Today is Wednesday, February 3rd, and you're listening to The Morning Announcement.

I'm Sammy Sage.

We finally have some movement on the COVID relief bill, but I did met with 10 Republican

senators yesterday about their $600 billion dollar package proposal in response to his $1.9

trillion package.

The Democrats insisted that the Republican counter proposal was not sufficient, probably

because there's relatively little money in it, and last night, the Senate voted to open

debate on a budget resolution to pass COVID relief without Republican support through reconciliation.

In other words, the Democrats are going to try to pass the $1.9 trillion package and send

everyone some more checks, even if their Republicans aren't on board.

Note to Democratic senators, this is what it feels like to get things done.

Please get used to it.

Also happening in the Senate, we finally have two exciting cabinet confirmations.

Alejandra Mallorquez has been confirmed as Homeland Security Secretary and Pete Buttigieg has

been confirmed as Transportation Secretary. Congratulations to Secretary Mallorquez and Secretary

Mayor Pete, the first immigrant to lead DHS and the first openly gay cabinet secretary to be confirmed

by the Senate. We also have kind of a surprising story out of the Senate. Mitch McConnell spoke out

for the first time in reference to Georgia Representative and believer in Jewish space lasers Marjorie

Green, calling her a loony, lies, and conspiracy theories a cancer for the Republican party and our

country. He specifically called out her beliefs that the Pentagon was not hit on 9-11,

that the Sandy Hook shootings were staged, and that the Clinton's crash day of K-Juneer's

airplane as not living in reality. While all of these seem like obvious grounds for denunciation,

...