President Biden is expected to sign two executive actions today related to economic relief. He rolled out his national strategy yesterday to battle Covid-19, signing several initiatives to ramp up vaccinations, expand testing and reopen schools.
Meanwhile, the article of impeachment against former President Trump will be delivered to the Senate on Monday, Sen. Chuck Schumer announced.
Our live coverage has ended.
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35 lawmakers co-sign a letter asking Biden to commute all death penalty sentences
From CNN's Christina Carrega
Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri on Friday co-authored a letter to President Biden, urging him to “immediately commute the sentences of all those on death row.”
The three-page letter included co-signers like Reps. Karen Bass, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ritchie Torres.
It is the second letter Pressley has sent to Biden, pushing him to act quickly to end the federal death penalty. There are currently 49 men on federal death row.
She wrote a letter to Biden on Dec. 15, five days after the federal execution of Brandon Bernard, telling Biden that “with a stroke of a pen, you can stop all federal executions.”
Biden has previously said that ending the federal death penalty is on his list of plans for criminal justice reform, but he has yet to address the federal death penalty, even after issuing several executive orders during his first two days in office.
Asked on Wednesday whether there would be a moratorium on the federal death penalty, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “The President, as you know, has stated his opposition to the death penalty in the past. He remains – that remains his view. I don’t have anything more for you in terms of future actions or mechanisms though.”
In their letter on Friday, Pressley and Bush urged Biden “to take swift, decisive action” by “commuting the death sentences of those on death row and ensuring that each person is provided with an adequate and unique re-sentencing process is a crucial first step in remedying this grave injustice.”
“We look forward to working with your administration to enact just and restorative policies that will meaningfully transform our criminal legal system for the better,” the letter said.
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House impeachment managers will deliver article of impeachment to Senate on Monday evening, Pelosi says
From CNN's Lauren Fox and Ryan Nobles
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office released details on how the impeachment article will be delivered to the US Senate on Monday.
House managers will deliver the article to the Senate Monday evening at about 6:55 p.m. ET, and will read the article aloud on the Senate floor.
Following that, the impeachment managers will make their way back to the House side of the US Capitol.
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Schumer wants impeachment trial to start week of Feb. 8, source says
From CNN's Manu Raju
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Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer wants former President Trump’s impeachment trial to start week of Feb. 8, a source familiar with the matter said.
“We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation’s history behind us. But healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability and that is what this trial will provide,” Schumer said.
According to a source familiar with the schedule, here’s what it will look like:
Monday, Jan. 25: House managers will come to read the article of impeachment
Tuesday, Jan. 26: Senators will be sworn in
Tuesday, Feb. 2: This is the due date for President to answer to the article and for the House to hold a pre-trail brief. Schumer said on Friday that during this time period, the Senate will continue to do other business like confirming President Biden’s Cabinet nominations and negotiating a Covid-19 relief package.
Monday, Feb. 8: Once the briefs are drafted, presentations will start this week.
Tuesday, Feb. 9: This is the due date for the House’s pre-trial rebuttal brief. Here, the trial can begin.
Some background: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the article of impeachment will be sent to the Senate on Monday.
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Some National Guard troops will stay in DC due to concerns of unrest during impeachment trial
From CNN's Barbara Starr
Members of the National Guard wear protective face masks and stand in a formation on the US Capitol grounds on January 22, in Washington, DC.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Plans to keep thousands of National Guard troops in Washington through the end of the month are driven in part over concerns about more unrest during upcoming impeachment proceedings and also anticipation of President Biden’s upcoming first address to a joint session of Congress, according to defense officials familiar with the current planning.
The concern stems from what the officials said were ongoing chatter about demonstrations picked up by federal law enforcement.
On Thursday, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser referenced “intelligence from our federal partners that would suggest that we need more presence,” but she did not elaborate.
There is also discussion the troops will stay through March because of intelligence about other upcoming demonstrations and threats, the official said. The original deployment was for a minimum 30 days.
CNN reported Thursday thatmost of the 25,000 National Guard troops who were brought to Washington, DC, to help secure the city through the inauguration would be sent home within five to 10 days, according to a statement from the National Guard Bureau. Approximately 15,000 troops will return home “as soon as possible,” though the planning and process to begin moving them may take a few days.
There are some agencies requesting ongoing support, the National Guard Bureau said, and approximately 7,000 Guard troops are expected to stay through the end of the month.
Incidents in Washington, DC, have calmed down, a law enforcement official said, but not to a level where anything greatly changes in terms of security concerns. The Capitol remains a target and events surrounding it remain a target, the official said.
The ongoing deployment however will be all “voluntary” and governors will have to agree to keep forces in the city.
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Impeachment trial arguments may not start next week
From CNN's Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb
The article of impeachment will be sent to the Senate on Monday, according to Democratic aides. But it’s still possible the start of the trial may be delayed for days, or maybe even a week or perhaps slightly longer, if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer agree to push back the start of the trial, including opening arguments.
That’s because they are still haggling over the exact schedule for the pre-trial briefs and when the arguments would take place.
Democrats may have an interest in pushing back the start of the trial if they get an agreement from McConnell to confirm nominees and cut a deal on the stalled power-sharing agreement that would allow the Senate committees to officially organize.
Some context: Republicans are signaling that as more time has passed since the riot at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, some of the emotions of the day have cooled and they’re ready to move on.
In interviews with more than a dozen GOP senators, most are likely to acquit former President Trump, and only a handful are truly at risk of flipping to convict him – unless more evidence emerges or the political dynamics within their party dramatically change.
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Jill Biden makes surprise visit to National Guard troops during first official event
From CNN's Kate Bennett and Betsy Klein
Jacquelyn Martin/POOL/AFP/Getty Images
First lady Jill Biden used her first official event outside of the White House to add a surprise visit Friday afternoon to National Guard troops at the United States Capitol.
“I just wanted to come today to say thank you to all of you for keeping me and my family safe,” said Biden, who emerged from her motorcade in a long black coat over a cream-colored dress and the same floral mask she had worn on inauguration night.
