Relief and reckoning

Your guide to how Washington shapes business and the economy

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE TUE, FEB 23, 2021 CNBC POLITICS EDITOR'S NOTE Hello,   It's a busy time for Congress.   The main order of business is, of course, President Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill. The measure advanced out of the House Budget Committee on Monday and is headed to a vote before the full House later this week. Democrats, who have a thin majority in the chamber, are expected to pass the bill.   Then it'll be up to the Senate, where Democrats have an even smaller majority thanks to Vice President Harris' tiebreaking vote.   What passes the House might not make it all the way through the Senate, however, as moderate Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have expressed skepticism about the measure's $15 per hour federal minimum wage provision. The Senate parliamentarian is also expected to rule within days whether the minimum wage can be included in a bill that will have to pass through the budget reconciliation process, which only requires a simple majority.   Lawmakers are also still reckoning with the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.   The subject emerged as a major theme in Merrick Garland's confirmation hearing Monday, when he said he would make a probe into the insurrection the Justice Department's top priority if he were confirmed as attorney general.   On Tuesday, law enforcement figures testified about the security failures surrounding that deadly day. The former chief of the Capitol Police claimed in his testimony that he requested National Guard support two days before the riot. Other former officials who testified claimed that intelligence didn't indicate the rally that preceded the riot would lead to the kind of violence they encountered Jan. 6.   The arrests continue, too, as the reckoning extends beyond Capitol Hill. On Tuesday, feds busted Philip Grillo, a Queens,N.Y., GOP leader who calls himself the "Republican Messiah," after sources identified him in footage from the riot. "I'm truly upset," the man's mother told CNBC.   Thoughts? Email Politics Editor Mike Calia at CNBCPolitics@nbcuni.com.   Have friends or colleagues who might like this newsletter? They can sign up here.    Subscribe to CNBC's daily new podcast The News with Shepard Smith, which provides deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day's most important stories. Mike Calia @Michael_Calia KEY STORIES  The House is set to pass Biden's Covid relief bill this week – here's what's next Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi are expected to pass the Covid relief bill along party lines Friday or Saturday. Supreme Court rejects Trump effort to shield tax records from NY prosecutors The Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch bid by former President Trump to keep years of his tax returns out of the hands of Manhattan DA Cy Vance Jr. Ex-police chief says his request for National Guard was denied 2 days before Capitol riot The Capitol riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump left five people dead and disrupted the confirmation of the election of Joe Biden Perdue says he won't run for Georgia Senate a week after saying he was considering it David Perdue said that he won't run again in 2022, abruptly ending speculation about a potential bid that he had stoked just one week prior. Biden allies lobbying White House to find potential replacement for budget nominee Tanden as senators oppose her Biden's administration is being urged to consider new nominees to run the Office of Management and Budget as Neera Tanden may not make it through the Senate. U.S. supply of Covid vaccine to substantially increase next month, manufacturers tell Congress The remarks indicate that the U.S. is on track to have received 240 million doses of vaccine by the end of March, enough to vaccinate about 130 million people. Powell says inflation is still 'soft' and the Fed is committed to current policy Fed Chairman Jerome Powell told the Senate Banking Committee that price pressures remain mostly muted and the economic outlook is still "highly uncertain." Attorney general nominee Merrick Garland pledges broad probe into roots of Jan. 6 Capitol riot Merrick Garland pledged Monday to pursue a robust investigation into the leaders of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Linda Thomas-Greenfield confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations The Senate confirmed Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Expensive, massive and lethal: The future of the aircraft carrier The aircraft carrier has been the cornerstone of American security for close to a century, but will it remain on top?     Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2021 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS