Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden Says He Will Push For Another Round Of Relief Checks
CBS News: Third Stimulus Check Included In Biden's Plan For New Round Of COVID Relief
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday outlined the basics of what he plans to request from Congress in a new round of COVID-19 relief once he takes office, including a new round of stimulus checks, calling the just-passed aid bill a "down payment" in addressing the pandemic. Speaking to reporters at a news conference in Delaware, Mr. Biden also warned Americans that the "darkest days in the battle against COVID-19 are ahead of us," even as health care workers across the country begin to receive the first vaccines. (Watson, 12/23)
WFLA and AP: Stimulus Checks: Biden Says He Will Push For More Direct Payments In Next COVID Relief Bill
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday expressed empathy with struggling families and applauded Congress for a passing the coronavirus relief bill as the nation deals with a COVID-19 surge that’s casting a shadow over the Christmas holiday. President Donald Trump later suggested he may not sign the legislation, and called on lawmakers to increase direct payments for most Americans from $600 to $2,000. At an event in Wilmington, Delaware Tuesday, Biden called out to frontline workers, scientists, researchers, clinical trial participants and those with deployed family members during the holiday season. (12/23)
Newsweek: What Joe Biden Has Said About A Third Stimulus Check Once He Becomes President
Appearing at a press conference on Tuesday night, Biden praised lawmakers on Capitol Hill for passing another round of relief before the Christmas holidays, but said another round of bailout funds for American families and key workers is needed. He also hinted that a further extension of unemployment benefits would be needed to help the millions thrown out of work amid the pandemic and nationwide economic shutdowns earlier in 2020. (Walker, 12/23)
AP: Biden Hopes Virus Deal Is Glimpse Of Deal-Making To Come
For President-elect Joe Biden, Washington’s year-end burst of deal-making brought renewed hope for a productive, successful first 100 days in office. The city’s fever broke, at least momentarily, as longtime combatants finally forged a COVID-19 relief deal that carried with it dozens of smaller bills, offering proof that Capitol Hill’s damaged systems and norms can still produce meaningful legislation — at least when backed up against the wall. (Taylor, 12/23)
Also —
The Hill: Biden: Pandemic Will Get Worse Despite Vaccine
President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic will likely get worse despite the arrival of vaccines, and urged Americans to be vigilant in the coming months. "Experts say things will get worse notwithstanding the vaccine," Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Del. "We’re averaging a death rate of close to 3,000 a day. That means we will lose tens of thousands of more lives in the months to come, and the vaccine won’t be able to stop that." (Manchester, 12/22)
NPR: The 'Darkest Days' Are Ahead Of Us, Biden Warns About COVID-19 Pandemic
President-elect Joe Biden warned Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic will get worse before it gets better. "Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us," Biden told reporters during a year-end news conference in Wilmington, Del. He said that Americans, when united, could overcome the crisis, and he called the first vaccines being administered a good thing. But he noted that distribution of the vaccines is one of the biggest operational challenges the country has ever faced. (Montanaro and Wise, 12/22)
CNN: Entire Joe Biden Speech: Year-End Remarks And Covid-19 Plan
Watch the speech: President-elect Joe Biden addressed the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the recent cyberattack during a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware. (12/22)