Biden held a basket of treats tied with red, white and blue ribbon, which she passed out as tokens of gratitude.
“The White House baked you some chocolate chip cookies,” she said. The guard members, who on Thursday night were unceremoniously relegated to the parking garage near the Capitol to sleep on the ground, expressed their thanks.
The first lady made her unscheduled stop at the Capitol after a planned visit to Whitman-Walker Health in downtown Washington, just a handful of blocks north of the White House.
Whitman-Walker is a nonprofit federally qualified health center that offers community-based health and wellness services, and specializes in LGBTQ and HIV care, according to a statement from the East Wing. The clinic also offers cancer support and navigation services to patients and caregivers. Biden was given a tour of the facility and listened as administrators outlined what has been working for them during the pandemic to reach patients, and what has not.
“Everybody needs more mental health work,” said Biden, noting the overwhelming challenges facing health care providers and patients being outlined by a member of Whitman-Walker staff.
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Here's what you need to know about Biden's second full day in office
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
President Joe Biden is two full days in to his term and, as promised, he’s not wasting any time getting to work.
Here’s what you need to know about what is going on in Washington:
Focus on the economy: Biden signed two executive orders on Friday — one focused on expanding food assistance and delivering stimulus checks to very low-income Americans, and the other on raising the minimum wage to $15 for the federal workforce.
Other priorities: The executive orders build on a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan. It would fund a nationwide vaccination effort and provide direct economic relief, including $1,400 stimulus checks.
Extremism: The Biden administration plans to take new actions to combat domestic violent extremism. This includes having the Office of the Director of National Intelligence compile a threat assessment and building the National Security Council’s ability to combat it.
Next week, impeachment: Both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the article of impeachment will be delivered to the Senate on Monday, triggering the start of the Senate’s impeachment trial of former President Trump.
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Young Black leaders ask Biden to create a youth BIPOC task force
From CNN's Rachel Janfaza
Young Black leaders are asking the Biden administration to create a BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) youth task force within the Office of Public Engagement to ensure that the organizers of color who helped elect Biden are able to continue to build their movement within the federal government.
“We’ve been receiving messages from the administration that they want to work with us,” Ty Hobson Powell, a 25-year-old Washington, DC-based activist who fought on the frontlines of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer, told CNN.
“Now is the time,” he said. “Biden needs to prioritize young voices of color from day one.”
In addition to asking for a BIPOC task force, Hobson Powell and a cohort of other activists who met while organizing this summer — including Chelsea Miller, Nupol Kiazolu and Seun Babalola — will be sending a series of demands to the Biden administration.
They are asking the Biden administration to take a number of specific racial justice measures within the first 100 days, including DC statehood, the elimination of a cash bail system, a federal ban on discrimination against hair styles and textures associated with race in academic and employment settings and recognizing Election Day as a federal holiday to encourage full participation in democracy.
A BIPOC task force would allow young people with first-hand experiences witnessing racial injustice, the Covid-19 crisis and economic turmoil that has followed, to advise the Biden administration on how to best communicate with and provide resources for their communities, the leaders say.
Kiazolu, who has has organized in Black communities since she was 12 years old, protested this past summer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, following the death of George Floyd and Louisville, Kentucky, against the death of Breonna Taylor. She also organized protests in New York City.
“Having been on the frontlines, we have experience and credentials to speak on fighting for resources, such as funds for mental health resources and preventative measures for the school to prison pipeline,” Kiazolu said.
Both Kiazolu and Miller stressed the importance of building the task within Biden’s first 100 days in office.
“If there’s anything we’ve seen from this past year, it’s the importance of urgency and showing up in real time to create change,” Kiazolu said.
“This isn’t an option. This is a necessity. This is as urgent as everything else that has been listed to take place in first 100 days,” Miller added.
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Stocks finish the week mixed over stimulus plan uncertainty
From CNN’s Paul R. La Monica
US stocks finished the week mixed, as the Dow and S&P 500 posted slight drops Friday and the Nasdaq edged up a bit.
Stocks hit record highs earlier in the week following the inauguration of President Biden but investors are still nervous about Republican pushback to Biden’s stimulus plan, the spike in Covid-19 cases and concerns about the vaccine rollout.
Tech giants IBM and Intel also gave outlooks that disappointed investors.
Here’s where things closed:
The Dow fell 0.6%, or nearly 180 points.
The S&P 500 dropped 0.3%.
The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.1%.
The indexes all posted solid gains during the holiday-shortened trading week.
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Biden boasts of bipartisan support for administration's $1.9 trillion plan
From CNN's DJ Judd
In remarks before signing a series of executive orders aimed at providing fiscal relief from the Covid-19 pandemic, President Biden touted “bipartisan support from majority of American mayors and governors” for his American Rescue Plan, telling reporters, “businesses and labor organizations have together welcomed it as an urgent action is needed.”
The plan, unveiled last week, is Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposal that includes plans for bigger stimulus checks, more aid for the unemployed, the hungry and those facing eviction, additional support for small businesses, states and local governments, and increased funding for vaccinations and testing.
“Even President Trump’s — President Trump’s now, not some liberal organization, President Trump’s top former economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, said ‘he absolutely is in favor of this rescue plan.’ This almost doesn’t have a partisan piece to it,” Biden said.
White House chief of staff Ron Klain touted Hassett’s endorsement earlier today, tweeting the following:
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Biden signs executive orders on aid for low-income Americans and raising minimum wage for federal workforce
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
President Biden signed two executive orders on Friday — one focused on expanding food assistance and delivering stimulus checks to very low-income Americans, and the other on raising the minimum wage to $15 for the federal workforce.
“Today I’m signing an executive order that directs the whole of government, a whole government effort to help millions of Americans who are badly hurting. It requires all federal agencies to do what they can do to provide relief to families, small business and communities, and in the days ahead I expect agencies to act,” Biden said.
“A lot of America is hurting. The virus is surging. We’re 400,000 dead, expected to reach well over 600,000. Families are going hungry. People are at risk of being evicted. Job losses are mounting again. We need to act. No matter how you look at it, we need to act,” the President said.
