a huge difference. moody's aalytics found it would get us to full employment faster. over 90% of economists surveyed by reuters found it would drive substantial growth. the second question we often get, another good question, is when we will see bipartisan support for this bill. the reality is we see it every single day. a new survey from navigator research this morning shows 72% of americans support the rescue plan, including 53% of republicans. a quinnipiac poll yesterday found that 68% of americans back the rescue plan. a yahoo survey on monday shows over two-thirds support the package. those are excellent questions we get in here. but we did a little thinking about your questions. last thing i wanted to do at the top, kristen, who's back today again, asked a great question about the artemis program, which

i dug into and i'm excited to tell my daughter about it. for those who have not been following as closely, through the artemis program, the united states government will work with industry and international partners to send astronauts to the surface of the moon, another man and another woman to the moon, which is exciting, conduct new and exciting science, and demonstrate america's values. to date only 12 humans have walked on the moon. that was half a century ago. the artemis program provides exactly the opportunity to add numbers to that, of course. lunar exploration has broad and bicameral support in congress, most recently detailed in the fy-201 omnibus spending bill and we support this effort. >> can you update us on the president's thinking on the issue of forgiving student loan debt? there are some groups that are pushing anew for the president to forgive all student loan

debt. where does he stand on that? >> sure. the president has and continues to support canceling $10,000 of federal student loan debt per person as a response to the covid crisis. he's calling on congress to draft the proposal. if it is passed and sent to his desk, he will look forward to signing it. debt relief is of course an important priority for the president. on day one, the first day of his administration, he directed the department of education to extend the existing pause on student loan payments and interest for millions of americans with federal student loans. that was a step he took through executive action, but he certainly supports efforts by members in congress to take additional steps, and he would look forward to signing it. >> so he would do that for legislation and not an executive order? >> i think he already took a step through an executive a on the first day and he would look to congress to take the next steps. >> second question.

there's been some discrepancies in the numbers of these fema-supported vaccination centers that the president wanted created. he called for 100. do you have an update on how many have actually been set up as of today? and were they set up before the president took office? >> well, this is a priority to the president. setting up those vaccination sites through the partnership with fema is something he feels on our health and medical experts feel as a way to get more vaccines in the arms of americans. in terms of this specific numbers that have been set up to date, there's new updates every single day. i'm sure the team can provide an update on how many have been set up when they do their briefing tomorrow. i will say that there were some really interesting updates that i received this morning about efforts to set up large-scale sites in texas. obviously, there are some being set up in california.

they're looking for space where they can have great capacity to bring people in and vaccinate as many people as possible. but it's ongoing, and i'm sure the health team can provide an update on the specific numbers. go ahead. >> thank you. i wanted to ask if president biden will sign the refugee executive order today? then a followup on that. >> he is committed to looking for ways to ensure more refugees are welcomed into the united states. it's a priority to him personally. i don't expect him to sign a specific executive order today. >> will he announce to his intent to raise the fiscal cap for refugees to prorated 125,000, which would be around 80,000 for the year? i think "the new york times" reported that. >> i expect him to talk about his commitment to refugees, but i'm not going to get ahead of any other specific announcements he'll make in his speech. there's been good reporting. as jay confirmed a lot of

pieces. go ahead. >> -- brief from secretary yellen's meeting over market volatility like gamestop? and is he expecting her to deliver potential options to address that? >> i would send you the department of treasury -- they oversaw the meeting. i'm not sure what time it took place. i would defer to them on that and any specific details they want to read out from it. go ahead. >> one of the biggest criticisms of president trump's approach to handling the coronavirus was that the administration didn't provide clear guidance to states about when they should shut down, when they should reopen. dr. murphy back in november talked about a national alert system that would be needed. is that something that the administration is planning to implement, some kind of color-coded system to tell states by which criteria they should reopen or shut down? is that something you guys are considering? >> i'm happy to talk to our health team and you'll have another briefing with them

tomorrow. obviously, a number of options are under consideration to both make sure americans are safer and that we're doing everything necessary to communicate with them accurately, how the keep themselves and their families safe but also how to better communicate with governors and mayors. some of that is reopening the line of communication, which was somewhat shut at times according to governors during the last administration, and ensuring, one of the things that governors have requested, they have a better heads up on how many vaccines they will have access to so they can do better planning. also working with them and tapping into fema, a question that came up earlier, utes lizing their resources to be able to kind of mass vaccinate people in larger locations. those are a lot of ways we're implementing to date. i don't have any updates on a national alertupdate. that's a good question for the

