Today in Washington

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testified for a third day at her confirmation hearing to be a Supreme Court justice before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She responded to questions on a variety of issues including limitations on executive power, court packing, overturning Supreme Court precedent, and being a defense attorney.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson testified at her confirmation hearing to be a Supreme Court justice before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

On the first day of her confirmation hearing, Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson gave opening remarks to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is introduced by retired DC Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Griffith and University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Lisa Fairfax.

Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) delivered the Republican response to President Biden's State of the Union address. Gov. Reynolds argued that the Biden administration's policies have negatively impacted American families and have moved the country backward. She talked about foreign policy, border security, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economy.

President Biden made his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The president addressed a wide range of domestic issues but began his speech talking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, promising continued military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainians. President Biden went on to talk about the American economy, highlighting the American Rescue Plan and passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. He also spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for police, and immigration and border security.

President Joe Biden told graduates at South Carolina State University's 2021 fall commencement ceremony, "I've never seen anything like the unrelenting assault on the right to vote. Never." He also said "This battle is not over. We're going to keep up the fight until we get it done and you're going to keep up the fight and we need your help badly." He urged Congress to pass two Democratic-sponsored bills -- the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act -- that Senate Republicans have blocked.

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, who is retiring at the end of the month, spoke about Americans' low confidence in government's ability to handle crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. He was interviewed by Washington Post Senior Writer Frances Stead Sellers

Roger Stone spoke with reporters following an appearance for a deposition before the January 6 Select Committee where he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. He referred to the committee's investigation as "witch hunt 3.0."

@SenSchumer (D-NY): "Just because Republicans will not join us to defend democracy does not mean that the Democrats will stop fighting. This matter is too important not to act, even if it means we must act alone to get the Senate working."

@LeaderMcConnell (R-KY): "I understand my colleagues are frustrated … but believe me, lashing out at our democracy, at the Supreme Court, and at the Senate, itself is not going to solve anything."

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, outlined why she believes former President Trump's White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is in contempt of Congress.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Meadows' testimony is needed to answer key questions about Jan. 6

DC attorney general files civil suit against Proud Boys & others for alleged role and actions in January 6 attack on US Capitol.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke on the floor of the Senate about the deadly tornado outbreak in Kentucky and other states. Sen. McConnell said, "Kentucky has been devastated but we have not been defeated." In addition, he talked about working with President Biden and Kentucky Governor Beshear (D) on the response efforts.

President Biden offers prayers to all those impacted by the deadly tornado outbreak in Kentucky and other states. He pledged federal assistance for those impacted. In addition, he said he will be making a visit to Kentucky where more than 60 people have died from the tornadoes. 

President Biden addresses high inflation and his social spending plan also known as the Build Back Better Act. 

Tom Hanks speaks about Sen. Dole at the National WWII Memorial, talking about Dole's his service in the war, recovery and dedication to keep going, and Dole being the main force to create the memorial.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Budget Committee Ranking Member, spoke of a new Congressional Budget Office analysis of the cost of the Democrats' social spending bill, saying it is many more times the announced $1.75 trillion. Sen. Graham also linked the increased spending to today's Labor Department inflation report.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier today spoke at a memorial for late Senator Bob Dole (R-KS).  

President Biden tribute to Senator Bob Dole: "Bob belongs here. He, too, was a giant of our history. That's not hyperbole. It's real. Of wit and grace, of principle and persistence, of courage and conviction."

President Biden speaks to reporters before leaving the White House for a visit to Kansas, Missouri. He says putting U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine “is not on the table.” 

@SpeakerPelosi on Bob Dole: "He was a person who taught everyone here about dignity, duty, integrity, and patriotism."

@SpeakerPelosi on if she thinks Capitol is safer than a year ago: "Of course I do. We'll always ensure that is the case...I don't think that whatever preparation anybody would have made that anybody could predict that the President of United States would incite an insurrection."

Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned on Tuesday that data around Omicron is still scarce: Scientists are waiting on lab studies to determine how well coronavirus antibodies, either from natural infection or vaccines, hold up against the variant.  His remarks came during a White House Covid-19 Taskforce Briefing. 