“If we act now our economy will be stronger in both the short and long run,” Biden said
“If we act now, we’ll be better able to compete with the world. If we act now we’ll be better able to meet our moral obligations to one another as Americans,” the President said.
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Biden: "We cannot, will not, let people go hungry"
Pool
President Biden was emphatic in his support of people suffocating under the financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some context: The Department of Housing and Urban Development has extended its moratorium on single-family foreclosure and eviction after a request from the Biden administration on Wednesday.
The moratorium applies to HUD-insured or guaranteed single-family forward and reverse mortgages, except for those secured by legally vacant and abandoned properties.
As one of his first acts as president, Biden called on several federal departments and agencies to extend their bans on evictions and foreclosures for those affected by the coronavirus until at least the end of March.
One of several executive actions Biden took on Wednesday is a signal from the incoming administration that immediate action is needed in order to stabilize housing for the estimated 25 million renters and homeowners who are at risk of losing their homes.
The action seeks to extend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s federal moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent by two more months. The CDC’s order first went into effect in September and the latest stimulus bill extended the protection until Jan. 31.
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SOON: Biden addresses his administration's economic crisis response
President Biden is expected to soon speak about his administration’s response to the economic crisis.
One is focused on expanding food assistance and delivering stimulus checks to very low-income Americans, and the other centers on raising the minimum wage to $15 for the federal workforce.
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Biden will keep Trump's top Taliban negotiator in place for now
From CNN's Kylie Atwood
The Biden administration is keeping former President Trump’s top envoy for Afghanistan peace talks, who has led regular negotiations with the Taliban, in place for the time being, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
This move is not typical. Traditionally an incoming administration replaces politically appointed officials with their own team, particularly on foreign policy matters with such significance. Keeping the negotiator in place, at least for now, demonstrates the Biden team’s initial commitment to maintaining adherence to the US-Taliban peace agreement until the new team reviews it in detail and fully develops their own Afghanistan policy.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, has been on the job for more than two years and was the primary Trump administration official who met with all of the stakeholders leading up to the signing of the peace agreement in Doha. At times he had a contentious relationship with Afghan government officials who viewed him as favoring the Taliban.
Khalilzad is a diplomatic veteran, having served as a US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations. He is well known in foreign policy circles. Khalilzad’s own deeply personal ties to Afghanistan, where he was born, and his free-wheeling approach to the negotiations have also been viewed as controversial by some and effective by others.
The State Department did not comment when asked about Khalilzad staying on board.
During his confirmation hearing, Anthony Blinken, President Biden’s pick for secretary of State, reiterated Biden’s commitment to ending the war in Afghanistan but indicated that he had not yet been briefed on the US-Taliban agreement in a detailed way.
The Biden foreign policy team will immediately have to begin making decisions about the presence of US troops in the country. That is where things will get dicey: the US-Taliban agreement commits all US and NATO forces to leave the country by May, and that is at odds with a desire by Biden and his foreign policy team to keep residual force in Afghanistan.
“We want to end this so-called forever war. We want to bring our forces home. We want to retain some capacity to deal with any resurgence of terrorism which is what brought us there in the first place,” Blinken said during his hearing.
Extending the military mission also threatens to upend the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. This is because those peace talks – which have been slow to produce any results – were committed to by the Taliban a result of the US agreeing to a full withdrawal.
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Psaki says White House has asked the CDC to look into states possibly running out of vaccine doses
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
Alex Wong/Getty Images
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House has asked the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to look into the possibility that states might run out of their allocated doses of the coronavirus vaccines.
Her comment comes after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state will run out of doses sometime on Friday, until it receives the next shipment from the federal government.
“Well we’ve asked the CDC, to look into exactly this issue, and see what can be done. I don’t have any update. Beyond that, but certainly we don’t want any states to run out of access to vaccine,” Psaki said at Friday’s White House press briefing.
CNN has previously reported that sources say the Biden administration inherited a nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan, and Psaki said that the administration hopes work with localities to “avoid situations like this in the future.”
Psaki said the administration has advocated in the past for releasing additional doses of the vaccines currently in reserve for patients second doses, but they have “deferred to health and medical experts.” She added that the administration has asked the CDC to “have the conversation with officials in New York and to look into what is possible.”
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White House expects Congress to move forward with relief bill and confirmations during impeachment trial
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Evan Vucci/AP
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday that President Biden is confident that senators can take up his Covid-19 relief package and continue with confirmation hearings for his Cabinet members while the Senate impeachment trial takes place.
“When the trial was being conducted last January, there were also hearings that were happening nearly on a daily basis, and we expect that type of work to continue,” Psaki said, speaking from the White House briefing room.
Psaki said the White House hopes and expects that the House moves forward on American Rescue Plan, Biden’s $1.9 trillion dollar Covid rescue package, as the Senate trial is taking place.
“He remains confident after serving decades in the Senate that the Senate, members of both parties, can walk and chew gum at the same time and can move forward with the business of the American people,” Psaki said.
Psaki reiterated Biden’s view that “it’s up to the Senate and Congress to determine how they will hold the former president accountable and what the mechanics and timeline of that process will be.”
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White House announces new steps to combat domestic violent extremism
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced a slew of actions the Biden administration will take to combat domestic violent extremism in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol.
She said the initial work will fall into three areas:
First, she announced President Biden tasked the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to compile a “comprehensive threat assessment, coordinated with the FBI and DHS on domestic violent extremism,” adding that the analysis will come from across government and non-governmental agencies.
She also said the administration will build the National Security Council’s capability to focus on combating domestic extremism. “As a part of this the NSC will undertake a policy review effort to determine how the government can share information better about this threat, support efforts to prevent radicalization, disrupt violent extremist networks, and more,” Psaki said.
Finally, Psaki said the administration will be “coordinating relevant parts of the federal government to enhance and accelerate efforts to address DVE.” “This considered NSC convened process will focus on addressing evolving threats, radicalization, the role of social media, opportunities to improve information sharing, operational responses, and more,” Psaki said.