health team tomorrow. >> american airlines and united are planning to furlough 27,000 employees by the end of next month as their federal payroll aid runs out. does president biden support giving those airlines more financial aid, and does he support including that in this coronavirus relief package? >> i think the president's priorities are already in the package, and they are focused on ensuring that there's funding to get vaccines in the arms of americans, funding to reopen schools, ensuring that the 1 in 7 american families who can't put food on the table, worried about that, is able to do that. as you know, there's a process that will be ongoing on capitol hill over the course of the next days and through the course of next week where there will be amendments put forward to work on committees, but i think the priorities of the president are already in the bill. >> and this is a foreign policy question.

avril haines said she would support information on who was responsible for the death of the foreign journalist. >> as you noted, that review would come out of the intelligence community and would be released on the time line of when it's completed. we would never take a step to expe diet or change the time line that works best for them. and then as jake also noted, there's an ongoing review of a range of our foreign policy -- our national security policies, certainly including and in terms of our relationship with saudi arabia. but i don't have anything to preview for you at this point in time. go ahead, peter. >> as it relates to covid relief, you said the president wants to take care of the people who need the help the most. a lot of americans say they need help. how do you determine who needs help and who doesn't? where do you draw that line? >> well, again, peter, i think what we're hoping to do through the package is provide

assistance to americans who are struggling to make ends meet at this moment in time. you're right, there's a lrnl swath of americans who are struggling through this moment in time because they fear about their health, the health of their grandparents, of their cousins, of their parents, and also people who worry about their kids going back to school and, you know, their desire to get their kids back in school and continue learning. the package itself, again, is of course a priority of the president. it is not the end of our work or the end of his efforts to help bring relief to the american public. it is a first step, as he noted, i should say. he's also going to talk about his build back better agenda in the coming months, and that's something that will build on this as well. >> i guess how soon for the americans who are listening to every word here, how soon should they expect that relief to come? can you guarantee it will be there before the march 14 deadline when unemployment insurance, for example, expires? >> you're right. that's something we're mindful

of here. the president, the vice president, the economic team. that's one of the reasons why the president has been so firm in his insistence that the $1,400 checks remain intact and that they go out to the american people. there's a process under way in congress. next week the committees will be doing the work they should be doing, they do through the budget reconciliation process. we have been clear about the urgency and we're hopeful and confident that congress shares our view of that. >> the president talks with bipartisan. he's met with senate republicans, then senate democrats, spoke to house democrats. when does he meet with or speak to house republicans? >> he's -- every single day he seems to be -- he is meeting with members of both parties, engaging with members of both parties. that work is not done, but i don't have a meeting to announce today. >> has he spoken or met with kevin mccarthy yet? >> our team remains in touch with democrats and republicans.

we are engaged with all offices that have an interest in engaging with us. >> last question if i can. hunter biden has a memoir to be published in april. i guess my question is, is that book subject to a clearance review? >> well, for those of you who had not seen the news, it was announced i believe by simon & schuster this morning. i have a statement from joe and jill biden in their personal capacity as his parents. we admire hunter's strength and courage to talk openly about his addiction so others might see themselves in his journey and find hope. this is a personal book about his own personal journey. i will leetch it at that. go ahead. >> can you give us a sense of the scope and scale of the commitment to pullback? beyond the billions of dollars that have been approved by congress for the vaccine alliance in december. will there be additional funding? >> we have reiterated our commitment to covax. i don't have any additional

funding to announce today. >> can you comment on the administration's position on the vaccine diplomacy that's being employed by china as well as india? >> tell me a little more about what you're looking for. >> what's the administration's positions on countries like china and india using vaccine to buy influence, to improve diplomatic ties with other countries? what is the administration's position? >> our position is we're focused on ensuring that the american people are vaccinated, that we are getting as many shots in the arms of americans as possible. we rejoined the world health organization so that the united states can have a seat at the global table in order to play a constructive role in getting safe and effective vaccines in the arms of americans. i'll leave it at that. >> do you have anything on the burmese diplomat seeking asylum because, i quote, i cannot accept an illegitimate takeover by the military. >> i'll have to talk to our

