Politics

(AUSTIN, Texas) — The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council, otherwise known as ALEC, is pushing a new piece of anti-fossil fuel divestment legislation after a version of the bill was passed in Texas.

Texas this year paved the way for the GOP on several fronts, from passing a new “fetal heartbeat” abortion law to a restrictive election law. The state also buoyed a bill that would require state entities to divest from companies that choose to no longer do business with fossil fuel companies. It was signed into law in June.

At least a dozen similar bills to the Texas law were filed in 2021 legislative sessions in a handful of states, according to the Texas Tribune, and experts anticipate the trend will grow in 2022.

“Oil and gas is the lifeblood of the Texas economy,” Texas state Rep. Phil King said during a floor discussion of the state’s bill in May, according to the Tribune. “In the world of capital, there’s a movement to deny funds to businesses that will not sign on to extreme anti-fossil fuel policy.”

ALEC, which drafts and streamlines legislative priorities for lawmakers in statehouses across the country, approved model legislation similar to the Texas law — called the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act — at its December meeting.

In an email obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy, a top executive for a state-level group that pushed the anti-divestment bill in Texas wrote that “at the ALEC Committee meetings you’ll have the opportunity to push back against woke financial institutions that are colluding against American energy producers.”

Modeled after anti-BDS legislation supported by ALEC that passed in Texas in 2019, the fossil fuel bill is touted as sending “a strong message that the states will fight back against woke capitalism,” the executive wrote in the email. The controversial Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement uses financial pressure to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.”

ALEC’s Task Force on Energy, Environment and Agriculture voted unanimously in support of the fossil fuel bill language, according to news reports, but it appears to have been removed from ALEC’s website.

ALEC did not respond to a request for comment.

“It’s likely more political than anything else,” Hana Vizcarra, a senior attorney at EarthJustice, told ABC regarding ALEC’s efforts on the energy front. “I think that the financial sector is waking up to the reality of impacts of climate change on their investments, their lending, how they go about their business… these kinds of efforts appear to just be pushing against the tide of reality.”

Banks are starting to shift their investments as they assess the risks of climate change, Vizcarra said, and that doesn’t necessarily equate to a boycott. In 2020, Larry Fink, founder and chief executive of investment behemoth BlackRock, wrote to shareholders that the firm would make climate change “a defining factor” in its investment strategy.

“It’s largely pushing against the private sector and business community at the moment,” she said. “But they may find that they’re actually hindering their own business climate through these efforts.”

The public is getting on board with holding companies responsible for climate change.

In a September public opinion poll conducted by organizations at Yale and George Mason universities, 41% of Americans said that over the next 12 months, they intend to reward companies that are taking steps to reduce global warming more frequently than they do now.

Another 41% said they intend to punish companies that are opposing steps to reduce global warming more frequently than they do now. The poll found that at least half of Americans say industries should be doing “more” or “much more” to address global warming. And 70% say fossil fuel companies should be doing more.

Progressives, meanwhile, are introducing legislation that would require government entities to divest from fossil fuel companies.

And in response to reporting about the energy discrimination bill, 38 climate advocacy organizations wrote a letter to state treasurers and comptrollers urging them to push back against the legislation.

“Despite what ALEC and other politically-motivated organizations may claim, the global energy transition is underway,” the groups wrote. “This is a market reality, not a political opinion.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he was extending the pause on student loan repayments an extra 90 days, taking the pause into May ahead of its expiration at the end of next month.

Since March 2020, tens of millions of Americans have been able to hold off making regular payments on their federal student loans thanks to a pause, put in place first by the Trump administration, due to the pandemic.

The Biden administration had previously extended the pause through the end of January 2022, calling that move in August a “final extension.”

Democrats on Capitol Hill had pressured Biden to extend the pause as the pandemic stretched on.

“We know that millions of student loan borrowers are still coping with the impacts of the pandemic and need some more time before resuming payments,” Biden said in a written statement on Wednesday.

“Given these considerations, today my Administration is extending the pause on federal student loan repayments for an additional 90 days — through May 1, 2022 — as we manage the ongoing pandemic and further strengthen our economic recovery,” Biden said.

“Meanwhile, the Department of Education will continue working with borrowers to ensure they have the support they need to transition smoothly back into repayment and advance economic stability for their own households and for our nation.”

Biden also asked student loan borrowers “to do their part as well,” including looking into public service loan forgiveness plans and exploring “options to lower your payments through income-based repayment plans.”

Biden noted that Vice President Harris had been “closely focused on” this issue.

