A former Houston police officer has been sentenced to 45 days in jail for his involvement in the 6 January riot at the Capitol: In September, Pham pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He was caught on video saying, “We’re taking the house back,” according to sentencing documents. Pham had worked for the Houston police department for 18 years, but resigned after the department learned of his involvement, Fox 7 in Texas reported. He was off duty when he was at the Capitol. Sworn officers from across the country were caught traveling to the Capitol and participating in the protest and entering the Capitol while off duty. The mother of Austin Tice, the journalist who went missing in Syria in 2012, met today with the White House’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan. The White House press secretary confirmed the meeting but did not provide reporters with an update on the status of the case: “I can’t give you an assessment. Obviously we’re going to do everything we can,” Jen Psaki said. “It’s our standard practice not to share any specific details about any potential meetings or specific cases out of respect for the families, and to preserve confidentiality.” Debra Tice criticized Biden earlier in the week in a press conference, McClatchy reported, saying: “We have not been able to get a meeting with him.: “He has never said Austin’s name publicly. And I wonder if he’s allowed himself to forget about Austin. I don’t have any indication otherwise.” Last week, Axios reported, Sullivan held a Zoom call with families of dozens of hostages after some of them reportedly expressed frustration that they had not yet been able to meet with Biden. Biden condemns Kellogg"s "attack on the union" amid strike Hi all – Sam Levin here taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day. Biden has released a statement on the reports that Kellogg’s is permanently replacing 1,400 workers who have been on strike since October: Permanently replacing striking workers is an existential attack on the union and its members’ jobs and livelihoods. I have long opposed permanent striker replacements and I strongly support legislation that would ban that practice. And such action undermines the critical role collective bargaining plays in providing workers a voice and the opportunity to improve their lives while contributing fully to their employer’s success. The 1,400 Kellogg’s workers at four plants in the US went on strike after their current union contracts expired. The workers across four plants are represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) and produce cereals for brands, including Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes and Raisin Bran, at plants in Michigan, Tennessee, Nebraska and Pennsylvania. More on the latest developments: Summary That’s it from me today! I’ll be handing over the blog to Sam Levin. Here’s a summary of today’s events: The Congressional Budget Office has released its score for the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, saying the social package will add $3tn to the US deficit. Democrats dispute the figures. Biden addressed new inflation figures, saying inflation is at ‘peak of the crisis’ and ‘real bump in the road’, but that positive changes in the economy are expected and occurring. The White House said Biden is ‘deeply committed’ to Roe v Wade and ‘concerned’ following a decision by Scotus on the Texas near-total abortion ban. The US supreme court allowed America’s strictest abortion ban, in Texas, to remain in place, even as it permitted clinics to go ahead with legal challenges. Joe Biden spoke at the funeral for Bob Dole at the national cathedral in Washington, DC, calling the former senator “one of our greatest patriots”. The US president wrapped up the two-day inaugural White House summit for democracy, with world leaders attending virtually because of the pandemic, by defending fair elections and a free press. Here’s an excerpt from the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell on more information concerning the House investigating committee’s additional subpoenas issued today on the events of 6 January: The House select committee investigating the Capitol attack on Friday issued new subpoenas against two Trump White House officials involved in organizing the rally and march that descended into the 6 January insurrection, as they inquire into the extent of Donald Trump’s involvement. The select committee issued orders compelling documents and testimony to Brian Jack, Trump’s former White House director of political affairs, now working for the House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, and Max Miller, a former deputy manager for the Trump campaign. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the select committee, said in the subpoena letter for Miller that the panel targeted him as he attended a 4 January meeting with Trump in a private White House dining room about who should speak at the rally on the morning of 6 January. Miller also communicated with the then deputy secretary of the interior and the then-acting director of the National Park Service to strong-arm career officials, who had declined to allow the rally from taking place on the Ellipse, to reverse course, Thompson said. Earlier today, Joe Biden said that he will speak to West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin next week, but is unsure if he can get Manchin to support the Biden administration’s Build Back Better bill. While taking questions at his virtual Summit for Democracy, Biden responded to a question if he could get Manchin to vote for the bill given that inflation is at a record high: “Well, I don’t know the answer to that. I’m going to be talking to him at the beginning of the week,” answered Biden. Manchin is a key moderate holding up the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, a social spending package, though some democrats don’t think that Manchin is willing to secure a vote on Biden’s agenda by Christmas, according to the Hill. During today’s press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki responded to questions on Biden’s comment saying, “this is exactly the time to pass this bill and move it forward so that we can lower costs for the American people”. When asked if Joe Biden would consider a pardon of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, press secretary Jen Psaki said that Joe Biden is an advocate for free speech and freedom of the press. Psaki referred questions regarding the Julian Assange case to the justice department, noting that it is still an ongoing case. Additionally, Psaki responded to an inquiry about how some view prosecuting Assange as an attack on freedom of press, saying “the president has been an advocate for freedom of speech, freedom of press”, also noting the virtual Summit for Democracy the president is wrapping up today. The questions came after a ruling today that Assange can be extradited to the US to face espionage charges. Here is more on the case from the Guardian’s Ben Quinn: Julian Assange can be extradited to the US, according to the high court, as it overturned a judgment earlier