national security team. >> some say the minimum wage increase does not belong in a covid relief bill. is president biden willing to drop the $15 minimum wage to get bipartisan support for package? >> the president feels strongly we need to raise the minimum wage and many economists agree with him and looks forward to working with congress to do it. whether it can be done through the reconciliation process. >> does he believe the $15 minimum wage needs to be in this package, in this deal? >> i heard your question. i think what i'm saying is he's committed to raising the minimum wage, thinks it's an important step for american workers and for american families. there's obviously a process that's ongoing. the reconciliation process. that will make some determinations about what can and cannot be in the bill based on rules. go ahead. >> the question about dhs before. my question is about whether or

not president biden believes or plans to in any way make sure that detention centers for undocumented immigrants, that those are no longer contracted with private companies. it's not a question about dhs. it's a question about what president biden's beliefs are and what he plans to do. >> well, i think what the president did was sign an executive order to put the power in the hands of the department of homeland security and secretary mayorkas to conduct a review and determine what the path forward is. he has spoken about his concern about these facilities in the past. that remains the case. but it is under the purview of the department of homeland security to make recommendations to the president of the united states. that was what jake was conveying. >> will he use the previous executive order to direct the department of justice not to renew contracts in prisons? i'm asking why he did not also direct the department of homeland security to do the same. >> there's a new secretary of the department of homeland security. hopefully he'll come to this briefing room and talk more about these very important

issues, but we're not going to get ahead of his decisionmaking process. the president has spoken about this issue. but we'll have more -- we'll defer to the secretary of homeland security for more specifics about the path forward. go ahead, kristen. thank you for getting back to me about artemis. folks at nasa appreciate it. >> absolutely. >> yesterday the head of the cdc as you know said it was safe to reopen schools without vaccinating teachers. you said that the white house was still waiting for the official guidance before making a final determination. why is it what the director of the cdc says, why isn't that enough? >> well, first, the director of the cdc also has said they haven't issued their final guidance, and we of course wait for that process to complete and see its way through. as she would say, as well, i believe she did an interview last night where she spoke to this issue again. the president t, let me be crystal clear, wants schools to open. he wants them to stay open. and that is -- and he wants to do that safely.

and he wants health and medical experts to be guides for how we should do exactly that. dr. walensky spoke to this in her personal capacity. obviously she's the head of the cdc, but we're waiting for the final guidance to use that as a guide for schools around the country. >> if this final guidance comes out and says that it is fine for schools to reopen without vaccinating teachers, can you say now that is what president biden will support? >> well, i'm happy, i hope whenever d guidance comes out, the president believes it should be a priority for teachers to be vaccinated. he also, though, believes that even with vaccinations for teachers or any american, that there are a number of other mitigation steps that are important to take -- masks -- i'm sure it will be in the guidance when it comes out or they'll speak to it -- the wearing of masks, social distancing, ventilation. these are all factors that are important for americans and also for the reopening of schools.

that's one of the reasons that we need funding in order to be able to effectively ensure that public schools across the country are able to do that. >> one more question on this point. michael bloomberg said yesterday that it's time for president biden to stand up and say that the kids are the most important thing and stand up to the teachers unions. if it comes down to a binary choice, and there's no indication that, you know, the teachers union in chicago or san francisco are willing to budge at this point, if it comes down to a binary choice, who would the president choose, the kids or the teachers? >> i think that's little bit unfair how you pose that question, but i will say the president believes schools should be open. teachers want schools to be open. families want schools to be open. but we want do it safely. i'm not sure that any parent in this country would disagree with wanting their kids to go to school in a safe environment where there's ventilation, where proper precautions are taken whether it's masks or social distancing, and that's his priority.

but there should be no confusion. the president of the united states wants schools to open. he wants them to stay open. that is key too. he doesn't want them to be open for a month. that's disruptive for teachers, for students, for families, so he wants the proper steps to be taken so that they can reopen and stay open. go ahead. >> a quick one on china. a state department spokesman said on wednesday that the united states was deeply disturbed by reports of systemic rape and sexual abuse against women in internment camps for ethnic uighurs and other muslims in china's region and there must be serious consequences for atrociies are committed there. what consequences are under consideration? >> i can't get ahead of the president or the secretary of state. we of course agree with those comments and statements from the state department, but i don't have anything to preview for you in terms of specific actions. go ahead.

