White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday defended President Biden’s decision to travel home to Delaware just two weeks after moving into the White House.
“He is from Delaware and has a home there and is going to spend the weekend with his wife and family there,” Psaki told reporters Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends delaying travel to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It’s a message that Biden’s own CDC director, Rochelle Walensky, pushed this week during the administration’s three briefings on its COVID-19 response — particularly with concerns that Super Bowl watch parties could lead to an uptick in cases.
Biden has received both of his coronavirus vaccination doses, as have many of his staff. But his movements, including a potential visit to his hometown church of St. Joseph on the Brandywine, could broaden his footprint in Wilmington outside of his 4-acre lakefront property. That means those in his bubble (including Secret Service agents, journalists, and others) will be moving about the Wilmington area throughout the weekend when they would be at home in the Washington, D.C., region.
On Friday, Psaki suggested Biden flying to Delaware on Air Force One, the taxpayer-funded presidential jet, also curbed the risk the trip posed to other unprotected people.
Coinciding with the release of January’s job report and ramped-up negotiations over Biden’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” Psaki said, adding “a final conclusion hasn’t been made” regarding how his proposed $1,400 stimulus checks could be targeted.
That’s a demand of senators, such as centrist Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
On the need for bipartisan consensus, Psaki leaned into comments Biden made earlier Friday. She argued he wasn’t elected president “on a promise to unite the Democratic and Republican Party into one party in Washington.” Democrats are preparing to pass Biden’s proposed relief package using reconciliation, a fast-track budgetary procedure that would not require Republican support.
“If I have to choose between getting help right now to Americans who are hurting badly and getting bogged down in a lengthy negotiation, or compromising on a bill that’s up to the crisis, that’s an easy choice,” Biden said during his remarks.
Psaki previewed, too, that Biden would tour the Pentagon and the National Institutes of Health next week. That possibly clashes with former President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, which is scheduled to start on Tuesday.
