Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scott Delivers GOP Response As Fellow Republicans Bash Biden's Policies
CBS News: In Republican Response, Tim Scott Dismisses Biden's Infrastructure Plan As "Big Government Waste"
Republican Senator Tim Scott delivered a speech responding to President Joe Biden's first address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening. The response provides an opportunity for Scott, a rising star in the Republican Party, to outline an alternative to the president's ambitious legislative agenda. Scott began his speech by saying that Mr. Biden "seems like a good man," but argued that his policies were divisive. "Our president seems like a good man. His speech was full of good words. But President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership," Scott said. "Our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes. We need policies and progress that bring us closer together. But three months in, the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart." (Segers, 4/28)
Forbes: From Cutting Child Poverty To Praising Middle Class, Republicans Meet Biden’s Easy Applause Lines With Silence
Republican members of Congress, during President Joe Biden’s address to Congress on Wednesday, maintained the ritual of selective applause from opposition lawmakers and then some, with many even going so far as to stay seated and refuse to clap for lines that likely have near-universal support from voters. (Solender, 4/28)
USA Today: Amid Infighting, Republicans Unite To Bash Joe Biden's Speech
Taking a break from infighting over Donald Trump, Republican leaders found something to agree on Wednesday: bashing President Joe Biden and the massive economic program he outlined in his prime-time speech to Congress. GOP leaders denounced Biden's plans to spend trillions on COVID-19 and economic relief, and to increase taxes on the wealthy to help pay for them. Republicans also hit Biden's border polices and accused the new president of spending his first 100 days in thrall to the left wing of the Democratic Party. (Jackson, 4/29)
NBC News: Offering A Stark Choice For GOP, Biden Revealed Limit To His Patience
President Joe Biden framed the choice he sees for Republicans subtly but starkly Wednesday: enact his agenda or sabotage the country. "America is moving, moving forward, but we can't stop now," Biden said as he addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time as president. "From my perspective, doing nothing is not an option." (Allen, 4/29)
CNN: Fact-Checking GOP Response To Biden's Joint Address
In the Republican response to President Joe Biden's joint address to Congress, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said Biden and Democrats were "pulling" the US apart and took time to praise former President Donald Trump. Scott's nearly 15-minute rebuttal to Biden's hour-long speech was largely accurate, but some of his claims could have benefited from additional context. (4/29)
In other news about President Biden's speech —
The Hill: White House Provides ASL Interpretation Of President's Joint Address For First Time
The White House livestream of President Biden’s joint address to Congress on Wednesday evening included an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, the first time in history an administration has provided ASL interpretation for such a congressional address. Prior to his address on Wednesday, Biden announced on Twitter that the White House livestream would include ASL interpretation to make the speech “accessible for all Americans.” (Schnell, 4/28)
The Hill: Biden Offers Traditional Address In Eerie Setting
The highly anticipated speech, typically an adrenalized affair in a room teeming with lawmakers and other Washington luminaries, was much sleepier this year, reflecting the unprecedented precautions put in place in response to the threat of two very different hazards: outside violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. At an event that usually features 1,600 people, only about 200 were in attendance. And the eerie emptiness of the night — on stark display every time the C-SPAN cameras panned over the chamber — was instantly recognized by lawmakers in both parties. (Wong and Lillis, 4/28)
CBS News: CBS News Poll: Most Viewers Approve Of Biden's Speech
Most viewers who tuned in to watch President Biden's speech liked what they heard and came away feeling optimistic about America. Speech viewers described the president as "Presidential, "Caring," "Inspiring" and "Bold." ... Eighty-five percent of Americans who watched Mr. Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress overwhelmingly approve of his speech. Fifteen percent disapprove. (De Pinto, Khanna, Backus and Salvanto, 4/29)
The Hill: Biden Praised For Delivering 'The Most Honest Closing Line Of Any Presidential Speech'
President Biden received praise Wednesday night for the closing line to his first address to a joint session of Congress in which he said, "Thank you for your patience." (Choi, 4/28)