When he became president, Biden extended the pause through September, and in August, he extended it again until Jan. 31, 2022. Until recently, the White House had indicated it was not planning to extend it again.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in a press briefing on Wednesday that “as much as we know that there’s been a lot of progress in the economy, we know that… millions of people across the country are still struggling with the ongoing threat of the pandemic. Many of them are student loan borrowers.”

She also said the decision was not a reaction to how the president’s key social spending bill, Build Back Better, lost the key support of West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday, and said that the administration and Democrats are “still forging ahead” to get Build Back Better done.

Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley released a statement applauding Biden’s decision to extend the student loan payment pause.

But they also echoed their calls for Biden to go even further.

“Extending the pause will help millions of Americans make ends meet, especially as we overcome the Omicron variant,” they wrote.

“We continue to call on President Biden to take executive action to cancel $50,000 in student debt, which will help close the racial wealth gap for borrowers and accelerate our economic recovery.”

Schumer and other Congressional Democrats have been calling on President Biden to use executive authority to cancel $50,000 in student debt for all borrowers.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ALBANY, N.Y.) — With COVID-19 cases in New York state reaching all-time highs, demand for testing has increased as well, bringing with it concerns of price gouging and falsely advertised turnaround times.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office issued an alert Tuesday asking consumers to report any potential price gouging of at-home testing kits after the office received some reports of testing kits being sold for double or triple their retail price.

The office said it has received reports of BinaxNOW brand tests being “unlawfully” sold for between $40 to $70 per package, when the tests typically cost between $14 to $24 at stores such as Walgreens.

“As New York sees an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, more and more New Yorkers are looking for at-home tests and other tools in the fight against the coronavirus,” James said in a statement. “If New Yorkers see exorbitant price increases on testing kits or other goods vital and necessary for health, safety and welfare, they are encouraged to report it [to] my office immediately. And fraudsters are on notice that if they attempt to price gouge during this new surge, we will not hesitate to take action.”

New York law prohibits merchants from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling products “vital to their health, safety or welfare for an ‘unconscionably excessive’ price,” according to James’ office.

The attorney general also announced Tuesday it issued a warning to Brooklyn-based LabQ Diagnostics for allegedly misrepresenting its COVID-19 test turnaround time.

In a letter to the lab, which has mobile locations throughout New York City, the attorney general said some consumers have reportedly been waiting over 96 hours for COVID-19 test results to come back, even though the lab advertised that results would come back within 48 hours.

The letter, dated Monday, instructed the lab to update its website and signage at its test sites “immediately” to reflect how long people can expect to wait before they receive their test results.

“LabQ’s own website states, ‘Turnaround Time Matters,’ but so does being honest with consumers,” James said. “LabQ and all other labs should ensure that they are giving consumers accurate information about when to expect test results.”

LabQ did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

As of Tuesday afternoon, LabQ’s website says consumers can expect their results within one to five days, “due to a significant increase in COVID testing.” Earlier on Tuesday, it had stated that consumers could expect their results within one to four days.

The attorney general’s office also asked LabQ to contact all customers currently awaiting test results to inform them when they should expect to get them, according to the letter addressed to LabQ.

“We appreciate that there is undoubtedly an increase in demand for COVID-19 testing due to the holidays and omicron variant. However, it remains important, especially during the holidays, to advertise and otherwise convey accurate information to consumers about when they can receive their test results so that they can plan accordingly,” Mary Alestra, special counsel for the attorney general’s office, said in the letter.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a plan to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid tests to Americans beginning in January, doubling down on an effort to slow the spread of a highly transmissible variant that has hit the U.S. distressingly close to the holidays.

But he denied it was a failure not to have more tests already available as Americans wanted to get checked days before family gatherings.

“I want to start by acknowledging how tired, worried and frustrated I know you are,” Biden began in his address to the nation from the White House. “For many of you, this will be the first or even the second Christmas, we look across the table to see an empty kitchen chair.”

“If you’re not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned,” Biden went on, talking about the omicron variant, now the dominant strain in the U.S. “Almost everyone who has died from COVID-19 in the past many months has been unvaccinated. Unvaccinated.”

“You’re putting other people at risk — your loved ones, your friends, neighbors, strangers,” he said to unvaccinated Americans. “You may think you’re putting only yourself at risk. But, it’s your choice. Your choice is not just about you, it affects other people. You’re putting other people at risk. Your loved ones, your friends, neighbors, strangers you run into, and your choice can be the difference between life or death. The longer the virus is around, the more likely variants form that may be deadlier than the ones that have come before,” he said.

