Elected president Joe Biden
Joe BidenAzar in letter of departure says the uprising in the Capitol is threatening to “tarnish” the performance of the government. House Democrats Introduce Measures to Curb Trump’s Sale to Saudis. On The Money: Retail sales fall in last sign of weakening economy | Fast food workers on strike for minimum wage | US officials express concern about Mexico’s handling of energy permits will roll out members of his science team Saturday as he looks to fill his paperwork and tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden will introduce Eric Lander, his nominee for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and a nominee Presidential Science Adviser; Alondra Nelson, his choice as OSTP Deputy Director for Science and Society; and Francis Arnold and Maria Zuber, who are elected co-chairs of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Biden has also said he will keep Francis Collins, the current director of the National Institute of Health, in his current position.
“This highly respected group of diverse and highly qualified scientists will join the power of science to drive meaningful progress in people’s lives. They will help the Biden-Harris administration face some of the greatest crises and challenges of our time, from climate change and technology’s impact on society to pandemics, racial inequality and the current historic economic downturn, ” it said Biden transition team in a press release.
The rollout comes as Biden reveals his plan to slow the spread of COVID-19 and address the economic impact of the pandemic.
Biden on Friday outlined a $ 20 billion vaccination effort that would bolster the scale of the federal government’s response and is part of a broader $ 415 billion plan aimed at combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In all fairness, we are in a very dark winter,” Biden said Friday, noting that the country is rapidly approaching 400,000 deaths. “The rollout of vaccines in the United States has been a dismal failure so far.”
Biden has vowed to administer 100 million vaccines in its first 100 days and use federal funds, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to launch new massive vaccination centers. The government also plans to expand national and local immunization efforts across the country, including in pharmacies and community health centers.
In total, Biden plans to pay out $ 1.9 trillion to support coronavirus vaccination, help reopen schools, provide vital assistance to workers and small businesses, address hunger crisis, and send funding to national and local governments.
Biden’s science team has deep experience in a variety of areas. For example, Landler is a leading researcher in the mapping of the human genome, and Arnold won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2018.