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Biden will speak with Mexico's president and Canada's prime minister today
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
The White House confirmed that President Biden will speak with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador later today.
Obrador will be the second foreign leader Biden speaks with during his presidency.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said a readout of the call would be provided.
Biden will also speak with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday.
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President Biden will meet with Vice President Harris weekly, White House says
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are planning to have lunch weekly, the White House said Friday.
The two had their first lunch as White House press secretary Jen Psaki held a press briefing Friday afternoon.
Psaki said Friday’s lunch focused on, “discussing their agenda, particularly getting relief to working families and containing the Covid crisis.”
“I’m sure they’ll talk about the last 48 hours as well,” she added.
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Biden called the head of the National Guard earlier today, press secretary says
From CNN's DJ Judd
Evan Vucci/AP
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in today’s White House briefing that President Biden called Gen. Daniel Hokanson, who heads the National Guard, “to thank him for not just his work of the last few weeks, but the work of the National Guard, over the last several years.”
He offered “any assistance needed, of both the government but also on a personal level, and asked him to reach out if there was anything that he ever needed,” Psaki continued.
Late last night, reports that thousands of National Guard troops were moved to a parking garage after they were told they could no longer use space within the US Capitol Complex sparked bipartisan outrage on Capitol Hill, leading to the units being welcomed back to the Capitol Visitor’s Center.
Psaki pointed to Biden’s personal connection to the National Guard, pointing to his late son, Beau Biden, who served in the National Guard.
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White House wants next round of small business support to focus on "equitable relief"
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
In addition to two executive orders on the economy, the Biden administration announced it wants the next round of small business stimulus to focus on “equitable relief,” after criticism of the way the first round of aid was distributed under the previous administration.
Deese said that was because “the outreach and communication from the federal government was either unclear or just nonexistent.”
“Too many of those companies have been denied relief and many of them have had to shut their doors for good. The President is completely focused on changing that,” he said.
Biden directed the economic team to “make sure that we’re listening to these communities, we’re taking their advice on how to improve the distribution of relief,” Deese said.
Deese announced that he’d met with representatives of the Small Business Association earlier Friday, and with “dozens of groups representing black and brown on businesses, and other underserved communities as well as lenders to hear their ideas on how we can improve communications and act on them.”
Among the ideas being discussed, Deese said, is having “navigators” who help businesses find appropriate relief programs and fill out paperwork and applications.
Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to meet with small business owners later Friday.
And as CNN previously reported, small businesses in states hardest hit by the coronavirus – including New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania – were less likely to get federal coronavirus relief loans than less-affected states in other parts of the US, according to research from economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Their research showed that in New York, for example, fewer than 20% of all small businesses in the state were approved for a loan during the Paycheck Protection Program’s first round. But 55% of small businesses in Nebraska were approved.
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Biden official will discuss economic relief package with senators on Sunday
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese confirmed he will be speaking with a group of senators on Sunday as the administration works with congress to attempt to pass a $1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief package.
Deese said the President has directed the economic team “to make the case for the rescue plan and to engage with them, understand their concerns.”
“In terms of the in terms of the message, it’s pretty clear. We’re at a precarious moment for the virus and the economy. Without decisive action, we risk falling into a very serious economic hole, even more serious than the crisis we find ourselves in,” Deese said at Friday’s White House press briefing
When pressed if President Biden would be on Sunday’s call, Deese said he would be leading it but “you can expect that other members of the administration will be engaging with members of Congress across time as well.”
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White House says Senate impeachment is "a constitutional obligation," but Covid-19 stimulus is pressing, too
National Economic Council Director Brian Deese was just asked how the looming Senate impeachment trial of former President Trump could impact Congress’ work on a possible Covid-19 relief plan.
He continued: “We understand that the Senate has a constitutional obligation in this context, but we also have these pressing economic and pandemic priorities as well, so we’re going to — that’s why we’re engaging, that’s why we’re focused on making the case and certainly with the expectation that Congress will heed that call and move forward.”
Earlier today, Sen. Chuck Schumer announced the article of impeachment against Trump will be delivered to the Senate on Monday, meaning an impeachment trial could begin as early as next week.
If lawmakers don’t reach as agreement to split trial days between impeachment and other work, Senate Republicans have said the body won’t conduct any other business — such as a Covid-19 relief deal or confirming Biden’s Cabinet picks — on trial days.
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White House says Biden's executive actions are "not a substitute" for legislation
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
Evan Vucci/AP
National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said President Joe Biden’s economic executive actions are not a substitute for the Covid-19 relief package the White House is pushing Congress to pass, but will provide a “critical lifeline” to struggling Americans.
“The American people are hurting and they can’t afford to wait,” Deese said.
Biden is expected to sign two executive orders on Friday — one focused on expanding food assistance and delivering stimulus checks to very low-income Americans, and another on raising the minimum wage to $15 for the federal workforce. These measures do not require legislation.
These actions build on the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan Biden outlined last week, which would fund a nationwide vaccination effort and provide direct economic relief to Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic, including providing $1,400 stimulus checks.
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NOW: The White House press secretary gives updates on Biden's economic initiatives
Pool
Press secretary Jen Psaki is holding a press briefing. She’s joined by National Economic Council Director Brian Deese.
Later today,President Biden will speak about his administration’s response to the economic crisis and will sign executive orders. His administration is focusing on the nation’s economic recovery today.
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Biden signs first bill into law as President, granting a waiver to his Defense pick
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
Alex Brandon/AP
President Biden has signed H.R. 335, which provided a waiver to permit retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as secretary of Defense in his administration, into law.
Both chambers of Congress approved the waiver on Thursday, and the Senate voted to confirm Austin to the role earlier on Friday, making him the first African American to run the Department of Defense. Austin becomes the second Biden cabinet official confirmed by the Senate.
This is the first piece of legislation Biden has signed into law as President, though he has already signed a slew of executive actions and presidential memorandums.
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It's unlikely confirmation votes for Biden's Treasury and State secretary picks will happen today
From CNN's Ted Barrett
Senators in both parties say they are unable to get unanimous consent agreements to move votes for either Janet Yellen or Anthony Blinken today.