this year and sparked condemnation from press freedom advocates. The decision deals a major blow to the WikiLeaks co-founder’s efforts to prevent his extradition to the US to face espionage charges, although his lawyers announced they would seek to appeal. Two of Britain’s most senior judges found on Friday that a then district judge based her decision earlier this year on the risk of Assange being held in highly restrictive US prison conditions. In their ruling, they sided with the US authorities after a package of assurances were put forward that Assange would not face those strictest measures unless he committed an act in the future that required them. The House select committee overseeing the investigation into the January 6 insurrection just subpoenaed six more people, including an Ohio Congressional candidate who has been backed by Donald Trump. The committee says that Max Miller, the candidate and former Trump aide, met with Trump two days before the rally held outside the White House to discuss details of the event. Others included in the subpoena are Brian Jack, a former Trump aide and current adviser to House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, and Ed Martin, an organizer of the “Stop the Steal” rallies that claimed Democrats stole the election. In a statement, the House select committee say the witnesses “apparently worked to stage the rallies on January 5th and 6th”. “Some appeared to have had direct communication with the former president regarding the rally at the Ellipse directly preceding the attack on the US Capitol,” the statement reads. Biden "deeply committed" to Roe v Wade and "concerned" by Scotus decision Following the Scotus decision on the Texas near-total abortion ban, the White House has said that Biden is “concerned” about the Texas law staying in effect and is “deeply committed” to Roe v Wade. The White House also said that the ruling today is a reminder that the right to abortion access should be codified. During a press briefing today, press secretary Jen Psaki spoke on the Scotus ruling today, saying that Biden is concerned that the abortion ban will remain in place. Psaki also noted “how much these rights are at risk” and the need to legislate on abortion access through Women’s Health Protection Act, which passed the House in September but has been stuck in limbo in the Senate. Psaki would not say how the bill would get passed through the Senate, saying there was nothing new to add on that. Psaki also said that a statement on the ruling on Biden’s behalf will be coming shortly as Biden spent most of the day at a memorial for former US senator Bob Dole. Biden addresses new inflation figures, says inflation at "peak of the crisis" and "real bump in the road" Responding to new inflation figures that cite US inflation at its highest level since 1982, Joe Biden today said that inflation is a “real bump in the road” and that current figures are at “the peak of the crisis” with positive change coming. During questions following closing remarks at his virtual Summit for Democracy, Biden responded to a question from a CNN reporter about inflation, saying that US consumers are seeing the peak. “I think you’ll see it change sooner, quicker, more rapidly than people think. Every other aspect of the economy is racing ahead,” said Biden. Earlier today, Biden provided a statement in response to new inflation figures, noting that prices for several goods are coming down, reported Bloomberg: “Today’s numbers reflect the pressures that economies around the world are facing as we emerge from a global pandemic -- prices are rising,” Biden said in a statement after a Labor Department report showed a 6.8% annual gain in the consumer price index in November... Biden said that “half of the price increases in this report are in cars and energy costs from November” and that since then, prices have begun to slide in both sectors. “Even with this progress, price increases continue to squeeze family budgets,” he said. “We are making progress on pandemic related challenges to our supply chain which make it more expensive to get goods on shelves, and I expect more progress on that in the weeks ahead.” Biden promoted the Freedom to Vote act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement act during his closing remarks at the virtual Summit for Democracy, saying that Congress will get the bills passed. “The sacred right to vote, to vote freely, the right to have your vote counted, is the threshold liberty for democracy,” said Biden. “Without it, virtually nothing’s possible.” Biden did not mention how the two key voting rights bills will get passed, as disdain mounts among voting rights advocates who say Biden is failing on addressing voting rights. The Guardian’s Sam Levine has covered anger towards the Biden administration among voting rights advocates with many noting that “time is running out” to get key legislation passed: Joe Biden will now be giving remarks for the last day of his virtual Summit for Democracy event that began yesterday. The Associated Press reported earlier that Biden will be focusing on election integrity and bolstering independent media during the today’s half of the summit. Press secretary Jen Psaki will be holding a press briefing afterwards. More information on what Biden said during the first day of the summit is available here in a piece written by the Guardian’s Julian Borger, Sam Levine and Shah Meer Baloch. Interim summary It’s been a lively morning in US politics, stay tuned for all the latest coverage this afternoon, too. Here’s where things stand: The Congressional Budget Office has released its score for the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, saying the social package will add $3tn to the US deficit. Democrats dispute the figures. Joe Biden spoke at the funeral for Bob Dole at the national cathedral in Washington, DC, calling the former senator “one of our greatest patriots”. The supreme court allowed America’s strictest abortion ban, in Texas, to remain in place, even as it permitted clinics to go ahead with legal challenges. The US president planned to wrap up the two-day inaugural White House summit for democracy, with world leaders attending virtually because of the pandemic, by defending fair elections and a free press. Congressional Budget Office: Build Back Better will add $3tn to deficit The Congressional Budget Office has released their score for the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, saying the social package will add $3tn to the US deficit. The GOP-requested estimate, available here, provides data for programs in areas like housing, child care, and other social initiatives that Democrats say they have not committed to making permanent, reports Politico. Democrats have also said that any future extensions for programs will be fully offset. Republicans are hoping that these new estimates will entice moderates like Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia to help stop the spending package, but Democrats have pushed back, saying that estimates are in response to a bill that hasn’t been finalized, with majority leader Chuck Schumer calling the scores “fake.”