Still, the president rejected the idea that the U.S. would go back to March 2020 or impose new lockdowns, and said public health officials have the means this winter to keep schools open safely, for example.

“If you are vaccinated and follow the precautions that we all know well, you should feel comfortable celebrating Christmas and the holidays as you planned it,” he said.

“The best thing to do is get fully vaccinated and get your booster shot — and no, this is not March of 2020. Two hundred million people are fully vaccinated. We’re prepared. We know more. We just have to stay focused,” Biden added.

In his ongoing push to get hesitant Americans vaccinated and boosted, Biden also mentioned that former President Donald Trump this week said he had gotten his booster shot, adding, “Maybe one of the few things he and I agree on.”

He also gave the Trump administration a nod on vaccine development.

“Let me be clear, thanks to the prior administration and our scientific community, America is one of the first countries to get the vaccine,” Biden said. “Thanks to my administration and the hard work of Americans, we led a rollout that made America among the world leaders in getting shots and arms.”

Biden’s new efforts come as the omicron variant became the most dominant COVID strain in the country Monday, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all cases, and just as travel kicks off at nearly pre-pandemic levels for the holiday season.

The Biden administration’s free at-home rapid tests will be delivered by mail to Americans who request them, Biden said, marking a slightly different approach from European countries that chose to send tests to all residents.

“Because Omicron spreads so easily, we’ll see some fully vaccinated people get COVID, potentially in large numbers. There will be positive cases in every office, even here in the White House,” he said, one day after the White House reported the president came in contact with a staffer who later tested positive.

“But these cases are highly unlikely to lead to serious illness. Vaccinated people who get COVID may get ill, but they’re protected from severe illness and death. That’s why you should still remain vigilant,” he said.

Pressed by reporters, Biden rejected suggestions it was a failure to not have the tests readily available in advance of the holidays.

“No, it’s not a failure, but the alarm bell went off. I don’t think anybody anticipated that this was going to be as rapidly spreading as it did,” he said.

Americans will have to request the tests through a website that will launch in January, a senior administration official said on Monday, and it’s not yet clear how many tests Americans will be able to request per household.

The move is a significant departure from the White House’s posture just two weeks ago, when White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the idea of mailing tests to every American as costly and wasteful.

“Should we just send one to every American?” Psaki told a reporter on Dec. 6.

“Then what happens if every American has one test? How much does that cost, and then what happens after that?” Psaki said.

But the effort shows the consensus among White House officials on the need to improve the nation’s testing apparatus, which was caught unprepared by the perfect storm of high demand for pre-holiday testing and a surge of omicron cases.

As a result, Americans have faced long lines and empty shelves this week as they attempt to safely gather for the holidays in keeping with CDC guidance, which calls for families to use at-home rapid tests as an extra layer of prevention before gathering.

Fielding questions after his remarks, Biden was also asked what took so long to get tests out to Americans as the spread of omicron coincides with a greater need for testing ahead of the holidays.

“Come on, what took so long?” Biden quipped back at a reporter.

“Well, what took so long, is it didn’t take long at all. What happened was, the omicron virus spread even more rapidly than anybody thought,” Biden said.

Dr. Sam Scarpino, managing director of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation and a member of their Pandemic Prevention Institute, said the government could have seen this coming.

“Scientists have been warning about the potential for new variants to come along for a year now or more. And we’ve known about omicron since the day before Thanksgiving. It’s been weeks at this point,” he said.

There will be other actions to get ahead of omicron outlined in Biden’s speech on Tuesday, too, like new federal testing sites around the country — the first several of which will launch in New York City by Christmas — and mobilizing 1,000 military doctors and nurses to overburdened hospitals, the senior administration official said.

The military aid will be five-fold the current deployment and could be a big boost to hospitals that have been running on fumes for two years.

There are currently 175 troops spread over four states, and since August 2021, when a joint military operation across the Army, Navy and Air Force began, about 530 medical military personnel have been deployed to work alongside civilian health care providers.

Tuesday marked the second time Biden addresses the nation about the omicron variant in less than a month.

In November, Biden announced a winter COVID plan that included beefing up vaccination and booster clinics to encourage more Americans to get protected and increase testing by getting insurance companies to reimburse the cost of at-home tests.

The 500 million free at-home tests that will be announced on Tuesday will be in addition to getting at-home tests reimbursed, which will go into effect on Jan. 15.

