President Joe Biden is hoping to use his upcoming State of the Union address as a chance to nudge the pandemic into the nation’s rear-view mirror.
In an interview on the eve of the 1/6 anniversary last month, Pelosi said she hoped the Capitol, which remained closed in part for security concerns, would reopen soon.
Though the Capitol and other federal properties set their own rules, the District of Columbia’s indoor mask requirement for most indoor gatherings and businesses is to be lifted on the same day as Biden’s address, The White House, for its part, says it will set rules for the complex based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.
In addition to members of Congress, the State of the Union audience traditionally includes Cabinet members, military leaders, Supreme Court justices, diplomats and other invited guests. It’s not yet clear if Pelosi has decided whether to send invitations to Washington’s diplomatic corps and other guests who normally fill the galleries for the address.
“We want to give people a break from things like mask-wearing, when these metrics are better, and then have the ability to reach for them again, should things worsen,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said Wednesday. The White House sees his speech — in concert with the expected loosening of virus limits — as an opportunity to help stem an erosion of public confidence in his leadership. According to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll last month, just 45% of Americans said they approved of Biden’s handling of COVID-19, down from 57% in December and 66% in July.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden Administration Seeking Additional $30 Billion for Covid-19 ResponseThe Biden administration wants additional funds to fight the coronavirus, including for antivirals, testing capacity and fighting future variants
Read more »
Biden administration says it has shipped out 200 million free COVID-19 testsThe Biden administration announced Wednesday that it has shipped 200 million free COVID-19 tests to homes across the country.
Read more »
Biden administration wants $30 billion more in federal funding for COVID-19 responseThe Biden administration is gauging support more money to pay for testing, treatment programs and development of vaccines to fight the virus and future diseases.
Read more »
Alaska no longer state with highest rate of COVID transmissionThe state of Alaska reported 863 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, and Alaska lost the dubious title as the state in the U.S. with the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases, now ranking second to Maine for the first time in three weeks.
Read more »
Japan’s Matsuno: Growth in GDP attributed to lifting covid state of emergencyJapanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno is making some comments on the Ukraine crisis and the economic outlook, in an appearance on Tuesday.
Read more »