Biden wants Congress to take action on gun reform

The call for gun reform comes on the third anniversary of the Parkland shooting.

Last Updated: February 16, 2021, 1:00 PM EST

This is Day 26 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Feb 08, 2021, 5:12 PM EST

White House reviewing deportation of veterans, military families, official says

The Biden administration is reviewing the deportation of veterans and military families that took place during the Trump administration, according to a White House official.

"As a military parent, President Biden knows the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make for our country each and every day," White House assistant press secretary Vedant Patel said in a written statement. "The administration's immigration enforcement will focus on those who are national security and public safety threats, not military families, service members or veterans. The federal government in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security will take further review of removals of veterans and their family members."

Patel declined to provide a timeline for the review or an estimate of how many people could be affected. The move is part of a broader review of the previous administration's immigration policies.

On his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order that directed a reset of priorities for immigration enforcement, and that same day, the acting secretary of homeland security, issued a memo that directed the Department of Homeland Security to review "policies and practices concerning immigration enforcement."

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

Feb 08, 2021, 4:57 PM EST

Biden suggests governors underestimated need for fed help on vaccine

Biden reiterated multiple times that his administration discovered, upon taking office, that the vaccine supply they expected simply did not exist, and suggested governors were being a bit cavalier in their assertions they could handle vaccine distribution without federal government help, he said during a virtual tour of a mass vaccination site in Arizona. 

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris virtually tour the State Farm Stadium vaccination site in Glendale, Ariz., Feb 8, 2021.
White House

"We met, virtually, with all the governors. And the governors basically said, 'just send us the vaccine, we'll take care of it.' And the fact is, I think, they -- and everyone else -- vastly underestimated the logistical needs that go with having the vaccine, assuming you have enough vaccine," Biden said. He touted his efforts to send Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel to vaccination centers and provide more funding to take the burden off states. 

Vice President Kamala Harris joined Biden for the virtual tour of the center at State Farm Stadium, normally home to the Arizona Cardinals. The site delivers vaccinations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, averages 8,000 shots per day and has distributed 160,000 vaccines so far. 

Having enough vaccine was, initially, a major challenge, Biden said earlier in the virtual tour. Now that the supply pipeline has improved, Biden offered a timeline for herd immunity, saying he estimates over 300 million Americans should be able to get vaccinated by fall. Biden was complimentary of Arizona's Republican Gov. Doug Ducey during the tour. 

At the end of the tour, Biden grew passionate, clearly excited about seeing the good work these Arizonans were doing. 

"When we stand united, there’s not a damn thing we've been unable to do, and you're the -- you're a perfect example of that," Biden said.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

Feb 08, 2021, 4:53 PM EST

Impeachment managers expected to use videos, images of Capitol siege

House impeachment managers are expected to use videos and images of the Capitol siege to make their case against former President Donald Trump.

"What the impeachment managers want to do is take everybody right back to that day, to those couple of hours when it was not clear how that was going to end and the horror that many of those lawmakers were feeling," ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers said on ABC News Live. "Remember, they were witnesses to it, they were victims of that assault on the Capitol."

Feb 08, 2021, 4:05 PM EST

Dem senators' bill would allow migrants with Temporary Protected Status to seek permanent residency

Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin announced Monday the reintroduction of a bill to allow immigrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to seek legal permanent residency in the U.S. as a part of a renewed effort to grant legal status to large groups of people the Trump administration tried to make eligible for deportation.

TPS designations are made by the secretary of homeland security for nationals of a country experiencing an armed conflict, natural disaster or another types of temporary circumstances that could result in the displacement of segments of the population. Van Hollen and Cardin's bill would make current TPS holders living continuously in the country for three years eligible to apply for permanent legal status. However, the fate of future TPS designees remains unclear.

"It's not the final answer," Cardin said. "It's the immediate answer. It's what we need today for predictability and safety, to know that families will stay together here in the United States. But it is a major part of moving forward with immigration reform."

Last month, Biden's Department of Homeland Security announced it would extend TPS for 6,700 Syrian nationals by 18 months. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week the administration continues to review Trump-era decisions on TPS.

-ABC News' Quinn Owen

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