Sen. @RoyBlunt: "How many officers have left the department since January the 6th?"

U.S. Capitol Police IG Bolton: "I believe it's around 200 or so."

U.S. Capitol Police IG Bolton: "The department still has more work to achieve the goal of making the Capitol complex safe and secure."

He says only 61 out of the 200 security enhancements have occurred.

Reporter: "Should Americans be prepared for the likelihood to see American forces on the ground in the region in the event that Russia does invade?"

Jen Psaki: "Diplomacy is the right path forward here."

Attorney General Merrick Garland holds announces a lawsuit against Texas under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act challenging its redistricting plan, which it says discriminates against Latinos and Blacks.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirms that the U.S. will not send a diplomatic or official delegation to the 2022 Winter Olympics in China and will support U.S. athletes from home. Other topics include COVID testing, Russia-Ukraine tensions.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA) responds to a reporter's question on whether GOP Reps. Boebert, Gosar and Greene are distractions for the party and could threaten their chances of taking the majority in November 2022. He said anything that distracts from the GOP message, "causes problems, yes." He noted that Rep. Boebert apologized publicly and personally. 

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) says he received death threats, including from lawmakers, for his vote on infrastructure.

When asked why he sounds congested, President Biden said ""What I have is a 1-and-a-half-year-old grandson who had a cold who likes to kiss his pop." President says he's tested for COVID daily and remains negative.

President Biden talked about the Continuing Resolution, an 11 week stopgap government funding bill, that passed Congress on Thursday, and when he signs it into law, will avert a government shutdown. He also spoke about the jobs report from the Labor Department showing 210,000 jobs created in November and the unemployment rate falling to 4.2%

.@SenMikeLee: "I don't want to shut down the government. The only thing I want to shut down is Congress funding enforcement of an immoral, unconstitutional vaccine mandate."

Sen. @ChrisMurphyCT remarks on Gun Violence and Background Checks 

President Biden announces a new action plan to address COVID-19: "There are five key actions that I want to see us take this winter."

Dr. Anthony Fauci: "The California and San Francisco Departments of Public Health and the CDC have confirmed that a recent case of COVID-19 among an individual in California was caused by the omicron variant."

Dr. Anthony Fauci on Mark Meadows' book revealing that President Trump tested positive for COVID a three days before first debate: "I certainly was not aware of his test positivity or negativity...If you test positive, you should be quarantining yourself."

Q: "Mark Meadows has written a book revealing that President Trump tested positive for COVID a few days before your first debate. Do you think the former president put you at risk?" 

President Biden: "I don't think about the former president."

Dr. Anthony Fauci answers questions on the severity of illness in omicron cases: "Be careful about breadcrumbs, they may not tell you what kind of loaf of bread you have...we believe that it is too soon to tell of what the level of severity is."

Fed Chair Powell to @SenToomey on inflation: "I think the word transitory has different meanings to different people...I think it's probably a good time to retire that word and try to explain more clearly what we mean."

@SecYellen: "America must pay its bills on time and in full. If we do not, we will eviscerate our current recovery."

.@PressSec on South Africa travel ban: "The objective here is not to punish, it is to protect the American people...this is not going to prevent, it is going to delay and that delay is going to help us have."

President Biden responds to the question of whether countries would hesitate to report new variants after the U.S. and other countries banned travel from Africa after the emergence of the Omicron variant.

President Biden delivers remarks on the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which he says is “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.” He urges people to get vaccinated and get their booster if they were vaccinated before June 1.

Rev. Al Sharpton reacted to a guilty verdict for all three men in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. "That a jury of 11 whites and one black, in the deep South, stood up in the courtroom and said 'Black lives do matter.'"

Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William Bryan were found guilty of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

Energy @SecGranholm: "Obviously, the President does not control the price of gasoline. No president does."

President Biden: "I've asked the Federal Trade Commission to consider whether potentially illegal and anticompetitive behavior in the oil and gas industry is causing higher prices for consumers."

President Biden on high gas prices: "We're taking action...today I'm announcing the largest ever release from the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve...today we're launching a major effort to moderate the price of oil."