Yellen is Biden’s pick to lead the Treasury department and Blinken is the President’s nominee for secretary of state.
However, Republican Sen. John Thune said that a decision on votes is not yet final.
Votes for these two nominees are likely to happen Monday, if they don’t take place today.
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Lindsey Graham says the Senate is "not going to split the day" during the trial
From CNN's Ali Zaslav
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., listens during a confirmation hearing for Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.
Alex Edelman/Pool/AP
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said he doesn’t think Republicans should agree to split impeachment trial days to also consider other legislative business, such as Covid-19 relief and confirming President Biden’s cabinet nominees, for the duration of the trial.
He also said he’s hopeful Schumer and McConnell will reach an agreement “fairly quickly” on how to proceed to the trial, after the New York Democrat announced this morning that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will send over the article of impeachment on Monday.
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Pelosi officially announces the House will deliver impeachment article on Monday
From CNN's Manu Raju
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.
Susan Walsh/AP
After Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s announcement earlier today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement confirming that the article of impeachment will be transmitted to the Senate on Jan. 25.
Her full statement says:
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Senate committee will vote on Biden's Homeland Security pick next week
From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez
Homeland Security Secretary nominee Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Joshua Roberts/Pool/AP
The Senate Homeland Security Committee will hold a vote on the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas, who President Biden has selected to lead the Department of Homeland Security, at 11 a.m. ET Tuesday.
The Cuban-born Mayorkas, 61, was among President-elect Joe Biden’s earliest announced nominees and would be the first Latino and immigrant to serve at the helm of the department.
If confirmed, he’ll be expected to swiftly begin rolling back Trump administration immigration policies, while juggling a response to a global pandemic, threats to the homeland, and restoring a department that’s been rattled by leadership turnover and vacancies for the better part of the last four years.
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Lloyd Austin makes history as the nation's first Black Defense secretary
Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
The Senate just voted on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis to confirm President Biden’s Defense secretary nominee, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin. The vote was 93-2.
That makes Austin the first African American to run the department.
The epic nature of Austin’s journey – from a childhood in deeply segregated Alabama, through a military still plagued with racial inequity, to the pinnacle of US national defense – might be matched only by the scale of the challenges that now face him there.
Austin will be one of the most prominent members of Biden’s Cabinet. The secretary of Defense is in control of the nation’s largest government agency, commanding troops around the world and the complicated internal workings of the Pentagon that make it one of the world’s most formidable bureaucracies.
Defense Department data shows that while Black service members represent 19% of all enlisted personnel, they make up only 9% of the mostly White, male officer corps. Biden noted in The Atlantic that Austin was “the 200th person ever to attain the rank of an Army four-star general, but only the sixth African American.”
Biden vowed his Cabinet would look like the country picking leaders that if confirmed, will make history as the most diverse group ever to lead federal agencies.
Take a look at what Biden’s Cabinet looks like here.
Watch the Senate’s vote:
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Key GOP senator won't say if she's already made a decision on impeachment
From CNN's Kristin Wilson
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) leaves the Senate floor at the US Capitol building on December 20, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, considered a swing vote in the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, would not say if she’s already made a decision on how she will vote.
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Senate confirms Lloyd Austin as Defense secretary
From CNN's Clare Foran
Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin, a recently retired Army general, listens during his conformation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington.
Greg Nash/Pool/AP
The Senate voted on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis to confirm President Biden’s Defense secretary nominee, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin. The vote was 93-2.
Austin will be the first African American to run the department.
Austin, who retired in 2016, had to be granted a waiver from a law requiring a defense secretary to wait seven years after active-duty service before taking the job. The House approved the waiver Thursday afternoon, followed by Senate approval of the measure later that same day.
Confirmation of the Defense secretary gives Biden another key department chief in place. The Senate confirmed Biden’s first Cabinet nominee Wednesday evening, voting to approve his pick for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, on his first day in office.
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Trump's impeachment trial could start next week. Here's what we know.
From CNN's Manu Raju
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the House’s article of impeachment will be delivered to the Senate on Monday, triggering the start of the Senate’s impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
“I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday,” Schumer just said on the Senate floor.
The House’s transmission of the impeachment article on Monday would mean that the Senate trial would begin at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday – unless the Senate reaches an agreement that would push back the trial itself
Here’s an outline of what would happen next on impeachment, according to multiple Democratic sources.
Monday: The article read by the managers
Tuesday: The presiding officer (maybe Chief Justice Roberts, maybe Patrick Leahy) and members as jurors are sworn in.
Wednesday: Arguments could begin.
How long will the trial last? That is an open question. Most believe it will be a shorter trial than in 2020, which lasted 21 days. But it will depend on questions from senators and whether there will be witnesses or not.
It’s possible that arguments could be delayed if there’s a deal between Schumer and McConnell.
Also, the Senate has to adopt a resolution to set the rules of the trial. That will happen at the beginning of the week. Schumer’s goal is to do this on a bipartisan basis, but they can adopt it by a simple majority of 51 senators.
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GOP senator says Senate will conduct no other business during impeachment trial without an agreement
From CNN's Ali Zaslav, Lauren Fox and Jessica Dean
After Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Speaker Pelosi will send over the article of impeachment on Monday, top GOP Sen. John Cornyn made it clear, absent an agreement, the Senate would not conduct any business other than the impeachment trial once it begins.
He said Republicans haven’t given consent to divide the trial days between impeachment and other business, “no, it’s not gonna happen.”
McConnell says Senate impeachment process must not deny Trump "his due process"
From CNN's Alex Rogers
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested the impeachment trial begin days later than planned, urging the Senate to grant former President Donald Trump “due process.”
“This impeachment began with an unprecedentedly fast and minimal process over in the House,” McConnell said Friday morning. “The sequel cannot be an insufficient Senate process that denies former President Trump his due process or damages the Senate or the presidency itself.”
McConnell suggested that the House transmit the article of impeachment on Thursday, rather than Monday.
