Honduras Election Recount Delayed Amid Protests and Political Tensions 
Kennedy Center Reportedly Renamed Trump-Kennedy Center After Board Vote 
Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency 
Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy 
Trump Administration Proposes Sweeping Limits on Gender-Affirming Care for Children 
Trump Announces $1,776 Cash Bonus for U.S. Military Personnel Ahead of Christmas 
Fernando Haddad Confirms He Will Not Run for Office in 2025, Signals Possible Exit as Brazil’s Finance Minister 
U.S. Initiates $11.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan Amid Rising China Tensions 
Republicans Raise National Security Concerns Over Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools 
U.S. and China Push for Ceasefire as Thailand–Cambodia Border Clashes Escalate 
Trump Signs Order to Ease Federal Marijuana Rules, Signaling Major Policy Shift 
Trump Signals Progress in Ukraine Peace Talks Ahead of U.S.–Russia Meeting 
Trump Attends Dover Ceremony Honoring U.S. Personnel Killed in Syria 
Dan Bongino to Step Down as FBI Deputy Director After Brief, Controversial Tenure 
Putin Signals Possible Peace or Continued War in Ukraine at Major Year-End Address 
Barham Salih Elected as Next UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
Democrats are turning their attention to other urgent pieces of legislation to pass through Congress, including the stalled Build Back Better proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she does not “subscribe” to a set deadline, sidestepping the deadline that Progressive Democrats hope to meet.
Speaking at an infrastructure event in San Francisco, Pelosi said that the March 1 deadline by Progressive Democrats for the Build Back Better Act is “an aspiration,” but also noted that the House has other pieces of legislation that it needs to bring up and vote on, such as the CHIPS act and the omnibus bill.
“We will pass the bill when we have the votes to pass the bill, and we cannot stop pressing for that,” said Pelosi, who noted that passing Build Back Better is important.
“I hope they’re right. I don’t subscribe to any particular date,” added the House Speaker regarding the March 1 deadline. The White House also had a similar answer as Pelosi. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that no deadline has been set yet, sidestepping the March 1 date.
Pelosi’s remarks appear to indicate that Democrats still do not have the votes needed to pass the social and climate infrastructure bill, which makes up the bulk of US President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda. The bill has previously passed the House among party lines but has since stalled in the Senate as West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said he could not support the bill, drawing backlash.
Since that time, Biden has acknowledged that not everything that Democrats want will be able to make it to the bill and that the legislation would likely be broken up into parts. Nevertheless, Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Japayal has urged the Senate and the White House not to let the bill remain stalled for too long.
In other related news, Pelosi spoke with Taiwanese vice president Lai Ching-te and Taiwan’s ambassador to the US Hsiao Bi-Khim in a virtual conference. Pelosi and Lai discussed security issues, the economy, and the shared values of both nations. The House Speaker raised concerns about the situation at the Taiwan Strait, and the human rights abuses in China, according to Hsiao.
