>> the white house gives an update on president biden's covid-19 diagnosis. we will hear from white house press secretary and be covid-19 response team coordinator, dr. ashish jha. >> joining us now, only -- emily wilkins. >> is for having me. host: how much time does congress have?

guest: everyone in the house is holding their breath hoping that they will not be -- there is a lot to get done in there is a potential that we can see the house they later in the senate stay later. -- and the senate state letter -- state later. democrats can figure out what they can do, and if thinking moving through that process. those are the two big things but there are slower things that congress is looking to. host: how much of that has to be repackaged because of senator manchin's decision not to support everything in it? guest: there are two provisions. both of those have been with the

parliamentarian. democrats and republicans argued there is the it should be in reconciliation. we wait for the parliamentarian together decision. -- to give their decision? when you talk to democrats, there is a disappointment that they aren't able to get more what they want into the package at the same time -- they can run on it and talk about it to voters and it helps them for the election. host: remind people the scope that the reconciliation was supposed to take considering what senator manchin. guest: a looking at housing and there must be so much climate provisions, tax provisions. even recently, they thought -- you saw senator joe manchin saying we won't be able to do that.

we were looking at a corporate tax and a tax on the wealthiest americans. all of that now, won't be able to be included in the package. there are health-care deals as well as the measures that should reduce the budget deficit. host: it gives them something to look forward in august and -- guest: you have a number of americans who got health care during the pandemic and got to do so through some of these subsidies. if they expire, americans will see the insurance fill up a lot before the november election and that is something the democrats hope to avoid and one of the reasons a lot of them are looking to pass the. host: our guest is with us. if you want to talk to her, you can call (202) 748-8000

democrats, (202) 748-8001 or republicans. for independents, (202) 748-8002 . there are issues of spending bills that have to be passed. what is the status for those bills? guest: big not looking good -- they are not looking good. we had steny hoyer that was owing to bill -- bring another bill. a lot of these bills, you have debates within various provisions enter -- disagreements and there is likely going to be the continuing resolution. there -- washington has gotten used to this weather is -- where there is -- there is something similar to what we have to go

through and much later than the deadline of september 30. the -- if the government doesn't pass something by then, that is when things shut down. host: some things will stay frozen until they can change those. guest: that seems to be the option. host: we saw the debate in the judiciary committee about the assault weapons ban. talk about that and what is being proposed? guest: this would be a ban on assault weapons, not ones that are currently banned. this bill has been introduced. this is notable because you are seeing more lawmakers sign on -- setting on them before. a lot of moderate democrats, some of them from rule areas. . you are at the point where leadership is close to having the vote to go ahead to pass the

bill. there are democrats who saved we will not be supporting this but you have the potential that you have republicans that cross the aisle and vote for it, thinking of chris jacobs. he is from buffalo and there was the shooting there and after that, he came out and said he would be support of the van. --ban. they going to have to time to pass that and will they have the bulls because right now, if this thing does pass, it will be babyn yar waste --the narrowest of margins. think about the -- democrats who are a solid no. these are democrats were holding onto competitive districts. they know the district in texas, it is a culture of guns, what

they want, how they view things that makes it difficult. you talk to a lot of photos support their second amendment rights. they are worried about the second amendment being --ban. been a redline or what can it cannot be done. -- has been a red light on what can't and cannot be done. host: the votes to pass, what is the potential in the senate and if it does not pass, why make the effort? guest: those are good questions. i don't see a way this passes in the senate. to get 10 sent republicans would be a lot. i think part of it is there is a sense that we get many mass shootings and there is a need to do something.

congress must show that they are putting proposals forward. you see the house passed bills all the time that won't go anywhere in the senate and some other time, the idea is to put pressure on the senate and sometimes it is for the house to go, like, we get our job. if you are unhappy, look at your senators. host: we will look at the event in washington. (202) 748-8000 four democrats. c-span.org --(202) 748-8001 or republicans. caller: and you hear me -- can you hear me? have a that -- i have a questions about the controversial bills in the house.

what do you think the likelihood of them getting 60 votes for this session of congress is? guest: for abortion, contraception, that is not likely to happen at all for this congress. if there was an abortion bill, it would be about messaging and seeing where people are? what is interesting, i want to say 33 republicans in the house voted to pass it and that was a lot more than i think they were expecting, especially how they voted on other bills. there is a hope that the senate may be able to find 10 republicans to get the 60 votes. the issue goes to timing. things take longer in the senate. you won't be able to get this passed unami space consent -- unanimous consent.