“That timeline would have provided the Senate some more floor time before we step up fully into the unknown of a trial, which by the way would have been a substantial benefit to the incoming administration and allowed them to get more of their Cabinet confirmed, which we are cooperating as best we can to expedite,” McConnell said.
“I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi, who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
The Democratic leader said there would be a “full” trial.
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NOW: Senate votes on confirmation of Biden Defense secretary pick Lloyd Austin
From CNN's Clare Foran
The Senate is now voting to confirm President Biden’s Defense secretary pick, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin.
Austin, who retired in 2016 and would be the first African American to run the department, had to be granted a waiver from a law requiring a Defense secretary to wait seven years after active-duty service before taking the job.
Schumer says article of impeachment will be delivered to Senate Monday
From CNN's Clare Foran and Manu Raju
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer walking through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021.
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The article of impeachment will be delivered to the Senate on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on the floor this morning.
“I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi, who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday,” he said.
The Democratic leader said there would be a “full” trial.
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SOON: Senate to vote on confirmation of Biden Defense secretary pick
From CNN's Clare Foran
Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin, a recently retired Army general, attends his conformation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington.
Greg Nash/Pool/AP
The Senate is meeting to hold a confirmation vote for President Biden’s Defense secretary pick retired Gen. Lloyd Austin.
If confirmed, Austin would be the first Black man to run the department.
Yesterday both chambers of Congress approved a waiver permitting Austin to serve as secretary of Defense in the Biden administration. He had to be granted a waiver from a law requiring a defense secretary to wait seven years after active-duty service before taking the job. The House passed the waiver Thursday afternoon, followed by Senate approval of the measure.
Ahead of the vote, Austin, who retired in 2016, had been reaching out to top House and Senate lawmakers. Only twice before has Congress approved such a waiver, including for James Mattis to run President Trump’s Pentagon in 2017.
Confirmation of the Defense secretary will give Biden another key department chief in place as congressional Democratic leaders attempt to move swiftly to confirm Cabinet members and other key officials following Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. The Senate confirmed President Biden’s first Cabinet nominee Wednesday evening, voting to approve his pick for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, on his first day in office.
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A Senate committee is meeting now to consider Biden's Treasury pick
The Senate Finance Committee is meeting now to consider the nomination of Janet Yellen, Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Treasury Department.
Yellen, if confirmed, would be the first female Treasury secretary in American history. She has broad bipartisan support, and Democrats are pushing to get her confirmed soon.
White House wants to make it easier for people to access vaccine information
From CNN's Naomi Thoma
A sign directs people to the entrance of a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination center at UNLV on January 12, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
White House chief of staff Ron Klain said it needs to be easier for people to find out how and when to get Covid-19 vaccines, and the Biden administration may create a national clearinghouse for that information.
Klain said the Biden administration will “try to build that national resource, that one national clearinghouse,” but says it’s inheriting a strategy that relied on different approaches among states and counties.
Klain said the focus now is speeding up the pace, and it remains true that “people are going to get their shots where they live, but it means we’re going to add things that didn’t happen before,” such as 100 federal vaccination centers opening by the end of next month, mobile vaccination centers and vaccine availability at commercial pharmacies.
A report released Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that about 6 in 10 Americans don’t know when or where to get a coronavirus vaccine, and Black, Hispanic and lower income adults are among the groups least likely to say they have enough information about vaccines.
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Republicans still control the Senate. Here's why.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the top Republican in Senate, leaves the chamber after Vice President Kamala Harris swore in three new Democratic senators, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer may have the title of Senate Majority Leader but at the moment the Republicans still technically have control. That could be problematic for getting Biden’s Cabinet picks through Congress.
It’s confusing but here’s why.
Both Democrats and Republicans have 50 senators elected to the Senate. With Vice President Kamala Harris, who can cast tie-breaking votes, Democrats get to 51 and have the majority.
Even though Harris can break ties in Democrats’ favor, the party can’t take full control of the Senate until a power-sharing agreement is worked out between the two sides. A power-sharing agreement will spell out the number of seats that each caucus will have on Senate committees. Until an agreement is in place, the Senate operates under the rules of the last Congress when the GOP controlled the Senate majority and held the committee chairmanships.
What’s holding up the deal? A power-sharing agreement is under discussion between Schumer and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, but the two have hit a snag over McConnell’s demands that Schumer promise to save the filibuster and not move forward with efforts to gut the potent stall tactic on legislation.
McConnell argues that preserving a supermajority vote to pass legislation is a unique and important characteristic of the Senate, which the Founders believed should be a body where compromise between the parties would be needed to balance the strict majority-driven rule of the House of Representatives.
However, Democrats disagree. “Mitch McConnell was fine with getting rid of the filibuster to a United States Supreme Court nominee for a lifetime appointment, but he’s not okay getting rid of the filibuster for unemployment relief for families that are out of work because of COVID-19,” said Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
It is President Biden’s second full day in office, and his administration is focusing on economic relief. Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are working to confirm Biden’s Cabinet nominees.
Here’s a look at the key events we’re watching today:
10 a.m. ET: The Senate Finance Committee will have an open executive session to consider the nomination of Janet Yellen, Biden’s pick for secretary of the Treasury.
12:30 p.m. ET: White House press secretary Jen Psaki and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese hold a press briefing.
2:45 p.m. ET: President Biden will speak about his administration’s response to the economic crisis and will sign executive orders.
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Democrats could use a rare legislative tool to pass parts of a Covid-19 relief bill
From CNN's Lauren Fox
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.
Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Senate Democrats are laying the groundwork now to use a rare procedural tactic known as reconciliation to pass major parts of President Biden’s Covid-19 relief package if Republicans stand in the way, according to multiple Democratic aides.
While leadership has yet to give the go ahead and negotiations with Republicans are still getting started, aides tell CNN that the process is complicated and arcane, which is why they are getting ready now in case they have to use it.
“You just can’t do this overnight,” one Democratic Senate aide said referring to why the process is already starting.
While the Biden administration’s first goal is to pass its nearly $2 trillion plan with bipartisan support through the regular Senate process, the odds are long for winning over enough Republicans to pass another massive stimulus bill just months after a more than $900 billion package passed the Senate in December. Already, many Republicans have signaled they think the package is too expensive or even unnecessary at this point.
