Politics updates: Biden says rebuilding alliances with other countries is top priority
This week, USA TODAY Politics focuses on the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, his remaining Cabinet picks and the final week of the current Congress.
Dates to watch:
- Jan. 6: Congress will count and certify the electoral results in a joint session.
- Jan. 20: Inauguration of Biden, who will take the oath of office.
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the transition.
signing a coronavirus relief package that includes a provision for a lower amount.
“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” Trump said in a statement.
The president signed the relief package Sunday just after expanded unemployment benefits for workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic expired Saturday.
The White House had originally agreed to much of the aid package until Trump unexpectedly threatened to veto the deal that congressional leadership had reached with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill that would expand direct payments to the $2,000 amount. A voice vote to increase the direct payment amount failed last week after some Republican opposition.
— Matthew Brown