这是乔·拜登总统和副总统卡马拉·哈里斯执政的第18天。
拜登政府将撤销对胡塞的制裁:消息来源
一名国务院官员向美国广播公司证实,在特朗普政府宣布对也门胡塞武装叛军实施新制裁的几周后,拜登白宫现在正采取行动撤销制裁。
1月11日,该组织被认定为外国恐怖组织,正式名称为安萨尔·阿拉谴责被人权组织和联合国官员指控阻碍向这个饱受战争蹂躏、濒临饥荒的国家运送国际援助。
这位官员告诉美国广播公司新闻,国务卿安东尼·布林肯(Antony Blinken)已通知国会,打算撤销这一任命,“并将在未来几天分享更多细节”。
“这一决定与我们对胡塞及其应受谴责的行为的看法无关,包括袭击平民和绑架美国公民。这位国务院官员在对美国广播公司新闻的一份声明中说:“我们致力于帮助沙特阿拉伯保卫其领土免受进一步的此类袭击。”“我们的行动完全是由于上届政府在最后一刻指定的人道主义后果,联合国和人道主义组织后来明确表示,这将加速世界上最严重的人道主义危机。”
胡塞组织的个别领导人多年来一直受到制裁,但前国务卿迈克·蓬佩奥将整个运动定性为外国恐怖组织的决定实质上是将与他们合作定为犯罪,援助组织表示他们必须这样做。
这只是拜登政府将美国从沙特领导的也门军事行动中解救出来的最新努力。周四,拜登的国家安全顾问杰克·沙利文说,宣布美国将终止“美国对也门进攻行动的支持”
上周,拜登暂停了美国对沙特阿拉伯和阿拉伯联合酋长国的两项武器销售,这两个国家是打击胡塞的联盟的一部分,特朗普政府已经批准了这两项销售。
众议院通过预算决议,为拜登的COVID救助计划铺平道路
周五,众议院以219票对209票通过了参议院修订的预算决议。
缅因州众议员贾里德·戈尔登是唯一投反对票的民主党人。
预算决议的最终通过现在开启了起草COVID-19救援计划的下一阶段,工作由几个国会委员会分担。
民主党领袖霍耶星期五对记者说,众议院委员会将于下周开始工作。他们希望在2月22日的一周内,众议院能够为投票准备好最终的COVID-19救援计划。
Psaki保持对两党合作的承诺,不会给出谈判时间表
白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基(Jen Psaki)周五强调,拜登没有放弃两党支持的想法,尽管他在当天早些时候表示,在快速缓解和旷日持久的谈判之间做出选择“很容易”。
“他是一个开门的人。在未来的日子里,他将继续与共和党保持接触,”她在周五的新闻发布会上说。
Psaki指出了两党妥协的一些领域,包括对小企业的资助和最低工资的一些内容,但承认在范围和规模的协议上仍然存在分歧。
当美国广播公司新闻部(ABC News)就拜登认为的谈判“陷入僵局”之前的合理时间表向他施压时,正如他在当天早些时候的讲话中指出的那样,普萨基拒绝给予指导。
“我不会设定时间表,”她说。
她说,总统“当然希望这项法案有机会获得两党的支持,而且有机会做到这一点。”
拜登称他的美国救援计划是“对我们所面临的危机的真正回答”
拜登在周五关于经济的讲话中称他的美国救援计划是“大的”、“大胆的”和“对我们面临的危机的真正回答”。
总统表示,他不会将刺激支出降至1400美元以下。拜登的计划还包括将失业检查延长至9月(将于3月结束)和提高最低工资。
当谈到与共和党人妥协时,拜登说,“他们只是不愿意走我认为我们必须走的路。”
“共和党人提议要么什么都不做,要么做得不够,”他说。
“如果我必须在现在向遭受如此严重伤害的美国人寻求帮助和陷入漫长的谈判之间做出选择,或者在应对危机的法案上做出妥协,这是一个简单的选择。我将帮助那些现在正在遭受伤害的美国人民,”他说。
Biden's 1st 100 days live updates: Biden to reverse Trump terrorism designation for Yemen's Houthis
This is Day 18 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden administration to reverse sanctions on Houthis: Source
Weeks after the Trump administration announced new sanctions on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Biden White House is now moving to revoke them, a State Department official confirmed to ABC News.
The designation of the group, formally known as Ansar Allah, as a foreign terrorist organization on Jan. 11 was condemned by human rights groups and United Nations officials for hampering the delivery of international aid to the war-torn country on the brink of famine.
The official told ABC News that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has notified Congress of the intention to revoke the designation and "will share more details in the coming days."
"This decision has nothing to do with our view of the Houthis and their reprehensible conduct, including attacks against civilians and the kidnapping of American citizens. We are committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory against further such attacks," the State Department official said in a statement to ABC News. "Our action is due entirely to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute designation from the prior administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have since made clear would accelerate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis."
Individual Houthi leaders have been sanctioned over the years, but former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's decision to designate the entire movement as a foreign terrorist organization essentially criminalized working with them, which aid groups say they have to do.
This is just the latest effort by the Biden administration to extricate the U.S. from the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. On Thursday, Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, announced that the U.S. would end "American support for offensive operations in Yemen."
Last week, Biden suspended two U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the coalition fighting the Houthis, that the Trump administration had green-lighted.
House passes budget resolution, paving way for Biden's COVID relief plan
The House passed the Senate-amended budget resolution in a 219-209 vote on Friday.
Maine Rep. Jared Golden was the only Democrat to vote no.
Final passage of the budget resolution now unlocks the next phase in drafting the COVID-19 rescue package, with the work divided among several Congressional committees.
Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Friday that House committees will begin their work next week. They hope to have a final COVID-19 rescue package ready for votes in the House for the week of Feb. 22.
Psaki maintains commitment to bipartisanship, won't give negotiation timeline
White House press secretary Jen Psaki stressed Friday that Biden has not given up on the idea of bipartisan support even though he said earlier in the day that it would be “an easy choice” between quick relief and drawn out negotiations.
“He is somebody who is keeping the door open. He will remain engaged with Republicans in the days ahead,” she said at Friday’s press briefing.
Psaki pointed to a number of areas of bipartisan compromise including funding for small businesses and some elements of the minimum wage, but acknowledged that there was still a gulf on agreements for scope and size.
When pressed by ABC News on what Biden viewed as a reasonable timeline for negotiations before he considers them “bogged down,” as he indicated in his remarks earlier in the day, Psaki declined to give guidance.
"I’m not going to set a timeline," she said.
The president, she said, "is certainly hopeful that there is opportunity for this bill, whatever form it takes, to have bipartisan support, and there's an opportunity to do that.”
Biden calls his American Rescue Plan ‘a real answer to the crisis we’re in’
In remarks on the economy Friday, Biden called his American Rescue Plan “big,” “bold” and “a real answer to the crisis we’re in.”
The president said he will not lower stimulus payments to under $1,400. Biden’s plan also includes extending unemployment checks until September (it’s set to run out in March) and raising the minimum wage.
When it comes to compromising with Republicans, Biden said, “they're just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.”
“What Republicans have proposed is either to do nothing or not enough,” he said.
"If I have to choose between getting help right now to Americans who are hurting so badly and getting bogged down in a lengthy negotiation or compromising on a bill that's up to the crisis, that's an easy choice. I'm going to help the American people who are hurting now,” he said.