Noticeably missing from the new government efforts will be any attempts to enact further restrictions or lockdowns — which some European countries have opted for as omicron has swept through their populations.

“I know you’re tired. I really mean this, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said in closing. “This is a critical moment. But we also have more tools than we’ve ever had before. We’re ready. We’ll get through this. As we head into the holidays, I want us to all keep the faith.”

ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Justin Gomez contributed to this report.

 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden detailed further steps his administration will take to slow the spread of omicron in an address to the nation on Tuesday, including an effort to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid tests to Americans next month, dispatch military members to overburdened hospitals and continue the push to vaccinate and boost all Americans.

“I want to start by acknowledging how tired, worried and frustrated I know you are,” Biden began in his address to the nation from the White House. “For many of you, this will be the first or even the second Christmas we look across the table to see an empty kitchen chair.”

He acknowledged that the highly transmissible omicron variant, which became the most dominant COVID strain in the country Monday, was raising concerns just as travel kicks off at nearly pre-pandemic levels for the holiday season.

“If you’re not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned,” Biden said. “Almost everyone who has died from COVID-19 in the past many months has been unvaccinated. Unvaccinated.”

“You’re putting other people at risk — your loved ones, your friends, neighbors, strangers,” he said to unvaccinated Americans. “You may think you’re putting only yourself at risk. But, it’s your choice. Your choice is not just about you, it affects other people. You’re putting other people at risk. Your loved ones, your friends, neighbors, strangers you run into, and your choice can be the difference between life or death. The longer the virus is around, the more likely variants form that may be deadlier than the ones that have come before,” he said.

For vaccinated Americans, the message was starkly different. Biden encouraged spending time with family.

“If you are vaccinated and follow the precautions that we all know well, you should feel comfortable celebrating Christmas and the holidays as you planned it,” he said.

But he also acknowledged the risks of higher breakthrough cases in the weeks and months to come, stemming from omicron’s many mutations able to escape vaccine protections.

“Because omicron spreads so easily, we’ll see some fully vaccinated people get COVID, potentially in large numbers. There will be positive cases in every office, even here in the White House among among the vaccinated,” he said.

“But these cases are highly unlikely to lead to serious illness. Vaccinated people who get COVID may get ill, but they’re protected from severe illness and death. That’s why you should still remain vigilant.”

Still, the president rejected the idea that the U.S. would go back to March 2020 or impose new lockdowns.

“The best thing to do is get fully vaccinated and get your booster shot — and no, this is not March of 2020. Two hundred million people are fully vaccinated. We’re prepared. We know more. We just have to stay focused,” Biden said.

In his ongoing push to get hesitant Americans vaccinated and boosted, Biden also mentioned that former President Donald Trump this week said he had gotten his booster shot.

“Maybe one of the few things he and I agree on,” Biden said.

He also gave the Trump administration a nod on vaccine development.

“Let me be clear, thanks to the prior administration and our scientific community, America was one of the first countries to get the vaccine,” Biden said. “Thanks to my administration and the hard work of Americans, we led a rollout that made America among the world leaders in getting shots and arms.”

Biden’s newest efforts on omicron, from more testing to help for strained hospitals

Part of Biden’s latest efforts will be free at-home rapid tests delivered by mail to Americans who request them, the president said, marking a slightly different approach from European countries that chose to send tests to all residents.

Americans will have to request the tests through a website that will launch in January and it’s not yet clear how many tests Americans will be able to request per household.

The move is a significant departure from the White House’s posture just two weeks ago, when White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the idea of mailing tests to every American as costly and wasteful.

“Should we just send one to every American?” Psaki told a reporter on Dec. 6.

“Then what happens if every American has one test? How much does that cost, and then what happens after that?” Psaki said.

But the effort shows the consensus among White House officials on the need to improve the nation’s testing apparatus, which was caught unprepared by the perfect storm of high demand for pre-holiday testing and a surge of omicron cases.

As a result, Americans have faced long lines and empty shelves this week as they attempt to safely gather for the holidays in keeping with CDC guidance, which calls for families to use at-home rapid tests as an extra layer of prevention before gathering.

Fielding questions after his remarks, Biden rejected suggestions that it was a failure to not have the tests readily available in advance of the holidays.

“No, it’s not a failure, but the alarm bell went off. I don’t think anybody anticipated that this was going to be as rapidly spreading as it did,” he said.

But experts have long been warning that new variants are always on the horizon. Since omicron was detected last month, many have urged the Biden administration to move away from a strategy that solely prioritizes vaccination and to beef up other prevention measures, such as testing or mask mandates.

