Good morning. I'm Jordan Marie Smith from the Washington Post, and this is the Daily

202 for Tuesday, March 2nd. In today's news, the Senate confirms Miguel Cardona as Education

Secretary. And where Jill Biden drops by for a cup of coffee can make quite a statement.

But first, the big idea. President Biden is trying to unify fellow Democrats behind

his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, as the Senate prepares to move forward on the

massive legislation this week. Several moderate-leaning senators have raised concerns about the

structure of unemployment insurance benefits, and Biden's plan to send $350 billion to

state and local governments. Post reporters Erica Werner and Jeff Stein reported that

Biden got together a group of these Democrats on a conference called Monday afternoon.

The White House and Congressional Democrats are staring down a March 14th deadline. This

is when enhanced unemployment benefits will expire, unless the relief legislation gets

signed into law first. The House passed the bill on Saturday, allowing just two weeks

to get it through the Senate, where it's likely to undergo some changes. Then it will

go back to the House for final passage. An initial procedural vote to move forward on

the legislation could come as early as Wednesday in the Senate. House Minority Leader and Representative

of Kentucky, Mitch McConnell, kept up his attacks on the legislation Monday, calling

it, quote, a bananza of partisan spending they're calling a pandemic rescue package.

Monday's call with Biden included senators Mark Warner of Virginia and Angus King, independent

of Maine, who have proposed breaking off some of the state and local money and dedicating

it to expanded broadband instead. Other Democratic senators are pushing for changes related

to the unemployment insurance in the bill, which would increase the weekly $300 payments

to $400 and extend them through August. The Senate bill will not include an increase

...