GOP Blocks Senate COVID Bill, Demands Votes on Immigration

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Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt Tuesday to begin Senate debate on a $10 billion COVID-19 compromise, pressing to entangle the bipartisan package with an election-year showdown over immigration restrictions that poses a politically uncomfortable fight for Democrats.  A day after Democratic and GOP bargainers reached agreement on providing the money for treatments, vaccines and testing, a Democratic move to push the measure past a procedural hurdle failed 52-47. All 50 Republicans opposed the move, leaving Democrats 13 votes short of the 60 they needed to prevail.  Hours earlier, Republicans said they’d withhold crucial support for the measure unless Democrats agreedmore

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Biden Proposal Would Fix Glitch, Expand Health Care Access

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U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to expand access to health care by proposing changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to allow millions of additional American families to purchase health insurance plans and obtain tax credits to offset the cost. “When today’s proposed rule is finalized, starting next year, working families will get the help they need to afford full family coverage — everyone in the family,” Biden said in remarks at the White House ahead of signing an executive order to improve access to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Biden was accompanied by Vice Presidentmore

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Ivanka Trump Testifies About 2021 US Capitol Riot

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Ivanka Trump, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter and one of his senior advisers, testified Tuesday before the House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.   Her testimony, given remotely, came days after her husband, Jared Kushner, another former senior White House adviser, testified virtually before the committee.  The nine lawmakers investigating the attack — seven Democrats and two Republicans — have been intrigued by the role Ivanka Trump played at the White House as her father made last-minute pleas to then-Vice President Mike Pence to try to block lawmakers from certifyingmore

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Biden to Extend Student Loan Repayment 3 More Months

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The Biden administration is set to extend the moratorium on repayment of student loans until August 31. The payments were scheduled to resume May 1 after the moratorium went into effect early in the pandemic when the economy contracted sharply, and many Americans lost their jobs. Now, some lawmakers say the extensions are needed because of high inflation. The extension, the fifth, reportedly would affect some 43 million Americans who have a combined student loan debt of more than $1.6 trillion. Some 7 million have defaulted on their loans, meaning they haven’t made a payment in at least 270 days.more

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