Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies on the president's 2021 budget request. During the hearing, they talked about infrastructure projects, highway and rail safety, investment into the nation's ports, and the discretionary grant programs that address the needs of rural and urban areas.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget hosted an event with Senate Budget Committee Chair Mike Enzi (R-WY), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and budget experts, in which they discussed ways to improve and inform the congressional budgeting process. They looked at ways to reduce the possibility of future government shutdowns, the problems with Continuing Resolutions, the long-term impact of increased deficits, and how best to keep federal spending on a more sustainable path. They also looked at the Bipartisan Congressional Reform Act from Senators Enzi (R-WY) and Whitehouse (D-RI), which is the first bipartisan budget reform bill passed in the Senate Budget Committee in 30 years.
Vice President Mike Pence and several members of his coronavirus task force held a briefing on the federal response to the outbreak. They updated reporters on travel restrictions and screenings in Italy and South Korea, discussed the timeline for a possible vaccine, and announced that a total of six people in the U.S. had died from the virus at the time of the briefing. The vice president also said the risk to the American people "remains low."
Leaders of the House of Representatives participated in the dedication ceremony of the Oversight and Reform Committee's hearing room as the "Elijah E. Cummings Room," in honor of the late committee chair who passed away in October 2019. Mr. Cummings represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District from 1996 to 2019 and served as the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee from 2011 to 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass (D-CA) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) delivered remarks before unveiling the new room plaque.
Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell spoke with reporters about the Fed's decision to cut interest rates by a half point in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
A federal court heard oral argument for two cases challenging the legality of the Trump administration's public charge rule that aims to limit green cards to immigrants who are likely to need government assistance programs.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testified on U.S. policies regarding Iran, Iraq and use of force before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Several Democrats on the committee pressed Secretary Pompeo on the use of force in the Soleimani strike and on the global coronavirus outbreak. They also expressed frustration over the secretary's decision to appear for two hours before the committee.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on President Trump's 2021 budget proposal. The secretary serves on the administration's coronavirus task force and answered several questions about the government's response to the outbreak as well as the economic impact. He also reacted to the federal reserve's decision earlier in the day to cut the interest rate by a half percentage point.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), along with others, addressed the AIPAC annual conference in Washington, DC.
Criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz debated Democratic consultant Robert Shrum on the politics of impeachment, the #MeToo movement and anti-Semitism. Former Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski moderated a portion of the debate, which was hosted by the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on President Trump's 2021 budget proposal. The secretary serves on the administration's coronavirus task force and answered several questions about the government's response to the outbreak as well as the economic impact. He also reacted to the federal reserve's decision earlier in the day to cut the interest rate by a half percentage point.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), along with others, addressed the AIPAC annual conference in Washington, DC.
Criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz debated Democratic consultant Robert Shrum on the politics of impeachment, the #MeToo movement and anti-Semitism. Former Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Alex Kozinski moderated a portion of the debate, which was hosted by the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts.
