Transition Tracker (2020-2021)

Most recent

• April 29, 2021:
  • The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for Eric Lander for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
  • Biden announced three more federal judicial nominees:
    • David G. Estudillo for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington;
    • Tana Lin for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington; and
    • Christine O'Hearn for United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
• Apri 28, 2021:
  • The Senate confirmed Samantha Power to be administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development by a vote of 68-26.
  • Biden delivered his first public address to a joint session of Congress. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) delivered the Republican Party's response to Biden’s address. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) delivered the response for the Working Families Party.

Archive

2021

• April 2021 (click to collapse)

  • April 29, 2021:
    • The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for Eric Lander for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    • Biden announced three more federal judicial nominees:
      • David G. Estudillo for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington;
      • Tana Lin for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington; and
      • Christine O'Hearn for United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
  • Apri 28, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Samantha Power to be administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development by a vote of 68-26.
    • Biden delivered his first public address to a joint session of Congress. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) delivered the Republican Party's response to Biden’s address. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) delivered the response for the Working Families Party.
  • April 23, 2021:
    • Biden was expected to recognize the killing and deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide. He would be the first president to do so since President Ronald Reagan (R).
    • Biden was expected to call for raising the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6% from 37% as part of the American Family Plan, set to be released in full the following week. The proposal was also expected to double taxes on capital gains to 39.6% for individuals earning more than $1 million.
  • April 22, 2021:
    • Biden released his “International Climate Finance Plan”, as previously discussed in his climate executive order signed Jan. 27. In a summary provided by the White House, the plan stated the U.S. intended to double its annual public climate finance to developing countries, compared to the average level during the second half of the Obama administration, by 2024.
    • Biden convened a two-day virtual climate summit to discuss emissions reduction and other climate actions. Forty countries were invited. Biden announced his administration was targeting a 50-52 percent reduction of economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution from 2005 levels in 2030.
  • April 21, 2021:
    • The Senate voted 50-50 on the discharge of Colin Kahl’s nomination for under secretary of defense for policy from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Vice President Kamala Harris (D) cast the tie-breaking vote to advance Kahl’s nomination.
    • The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing for Biden’s three nominees for the United States Postal Service Board of Governors: Ron Stroman, Anton Hajjar, and Amber McReynolds.
    • Biden said that the U.S. had administered 200 million vaccine doses. He also announced a tax credit for small businesses that would allow workers paid time off to receive the vaccine. To learn more about vaccine distribution by state, click here.
  • April 20, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Gary Gensler to the Securities and Exchange Commission for a term ending on June 5, 2026. Four Republicans supported his nomination: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), and Mike Rounds (S.D.).
    • The Office of Management and Budget said in a statement that the Biden administration supported H.R. 51, which seeks to make Washington, D.C., a state.
  • April 19, 2021: Twenty Republican attorneys general sent a letter to Biden and congressional leadership to oppose potentially expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court.
  • April 15, 2021:
    • The Biden administration announced several sanctions against Russia in response to its cyberattacks and efforts to influence elections. After June 14, U.S. financial institutions would not be able to purchase bonds from or lend to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. Additionally, 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C., were being expelled, and six Russian tech companies and 32 individuals were being sanctioned.
    • The Biden administration requested the Supreme Court decline to take up a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of an all-male military draft. Elizabeth Prelogar, the acting solicitor general, said Congress was reviewing whether women should be required to register for the draft, making consideration of the lawsuit premature.
    • Biden announced nine Senior Foreign Service career members for ambassadorships:
      • Larry Edward André, Jr. – Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Somalia
      • Elizabeth Moore Aubin – Ambassador to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
      • Steven C. Bondy – Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain
      • Maria E. Brewer – Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho
      • Marc Evans Knapper – Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
      • Christopher John Lamora – Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon
      • Tulinabo S. Mushingi – Ambassador to the Republic of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome & Principe
      • Michael Raynor – Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau
      • Eugene S. Young – Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo
  • April 14, 2021:
    • Biden announced that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. This would be four months after the May 1 deadline the Trump administration set as part of an agreement with the Taliban.
    • The Senate confirmed Brenda Mallory as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality by a 53-45 vote. Three Republicans supported her nomination: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), and Rob Portman (Ohio).
    • Biden announced he had selected Erika Moritsugu as the Asian American and Pacific Islander senior liaison and deputy assistant to the president.
  • April 13, 2021: Biden announced that he had selected Robert Santos as his nominee for director of the U.S. Census Bureau.*April 15, 2021: The Biden administration announced several sanctions against Russia in response to its cyberattacks and efforts to influence elections. After June 14, U.S. financial institutions would not be able to purchase bonds from or lend to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. Additionally, 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C., were being expelled, and six Russian tech companies and 32 individuals were being sanctioned.
  • April 14, 2021:
    • Biden announced that the U.S. would withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. This would be four months after the May 1 deadline the Trump administration set as part of an agreement with the Taliban.
    • The Senate confirmed Brenda Mallory as chair of the Council on Environmental Quality by a 53-45 vote. Three Republicans supported her nomination: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), and Rob Portman (Ohio).