“Scientists have been warning about the potential for new variants to come along for a year now or more. And we’ve known about omicron since the day before Thanksgiving. It’s been weeks at this point,” said Dr. Sam Scarpino, managing director of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation and a member of their Pandemic Prevention Institute.

Biden outlined other efforts in his speech on Tuesday, too, including new federal testing sites around the country — the first several of which will launch in New York City by Christmas — and mobilizing 1,000 military doctors and nurses to overburdened hospitals.

The military aid will be five times the current deployment and could be a big boost to hospitals that have been running on fumes for two years.

There are currently 175 troops deployed over four states, and since August 2021, when a joint military operation across the Army, Navy and Air Force began, about 530 medical military personnel have been deployed to work alongside civilian health care providers.

Tuesday marked the second time Biden had addressed the nation about the omicron variant in less than a month.

In November, Biden announced a winter COVID plan that included setting up more vaccination and booster clinics to encourage more Americans to get protected and increase testing by getting insurance companies to reimburse the cost of at-home tests.

The 500 million free at-home tests announced on Tuesday will be in addition to getting at-home tests reimbursed, which will go into effect on Jan. 15.

“I know you’re tired. I really mean this, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said Tuesday, closing out his speech. “This is a critical moment. But we also have more tools than we’ve ever had before. We’re ready. We’ll get through this. As we head into the holidays, I want us to all keep the faith.”

ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Justin Gomez contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The president has a new puppy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — just in time for Christmas.

The Biden family has welcomed a new German Shepherd, “Commander,” the president announced in a tweet on Monday.

“Welcome to the White House, Commander,” Biden tweeted.

Welcome to the White House, Commander. pic.twitter.com/SUudQnPv29

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 20, 2021

Commander, a purebred German Shepherd, was gifted to Biden by his brother James and his sister-in-law for his birthday, and will also be joined by the long-awaited Biden family cat in January.

Biden later tweeted a 15-second video showing him meeting the new arrival on the White House lawn.

“Hey, pal. How you doing? How are you?” Biden said to his enthusiastic new friend.

The video also features Biden throwing a ball to Commander on the lawn, walking into the White House holding the new puppy on a leash alongside first lady Jill Biden, and the president giving a treat to their new pet in front of a festive fireplace mantel.

As the Bidens welcomed Commander to the White House on Monday, they also announced that their other German Shepherd, Major, the first shelter dog to live in the White House, would be leaving 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to live with family friends following a handful of biting incidents involving White House staff this year.

“After consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists and veterinarians, the First Family has decided to follow the experts’ collective recommendation that it would be safest for Major to live in a quieter environment with family friends,” the first lady’s press secretary Michael LaRosa said in a statement.

“This is not in reaction to any new or specific incident, but rather a decision reached after several months of deliberation as a family and discussions with experts,” he added.

The family’s other longtime German Shepherd, Champ, whom Biden said considered himself a member of the Secret Service, died in June at 13 years old.

The first lady teased in an April interview with NBC’s Today program that a female cat was “waiting in the wings.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden will announce a plan on Tuesday to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid tests to Americans beginning in January as part of an attempt to double down on the spread of a transmissible variant that has hit the U.S. distressingly close to the holidays.

Biden’s new efforts come as the omicron variant became the most dominant COVID strain in the country Monday, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all cases, and just as travel kicks off at nearly pre-pandemic levels for the holiday season.

The free at-home rapid tests will be delivered by mail to Americans who request them, a senior administration official told reporters on Monday night in a preview of the speech, marking a slightly different approach from European countries that chose to send tests to all residents.

Americans will have to request the tests through a website that will launch in January, the official said, and its not yet clear how many tests Americans will be able to request per household.

The move is a significant departure from the White House’s posture just two weeks ago, when White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed the idea of mailing tests to every American as costly and wasteful.

“Should we just send one to every American?” Psaki told a reporter on Dec. 6.

“Then what happens if every American has one test? How much does that cost, and then what happens after that?” Psaki said.

But the effort shows the consensus among White House officials on the need to improve the nation’s testing apparatus, which was caught unprepared by the perfect storm of high demand for pre-holiday testing and a surge of omicron cases.

As a result, Americans have faced long lines and empty shelves this week as they attempt to safely gather for the holidays in keeping with CDC guidance, which calls for families to use at-home rapid tests as an extra layer of prevention before gathering.