there is not -- a lot of time left. host: you mentioned reference to the chips bill. can you talk about what that does in reference to china? guest: this is about semi tractor -- semi conductor manufacturing. there has been, the pandemic impacting industries around the globe and semi conductors coming in the u.s. and there is an idea that the u.s. needs to be manufacturing semi conductors. for what this bill would do, it puts $52 billion -- it provides a different funding for the national science foundation as well as other research programs. this is something similar to

reconciliation. we start with a bigger bill. in the house, there are provisions directed at china. dehydrate provisions but all of that has been cut because we need -- congress feels they need to move things quickly. they need to get an agreement. there has been pressure from the fed and national security industry, a congressman has been telling lawmakers that this needs to be passed and you see companies like intel that were planning on opening up a factory in ohio. they delayed the groundbreaking and said they were taking another look at their plant because they weren't sure if congress would pass the funding. a lot of urgency and pressure. they will take a procedural vote.

the house is going to pick this up as soon as possible so they need to pass it on friday. host: nancy pelosi is expressing interest in going to taiwan. why is she interested? guest: it is historic. the first speaker to visit taiwan in over 25 years and it sends a message as to what the u.s. taiwan relationship is as well as the u.s.-beijing relationship. speaker pelosi hasn't formally come out and said the trip is happening but it has been reported. you have heard pushback from the biden administration saying that they don't think this is the right time for her to go and they are worried about the optics. for her, it would be a very historic trip and it would send a clear message to china but the biden administration -- be very

careful about how they handle their relationship with race -- the regime. i know they are hoping to have another conversation. it is interesting to know how this trip will impact the white house explains -- white house's plans. caller: i heard democrats in november -- the promises that they cannot fulfill, which you state that they are trying to pass. they can't fulfill those so we need government to fulfill promises they made. within the democratic party, it is their own party that canterbury. -- canterbury --can't agree.

publicans -- republicans, -- from both run again because the reason is -- trump will not run again because he sees the ages on their side of the democrats and that hurts him. that is everything that democrats need to get over. guest: i can't speak on whether or not, will run again but i can't speak for the sentiment that there is a lot of frustration at this point within the democratic party on how they are working now and how they are unable to compromise on things. there are things that would need 60 votes and you need republicans but reconciliation, that is something you only need 50 democrats were and you see senators bill mentioned and person x, -- still -- build

mansion -- senator manchin and senator sinema. if you think about it, if it wasn't joe manchin, there wouldn't be any democrat that -- that democrats would not been able to do everything they could do were 50 votes, even though it is not as much as i promise so i think there is an issue. when i talk to lawmakers, i hear about the overpromising and under delivering they have been able to do a lot from that trillion dollar covid care act that they passed to get the infrastructure built. even justice ketanji brown jackson, that happened in part because democrats held the senate so the difficulty -- even though they haven't gotten

things done with the 50 vote majority, there is a lot they haven't been able to accomplish. host: this is brian in their -- sacramento. caller: i am a first time caller. i wanted to say as a democrat i think we got a lot done -- and we could get more done as -- if we had better odds in the senate. i think the bulk of my call is to complement ms. wilkins on the fact that it is so nice to see young and women out there explaining to us and her readers and her listeners with really going on -- what is really going on and allow us to sit through

the massive amounts of information to make their own opinions. host: top of that, we have a viewer asking why are we in a -- guest: congress is doing a number of things. we are focusing on these big bills. we sort of overlook some of the small things that were able to get done and even if you think about the gun law -- that was signed into law. it is the biggest gun legislation in 30 years but when you compare it to what democrats wanted, it is a drop in the bucket and this is the reality of government. it is a senate that is divided way you only have a handful of folks in the margins. our government reflects our

country. this is kind of the reality of governing at this time. things have gotten done but when you have them come out and lay a huge agenda at the beginning of his presidency democrats say we will be able to do it and wind up what we have now. so much more was promised. host: is there a sense from congress what happens if the house changes hands and republicans take over in anywhere, what happens as far as if the republicans efforts --and what that has to do with president biden? >> house republicans plan to launch investigations. we heard republicans express interest in investigating hunter biden and, straight -- immigration. we will wind up finding out what

they investigate. even if republicans managed to win the house and the senate, a lot of stuff will be vetoed by writing --biden. that will be a limiting factor. i think we will return to a point where we won't see quite as much legislation actually getting through congress. show the republicans take -- should that republicans take the house, which from what we have seen, seems to be unlikely ever -- a reiki -- a likely outcome. caller: i wanted to -- [indiscernible] we have the energy sector right now in the country after mr. trump left office. i have the idea for the president and administration. i grew up in the 70's.

