This week, USA TODAY Politics focuses on the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, his remaining Cupboard picks and the ultimate week of the present Congress. 

Dates to observe:

• Jan. 3: New Congress is sworn in.
• Jan. 5: Senate runoff election in Georgia.
• Jan. 6: Congress will rely and certify the electoral leads to a joint session.
• Jan. 20: Inauguration of Biden, who will take the oath of workplace.

Make sure you refresh this web page typically to get the most recent info on the transition.

Biden criticizes Trump administration’s vaccine distribution effort

President-elect Joe Biden urged People to “metal our spines” for surges in COVID-19 instances and deaths following the vacation season, and knocked President Donald Trump’s administration for “falling behind” on distributing the vaccine.

“The following few weeks and months are going to be very robust,” Biden mentioned in an deal with from Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday. “Possibly the hardest throughout this whole pandemic.”

Biden reiterated the important thing factors of his plan to sort out the coronavirus pandemic throughout his first 100 days in workplace, which incorporates the aim of administering 100 million doses of the vaccine, selling mask-wearing and imposing it the place attainable, and getting Okay-Eight colleges opened. He mentioned he would suggest a COVID package deal early subsequent yr that he’ll urge Congress to go shortly to offer the funding required for these measures.

Biden mentioned that the hassle to vaccinate People shall be a slower course of than hoped, however he’ll endeavor to spice up the pace of distribution and administration to 1 million doses per day to realize his aim. He mentioned the urged timeline of Trump’s well being officers has not been achieved.

“As I lengthy feared and warned, the hassle to distribute and administer the vaccine will not be progressing because it ought to,” Biden mentioned.

The Trump administration had a goal of 100 million doses produced by the yr’s finish again in September, and lowered that quantity to the 20 million estimated by Well being and Human Companies Secretary Alex Azar earlier this month. To date, the numbers are far beneath expectations. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s main infectious illness knowledgeable, acknowledged Tuesday that just a few million vaccinations have taken place to date.

Coronavirus updates: US won’t come close to vaccinating 20M people by new year

Biden additionally urged Trump to unequivocally encourage People to put on masks and get the vaccine when it’s obtainable. Masks-wearing, Biden mentioned, is “not a political assertion, it’s a patriotic obligation.”

“It’s not small what we’re asking of you,” he mentioned, “however we’re on this collectively, and the actions we take now are going to assist us include the pandemic and get us again to our lives and to our family members.” 

— Jeanine Santucci

McConnell blocks speedy motion on $2K stimulus checks

All eyes are the U.S. Senate after the Home handed two contentious measures that power Republicans right into a troublesome place, together with whether or not to again President Donald Trump’s name to extend stimulus checks for People to $2,000 regardless of long-held objections to elevated authorities spending. 

Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blocked immediate approval of increasing the one-time payments from $600 to $2,000 Tuesday after a unanimous consent request by Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

As an alternative, the GOP chief outlined three priorities the president demanded Congress study, linking the elevated stimulus funds with Trump’s calls to repeal Part 230 that permits large tech firms authorized immunity and an examination of election integrity after Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud after his defeat.

McConnell didn’t define any timeline for when or if the chamber would possibly take up elevated stimulus funds or Trump’s different calls for. The Home on Monday handed a measure that raised the funds to $2,000 with bipartisan assist. Forty-four Home Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the measure as 130 rejected it.

Read the full story.

— Christal Hayes

Kamala Harris receives COVID-19 vaccine

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, acquired the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at United Medical Heart in southeast Washington, D.C., Tuesday morning. 

The couple acquired their first doses of the vaccine a bit over per week after President-elect Joe Biden was vaccinated. 

“That was straightforward! I barely felt it,” Harris exclaimed after being injected. The vice president-elect thanked the employees of United Medical Heart for serving “a group that’s typically neglected.” Harris later mentioned she selected to be vaccinated in Southeast D.C., a majority-Black space of town, to encourage “belief within the vaccine, within the individuals who work in your group daily.”

The vaccine was administered by nurse Patricia Cummings, the daughter of two Guyanese immigrants to the U.S.

“I wish to encourage everybody to get the vaccine,” Harris mentioned. “It’s comparatively painless and efficient.”

Harris acquired the vaccine because the Trump administration’s rollout of vaccines across the country has lagged projections. Biden has pledged to make 100 million vaccines obtainable in his first 100 days in workplace.

The incoming executives additionally acquired the vaccine amid a debate over whether or not public officers who had been vaccinated had been modeling good habits or “slicing the road” forward of teams who extra wanted the vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci had urged Biden and Harris to obtain the vaccine for “safety causes.” 

“That is about saving lives. I belief the science, and it’s the scientists who created and authorized this vaccine,” Harris emphasised. “That is about saving your life, the lifetime of your loved ones members and of your group.”

— Matthew Brown

Donald Trump lashes out at Senate Republicans: ‘They solely know how one can lose!’

President Donald Trump spent Tuesday morning attacking fellow Republicans because the GOP-run Senate prepares to rebuke him over COVID-19 aid checks to People, the protection authorization invoice, and his repeated pleas to overturn his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden.

“Our leaders (not me, after all!) are pathetic,” Trump mentioned throughout an offended tweetstorm. “They solely know how one can lose!”

Trump, who’s spending the top of the yr at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida, gave the impression to be responding to information experiences that the GOP Senate will reject his requires $2,000 stimulus checks and as an alternative stick to already authorized $600 checks.

Trump had threatened to veto a COVID stimulus bill over the the issue but signed it Sunday night whereas demanding that Congress go new laws for $2,000 checks. The Democratic-run House did, however the Republican Senate will not be anticipated to observe go well with.

“$2000 for our nice folks, not $600!” Trump tweeted.

Trump additionally referred to experiences that the GOP Senate will be part of the House in overriding his veto of the National Defense Authorization Act. Trump had insisted that the invoice embrace ending lawsuit protections for social media firms, however many Senate Republicans don’t agree.

“A disgraceful act of cowardice and whole submission by weak folks to Large Tech,” Trump tweeted at one level. “Negotiate a greater Invoice, or get higher leaders, NOW!”

Trump additionally protested the truth that the protection invoice requires the Pentagon to alter the names of navy services named for Accomplice generals.

Maybe above all, Trump is offended with Senate Republican leaders as a result of they won’t assist his name to overturn the election by refusing to rely Biden electors in sure states.

Biden defeated Trump within the Electoral Faculty, 306 to 232, and carried the favored vote by greater than 7 million.

Election 2020: How Trump, Republicans have tried to overturn Joe Biden’s win

Congress is scheduled to rely Electoral Faculty votes – and certify Biden’s win – on Jan. 6.

Throughout his Tuesday tirade, Trump tweeted: “Republican management solely needs the trail of least resistance.”

— David Jackson

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