She's speaking right now about the plans the Dems have put together. Families First Coronavirus Relief Act.
Paid leave, paid testing for everyone including the uninsured, strengthening unemployment if people lose their jobs because of the virus. Emphasizing how the assistance is for people (implicit: Not corporations. But you kinda get that from the name of the act)
Trump has his press conference in an hour. Guess she wanted the message out there before he goes out there with his.
It wasn't clear that Mnuchin has agreed to this. I think it might be the "we know this is what needs to be done" and she's trying to back Trump into a corner.
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
I-1, the senatortoise, and others have said it contains too many goodies the Democrats have been pushing for for years, but did not name any examples thereof.
He's riffing a bit, patting himself on the back a lot, and keeps talking about how aggressive their actions have been.
Was much clearer today about limitations on European travel (I'm sure people wish he'd been this clear on Wednesday night).
Thanking Roche for developing test kits; didn't say anything about Jack Ma yet.
"This will pass" "We've learned a tremendous amount".
Introducing a Dr Burkes "whom I've gotten to know a lot in the last six days". (aside: Only six days? What was he waiting for?) She's doing some ass-kissing, praising Trump.
Google developing a website that will direct at-risk people to drive-thru testing clinics which will ship the test to labs.
All the stuff he's talking about should have been in place weeks ago....we're playing major catch-up
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
Introduced the head of Walmart. "When we got the call yesterday from the White House to pitch in, we agreed to allow use of our parking lots for drive-thru testing".
Then they shook hands.
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
Guy from Quest Diagnostics said they're looking forward to getting the new Roche test kits, and that will make many more tests available. Over the next few weeks....
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
With prices low, purchase large quantities of crude for the strategic reserve. "Wouldn't have been possible a week ago"
Pence: This day should be a day of inspiration to every American. Because of your leadership. Because of your decisive action. Throughout this process you've put the health of America first (insert: Except if you were on a cruise ship off San Fran). Mr Pres, you've forged a seamless partnership with public officials and private .
I can't go on. I have to barf. (that's me, not Pence)
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
someone asked if getting rid of the Obama department in the WH that had been set up to react to pandemics could be part of what delayed testing getting implemented.
"People leave. You used to work for another company, and now you're with a new one.
Everything we did was perfect." (ok, so that last sentence is a paraphrase but you get the drift)
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38223 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
Pence: Dear Leader, sir, this day should be a day of inspiration to every American. Because of your very stable genius and truly superhuman leadership, Dear Leader. Because of your decisive superhuman action, Dear Leader. Throughout this process, Dear Leader you've put the health of America first (insert: Except if you were on a cruise ship off San Fran). Oh, great and wise Mr Pres who has been sent to us from God above, whom we revere above all others, Dear Leader, you've forged a seamless partnership with public officials and private..., Dear Leader (salutes crisply and genuflects at the same time).
House lawmakers scaled back their efforts Monday night to offer millions of Americans paid sick and family leave, a weak link in the nation's fight to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act originally passed with wide bipartisan support early Saturday morning but faced some objections from Republicans, particularly over the impact of the paid leave program on businesses. The House approved a set of changes Monday by unanimous consent, clearing the path for the Senate to consider it.
The revised legislation would still provide many workers with up to two weeks of paid sick leave if they are being tested or treated for coronavirus or have been diagnosed with it. Also eligible would be those who have been told by a doctor or government official to stay home because of exposure or symptoms.
Under the revised bill, however, those payments would be capped at $511 a day, roughly what someone making $133,000 earns annually. The original measure called for workers to receive their full pay but limited federal reimbursement to employers to that amount.
Also, workers with family members affected by coronavirus and those whose children's schools have closed would still receive up to two-thirds of their pay, though that benefit would now be limited to $200 a day.
Also curtailed was the bill's paid family leave provision, which now calls for providing workers with two-thirds of their pay for up to another 10 weeks only if their children's schools are closed. The revisions also limit those payments to $200 a day, which would cover two-thirds of the typical daily wage of someone earning up to $75,000 annually, Romig said.
The original bill would also have covered a worker who has been diagnosed, tested or quarantined or is being treated for coronavirus, or someone caring for an affected family member. And it would have only placed a cap on employers' reimbursements from the federal government, not on the funds workers receive. The changes to the family leave provision is a "huge erosion" of the original bill, said Vicki Shabo, senior fellow at New America, a left-leaning think tank.
"The bill no longer protects workers who need to deal with a longer-term health need of their own or a family members' related to coronavirus," she said.
Businesses, particularly small employers, had raised concerns that they could not afford to offer such benefits, even if they would be largely reimbursed by the federal government through quarterly tax credits. A small business industry group said the bill would impose "potentially unsustainable mandates" on its members. Many have already been negatively affected by the coronavirus outbreak, Kevin Kuhlman, senior director at the National Federation of Independent Businesses, wrote in a letter Friday to House leaders.
"Unfortunately, some small employers simply do not have the operating budget to afford paid family and medical leave," Kuhlman wrote. "By requiring small businesses to shoulder additional burdens and costs, small businesses who cannot afford to keep up will close."
The paid leave provisions in the original bill would have cost just over $100 billion, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. They would expire at the end of the year.
Originally posted by wtg: Introduced the head of Walmart. "When we got the call yesterday from the White House to pitch in, we agreed to allow use of our parking lots for drive-thru testing".
Then they shook hands.
Not much of a gesture, when you consider that their parking lots are already paid for, and there's no one going into the stores.
How about some cold, hard cash?
Posts: 35428 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005
