What's in the GOP's $600 billion Covid-19 relief package, according to its summary
From CNN's Lauren Fox
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, leaves the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. Scott Applewhite/AP
CNN has obtained the summary of the Republican's Covid-19 relief proposal. It estimates the plan totals about $618 billion.
Ten Republican senators, led by Susan Collins, will meet with President Biden later today at the White House.
Some top line figures, according to the summary:
$160 billion for vaccines, testing and other coronavirus-related supplies
$50 billion for small businesses
$132 billion for unemployment insurance through June
$220 billion in additional direct payments
$20 billion for childcare
$20 billion for schools
The GOP's plan is a counterproposal to Biden's $1.9 trillion plan meant to force relief talks with the White House back to the middle.
9:18 a.m. ET, February 1, 2021
Biden to meet with 10 GOP Senators today to discuss Covid-relief
From CNN's Lauren Fox
President Joe Biden arrives at the White House after visiting wounded troops and touring a COVID-19 vaccine center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
There is one show in town on Monday, and it is that meeting between 10 Republican senators and President Biden.
It's a last-minute, last-ditch effort at bipartisanship coming just days before House and Senate Democrats were expected to move on the first step of their efforts to pass a coronavirus relief bill along party lines.
How we got here: As last week drew to a close and Democrats began publicly charting their timeline for reconciliation, a group of moderate Republican senators was watching with frustration. They thought this was going to go differently. They thought there would be more time to negotiate, and most of all, they were uncomfortable with the fact that they, too, thought the country needed Covid-19 relief and they were about to be forced to choose between everything Democrats wanted or absolutely nothing.
That's when a group of Senate Republicans and aides came up with the idea they needed to offer an alternative not just as an opening volley to the Biden administration but as a blueprint for the country on the type of plan Republicans stood for.
The plan began taking shape Friday. On Sunday 10 Republican senators announced plans to unveil a roughly $600 billion Covid-19 relief package, a counterproposal to Biden's $1.9 trillion plan meant to force relief talks with the White House back to the middle.
They're expected to unveil details of their plan today.
The bottom line: The chances that President Joe Biden's meeting with 10 Republican senators changes the final trajectory of Biden's first big legislative push are slim.
But the effort underscores the tension Biden is facing between the Washington he once knew as a US senator and the one he is returning to as President. Biden is taking the meeting, and in many ways, there is no other choice for a President who built his campaign on uniting the country and compromise.
Biden's team – and Biden himself – have made it clear that they can be flexible in some places, but the roughly $600 billion Republican plan is a drop in the bucket compared to where they want to go. Add on top of that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's dismissive comments on Sunday and it's clear that a lot would have to change over the next 24 hours to make this Republican plan an actual game changer.
9:01 a.m. ET, February 1, 2021
These lawyers will now lead Trump's impeachment defense team
From CNN's Jim Acosta, Kaitlan Collins and Pamela Brown
Former President Donald Trump on November 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump's office announced that David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr. will now head the legal team for his second impeachment trial, a day after CNN first reported that five members of his defense left and his team effectively collapsed.
One point of friction with his previous team was Trump wanted the attorneys to focus on his election fraud claims rather than the constitutionality of convicting a former president.
Trump has struggled to find lawyers willing to take his case as he refuses to budge from his claims of election fraud which has been a serious sticking point.
Trump's advisers have been talking to him about his legal strategy and he keeps bringing up election fraud for his defense, while they have repeatedly tried to steer him away from that, according to a source familiar with those discussions.
It's unclear if Schoen and Castor will go along with what Trump wants.
"Schoen has already been working with the 45th President and other advisors to prepare for the upcoming trial, and both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional - a fact 45 Senators voted in agreement with last week," the release says.
Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, who were expected to be two of the lead attorneys, are no longer on the team. A source familiar with the changes said it was a mutual decision for both to leave the legal team. As the lead attorney, Bowers assembled the team.
Josh Howard, a North Carolina attorney who was recently added to the team, has also left, according to another source familiar with the changes. Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris, from South Carolina, are no longer involved with the case, either.
9:06 a.m. ET, February 1, 2021
Biden is expected to tackle immigration this week
From CNN's Betsy Klein and Paul LeBlanc
White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday outlined President Biden’s plans for this week, which include meetings and executive actions on immigration.
She said on Tuesday, the President plans to deliver remarks and sign an executive order “advancing his priority to modernize our immigration system.”
She said there would be more information in the coming days. Psaki said the White House is “venturing” to provide this information to reporters going forward, resuming a practice that ended during the Trump administration.
Biden was expected to tackle immigration Friday, but the White House said the actions would be pushed to this week.
"Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals." Strengthens DACA after Trump's efforts to undo protections for undocumented people brought into the country as children.
"Proclamation on Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to the United States." Reverses the Trump administration's restrictions on US entry for passport holders from seven Muslim-majority countries.
"Executive Order on the Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities." Undoes Trump's expansion of immigration enforcement.
"Proclamation on the Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Southern Border of the United States and Redirection of Funds Diverted to Border Wall Construction." Halts construction of the border wall by terminating the national emergency declaration used to fund it.
"Reinstating Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians." Extends deferrals of deportation and work authorizations for Liberians with a haven in the United States until June 30, 2022.
