- President Joe Biden told congressional Democrats that the $3.5 trillion social spending package will likely need to be trimmed to $2.3 trillion or less. During virtual meetings with small groups of House Democrats, the president said the package needed to be pared back given demands from some of the party’s more conservative lawmakers. Progressives are adamant about expanding Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing benefits. But a handful of prominent Democrats are making the case that closing the Medicaid coverage gap is equally, if not more, important. (Articles here, here, and here)
- The White House will announce today that it will buy another $1 billion of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests. The investment will quadruple the market to 200 million tests per month in December. The administration is also working to double the number of pharmacies participating in the government’s free testing program — which is expected to surpass 10,000 stores in the coming weeks — to 20,000 locations. (Article here)
October 6, 2021
D.C. News