When Obama, Sanders, and Biden meet in D.C. at 11:30 a.m.
The president is set to meet with senators from both parties and Democratic leaders to talk about ways to combat the Zika virus outbreak.
The Democratic leaders will convene at 11 a.
(7 a. m.) for the first face-to-face meeting with Biden.
Obama is set for an afternoon meeting with senators and will be joined by Biden, his top lieutenants, and other officials.
The meeting comes on the heels of a joint press conference Biden held with senators on Friday to discuss the outbreak.
Biden is also expected to host a series of events with senators to discuss federal health and human services policies.
Biden has made clear his preference is to continue the fight against the virus, even as the outbreak continues to grow in the United States.
But some Democrats are concerned the meeting will come with a price tag, as Biden has proposed a “trigger” that would require all Americans to have tested positive for the virus.
Democrats say the proposal could put more pressure on states to require all of their residents to get tested.
The White House is expected to release a list of Biden’s key priorities for the meeting.
The meetings with Biden and Sanders are the first major events since the Senate voted in December to extend the federal government’s funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until March 1.
Congress also approved $7.5 billion for the Zika response.
The money would provide more than $200 million for mosquito-control research and equipment.
Biden and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state are expected to call for $1 billion more for Zika research and treatment in the coming months.
Biden is expected at the Capitol to meet members of Congress and congressional staffers for the second time in two weeks.
Democrats have made clear they are seeking to capitalize on the presidential visit by highlighting the outbreak’s devastating impact on families and communities.
They have already announced the first congressional recess since Biden’s visit, scheduled for Thursday, and are scheduled to hold several events in Washington, D. C., including a town hall on Thursday night.
Read more: https://www.msnbc.com/msn-live/biden-meet-soros-is-behind-a-set-of-news-stories-that-show-a/ Follow me on Twitter @MattLNolte _____________________________________________Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more health news.