Dr. Sam Scarpino, managing director of pathogen surveillance at the Rockefeller Foundation and a member of their Pandemic Prevention Institute, said the government could have seen this coming.

“Scientists have been warning about the potential for new variants to come along for a year now or more. And we’ve known about omicron since the day before Thanksgiving. It’s been weeks at this point,” he said.

There will be other actions to get ahead of omicron outlined in Biden’s speech on Tuesday, too, like new federal testing sites around the country — the first several of which will launch in New York City by Christmas — and mobilizing 1,000 military doctors and nurses to overburdened hospitals, the senior administration official said.

The military aid will be five-fold the current deployment and could be a big boost to hospitals that have been running on fumes for two years.

There are currently 175 troops spread over four states, and since August 2021, when a joint military operation across the Army, Navy and Air Force began, about 530 medical military personnel have been deployed to work alongside civilian health care providers.

This will be the second time Biden addresses the nation about the omicron variant in less than a month.

In November, Biden announced a winter COVID plan that included beefing up vaccination and booster clinics to encourage more Americans to get protected and increase testing by getting insurance companies to reimburse the cost of at-home tests.

The 500 million free at-home tests that will be announced on Tuesday will be in addition to getting at-home tests reimbursed, which will go into effect on Jan. 15.

Noticeably missing from the new government efforts will be any attempts to enact further restrictions or lockdowns — which some European countries have opted for as omicron has swept through their populations.

It will not be a speech about “locking the country down,” Psaki said at a press briefing on Monday afternoon.

“This is a speech outlining and being direct and clear with the American people about the benefits of being vaccinated, the steps we’re going to take to increase access and to increase testing and the risks posed to unvaccinated individuals,” Psaki said.

Psaki also said Biden would deliver a “stark warning” for those that choose to remain unvaccinated.

“For those who choose to remain unvaccinated, he’ll issue a stark warning and make clear unvaccinated individuals will continue to drive hospitalizations and deaths,” she said.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., seems to have sealed the fate of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill on “Fox News Sunday,” when he announced that he is a “no” on the legislation.

“I’ve always said if I can’t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it. I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there,” Manchin said.

Despite working “every day” for five months with different members of the party to get there on the legislation, Manchin said his concerns about inflation and the cost of the program still stand.

“You’re done? This is a no?” host Bret Baier asked.

“This is a no on this piece of legislation. I have tried everything I know to do,” Manchin replied, adding that Biden worked “diligently” and was “wonderful to work with” but knew he had concerns.

Manchin’s comments effectively end Democrats’ hopes of passing Biden’s $1.75 trillion social spending plan, which passed the House last month, with Democratic votes alone. Manchin is the crucial 50th vote needed to get the bill across the line.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has issued a lengthy statement that Manchin’s bombshell announcement Sunday is “at odds” with what he indicated in private negotiations earlier this week — confirming the White House was caught off guard by Manchin’s news, and unleashing on the senator for the “sudden and inexplicable reversal of his position.”

“On Tuesday of this week, Senator Manchin came to the White House and submitted—to the President, in person, directly—a written outline for a Build Back Better bill that was the same size and scope as the President’s framework, and covered many of the same priorities,” Psaki said Sunday. ” If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate.”

While Manchin recognized that the party had negotiated down from Sen. Bernie Sanders’ initial proposal of $6 trillion, he felt shortening the timelines of the “aspirational goals” included in the bill was not a genuine answer to the issue.

“The thing that never changed Bret, was basically the same amount of things that they’re trying to accomplish by just changing, if you will, the amount of time that we can depend on it,” Manchin said Sunday on Fox. “So if you’re going to do something and do it, pick what we’re apprised priorities are like most people do in their families, or their businesses, and you fund them for 10 years and you make sure they deliver the services for 10 years,” Manchin argued.

Manchin argued COVID-19 and inflation should be where the country is focusing its fire, rather than dragging out the negotiations further.

“I’ve tried. I mean, I really did and the President was trying as hard as he could. He has an awful lot –A lot of irons in the fire right now — more on his plate than he needs for this to continue when I’m having the difficulties I’m having and basically the challenges we have from different parts of our party basically pushing in different ways,” Manchin said.

Manchin also said it was “not right” that he was getting all the attention for his concerns over the bill, but said he wasn’t going to speak for other Senators who also might have concerns with the mammoth legislation.

