Politics live updates: Senators say COVID relief, stimulus checks deal 'close'; Biden selects EPA head
USA TODAY's coverage of the 2020 election and President-elect Joe Biden's transition continues this week as he rolls out more of his picks for top jobs in his administration and prepares to take the oath of office Jan. 20. The Electoral College affirmed Biden's win Monday, officially giving Biden enough electoral votes to defeat President Donald Trump. Congress will count and certify the results in a joint session Jan. 6.
Trump has cleared the way for Biden's team to use federal resources and get briefings during the transition, although Trump has yet to formally concede the race and continues to challenge the results.
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the election and the transition.
Capitol Hill to receive batches of COVID-19 vaccines
Congress will receive a limited batch of the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, according to POLITICO.
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The Capitol has struggled with multiple outbreaks this year, with at least 44 members, according to USA TODAY’s running count, testing positive for the virus, or antibodies.
More:Running list: Which members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19?
Capitol Physician Brian Monahan wrote, according to POLITICO, that Congress will receive "a specific number of COVID 19 vaccine doses to meet longstanding requirements for continuity of government operations."
Monahan added that "the small number of COVID 19 vaccines” provided to the Capitol “reflects a fraction of the first tranche of vaccines as it is distributed throughout the country."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated in a statement Thursday night he will take the COVID-19 vaccine "in the coming days," and urged other Americans to do the same once they have the opportunity.
McConnell, a polio survivor, continued, “I know both the fear of a disease and the extraordinary promise of hope that vaccines bring. I truly hope all Kentuckians and Americans will heed this advice and accept this safe and effective vaccine."
— Savannah Behrmann
Biden selects Michael S. Regan for EPA administrator
President-elect Joe Biden has picked an experienced but not widely known state regulator, Michael S. Regan of North Carolina, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.
Regan, who is head of North Carolina’s environmental agency, was one of several contenders whose name emerged only in recent days. Biden's pick was confirmed Thursday by a person familiar with the selection process who was not authorized the discuss the matter publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.
California clean-air regulator Mary Nichols had faced increasing objections from progressive groups, who said Nichols had not done enough to address the disproportionate harm low-income and minority communities face from living next to oil and gas installations, factories and freeways.
Regan became environmental chief in North Carolina in 2017. State officials there are grappling with contamination from PFAS industrial compounds and other industrial polluters. Regan points to his efforts to hold accountable Chemours, which is the main business blamed for the toxic PFAS pollution, and other work ranging from improving regulation of the state's giant hog farms to releasing a plan to cut climate-damaging fossil fuel pollution from power plants by 70 percent within 10 years.
He previously spent almost a decade at the federal EPA, including managing a national program for air-pollution issues. His past jobs included serving as an associate vice president for climate and energy issues at the Environmental Defense Fund advocacy group and as head of his own environmental and energy consulting firm.
Regan, who is Black, has a bachelor’s degree from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, which is a historical black university, and a master’s from George Washington University.
Regan would be the latest member of the potential environmental cabinet-level team which also includes:
- Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm for Energy Secretary. The Canadian-born Democrat made clean energy a focus of her eight years running the state. After she left, Granholm founded the American Jobs Project, a 30-state multi-university research project focused on advanced manufacturing jobs in clean energy.
- Former Obama Administration EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy for Climate Czar. She led President Obama’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions through development of the Clean Power Plan. She’ll be the domestic point person for Biden on climate issues while former Secretary of State John Kerry, will handle international climate efforts as the incoming president’s “special envoy.”
– Associated Press and USA TODAY staff
Top senators: COVID stimulus deal 'close'
Top Senate leaders said Thursday a COVID-19 stimulus deal was close but warned they might not pass a bill until the weekend as they tried to close the gap on remaining differences.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor a bipartisan agreement was “close at hand.” Senators were still working on the details of the legislation, he said, but they were discussing several provisions:
- A renewal of the Paycheck Protection Program for small business loan forgiveness
- Funds for vaccine development and distribution
- Funds for COVID testing
- Funds to equip schools with protection equipment
- Renewal of unemployment benefits
- Direct stimulus payments
McConnell cautioned, however, that it was “highly likely” the Senate would be forced to work through the weekend to resolve remaining differences on the bill and might have to pass legislation to extend government funding for several days to avoid a Friday shutdown deadline.
The second-ranking Senate Republican, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, told reporters Republicans were trying to minimize the overall cost of stimulus payments, perhaps through income benchmarks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also cautiously expressed optimism, saying “we’re close to an agreement, but the details really matter.” He cited several remaining differences on unemployment insurance, direct payments, and aid to small businesses.
Congress also faces a shutdown deadline this Friday. Government funding was set to lapse last Friday, but Congress passed a short-term bill extending funding for one week to give lawmakers more time to negotiate. Top lawmakers warned they might need to punt the shutdown deadline a few days more to give them time to finish their stimulus bill.
– Nicholas Wu
Congress, eyeing stimulus checks, to resume COVID relief negotiations
Staring down a government shutdown, congressional leaders appear close to cementing a COVID-19 stimulus deal, but negotiations went on into the night without a deal in place.
The looming deal would restart a boost to federal unemployment insurance benefits, provide some form of relief for state and local governments, and it may include another round of stimulus checks and other much-needed financial benefits for Americans, according to a source familiar with negotiations who wasn't authorized to speak on the record.
Congress has not passed a comprehensive relief package since March, and as coronavirus case totals climbed and benefits lapsed, Democrats and Republicans were unable to come together on another deal. The Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate offered their own versions of legislation, only to be rejected by the other side.
More:Stimulus checks part of looming COVID-19 relief deal as Congress finalizes negotiations
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke multiple times Wednesday evening, including a conversation at 10:30 p.m. EST, according to Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill.
"All three emphasized the urgency to reaching an immediate agreement and will exchange additional paper and resume conversations in the morning," Hammill wrote in a tweet late Wednesday.
– Savannah Behrmann, Nicholas Wu and Sean Rossman
Pence, Biden to get COVID vaccine in coming days
It was announced Wednesday that Vice President Mike Pence is set to receive a COVID-19 vaccine Friday, while President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be vaccinated as soon as next week.
Pence and second lady Karen Pence will receive the vaccine at the White House. Pence’s office said they will get the shot “publicly” to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and “build confidence among the American people.”
The Pences will be joined by Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who will also receive the vaccine, Pence’s office said.
A Biden transition official confirmed the former vice president's potential timeline for the vaccine. CNN reported Biden is likely to be vaccinated early next week.
– Savannah Behrmann, Joey Garrison and Michael Collins
More:Mike Pence to receive COVID-19 vaccine Friday; Joe Biden will get vaccinated as soon as next week