    • Biden announced he had selected Erika Moritsugu as the Asian American and Pacific Islander senior liaison and deputy assistant to the president.
  • April 13, 2021: Biden announced that he had selected Robert Santos as his nominee for director of the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • April 12, 2021:
    • Biden announced nominees for two key immigration posts: Ur Jaddou for director of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and Chris Magnus for commissioner of Customs and Border Control. Jaddou previously worked at the CIS as the chief counsel during the Obama administration. Magnus is the police chief of border city Tucson, Arizona.
    • Biden sent several previously announced nominations to the Senate, including David Chipman for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Robin Carnahan for administrator of general services.
    • Biden selected Christine Wormuth as his nominee for secretary of the Army. If confirmed, she would be the first woman to hold that position.
    • Biden domestic policy advisor Susan Rice said the Biden administration would not pursue a White House commission on policing. She said, instead, “The Biden-Harris Administration strongly supports the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and is working with Congress to swiftly enact meaningful police reform that brings profound, urgently needed change.”
    • Biden was expected to nominate Jen Easterly as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Chris Inglis as the newly established national cyber director. Easterly is a former senior counterterrorism and cybersecurity official who worked in the Obama administration. Inglis is the former deputy director of the National Security Agency.
    • Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) with a bipartisan group of Congress members to discuss the American Jobs Plan.
    • Cindy McCain was under consideration for ambassador to the U.N. World Food Programme, which is based in Rome. If nominated, she would be Biden’s first Republican appointee for a position requiring Senate confirmation.
  • April 11, 2021: In an interview, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Biden “wants to see major action in Congress and real progress by Memorial Day” for the infrastructure bill.
  • April 9, 2021:
    • Biden issued an executive order to convene a bipartisan commission on the role and operation of the Supreme Court. Yale Law School professor Cristina Rodríguez and Biden campaign legal strategist Bob Bauer will co-chair the 36-member commission.
    • Biden released the initial outline of his proposed 2022 federal budget, which included $769 billion for non-defense spending and $753 billion for national defense spending.
  • April 8, 2021:
    • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Democrats would likely pursue separate legislation on infrastructure and jobs, with a target of passing both before Congress' August recess.
    • Biden was expected to issue several executive actions on gun violence related to the purchase of unregistered firearms assembled at home, which the White House called ghost guns; the regulation of pistol-stabilizing braces; model legislation for red flag laws; community violence interventions; and an annual report on firearms trafficking.
    • Biden was also expected to announce David Chipman as his nominee for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Chipman is an explosives expert and former ATF agent.
  • April 7, 2021:
    • Biden promoted the American Jobs Plan during remarks at the White House. His administration also began conducting outreach to governors and mayors and making local TV appearances to support the plan.
    • Jill Biden announced details of her Joining Forces initiative, which included expanding job opportunities for military spouses and access to mental health services.
    • The White House was vetting Amos Hochstein as a potential special envoy to halt the Nord Stream 2, the Russia-Germany gas pipeline project. Hochstein was a special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs in the Obama administration.
  • April 6, 2021:
    • Biden moved up the deadline for all adults to be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine from May 1 to April 19. For more information about vaccine distribution and eligibility by state, click here.
    • Biden announced that he would nominate Robin Carnahan (D) to serve as the administrator of the General Services Administration. Carnahan is a former Missouri secretary of state, serving from 2005 to 2013.
    • Tennessee and Kentucky filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration regarding tax provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act. The complaint says the tax provisions prohibit states that receive federal aid under the law from lowering taxes for several years, constituting a federal overreach.
  • April 5, 2021:
    • The Senate parliamentarian ruled that a revised budget resolution could use the reconciliation process, which would allow the Senate to pass spending legislation by a simple majority vote rather than 60 votes.
    • The Open Society Foundations planned to spend $20 million to promote Biden's infrastructure and social welfare proposals. Axios reported that spending on the campaign could reach $100 million.
    • Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said that he opposed Biden’s proposal to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, preferring instead 25%. “If I don’t vote to get on it, it’s not going anywhere. So we’re going to have some leverage here. And it’s more than just me. … There’s six or seven other Democrats that feel very strongly about this,” Manchin said.
  • April 3, 2021: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in an interview that he planned to move forward with a marijuana legalization bill whether or not Biden supported it. "[Biden] said he's studying the issue, so [I] obviously want to give him a little time to study it. I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will. But at some point we're going to move forward, period," Schumer said.
  • April 2, 2021: Seven Democratic governors—Phil Murphy (N.J.), Gavin Newsom (Calif.), Ned Lamont (Conn.), David Ige (Hawaii), J.B. Pritzker (Ill.), Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.), and Kate Brown (Ore.)—called on Biden to lift the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions established during the Trump administration.
  • April 1, 2021:
    • NPR reported that the Biden administration was considering revamping the asylum system to process cases more quickly. Under this plan, some asylum cases from the southern border would be processed by the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Justice.
    • Biden convened his first in-person Cabinet meeting. The meeting focused on the American Jobs Plan and the federal response to COVID-19. Shalanda Young, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, attended the meeting along with other confirmed Cabinet members.
    • Biden assigned five members—Pete Buttigieg (Transportation), Jennifer Granholm (Energy), Marcia Fudge (Housing and Urban Development), Marty Walsh (Labor), and Gina Raimondo (Commerce)—to help represent him in public and congressional relations on the American Jobs Plan.
    • Biden requested that Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona prepare a memo on presidential legal authority to cancel student debt. The Department of Justice will also be involved in its preparation.
    • Citing the Civil Rights Act, the Department of Transportation paused the expansion of the I-45 highway near Houston following concern it would displace a majority Black and Hispanic community.

