Biden says 'no time to waste' on COVID relief bill
He made brief remarks Saturday after the House passed the legislation.
This is Day 40 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Latest headlines:
Tom Vilsack confirmed as secretary of agriculture
The Senate has confirmed Tom Vilsack to serve as secretary of agriculture, in a 92-7 vote.
Sen. Bernie Sanders voted with six Republicans against Vilsack, who had the same role under former President Barack Obama.
-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel
McConnell to support Garland's confirmation as AG
A spokesperson for Republican Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed reports to ABC News that McConnell intends to support the nomination of Merrick Garland to serve as attorney general.
McConnell's support for Garland was first reported by Politico.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday wrapped up two days of hearings on Garland's nomination. The committee is scheduled to hold a vote on the nomination on March 1.
McConnell's support for Garland is in stark contrast to his 2016 efforts that successfully kept Garland from the Supreme Court bench.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
McConnell doubles down against COVID-19 relief proposal
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doubled down on his position that the COVID-19 proposal from Democrats is far too large, not targeted enough and flies in the face of bipartisanship during a press conference Tuesday.
"We think this is dramatically more money than is required at this particular juncture. It also includes a number of things that have absolutely nothing to do with COVID relief," McConnel said. "And so it will be controversial."
McConnell said his conference is united Tuesday in "opposition to what the Biden administration is trying to do," arguing that Biden, who campaigned as a moderate, has been pushing far-left policies since his administration began, calling Biden's "a totally partisan approach to COVID relief."
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Biden announces nomination for director of U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Biden on Tuesday announced Kiran Ahuja as his nominee for director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where she previously served as chief of staff during the Obama administration.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle
Biden teases announcement on US actions with Saudi Arabia after Khashoggi report
As Biden departed the White House to board Marine One Saturday afternoon, he was asked if he planned to punish Saudi Arabia’s crown prince following a U.S. intelligence report that concluded he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden carefully teased an announcement but said it wouldn’t specifically pertain to Khashoggi’s murder.
He said, “there will be an announcement on Monday as to what we’re going to be doing with Saudi Arabia in general.”
The president then left the White House for Delaware.
On Friday the Office of Director of National Intelligence released a highly anticipated report on the death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident who was murdered and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Oct. 2018.
It revealed the U.S. intelligence community found Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill him.
The Saudi government has denied that that the crown prince was involved and instead blamed the death on a rogue team of government agents.
The killing has roiled the United States' longstanding ties with Saudi Arabia.
Biden said he spoke to King Salman on Thursday, one day before the report was released.