we had gas vouchers and gas lines and we depended on the world for fuel and energy. they want to go so bad with electric vehicles. it is already trillions of dollars in the hole. why don't you get a car factory -- voucher for electric vehicles to get us off fossil fuels? host: that is time there --todd there. guest: the electric vehicle voucher was something they were considering in the bill that is no longer there. the biden administration knows that the difficulty is happy you use of a problem that has to do with a white industry that has

been a lot of changes during the pandemic and is now coming online. you have seen the biden administration tapping into the strategic reserve, allowing ethanol to be used. it hasn't had a big impact. gas prices have been soaring -- falling. at this point, i don't bear is at sign congress can do -- there is much congress can do. there's also been talk about a potential gas tax holiday and nancy pelosi came up strong against that and save the concern is that if we were to get rid of this tax, there was nothing to require gas companies to pass savings to consumers. one of the reasons we haven't seen the legislation even though

president biden has called for it host: i want to ask you of all congress is doing for ukraine but i want to show this. the ambassador to the united states from ukraine -- we will listen to what she has to say. >> it is very telling about what has been there for the past eight years. ukraine acted in good faith and tried everything possible and impossible to end the war and returned the sovereignty. similar to 151 days, we are defending strong and at the same time, we will find any options to resolve the crisis. it is like the food crisis russia has created. we will do anything to perform and fulfill. when russia violates it, it

shows who they are. >> is russia violating it because i named u.s. officials are quoted as saying it may not happy because my fat has never pledged to avoid attacking the part of ukrainian borders that has nothing to do with corn. >> everything russia is doing in ukraine is a violation of law. it is a war crime. we have to deal with du and -- the u.n.. they agreed with russia and they have to stop the war. they have to do everything without any initiating science. --signs. they are showing there to face -- true face. we need new weapon so we can

defend themselves -- ourselves and unblock our ports. >> that is the ambassador from ukraine to the united states. we heard from congress a lot. where is information that congress is getting from ukraine? guest: chris was greeted by the first lady of ukraine to talk to bomb makers. we will see the house and the senate get two classified briefings about the situation in ukraine. this is something that when you saw congress passed that lost -- law -- large sum of funding, we knew it is something that would be going for a long time. this is -- congress is involved in ukraine and paying attention but it has gotten to the point where other domestic priorities superseded that in terms of what happens in commerce and what the american people think about. host: here is mike in

california. independent-minded -- independent line. caller: why was the constitutional amendment required for alcohol prohibition but none for drug prohibition? a simple statute passed for drug prohibition? guest: i have to dig deep into my ap u.s. history knowledge. there are different ways that you can have various bands on things, that you can make rules that apply to everyone. you can do it through a constitutional amendment. that is difficult and if you are able to pass a law, both of those are much easier ways to do it. host: this is from william in democrats -- texas. caller: i have a question for you.

you keep to -- telling me democrats haven't done anything, tell me what the republicans have done. absolutely nothing. they killed a mate -- a million people with covid and you tried to tell me it is better to have a republican and a democrat -- then a democrat? host: i will have to guess respond to that. guest: i laid out a couple of things the democrats can do this year. passing trillions of dollars from covid and passing infrastructure funding in the bill we saw -- and the gun bill we saw. democrats have over promised. even though they have done a lot, that perception of we said we will be able to do this and we can't, that is having an impact on democrats who feel

that their party isn't living up to what it needs to be doing particularly because they have the majority of the chamber and the big asterisk on that is that you only have a 50-50 majority in the senate which makes it difficult to get a big agenda past. host: what should we look out for congress this week? guest: we covered the base levels. if you are a fan of tyrosine -- tiger king, there is a law that is going to get about that is about his suspicions on keeping lions and tigers. that was a big show. on a serious note, murdoch is in line to present to the senate in two weeks. that is though water resource bill -- the water resource bill. that is important. we heard steny hoyer that he is

looking to bringing safety bills for. -- forward. we are not sure if that is the assault weapons ban. i really have been pushing pelosi and hoyer to show -- they want to push back the defund the police narrative. host: this is the first time emily wilkins has joined us from bloomberg government. i hope you come back. on --get sent us a text at --you can send us a text at (202) 748-8003. she writes, at the fed interest rate hikes -- it is worth asking

what would they do and if the fed raises interest rates, it becomes more expensive for businesses to have operation. the bloodless language of the economist, that is referred to as a dampening demand. if the fed cuts too much, the resulting recession will be millions of people to -- small pay checks or no paychecks at all. that is the center of responding to the wall street journal. it was the secretary -- asking about the possibility in -- recession in the united states here is a portion of his day -- her statement. >> we are likely to see slowing of job creation. i don't think that is a recession. recession is