It was just Thursday that Biden put out a statement that the negotiations with Manchin would continue this week.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has been one of the senators leading the charge on the Build Back Better bill in Senate, responded to Manchin’s no vote on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“Well, I think he’s gonna have a lot of explaining to do to the people of West Virginia,” Sanders said, ticking through the benefits the bill would provide like lowering prescription drug costs, expanding Medicaid and helping to pay for childcare.

“I would have hoped that we could have had at least 50 Democrats on board who have the guts to stand up for working families and take on the lobbyists and the powerful special interests,” Sanders said on CNN. “We have no Republicans, not one Republican in the United States Senate or the House for that matter is prepared to stand up to the drug companies or the insurance companies or wealthy.”

Sanders was not shy about telling Americans who are concerned about losing their monthly Child Tax Credit payments to blame Sen. Manchin.

“If Mr. Manchin Votes no, those $300 tax credits that have gone a long way to reduce childhood poverty in America- they’re gone. That’s over. We cut childhood poverty by over 40%, an extraordinary accomplishment. Manchin doesn’t want to do that, tell that to the struggling families of West Virginia and America,” Sanders said.

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(WASHINGTON) — Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Sunday “it’s possible” some of his GOP colleagues in Congress are responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but added he’s not ready to “go to that point” yet, because he wants to “let the facts dictate it.”

The Illinois Republican also revealed that the committee investigating the insurrection is not ruling out issuing subpoenas for sitting members of Congress.

“Nobody — member of Congress, former president, nobody — in America is above the law,” Kinzinger told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.

Kinzinger, who announced in October he will not seek reelection to Congress, was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump following the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and is one of two Republicans serving on the committee. He said the committee would subpoena Trump if they determine it’s necessary.

“Nobody should be above the law, but we also recognize we can get the information without him at this point, and, obviously, when you subpoena the former president, that comes with a whole kind of, you know, circus environment,” Kinzinger said. “But if we need him, we’ll do it.”

Rep. Adam Kinzinger tells @jonkarl “it’s possible” some of his GOP colleagues in Congress are responsible for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

“I will tell you, yes, there are more texts out there we haven’t released.” https://t.co/DrxF56htoo pic.twitter.com/mIwF0Z9VOE

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 19, 2021

Kinzinger and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Tuesday night joined Democrats in the House in voting to hold Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, in contempt of Congress. Meadows defied a subpoena to appear for a deposition before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Prior to the vote, members of the committee unveiled text messages sent to Meadows during the attack on the Capitol, reading aloud texts from Republican lawmakers, Fox News personalities and the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., that implored Meadows to get Trump to denounce the rioters. Rep Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was one of the GOP lawmakers whose texts to Meadows were revealed, his office confirmed.

The new messages were part of the approximately 9,000 documents Meadows turned over to the committee, before he reversed course and decided to not cooperate with the investigation. The House previously voted to hold Trump ally Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena by the Jan. 6 committee.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger tells @jonkarl that he “absolutely” thinks his colleagues should be subpoenaed to testify before the House committee on Jan. 6 if necessary.

“Nobody—member of Congress, former president—nobody in America is above the law.” https://t.co/MfsZEjNKU8 pic.twitter.com/rHpGf5aoAZ

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 19, 2021

Kinzinger said he’s “not sure” whether Meadows knew how damaging the text messages would be, but emphasized he had no choice given the committee’s legal authority.

“I will tell you, yes, there are more texts out there we haven’t released,” he added.

During debate on the House floor before the vote, Cheney emphasized the importance of Meadows’ testimony. “Mr. Meadows’ testimony will bear on another key question before this committee. Did Donald Trump through action or inaction corruptly seek to obstruct or impede Congress’ official proceedings to count electoral votes?” Cheney said.

Karl pressed Kinzinger on the possibility of the Justice Department filing criminal charges based on what the committee finds, given that it is a crime to obstruct the official proceedings of Congress.

“Are you sending a message that the Justice Department should be prosecuting not just those that broke into the building on Jan. 6, but should be prosecuting Donald Trump himself or at least investigating that possibility?” Karl asked.

“I think investigating that possibility, for sure,” Kinzinger responded. “Our committee is getting more information than law enforcement agencies and DOJ, because we’ve had the power and the ability to get that done.”

“Whatever information we get will be public record, and the DOJ should take a look, particularly if there’s criminal charges to be filed, because again, the big thing is as bad as it was on Jan. 6, there’s really nothing in place to stop another one from happening again,” he added. “If somebody broke the law, it is so essential that we send the message that you are not untouchable as president — you’re not untouchable as a former president.”