For their part, the Biden administration has started to meet with Republicans they’ve identified as potentially supporting the package in an effort to build support
“I had a pretty good walkthrough of their Covid proposal,” Murkwoski told reporters earlier this week. “It was an opportunity for me to ask some questions.”
But behind the scenes, lawmakers recognize time is of the essence and are preparing to work through reconciliation if they have to. Chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committee have not been shy about talking publicly about their plans.
“The caucus would prefer this be done on a bipartisan basis. We haven’t made a decision yet to use reconciliation, but we are prepared to move very quickly if it looks like we can’t do it any other way,” Rep. John Yarmuth, the Chair of the House’s Budget Committee, said Thursday.
Hours later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, told Seth Meyers that the first goal was to try to reach out to Republicans, but he argued they couldn’t wait for them to come along.
“I think we should reach out to Republicans if they choose not to come on board, which I suspect will probably be the case…we should use that majority in a very aggressive way,” Sanders said. ”It is my view we should make sure that we address the needs of the American people in that reconciliation bill, and if we pass it with 51 votes, we’ll pass it with 51 votes.
The first step would be to pass a budget bill through committee to essentially unlock the process. Once that was finished, the Senate Democrats could rework Biden’s bill so it fit into a very specific framework of what is allowed under the process. Reconciliation requires that anything passed has a real impact on the budget and not just an “incidental” one. The process also requires that proposals have no impact on social security and that the impacts on the budget do not stretch beyond a 10-year window if the changes are permanent. Because the process requires jumping through so many hoops and consultation with the Senate’s parliamentarian, committee staff have been working for weeks now to make sure they understand and are ready for the process in case it has to be used.
“There’s not much room for error,” another Democratic aide said noting that the committees will have to go point by point through Bidens proposal to see what can fit in reconciliation.
The strategy has precedent: Republicans used the reconciliation process when they attempted to repeal and replace Obamacare in 2017 in the Senate. The GOP successfully used the process months later to overhaul the country’s tax code, which passed with just Republican votes.
The conversations about reconciliation have been reinvigorated in recent days as Democrats have grown frustrated by the stalled negotiations to organize the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has dug in and insisted that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer agree to preserve the filibuster for the next two years. The filibuster protects the minority party in the Senate by requiring that legislation meet a 60-vote procedural threshold before passing. Schumer has argued that policy has never been part of an organizing resolution before, but the issue has delayed the process of setting up committees and passing Biden’s nominees.
There are still questions about what parts of Biden’s Covid-19 relief package would be allowed to advance under reconciliation. Some aides have identified that items like the $15 minimum wage could struggle to meet the criteria.
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Russia will be a complex issue for Biden to tackle
Analysis by Nathan Hodge
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting on economic issues via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021.
Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP
With the departure of Donald Trump from the White House, Russia-watchers can be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief: From the moment Russian President Vladimir Putin called Trump the front-runner for the 2016 Republican nomination, it’s been near-impossible to look at Moscow through anything but the lens of Washington politics and scandal.
That doesn’t mean President Biden can Make Russia Boring Again. Administrations may come and go, but the geopolitical challenge to the US from the Kremlin leader, it seems, remains constant.
Let’s begin with the obvious: US-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the end the Cold War. US agencies are still sorting through the aftermath of a massive cyber breach blamed on Moscow. Western governments are demanding answers from the Kremlin on the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. And the US has steadily stepped up sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine and Moscow’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
And as one of his first moves, Biden has ordered a sweeping intelligence review of suspected Russian mischief-making, from alleged bounties on US troops in Afghanistan to interference in the 2020 election. Biden’s director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, will lead the effort, and the president’s pick for CIA director, veteran diplomat William Burns, is also a Russia expert.
But Russia – a country with a nuclear arsenal rivaling that of the US – can’t simply be placed in the penalty box. Policy experts generally agree that the Russian government must play a role in responding to major world crises, from reining in Iran’s nuclear ambitions to recently halting the brief, bloody war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
And that means the Biden administration must deal with Putin in order to tackle a range of foreign-policy issues, particularly a proposed return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Russia is party to the deal, which Trump abandoned in 2018.
Even some of the most outspoken US critics of Putin – such as Michael McFaul, the former US ambassador to Russia – acknowledge that the US must selectively engage Russia on pressing global issues such as pandemic response and climate change.
But the issue that is really driving the conversation around US-Russia relations is one of Russian domestic politics. The poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny in August reinvigorated the debate about how to deal with Russia, in a way that even Russian interference in the 2016 election failed to do. And Navalny recently upped the stakes with his dramatic return to Russia: Two days after his arrest at the Russian border, Navalny’s investigative team dropped a massive online investigation into Putin’s alleged personal wealth.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, called for Navalny’s release following his arrest on arrival in Moscow.
Navalny shouldn’t be mistaken for a traditional Western liberal: The anti-corruption campaigner has elements of populism and Russian nationalism in his politics, and he has shown a pragmatic willingness to ally with more pliant and generally pro-government parties to challenge Putin’s ruling United Russia party in local elections. He even slammed Twitter’s decision to ban Trump, calling it an “unacceptable act of censorship.”
As Navalny’s moves show, who wins or loses Russia is a matter for Russians to decide.
Read Nathan Hodge’s full analysis on the US-Russia relationship here.
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Biden confident Congress will pass a bipartisan Covid-19 relief package, White House says
From CNN's Kate Sullivan
The U.S. Capitol is seen through a display of flags on the National Mall, one day after the inauguration of President Joe Biden, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
White House Press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden is confident Congress will pass a bipartisan Covid-19 relief package, but said the White House is not going to “take tools off the table.”
Biden has outlined a $1.9 trillion emergency legislative package to fund a nationwide vaccination effort and provide direct economic relief to Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic. He has not detailed how he plans to move his massive proposal through a Congress, where Democrats will have narrow House and Senate majorities, but both congressional Democratic leaders pledged to shepherd Biden’s vision into law.