>> has the president used the defense production act for production of vaccines and equipment? if not yet, why not? >> we talked about this a little yesterday. it's a popular and good question. so dpa ratings, which you're probably familiar with, but everybody may not be, kind of gives an i signment of what stock and supply is available, something we use as a guide, and they're in place to give us a sense of items available. the president's invoked the defense production act because he wanted to have the capacity or wanted his team to have the capacity to address shortfalls when needed, and we are constantly monitoring that. so all options are on the table in terms of how we would use the defense production act and what we would use it to help produce in terms of relevant equipment or resources. i expect we'll have more of an update, maybe even as soon as tomorrow, on how specifically we're planning to use that. >> so obviously you're tracking where the shortfalls are.

no need to push forward with it at this point? >> well i think i would say, one, there are ongoing conversations with companies and manufacturers about capacity and what steps could be taken. as i mentioned the ratings because we assess when there are needs, assess when there are needs to produce syringes or masks or things along those lines. then we can act very quickly. again, there's an update -- a briefing from our covid team tomorrow and hopefully they'll have more to say on this topic. go ahead in the back. >> i wanted to clarify some on . >> sure. >> i wonder what the fate of other proposed projects, if the president sup importants governor whittmer's calls to scrap pipeline through michigan, into the great lakes and ontario. does he support her calls to cancel that? >> i have not talked to our climate team about specifically that pipeline. we've noted a number are under review, but i will see if there's an update on that

particular pipeline. >> also approve permits that would carry oil from canadian territories into alaska. is that under review? >> i think again all these pipelines are part of what our climate team is looking at and assessing. i haven't seen another update from them on additional step. but i will see if there are any updates. >> finally on a call with the president, canadian prime minister justin trudeau requested canada be exempt from buy-america decisions. has the president made a decision? >> i don't think we have an update on that. go ahead. >> i'm asking a question for myself and for my colleague. >> sure. >> clearly on lgbtq issues the president is ready to make good on his promises over the campaign with the two executive orders he signed in the first days of office for nondiscrimination. just moments ago we heard the president will sign a memorandum for lgbtq human rights worldwide. the cornerstone of the

president's promise to the lgbtq community was the equality act, legislation to expand the prohibition on discrimination. the president said he would sign that legislation within 100 days in office. does he stand by that? >> he stands by it. i would say there are some actions that need to be taken by congress, of course, as you know, and we're only on day -- what are we on now, 15? okay. 16? 17? right around there. we have 85 days to go. >> when with will the president himself speak on this legislation? >> he's been out speaking out about a range of issues he's committed to include manager on lgbtq rights over the last two weeks of his presidency. he will continue to be. but i don't have any scheduling updates for you at this point in time. >> texas is expected to cut planned parenthood out of its medical program after an appeals court ruled it could do so.

will the biden administration take action to prevent planned parenthood and other providers from medicaid programs? >> the president's views are clear and consistent on this issue. last week in an executive order he reissued guidance specifying states could not refuse funding. they have state that i would ear committing to protecting and strengthening the medicaid program as is the president, consistent with the executive order from last week. go ahead. >> i know you said you will not talk about marjorie taylor greene in the briefing room, but i want to try this question another way. >> sure. >> what is the president's stance on a majority party potentially establishing a precedent that would result in the stripping of committee assignments? >> look, i would say that it's not the role of the president or the role of the white house press secretary to do analysis on the, you know, fissures in the republican party and the

actions that may be taken in congress as a result. >> another one. what is the president's view on the bill that senator romney is expected to introduce today? it can include up to $4,200 for childhood families but would eliminate tax credits. is that compromised or a nonstarter? >> that reporting just came out i believe right before i came out here, so i haven't spoke on the economic team about it. certainly efforts to provide additional funding for i believe you said a child tax credit? >> it was actually -- it would eliminate existing welfare programs and some existing tax credits. >> again, the reporting just came out as i was walking out here, so i haven't talked to our economic team about it. we certainly welcome efforts or offers from our republican friends for discussion and how we can improve the american recovery plan. but i haven't done any -- they haven't done any analysis yet on senator romney's proposal. go ahead, peter. >> jen, we saw new figures

today. more than 2 million guns were sold in january, an 80% jump and the second highest monthly total on record. a lot had to do with the capitol riots. there's only so much you can do by executive action on it. where does this fall on his list of legislative priorities? there's only so much capital you have in these first 100 days. you're right, and 'hz han ambitious plan on a lot of areas and on a lot of issues. as vice president and even before that the president took on the nra twice and won. this is an issue he is personally committed to. many in this building are personally committed to it. i think he would to see action on additional gun safety measures to protect families and children and knows that there is support across the american public for that. >> that's up to him, though, for him to be action.

