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WILMINGTON, Delaware: President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday (Dec. 8) 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 it would strengthen the mandates of masks.
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 be the second black woman to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Tom Vilsack, the former secretary of Agriculture, to the same position again, according to news reports 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.”
READ: At COVID-19 milestone for the West, Britain begins mass vaccination
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. There was more positive news Tuesday in the form of documents from the US Food and Drug Administration showing that the regulator did not raise any new issues about the safety or efficacy of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine.
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.
PUSHBACK ON PENTAGON PICK
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.
“With a distinguished record of military service spanning four decades, Secretary-designate Austin is a deeply experienced and highly decorated commander who has served with distinction in several of the Pentagon’s most crucial positions,” the transition team said in a statement.
Confirming 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 only four years, less than the seven years required by a law. designed to ensure civilian oversight of the armed forces.
Outgoing President Donald Trump’s first secretary of defense, former Marine Corps General Jim Mattis, also needed such a waiver.
LEE: Biden elects the first black chief of the Pentagon
Several Democratic senators, including Richard Blumenthal, Jack Reed and Jon Tester, voiced their opposition to resigning 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, citing people familiar with the decision. 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.
“HELP IS ON THE WAY”
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 help Trump reverse the election result.
The Trump campaign and its allies have filed numerous lawsuits seeking to challenge vote counts in various states, but they have had little success. State officials have said they have found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Biden’s first months will likely be dominated by the pandemic, which is putting pressure on hospitals amid a nationwide resurgence.
The rest of Biden’s top public health advisers include Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who will lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who will also serve as Biden’s chief medical advisor on the virus; and Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general, who will reappear in that role with Biden.
Jeff Zients, an economic adviser known for his managerial skills, will serve as Biden’s coronavirus “czar,” overseeing the response to the pandemic, including distribution of the vaccine.
“Help is on the way,” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said after new members of Biden’s healthcare team introduced themselves. “And it’s been a long time.”
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