Tag: Joe Biden

Back in Paris pact, US vows no more sidelining of climate

The United States officially returned to the Paris global climate accord on Friday, and President Joe Biden and other U.S. leaders declared the nation could not afford to sideline the growing climate crisis again.

“We can no longer delay or do the bare minimum to address climate change. This is a global existential crisis, and all of us will suffer if we fail,” Biden told European leaders at a Munich security conference by video Friday.

“We’re back,” Biden said, renewing assurances the U.S. was back in global initiatives at large.

Officially, President Donald Trump’s removal of the nation from the worldwide global climate pact stood for only 107 days. It was part of Trump’s withdrawal from global allegiances in general and his often-stated but false view that ongoing global warming was a laughably mistaken take by the world’s scientists. Continue reading.

Biden immigration bill reveals hardened battle lines in post-Trump era

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President Biden’s comprehensive immigration bill quickly exposed firm battle lines on Capitol Hill, raising questions about whether the White House might break the legislation into smaller bipartisan pieces if it hopes to pass any immigration reform.

Congressional Democrats rolled out Biden’s legislation with force, emphasizing there would be little room for compromise on a measure that would create a pathway for citizenship for some 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.

“The reason we have not gotten immigration reform over the finish line is not because of a lack of will. It is because time and time again, we have compromised too much and capitulated too quickly to fringe voices who have refused to accept the humanity and contributions of immigrants to our country,” said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is sponsoring the Senate side version of the legislation. Continue reading.

White House announces $4 billion in funding for Covax, the global vaccine effort that Trump spurned

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The White House is throwing its support behind a global push to distribute coronavirus vaccines equitably, pledging $4 billion to a multilateral effort the Trump administration spurned.

At a Group of Seven meeting of leaders of the world’s largest economies Friday, President Biden will announce an initial $2 billion in funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to be used by the Covax Facility, senior administration officials said in a briefing.

The United States will release an additional $2 billion over two years once other donors have made good on their pledges and will use this week’s G-7 summit to rally other countries to do more. Continue reading.

Biden pushes expanded pathways to citizenship as immigration bill lands in Congress

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The Biden administration formally rolled out its major immigration bill Thursday, introducing legislation that would give 11 million people a path to U.S. citizenship. 

The bill, which will be shepherded by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), represents President Biden’s chance to deliver major changes to a system where both parties see a need for reform but are sharply divided on how to deliver it.

White House officials called the bill a chance to “reset and restart conversations on immigration reform,” labeling the bill as Biden’s “vision of what it takes to fix the system.” Continue reading.

Where things stand on COVID-19 relief measure

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Democrats are aiming to move quickly on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package and give President Biden a legislative accomplishment early in his tenure.

A multitude of House committees advanced portions of the bill last week, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told colleagues on Tuesday that the plan is for the bill to be considered on the House floor next week.

The bigger challenge lies ahead when the work shifts over to the Senate. The legislation will need every Senate Democrat to vote for it to pass if no Republicans back it. Continue reading.

Biden to increase number of vaccine doses to states

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The Biden administration will increase the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses going to states this week.

States will receive 13.6 million doses per week starting this week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday. The current shipment is about 11 million doses. 

That marks a 57 percent increase over the amount states were getting when Biden first took office, Psaki said.  Continue reading.

Biden extends foreclosure moratorium, mortgage forbearance through June

This is the second time President Joe Biden has extended the relief since he took office.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is extending the foreclosure moratorium and mortgage forbearance through the end of June as part of his efforts to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the White House announced Tuesday.

The administration’s actions continue programs that former President Donald Trump started last year. This is the second time Biden has extended the programs after having signed an executive action on his first day in office that pushed the expiration date to the end of March.

The White House also announced Tuesday that the administration is extending the enrollment window to request a mortgage payment forbearance and will grant six months of additional forbearance for those who enroll on or before June 30. Continue reading.

Biden indicates he’s open to negotiation on $15 minimum wage

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Comments come as attention turns to passing $1.9 trillion relief bill on Capitol Hill

President Biden indicated Tuesday that he’s open to negotiation on his proposal for a $15 minimum wage, a centerpiece of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that’s emerged as a flash point as congressional Democrats push the legislation forward.

Biden suggested he could be open to a longer phase-in than the current plan of five years in Democrats’ legislation. He also argued that phasing gradually up to $15 could be beneficial while having less potential impact on business owners.

He made the comments in response to a small-business owner at a town hall hosted by CNN in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Continue reading.

The Memo: Biden steps out of Trump’s shadow

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President Biden ran for election as an antidote to his predecessor. Now he faces a different test — whether he can sell his own agenda.

Biden travels to Milwaukee Tuesday, where he will hold a CNN town hall event. It is his first official trip as president.

There, Biden will make the case for the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package that is the keystone of his domestic agenda. Continue reading.

With Trump Gone, Security Agencies Can Confront Violent Far Right

President Joe Biden’s administration is expanding new grants from the Department of Homeland Security to target and prevent right-wing domestic terrorism after years of such efforts being effectively stymied by Donald Trump — and the department is ramping up its plans to combat what experts say is the greatest terrorist threat facing America today.

According to an NBC report, although the department’s Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism prevention originally directed some funding to these grants toward the end of Trump’s time in office, Biden’s new plan expands upon the funding available, which will include more than $500,000 allocated toward American University to study the “growing threat of violent white supremacist extremist information.”

DHS, which in 2019 founded the Office for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention to prevent violent political extremism, is expected to continue to receive more funding from Congress during the Biden administration. Grants awarded from this office go toward state and local law enforcement efforts in combating domestic terrorism. Continue reading.