when would he take action and put proposals before congress? >> we have a couple proposals before congress. this is an issue he's personally committed to. he has a personal -- has worked on it many times in the past, but i don't have a date for you on when there would be a proposal. >> i want to ask you, there's an nbc news video that went viral of a grocery store in naples, florida. you may or may not have seen this. i can describe it to you. >> give us a play by play. >> when you pan the grocery store, you see that almost everybody in there is not wearing a mask even though it's in a county i believe where masks are mandated. the question is beyond urging americans to wear masks, what specifically is this white house doing to combat that resistance especially given the concerns about the coronavirus mutations? >> well, one, we are trying to communicate about it as frequently as possible. obviously, as you see, i wear a mask out here. i take it off when i come to the podium based on the recommendations and advice of our health and medical ekts

experts. you are wearing masks. the president has taken steps that are possible through his federal authorities including mandating them on public lands, on airplanes. part of what we are also trying to do is make our health and meld cal experts available to ensure people understand, and i'll reiterate it today, it's not just a vaccine, an incredible medical breakthrough, and we want every american to have one. but even after vaccinated, social distancing, wearing masks will be essential. we'll need to continue communicating about that. >> what do you say to the folks we saw in this video, one of the folk who is owns or runs the store, he doesn't believe 450,000 americans have died from coronavirus? at the end of the day, we need everybody on board to beat this virus. what do you tell them? >> we try to fight the misinformation with facts, peter, and with health and medical experts including at aings in nal level and a local level to convey to people that wearing a mask is something that

not only can save the lives of their neighbors but of their family members. it's steps they're taking to protect themselves. we know statistically or from our health experts i should say, if americans wore masks for 100 days, 50,000 lives would be saved. it won't be overnight, but we'll communicate about it in a nonpolitical way, a factual way, so that americans can take steps to save themselves. >> where does the white house proposal on sending them out to every american stand? and how much would that cost if you followed through? >> there are a range of talks on the table to encourage people to mask up. that's vital to us because it's not just about the vaccine but social distancing, ventilation, and certainly wearing masks, but no decision has been made to do that so i don't have a cost assessment. it would depend on how many people would be sent the mask. thank you, everyone.

>> good day. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. as white house press secretary jen psaki has been talking about the president's $1.9 trillion covid relief plan and national security adviser jake sullivan opened the briefing saying president biden will send a clear message that the u.s. strategy is leading with diplomacy at the state department this afternoon making his first visit there since the election, where he will outline a foreign pom si agenda dramatically different from former president trump's. more later in the show. but to capitol hill. house republicans failing to punish conspiracy theorist freshman congresswoman marjorie taylor greene during a marathon five-hour caucus meeting last night, opening the door for the democratic majority to take historic action against a member of the opposition party this afternoon. house republican leader kevin mccarthy tried to satisfy both sides of the caucus while not stripping greene of her committees, pushed back against those trying to oust liz cheney

from her leadership post for voting to impeach donald trump. house speaker nancy pelosi reacted to those developments. >> so unfortunate. you would think that the republican leadership in the congress would have some sense of responsibility to this institution. for some reason, they have chosen not to go down that path. >> joining me now chief white house correspondent and "weekend today" co-host peter alexander. he was there in the briefing room questioning jen psaki. garrett haake is on capitol hill. former republican national committee chairman michael steele and former republican congressman david jolly. first, peter, just stand by a second. i want to elaborate on her reactions, but let's go to garrett because there is a debate already under way on the rule, the procedure for how to go against congresswoman greene this hour on the house floor. tell us the latest. this is unusual, to say the

least, the majority trying to punish a member of the minority. >> reporter: unusual and potentially unprecedented if the house voigts today to strip marjorie taylor greene of her assignments, either largely or entirely with democrat votes. that may be the case after last night's house republican conference meeting which seemed to rally at least some support for taylor greene we're told explained some of her pass views, backed away from any qanon related statements and about the parkland school shooting and so forth. it's the language about political violence, the facebook posts and the likes she distributed which seemed to support violence against fellow members of congress, which has driven democrats to this point where they will take this action. in that same press briefing earlier today, speaker pelosi said this idea that democrats could be real yalted against by republicans stripping democrats in a future congress of their committee, she said essentially bring it on. if we have democratic members who are threatening or

advocating or supporting in some way violence against members, she oud be the first person to say they should be shifted in assignments. we'll watch how many republicans defend greene for who she is and what she said and how many make a procedural argument saying this is not the way the house should operate, that you shouldn't have the majority telling the minority what committees their members should sit upon. i think that will be an interest deg bait that happens on the house floor in the next several hours. >> michael steele, explain kevin mccarthy to me, his goal seeming to be to win back the house majority at any cost, thinking that donald trump has a role to play in all of this, of course that trip to mar-a-lago, but his big tent strategy seems awkward to say the least, especially after watching last night. >> yeah. the idea of explaining kevin mccarthy, i don't get it. his sort of pretense at solomon, trying to have it both ways with both liz cheney and taylor

