- Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi receive shots
- Joe Biden has said he will receive vaccine in public
- Mike Pence gets vaccine on TV
- FDA panel clears way for emergency use of Moderna’s vaccine
- Supreme court dismisses challenge to Trump’s census proposal
- McConnell: ‘I’m even more optimistic’ about Covid relief deal
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Asked whether he believed a deal on government spending and coronavirus relief was possible today, Senate majority whip John Thune replied, “That would be a triumph of hope over experience.”
The Republican senator added, “Best-case scenario of getting something voted on was probably going to be Sunday, but it may be later.”
It is looking increasingly unlikely that Congress will reach a deal on a spending bill and a coronavirus relief package by midnight, when government funding runs out.
After meeting with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, majority whip John Thune said it would be difficult to fund the government past tonight because any single senator can block a stop-gap funding bill, and Republican Josh Hawley has already signaled a willingness to do so to force action on stimulus checks.
Downbeat vibes at 2:45 pm. Majority Whip Thune after meeting with McConnell says it’ll be hard to announce a deal today on stimulus and a heavy lift to fund the government past midnight since any one senator can object and some want short shutdown to force action