With eyes looking forward to a new administration in January, Alex Thompson reports for Politico on how Joe Biden is currently assembling the team to get his future cabinet picks confirmed. In a story they’ve tagged exclusive, he writes:
With Republicans favored to retain their majority in the Senate next year, Biden’s Cabinet is poised to become the new administration’s first big political battle. The confirmation votes will be an early test of the president-elect’s ability to maneuver in the Senate and work with majority leader Mitch McConnell, who will maintain control of the chamber as long as Republicans win one of two Senate run-offs in Georgia.
He reports that the Biden plan is to take a new approach to getting their picks in place.
The new team is also looking to shake up some of the conventions of the cabinet nomination process, including the code of silence that has traditionally surrounded nominees. Instead, transition staff intend to introduce Biden’s cabinet picks to the American people before their Senate hearings, which could include media blitzes to build up public support. There’s a risk, however, that the increased exposure could lead to embarrassing gaffes or missteps by nominees.
In less polarized times, senators were more willing to cross party lines and confirm the president’s cabinet choices. There is more uncertainty now. During the Trump administration, some Democrats with presidential ambitions saw an advantage in voting against as many of Trump’s nominees as possible.
Biden, however, is intent on trying to restore some of the Senate’s erstwhile comity. The transition told Politico that they are operating under the belief that the Senate will be under substantial pressure from the public and voters across the country to take action on the economy and public health crises, to confirm nominees and rebuild federal agencies with competent public servants.
Read more here: Politico – Biden builds team for Senate confirmation battles
With that news about Pfizer’s vaccine, it is worth having another look at this report last night from Asawin Suebsaeng and Erin Banco at the Daily Beast that Donald Trump is angry because he thinks Joe Biden will get the credit for the vaccine program that he was hoping for himself. They write:
For months, Trump had promised that a Covid vaccine was coming shortly. He put much of his election hopes on the possibility. But the announcement from two major pharmaceutical companies of hugely successful trial results came in the days after the votes were cast. And while it may have brought joy to the markets and public health officials, for Trump it was nothing but a heap of frustration.
Prior to the announcements the president had brainstormed with aides and close associates about ways he could promote the vaccine to the American people. According to two individuals with direct knowledge of his private comments, the president had said he envisioned large, public, mask-free events—particularly when the weather grew warmer in, what he anticipated to be, a second term—and rallies to celebrate the successes of Operation Warp Speed. When distribution began, Trump had wanted to be directly involved in the vaccine’s promotion, gaming out a video campaign about the safety and success of his operation.
Trump also mused about holding a public, televised event or news conference in which he’d proudly brandish and read from a list of headlines, articles, and TV coverage that had either underestimated him or raised doubts about Operation Warp Speed’s timeline.The president has been looking forward to showing that he was right and the media was wrong, one of the sources described.