greene. the reality is he backed himself into a corner with his caucus. there is no clean way out of the other than a full reprimand. we know what she said. the evidence is there. she can stand up in front of that caucus and say, well, i didn't say that, i didn't mean, this, and this is what i really intended to say. the fact of it is we just go to the videotape. we go to the -- you know, the posts from your own campaign with you holding a semiautomatic rifle with the faces of three democratic women seemingly as targets. so the evidence is there. it is very clear. the party has to decide whether or not they want to stand with her or stand with liz cheney. even, in fact, given that they helped her keep her post, it's really diminished because qanon

is still a part of this game. we're not escaping that. there's noeprimand, no pushback against it. mccarthy thinks this will be the pathway to get back the majority of the house next year. well, good luck with that. >> and liz cheney, of course, the clear winner here in that she did push back with i guess kevin mccarthy's help there inside the caucus meeting from all reports. she did survive as a member of the leadership. here's what she said afterwards. >> we really did have a terrific vote tonight, a terrific time this evening, laying out what we're going to do going forward as well as making clear that we're not going to be divided and that we're not going to be in a situation where people can pick off any member of leadership. >> david jolly, as a former member of the caucus when you were a republican member of

congress, and you were a republican, is liz cheney the future of the party or someone like marjorie taylor greene and donald trump backing her? >> i think the trend is away from liz cheney, not towards her. yesterday provided an interesting snapshot of republican politics. i want's easy to say, well, the voices of reason won out and liz cheney won out, and she did. the vote was 150-60. but you can take a same set of facts and say while the republican party has a problem on its hands, 60 people voted to remove from leadership litz liz not for a grievance over left/right ideology, not that she was too moderate, these were all conservatives, this was over value-based principles over the president's culpability in inciting an insurrection against the united states. these aren't left/right ideological debates republicans are having. they're having debates over democratic values and the stability of our government. you have to look at yesterday's

vote and say that division is real and i question how long liz cheney could credibly lead that type of divided caucus. as we look at the events, the vote on the floor today regarding marjorie taylor greene, i think we have to look at this through the lens of how the house is responding to a national security moment. the fbi has told us for two years the threat domestically is the miss information conspiracy groups. we have a member elevated to the congress from that. we can look at it as democrats punishing a republican, but i think it's worth looking at it, as nancy pelosi in this moment, taking a stand saying there is danger in having a member of congress that peddles in misinformation. the fbi has told us that. the house has not responded to it. >> and this of course is as well a predicate for the argument they'll be making next week with impeachment. liz cheney, i should point out, is also a former state department official, very well versed in foreign policy, even

before she was a member of congress. peter, we just heard from the press secretary. you were in the room. she's setting up a big day for the president on foreign policy as well as his new defense secretary. talk to me about that. >> reporter: president biden will be going to the state department today delivering those remarks, his first sort of major address relating to foreign policy of his new presidency. jake sullivan, the national security adviser, saying his trip to the state department today for this address is not by mistake, that it demonstrates to the american people that this administration, the biden administration, will be putting diplomacy first among their priorities to establish strength, in his words, the position of strength for united states with multirat lateralism, rebuilding alliances that e voelded over the course of the trump administration. a couple of held lines we heard here as it relates to yemen, obviously, a site of great conflict right now, jake sullivan announcing that the u.s. would end it support of

military, offensive military operations there as it related to president trump's announcements he would be withdrawing u.s. troops from germany, today the trump administration -- excuse me, the biden administration announcing they would be stopping that, instead would be doing a global review at the time. and speaking of global reviews, there is another one that's now taking place, in fact, a sort of stand-down order as it's described by the defense secretary lloyd austin, a stand-down order allowing the military branchs a 60-day period to review white supremacy and extremism within their ranks. a pentagon spokesperson describing the chaos they saw at the capitol in recent weeks as a wake-up call right now. it's not the first time there has been a stand-down order of this kind. there was one related to issues of race within the military, also issues specifically on discrimination, speaking of the topic of the military today oop oom. they said this will be an administration that works on the

