Joe Biden pledges to distribute 100m vaccine shots in first 100 days of presidency – live

Senator Doug Jones would not say whether he has recently had talks with Joe Biden about becoming attorney general.

“I know that the transition team has a really good process that’s working out really well I think so far,” the Alabama Democrat said on Capitol Hill.

NBC News reported earlier today that Jones is now the leading contender to become attorney general, although former deputy attorney general Sally Yates and federal judge Merrick Garland are also under consideration.

Jones has been in the Senate since winning a 2017 special election, but he lost his bid to serve a full term last month. He and Biden have known each other for decades.

As soon as Lloyd Austin’s nomination as defense secretary was officially announced, the Atlantic published an op-ed from Joe Biden defending the choice, and another contender for the job, Michèle Flournoy, released a statement congratulating Austin.

The coordinated publicity campaign seemed to suggest Biden’s team is worried about Austin’s confirmation, as one Daily Beast writer argued.

Some Democrats have already voiced concerns about granting Austin a waiver to run the department, which the former general will need because of his recent military service.

Depending on how Republicans handle Austin’s nomination, it could be a very close confirmation vote.

Joe Biden has written an op-ed for the Atlantic explaining his nomination of Lloyd Austin to lead the defense department.

The president-elect writes:

Austin’s many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government are uniquely matched to the challenges and crises we face. He is the person we need in this moment. …

Above all, I chose Lloyd Austin as my nominee for secretary of defense because I know how he reacts under pressure, and I know that he will do whatever it takes to defend the American people. …

Moreover, we need leaders like Lloyd Austin who understand that our military is only one instrument of our national security. Keeping America strong and secure demands that we draw on all our tools. He and I share a commitment to empowering our diplomats and development experts to lead our foreign policy, using force only as our last resort.

The president-elect also urged Congress to grant Austin a waiver to be confirmed as defense secretary. Because of Austin’s recent military service, he must receive the waiver before assuming the role.

Lloyd Austin retired from military service more than four years ago. The law states that an officer must have left the service at least seven years before becoming secretary of defense. But I hope that Congress will grant a waiver to Secretary-designate Austin, just as Congress did for Secretary Jim Mattis. Given the immense and urgent threats and challenges our nation faces, he should be confirmed swiftly.

But some Democrats have already expressed hesitation about granting the waiver, expressing a desire to honor the tradition of civilian leadership at the Pentagon.

Michèle Flournoy, who was previously considered the leading contender to be nominated as defense secretary, released a statement congratulating Lloyd Austin on his nomination.

“General Austin is a man of deep integrity who has spent a lifetime in service to our country,” Flournoy said.

“General Austin is a colleague and friend, and I know he will bring his impressive skills to bear to lead all those who volunteer to defend our country, military and civilian, at this critical moment.”

If she had been nominated and confirmed, Flournoy would have been the first woman to lead the Pentagon.

The White House is reportedly pushing to include $600 stimulus checks in the next coronavirus relief package.

The Washington Post reports:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not include a second round of stimulus payments in the relief proposal he released last week. Senior Republican leadership in Congress are listening to White House officials push for the inclusion of the stimulus checks, the two people said, a provision also broadly supported by congressional Democrats.

President Trump has privately indicated a willingness to send another round of stimulus checks of as much as $2,000, according to one person in direct communication with the president.

Republican senator Josh Hawley has also pushed for another round of stimulus checks, but Republican lawmakers have generally expressed skepticism about the idea.

The first round of stimulus checks was approved as part of the March CARES Act, and the treasury department broke precedent by printing Trump’s name on the checks.

During his vaccine event, Donald Trump was also asked why the White House was holding Christmas parties with hundreds of unmasked guests despite urgent warnings from public health experts to avoid indoor gatherings.

“Well, they’re Christmas parties,” Trump replied. “And frankly we’ve reduced the number very substantially, as you know, and I see a lot of people at the parties wearing masks.”

Trump’s comments came hours after reports emerged that one of his campaign’s legal advisers, Jenna Ellis, had tested positive for coronavirus.

Ellis attended a White House Christmas party on Friday, raising concerns about another coronavirus outbreak among Trump’s senior staffers.

Ellis posted a photo of herself at the party on Instagram. She is not masked in the picture.

Speaking at the Wilmington event, vice-president-elect Kamala Harris congratulated Joe Biden on building an impressive team of health care advisers made up of eminently qualified experts.

Harris noted she and Biden spoke to frontline health care workers over the Thanksgiving holiday to express their gratitude for the workers’ service amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The vice-president-elect said one nurse told her it felt like a matter of when, not if, she would contract the virus.

Harris sent this message to those frontline workers: “Help is on the way, and it is long overdue.”

Once Harris’ speech concluded, the event wrapped up. Biden did not take any questions from reporters.

Xavier Becerra, Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the department of health and human services, delivered a virtual speech for the Wilmington event.

Speaking from his home state of California, Becerra emphasized the need to get the virus under control in order to help the country recover from the pandemic.

“To build back a prosperous America, we need a healthy America,” Becerra said.