming Biden administration and 117th Congress during a virtual event hosted by the Meridian International Center. He was joined by former Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) and former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, who served in the Clinton administration.
John Brennan, a former CIA director, joined a discussion with national security experts on threats facing the U.S. as the Biden administration prepares to take over. The panel also discussed foreign policy and its intersections with national security. The Center for Strategic & International Studies hosted the conversation.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow spoke to reporters outside of the White House on the latest job numbers. Mr. Kudlow said the economy is still coming back amid the coronavirus pandemic and said Congress should pass targeted stimulus to help certain areas of the economy. However, he would not go into details about ongoing negotiations between Congressional Republicans and Democrats. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs and unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent in November.
Former President Obama joined a virtual event in support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, in their races against Republican incumbent Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Rep.-Elect Nikema Williams (D-GA) and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms provided opening remarks, and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams served as the moderator. The Democratic Party of Georgia sponsored the event.
Vice President Pence traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta where he led a round table discussion on COVID-19 vaccines. The vice president said the first vaccine could be approved within a week-and-a-half. Other speakers included CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases Dr. Jay Butler along with Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Before the briefing, Vice President Pence met with personnel of the CDC's Emergency Operations Center.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow spoke to reporters outside of the White House on the latest job numbers. Mr. Kudlow said the economy is still coming back amid the coronavirus pandemic and said Congress should pass targeted stimulus to help the economy. However, he would not go into details about ongoing negotiations between Congressional Republicans and Democrats. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs and unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent in November.
President-elect Biden delivered remarks on the November 2020 jobs report, which showed 245,000 jobs were created in the month. He called the report "grim," but went on to say that it "doesn't have to stay this way." After his remarks, the president-elect answered a few questions from the press. When asked if he would make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory, he said "no," just like he thinks "masks don't have to be mandatory nationwide."
The U.S. House debated a proposal to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. It leaves state laws on cannabis unchanged. HR 3884 would provide some federal oversight of marijuana distribution nationwide and add a federal tax on sales. Federal non-violent marijuana convictions would be expunged, going back to 1970 when marijuana was made a controlled substance.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held her weekly briefing with reporters on Capitol Hill where she answered a range of questions on the status of the coronavirus relief package negotiations and the recent jobs report. Speaker Pelosi stressed that the relief package had to be done before before Congress recessed for the holidays.
Former President Obama joined a virtual event in support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, in their races against Republican incumbent Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Rep.-Elect Nikema Williams (D-GA) and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms provided opening remarks, and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams served as the moderator. The Democratic Party of Georgia sponsored the event.
Vice President Pence traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta where he led a round table discussion on COVID-19 vaccines. The vice president said the first vaccine could be approved within a week-and-a-half. Other speakers included CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases Dr. Jay Butler along with Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Before the briefing, Vice President Pence met with personnel of the CDC's Emergency Operations Center.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow spoke to reporters outside of the White House on the latest job numbers. Mr. Kudlow said the economy is still coming back amid the coronavirus pandemic and said Congress should pass targeted stimulus to help the economy. However, he would not go into details about ongoing negotiations between Congressional Republicans and Democrats. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 245,000 jobs and unemployment rate fell to 6.7 percent in November.
President-elect Biden delivered remarks on the November 2020 jobs report, which showed 245,000 jobs were created in the month. He called the report "grim," but went on to say that it "doesn't have to stay this way." After his remarks, the president-elect answered a few questions from the press. When asked if he would make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory, he said "no," just like he thinks "masks don't have to be mandatory nationwide."
The U.S. House debated a proposal to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. It leaves state laws on cannabis unchanged. HR 3884 would provide some federal oversight of marijuana distribution nationwide and add a federal tax on sales. Federal non-violent marijuana convictions would be expunged, going back to 1970 when marijuana was made a controlled substance.
Democratic leadership suggested members stay in town for the weekend because work starts early next week. They want to pass a COVID-19 relief package and federal spending for the new budget year. Spending authority runs out December 11. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer warned members that the House will not adjourn next week until those bills are sent to the President. He was joined by Republican Whip Steve Scalise.
Former President Obama joined a virtual event in support of Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, in their races against Republican incumbent Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Rep.-Elect Nikema Williams (D-GA) and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms provided opening remarks, and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams served as the moderator. The Democratic Party of Georgia sponsored the event.
Vice President Pence traveled to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta where he led a round table discussion on COVID-19 vaccines. The vice president said the first vaccine could be approved within a week-and-a-half. Other speakers included CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases Dr. Jay Butler along with Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Before the briefing, Vice President Pence met with personnel of the CDC's Emergency Operations Center.