basis of equity as it related to the transgender ban being removed in recent weeks as well, andrea. >> and in terms of yemen, that's of course the support of the saudi forces in that war against the iranian-backed forces, which secretary blinken has called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world right now. so it's to get humanitarian aid in, we will stop our offensive arming of the saudis, a big change in our saudi policy as well. peter alexander, garrett haake, michael steele, david jolly, than you. democrats are signalling there could be compromises on the income level to qualify for what the white house still says should be a $1,400 check. it will be that amount, but they are willing to negotiate who is entitled to get them. means testing, basically. there are some white house allies saying they could postpone action to raise the

minimum wage, deeply divided in the senate. joining me, the finance chairman who was in the oval office when the president met yesterday with key democrats with all of the key chairman and the leadership. congratulations. >> thank you. >> i'm talking too fast to rush through because we have half show or one-quarter of a show because of all the brooulz. breaking news. i wanted your take on the possible compromises on covid relief. they don't want to reduce the dollar value of the check, but they are willing to target it. are you, first of all, willing to go along with that? do you think that would be acceptable? >> first of all, the american people are strongly behind the basic provisions of this legislation. the help with vaccinations, the help on unemployment, state and local aid. we'll be going to bat for small businesses. in a lot of ways, the only place that these issues are divisive

seems to be in the united states senate. the american people are with us. the president is saying, look, i will always talk. we also remember what happened in 2009 when people said, oh, you can go small and get another bite at the apple, then the next bite doesn't come. we have people hurting now. we're going to make sure they get help. here's the date to watch for, andrea. the march 14th day, the middle of march, is when once again, mitch mcconnell, the unemployed fall over a cliff. we have to get this package really out and on its way early in march to make sure that unemployed folks, people who have been laid off through no fault of their own, aren't hurt again. >> of course there was backing from the treasury secretary janet yellin today. she was on abc saying this covid crisis is as serious an economic crisis as in any she's seen in her lifetime. i want to play a short clip.

>> seeing long lines of people waiting to get food around the country is something we should never see in the united states. we're faced with not one but two crises, a pandemic that has impaired the health of americans and an economic crisis that is as serious as any i've seen in my lifetime. >> that supports getting the money out there. what about the argument by republicans, excuse me, and a couple of democrats that you shouldn't be giving this amount to -- you know, this $1,400 to wealthy people, that it's a waste of money. >> the president has consistently said, and i as the senior democrat on the finance committee, we've all been negotiating with the moderates. sometimes with discussions with particularly republican, you get the sense they are stalling for the sole purpose of stalling.

we have to get this passed and into law. so we're going to continue in effect to keep the talks going. that's a track that the president has encouraged, and i'm with him. we'll make sure we'll get this done. i'll give you an example. i wrote the law in the spring for an extra $600 in unemployment benefits. now we have actually more virus cases. we've got 400. and then we're going to try to make sure we can in the future tie the benefits to economic conditions on the ground. so we're trying to work closely with senators on the other side of the aisle and our colleagues who are making suggestions with respect to various issues that are certainly economic but we're keeping those $1,400 checks. >> and what about the minimum wage? there's no argument it needs to be raised. it's been too low for too long. many states have done it on their own.

there is an argument it doesn't belong in budget reconciliation, and that could delay getting the rest of the package passed. are you willing to forego that in the short term? >> here's my take. first, i do support it. the bottom line for the economy in a macro sense is once people get vaccinated, we're going to see opportunities in the economy open up. i think people ought to be able to make a wage they can live on, so that's what's driving us toward the increasing minimum wage support. >> quick question about defense secretary austin issuing the 60-day stand-down. do you think that this will really be adequate to address the problem we saw even arguably on january 6th of extremism and white supremacy in the military among some who are veterans in that mob? >> i am all behind general austin and his actions to fight extremism. you know, the fact is for all of

us who were there that day, we saw the horrifying events, it was an attack on democracy. it was also an attack on our national security because domestic terrorists, people trying to use intimidation, physical force to obtain a political goal, if they're able to have their way with us, that will threaten national security. >> senator ron wyden, great to see you. our first interview with you. >> stay with us. [ making popping noises ] [ noises stop ] hi. thanks, dad.