Psaki said the Biden administration is confident they will reach their goal of 100 million vaccine shots, which is enough to cover 50 million Americans with vaccines that require two doses, in his first 100 days of office, and said they will then build from that goal.
“When we reach that goal, and we’re confident we will, we’re going to build from there. So we’re not we’re not packing our bags at 100 million shots in the arms of Americans,” Psaki said. “But we want to make sure that people know that we’re going to hold ourselves accountable and we’re going to do everything to make sure we’re getting as many people vaccinated as possible.”
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Congress approved a waiver for Biden's Defense secretary pick yesterday. Here's what comes next.
From CNN's Clare Foran
Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin, a recently retired Army general, speaks during his conformation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington.
Greg Nash/Pool/AP
Both chambers of Congress on Thursday approved a waiver to permit retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as secretary of Defense in the Biden administration.
Austin now faces a final confirmation vote from the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced yesterday that the Senate will vote to confirm Austin this morning.
Austin, who would be the first Black man to run the department, had to be granted a waiver from a law requiring a defense secretary to wait seven years after active-duty service before taking the job. The House passed the waiver Thursday afternoon, followed by Senate approval of the measure.
Ahead of the vote, Austin, who retired in 2016, had been reaching out to top House and Senate lawmakers who would need to agree to pass legislation to grant the waiver, something approved only twice before in history, including for James Mattis to run President Trump’s Pentagon in 2017.
President Joe Biden’s pick for defense secretary must, in effect, win two votes: one from both chambers of Congress to grant the waiver and another from the Senate to confirm him for the position, and Thursday’s votes to green-light the waiver marked the first step in that process.
To win confirmation, Austin must overcome objections from some lawmakers to allowing a recently retired general to assume the top civilian post at the Pentagon.
He addressed those concerns directly at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, saying, “If confirmed, I will carry out the mission of the Department of Defense, always with the goal to deter war and ensure our nation’s security, and I will uphold the principle of civilian control of the military, as intended.”
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Lack of candor and facts "likely did" cost lives last year, Fauci says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
The lack of candor and facts about the coronavirus pandemic during the Trump administration “likely did” cost lives last year, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN Friday.
Fauci also criticized the separation of federal and state response to the coronavirus pandemic during the Trump administration, saying a collaborative approach is the way to go.
He added that the federal government should help states with resources and planning, while respecting each state’s issues.
As the Biden administration aims to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days, Fauci said issues in states need to be figured out to overcome the lag in inoculations. About 70% to 85% Americans still need to be vaccinated for the US to reach herd immunity
Fauci added that he hopes the potential Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine’s — which is currently undergoing Phase 3 trials — will have an efficacy “in the ballpark” of 94% to 95%.
“It’s a single shot … 10-14 days later, you’re already starting to have a substantial amount of protection.”
In the meantime, even as Covid-19 hospitalizations decline in the US, Fauci says there is a need to be careful with variants of the virus present in the country at the point.
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Biden to sign order that will lay groundwork for $15 minimum wage for federal workers and contractors
From CNN’s Tami Luhby
U.S. President Joe Biden signs an executive order during an event in the State Dining Room of the White House January 21, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Joe Biden is expected to sign two more executive orders today as he continues his swift efforts to overturn his predecessor’s policies.
The first executive order seeks to provide help to those who are struggling to buy food, missed out on stimulus checks or are out of work.
The measure builds on the President’s $1.9 trillion relief plan that he outlined last week that would send another $1,400 in stimulus checks, extend unemployment benefits and nutrition assistance and provide more help to struggling renters and homeowners.
The other is geared toward improving the jobs of federal workers and contractors, which was among the President’s campaign commitments. It lays the groundwork for requiring contractors to pay a $15 hourly minimum wage and to provide emergency paid leave by the end of Biden’s first 100 days. It also directs agencies to determine which federal workers are earning less than that minimum and develop recommendations to promote bringing them up to $15 an hour.
Biden included a call to raise the national hourly minimum wage to $15 as part of the $1.9 trillion relief package he outlined last week before taking office. It is currently $7.25 an hour.
Biden signed at least 10 executive actions on coronavirus yesterday. Here's what we know.
From CNN's Betsy Klein, Veronica Stracqualursi and Kate Sullivan
President Joe Biden signs executive orders after speaking about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
President Biden’s first full day in office on Thursday focused on rolling out his national strategy to get the coronavirus pandemic under control and signing several executive actions, including ramping up vaccination supplies and requiring international travelers to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test prior to traveling to the US.
Biden’s plan starts with a national vaccination campaign in order to meet the President’s goal of administering 100 million shots, which is enough to cover 50 million Americans with vaccines that require two doses, in his first 100 days in office.
He said the plan was developed with input from the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, among other advisers and experts.
Biden signed executive orders ramping up supplies for vaccination, testing and personal protective equipment and another boosting development of therapeutics to treat Covid-19.
Biden emphasized the need for Americans to wear face masks in order to stop the spread of the virus, saying masks are “even more important than the vaccines.”
Following through on his campaign proposals, Biden also signed two executive orders creating a National Pandemic Testing Board to improve US coronavirus testing capacity and a Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure an “equitable” pandemic response and recovery.
Here’s a look at some of Covid-19 executive orders he signed yesterday:
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Biden's focus today will be economic relief
From CNN's Betsy Klein
The Biden administration has an ambitious slate of actions for the first 10 days in office, many of which will roll back key policies established by former President Trump.
Each day through the end of the month, with the exception of this weekend, will center around a specific theme, with a set of corresponding actions and directives, according to a draft of a calendar document sent to administration allies and viewed by CNN.
Yesterday’s theme was coronavirus, and the theme today is “Economic Relief.” Two executive order are expected. One directs agency action on Medicaid, Pell grants, SNAP benefits, and unemployment insurance.
The second executive order will restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees and initiates action to roll back Trump’s Schedule F executive order, which gave the United States Office of Management and Budget and federal agencies leeway to reclassify key roles.
Here’s a look at the rest of the themes Biden will tackle this month:
