Biden says 'no time to waste' on COVID relief bill

He made brief remarks Saturday after the House passed the legislation.

Last Updated: February 26, 2021, 3:03 PM EST

This is Day 40 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Feb 26, 2021, 2:52 PM EST

Biden fist-bumps Gov. Greg Abbott as he arrives in Texas

Biden was greeted on the tarmac in Texas on Friday by Gov. Greg Abbott who he fist-bumped after touching down for his first presidential disaster visit.

Biden was also greeted on the tarmac by a group of lawmakers including Democratic Texas Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Al Green, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher and Sylvia Garcia, as well as Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott greets President Joe Biden with a fist bump at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Feb. 26, 2021.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

First lady Jill Biden also gave a fist-bump to Abbott and accepted a bouquet of flowers, as Biden bumped elbows with Jackson Lee and Green, who also took a photo of him. Biden stood near the two Democratic lawmakers and chatted for a few moments before moving on to speak with other elected officials.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Feb 26, 2021, 1:48 PM EST

McCarthy slams COVID-19 relief bill as it heads to House vote

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during his weekly press conference on Capitol Hill slammed the COVID-19 relief bill the House will be voting on Friday. He showed up to his press conference wearing a sticker that said "NO PELOSI PAYOFFS" in protest of the planned vote.

"This isn't a relief bill," McCarthy said. "It takes care of Democrats' political allies while it fails to deliver for American families."

McCarthy emphasized that he will vote against the bill Friday. Asked what he thought about Democrats' decision to keep the $15 minimum wage hike in their bill despite the fact that it will likely be stripped from the bill when it heads to the Senate, McCarthy said he thinks Pelosi is just doing it to keep the progressives in her party happy.

"So to me it's just more politics, and it's wrong because you know in the Senate it's just not gonna survive," McCarthy said. 

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

Feb 26, 2021, 1:46 PM EST

White House defends airstrikes as 'necessary' and 'proportionate'

After the U.S. conducted a military airstrike in eastern Syria along the border with Iraq on Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the president's authority to carry out the strike amid bipartisan pushback from members of Congress.

"As a matter of domestic law, the president took this action, pursuant to his Article II authority to defend U.S. personnel. The targets were chosen to correspond to the recent attacks on facilities, and to deter the risk of additional attacks over the coming weeks," Psaki said. "As a matter of international law, the United States acted pursuant to its right of self-defense, as reflected in Article 51 of the U.N. charter."

Psaki said the move was "necessary" and "proportionate" and reflected the president's unambiguous commitment to protecting American lives.

 The Department of Defense briefed congressional leadership before the action Thursday night, according to a spokesperson on the National Security Council. The administration has been briefing lawmakers at the member and staff level Friday. There will be a full classified briefing early next week, and sooner if Congress wants, according to the spokesperson.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Feb 26, 2021, 10:48 AM EST

Biden offers support to Ukraine on anniversary of Crimea annexation

In honor of the seventh anniversary of the Russian invasion of Crimea on Friday, Biden released a statement affirming the United States support of Ukraine.

“The United States continues to stand with Ukraine and its allies and partners today, as it has from the beginning of this conflict.  On this somber anniversary, we reaffirm a simple truth: Crimea is Ukraine,” Biden said.

Biden added that the U.S. will never recognize Crimea as part of Russia, and will "continue to work to hold Russia accountable for its abuses and aggression in Ukraine.”

-ABC News' Molly Nagle