House committee on Jan. 6 “is getting more information than law enforcement agencies and DOJ,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger tells @jonkarl.

“And if somebody broke the law, it is so essential that we send the message that you are not untouchable as president.” https://t.co/MfsZEjNKU8 pic.twitter.com/fIZ8gg1RRd

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 19, 2021

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday in an interview with Spectrum News he looks forward to seeing what the Jan. 6 committee finds in its probe, effectively endorsing the work of the commission after he had opposed its creation. “I think that what they’re seeking to find out is something that public needs to know,” McConnell said.

“That’s not exactly what Kevin McCarthy, the leader over there in the House, is saying,” Karl pointed out, alluding to the fact that the two GOP leaders in the House and Senate have juxtaposing views toward the investigation.

“Right,” Kinzinger replied, laughing. “Look, I mean — I got to tell you, so, you know, say what you want about Mitch McConnell. He obviously holds his cards very close. I think that was a very powerful statement and I appreciate it.”

“I don’t think history books are going to be kind to him.”

GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger knocks House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, says he brought former Pres. Trump “back to political life” after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. https://t.co/PNZ2yryejT pic.twitter.com/8OhvwR7AN7

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 19, 2021

Kinzinger, who along with Cheney has faced harsh backlash for sitting on the committee, criticized McCarthy for not doing something similar.

“Kevin McCarthy, on the other hand, has not said a word about anything, except for that Donald Trump is probably the greatest president to ever exist,” Kinzinger said. “Kevin McCarthy himself I think made Donald Trump relevant again when two weeks after Jan. 6 or so, he went back down to Mar-a-Lago and brought him back to political life by putting his arm around him and taking that picture and basically sending the signal to the rest of the Republicans that were pretty quiet at this moment, that we got to get back on the Trump train.”

“He bears responsibility for that,” he added. “I don’t think history books are going to be kind to him.”

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(WASHINGTON) — A hunger strike that started in Phoenix has made its way to the nation’s capital. Students from different parts of the U.S. have gathered outside the White House participating in a hunger strike which they say is to help get the Freedom to Vote Act passed.

The bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance.

The students are part of UN-PAC, a nonpartisan, pro-democracy youth organization.

“For many months, we’ve been knocking on doors, we’ve been making phone calls, we’ve been meeting with senators, and it hasn’t been enough,” Shana Gallagher, co-founder and executive director of UN-PAC said. “We really feel an existential urgency around passing the Freedom to Vote Act, the federal democracy reform package that the Senate has landed on before the end of the year.”

The hunger strike began in Phoenix on Dec. 6. On the fourth day of the strike, protesters met with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz to discuss the legislation.

“She reiterated her support for the Freedom to Vote Act, and we hope desperately that when the time comes, she will do whatever it takes to pass the bill,” Gallagher said. “But the meeting did go well enough that we decided we should move our hunger strike to D.C. because the person who needs to be prioritizing the passage of this bill now is President Biden.”

As the group is about to enter the third week of their hunger strike, they say that many are feeling the impact of not eating.

“Every morning, I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus of exhaustion,” Joseline Garcia, co-founder and the national organizing director of UN-PAC said. “My stomach feels like it’s been twisted and tied up into knots, and there are sharp pains as if knives are poking it.”

Before taking part in the hunger strike, the group discussed the risks, Garcia said.

“We considered the risks soon after we started considering this as a serious tactic,” Garcia said. “We do have a team of medical professionals that check on us twice a day, to see where everyone is at.”

The group has received online support from celebrities including Kerry Washington and Mark Ruffalo.

Our freedom to vote is on the line, and so are their futures. Thank you to the brave young people of @LetsUnPAC on Day 11 of a #HungerStrike4Democracy. @POTUS, please help make sure the #FreedomToVoteAct passes this year!

https://t.co/UsfKgGeQcK pic.twitter.com/DdMidMHXKC

— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) December 16, 2021

“When we are able to get access to platforms that are willing to amplify our message, it helps spread the word which will be necessary to move the Senate and President Joe Biden,” Garcia said.

Even though members of Congress have left Washington, D.C., for the holidays and the Senate is not scheduled to return until Jan. 3, some strikers including Callynn Johnson, a student at the University of Central Florida who flew to participate in the strike, say they remain committed to seeing this hunger strike through until they see movement on the Freedom to Vote Act.

“The current plan is that this is an indefinite hunger strike until we do see this bill passed. And as much as I would love to go home for the holidays and see my family, this very much depends on whether the Senate prioritizes this issue,” Johnson said.

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