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WILMINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday unveiled his plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic during his first 100 days in office, saying his administration would vaccinate 100 million Americans, push to reopen schools and strengthen mask mandates.
Biden, who formally introduced his public health team on Tuesday, also announced that he would nominate retired Army General Lloyd Austin as the nation’s first black defense secretary.
He also elected US Representative Marcia Fudge of Ohio to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Tom Vilsack, a former secretary of agriculture, to the same post, according to news reports on Tuesday.
At a informational meeting in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said he needed Congress to fully fund the delivery of vaccines to every corner of the United States. Getting children back to school will be a national priority in the first 100 days, Biden said.
“In 100 days, we can change the course of the disease and improve life in America,” said Biden, who will take office on January 20. “Whatever your policy or point of view, mask for 100 days.”
Biden’s first months will likely be dominated by the pandemic, which is putting pressure on hospitals amid a nationwide resurgence.
The coronavirus has killed more than 283,000 Americans and caused millions to lose their jobs.
Effective vaccines would help the Biden administration focus on curing America’s ailing economy. The US Food and Drug Administration released documents Tuesday that raise no new concerns about the safety or efficacy of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine, which could receive emergency clearance this month.
Biden introduced California attorney general Xavier Becerra, a former Latino congressman, as his nominee for secretary of health and human services. Becerra has a long history of supporting the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
Rejection of the Pentagon’s selection
Biden chose Austin as a candidate for secretary of defense, despite the rejection of some Democrats in Congress unhappy with the idea of a former military man running the Pentagon.
“The fact is that Austin’s many strengths and his deep knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government uniquely correspond to the challenges and crises we face,” Biden wrote in The Atlantic magazine. “He is the person we need right now.”
Confirmation of Austin, 67, who oversaw US forces in the Middle East under former President Barack Obama, would require Congress to pass a waiver because he has been out of the military for less than the seven years required by a law designed to guarantee civil supervision. of the armed forces.
Outgoing President Donald Trump’s first secretary of defense, former Marine Corps General Jim Mattis, also needed a waiver.
At least two Democratic senators, Richard Blumenthal and Jon Tester, voiced their opposition to waiving the law, casting doubt on whether Austin’s nomination will go through a highly divided Senate.
Fudge will serve as Biden’s secretary for housing and urban development, Politico and Bloomberg News reported, citing unidentified sources. If confirmed, Fudge would face a housing crisis stemming from the pandemic, which has led to millions of people defaulting on rent and mortgages due to business closures.
Biden asked Vilsack, who was secretary of agriculture during the Obama administration, to return to office, Axios reported. Vilsack campaigned for Biden in Iowa, where he was governor for two terms and served as a farm policy adviser.
The transition team did not immediately comment on the Fudge and Vilsack reports. Earlier Tuesday, Fudge told reporters she would be honored, but did not confirm that she would be nominated.
Civil rights
The nominations of Austin and Fudge, who is also black, add to Biden’s effort to assemble a cabinet and administration that reflect the diversity of the country. Earlier Tuesday, Biden met for nearly two hours with leaders of seven leading civil rights organizations who have lobbied Biden to select more people of color as their top advisers.
Biden won the White House in large part because of the support of the nation’s black community, and the president-elect has made civil rights one of the main pillars of his administration, vowing to expand support for black-owned businesses. and reform the judicial system. .
The Rev. Al Sharpton, head of the National Action Network, said he again told Biden to nominate a black attorney general.
“The least we could have is someone with proven civil rights experience,” Sharpton said.
Trump has refused to admit his November 3 election defeat, citing unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud. On Tuesday, Texas filed a lawsuit asking the US Supreme Court to dismiss the results in four other states in a risky attempt to reverse the election result.
The Trump campaign and its allies have filed numerous lawsuits challenging vote counting in various states, with little success. State officials have said there is no evidence of widespread fraud. – Reuters