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i wouldn't be standing here today and you couldn't point a finger and accuse me of doing anything wrong because i've lived a very good life that my family is proud of, my husband is proud of, my children are proud of, and for. so in -- later in 2018 when i started finding misinformation, lies, things that were not true in these qanon posts, i stopped believing it. and i want to tell you, any source -- and i say this to everyone, any source of information that is a mix of truth and a mix of lies is dangerous no matter what it is saying, what party it is helping, anything or any country it's about, it's dangerous. and these are the things that happen on the left and the right. and it is a true problem in our country. so i walked away from those things and i decided i'm going to do what -- >> and so that is the congresswoman marjorie taylor

greene trying to save herself from this action on the house floor which would strip her from committees. she is saying she no longer believes these things. this is the first public apology and public retraction, if you will, that she is making. but when saying that she no longer believes these things, not since 2018 and if not for those facebook posts she's not acknowledging other things, many of her campaign statements this year or in 2020, as well as, also in 2019, chasing david hog, parkland survivor and others, and harassing them on the capitol grounds. there's a lot still to be said and will be in the debate coming up. we're going to switch to the president's upcoming speech on foreign policy, an important speech. joining me is ambassador nicholas burns, former top official and ambassador at the state department. we understand the president is first going to address the workforce, that he's going to

restore morale, recruit, retain career officers, ban politics, restore human rights at the center of american diplomacy, freedom of speech, also another value. these are the things he's going to say to the work force. maybe not making all new policy because we know what his policies are. they've been articulated by the new secretary of state. but how important is this to people around the world, especially those who watch the events of january 6th, and found it to be as we do here in america, a shocking example of an attack on our own democracy, our own values? >> andrea, i think the president's visit to the state department today is a powerful signal of his support for the united states building up its capacity in diplomacy which we didn't see under four years of donald trump and as you know very well, the state department has been downtrodden. it was disregarded and called

the deep state by president trump, budget problems, morale problems that frankly we haven't seen in many, many decades and president biden is one who has proven his interest to diplomacy, tony blanken, the same, a day where the foreign service and civil are going to feel supported again and put back at the center of american diplomacy. i credit president biden and secretary blinken for deciding this policy speech should be right there at the true man building in the state department at the heart of our diplomacy. >> ambassador burns, at the same time he's taking a hard line against vladimir putin, did in the very first phone call showed he was doing something that president trump never did. he's now on a collision course with china over myanmar or burma. he's got, you know -- intractable problems. so how much can he really accomplish? >> i think he can accomplish a

lot, andrea. you know, it's already been seen in two weeks, the president has reembraced our allies and put the united states back into leadership role we have to have with nato and our east asian allies. he's defending democracy, criticizing the russians over the attempted poisoning of alexei navalny, and now the jailing. and secretary blinken said it was a genocide, really tough language and this challenge that we face from china and russia, the two big authoritarian powers, is one of the most important issues of the american people is confronting. president biden has made it very clear, he's going to defend our country and defend diplomacy. so i think it's going to have a very strong start in foreign policy. and today's event allows him to shine -- illuminate, really, our nonpartisan career of foreign and civil servants, the heart of our diplomacy, who need to be

lifted up here and will be, i think, by this administration. >> is putin, though, rebuffing him, ignoring him, by jailing in a navalny despite the pleas of the united states? >> navalny is the most serious competitor we are seen in 20 years to the authoritarian rule of vladimir putin. the biden administration has been right to criticize it. at some point, i would certainly hope we'd see further measures from the u.s., not just on the navalny poisoning and imprisoning, but also on the solar winds hack, this major hack, the biggest in cyberhistory, directed by the kremlin against the united states, against our government, and against our companies. and so that is ahead of us. but i do think that this president, president biden, is going to stand up against these two authoritarian powers who are in a very competitive

relationship with china and the chinese have to understand the kind of intellectual property theft, not playing by the rules, and the human rights violation are not going to go unanswered the way they largely did, let's face it, in the trump years, especially by president trump, who never really uttered a word of criticism of either xi jinping or putin. >> ambassador, great to have your perspective today, thanks very much. and that does it for a very busy hour of "andrea mitchell reports," chuck todd is up next with "mtp daily" right here on msnbc. nd. these days it's not that easy. you're telling me. but humana helps make it easy. human care gives you tons of ways to talk to your doctor: phone, computer, in person, or tablet. hey jean! hi! this is just a quick follow up. your numbers are looking great. you don't even have to put on shoes. ooo! easy peasy.

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welcome to thursday, it is "meet the press daily," i'm chuck todd, moments ago, literally within a couple minutes, republican congresswoman marjorie taylor greene went to the house floor in an attempt to explain and defend her past comments that promoted dangerous and unhinged conspiracy theories. here's some of what she said. >> here's the problem. throughout 2018, because i was upset about things, and didn't trust the government really, because the people here weren't g