• March 2021 (click to collapse)

  • March 31, 2021:
    • Biden unveiled the details of his American Jobs Plan. The $2 trillion infrastructure proposal would eliminate lead pipes and service lines in drinking water systems, rebuild 20,000 miles of road, repair economically significant bridges, and double federal funding for public transit, among other initiatives. Project spending would take place over eight years and be funded by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% 28% and changing how multinational corporations are taxed.
    • Biden traveled to Pittsburgh to promote the American Jobs Plan.
    • Thirteen states, led by Republican attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, and West Virginia, sued the Biden administration regarding a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act that prohibits states from using federal aid to offset tax cuts. The other states involved in the lawsuit aree Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement regarding this issue last week, “Nothing in the Act prevents States from enacting a broad variety of tax cuts. It simply provides that funding received under the Act may not be used to offset a reduction in net tax revenue resulting from certain changes in state law.”
    • Biden issued several proclamations acknowledging monthly awareness programs related to the justice system, cancer, organ donation, child abuse prevention, sexual assault prevention, financial education, transgender visibility, and labor organizing.
    • The Biden administration ended Trump-era restrictions on transgender servicemembers. Troops will be allowed to serve under their self-identified gender and receive medical treatments related to transitioning.
  • March 30, 2021: Biden announced his first 11 judicial nominees. The White House said in a statement, “This group also includes groundbreaking nominees, including three African American women chosen for Circuit Court vacancies, as well as candidates who, if confirmed, would be the first Muslim American federal judge in U.S. history, the first AAPI woman to ever serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of D.C., and the first woman of color to ever serve as a federal judge for the District of Maryland.”
    • The 11 judicial nominees are listed below:
      • Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fill the seat left vacant by Merrick Garland
      • Tiffany Cunningham for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
      • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
      • Deborah Boardman for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
      • Lydia Griggsby for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
      • Julien Neals for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
      • Florence Pan for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
      • Zahid Quraishi for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
      • Regina Rodriguez for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
      • Margaret Strickland for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
      • Rupa Ranga Puttagunta for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
    • The White House announced additional plans to combat anti-Asian violence and bias, including expanding the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, establishing a COVID-19 Equity Task Force committee on anti-Asian bias, and creating a cross-agency initiative at the Department of Justice.
  • March 29, 2021:
    • Biden called on governors and mayors to reinstate mask mandates. He also said 90% of American adults would be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by April 19.
    • Biden issued two notices marking the continuation of national emergencies with respect to South Sudan and malicious cyber activity.
  • March 27, 2021: After Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an interview that a mileage tax could be a way to fund the upcoming infrastructure bill, the Department of Transportation clarified that the Biden administration’s upcoming bill would not include one.
  • March 26, 2021:
    • Biden held his first political fundraiser as president for the reelection campaign of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D). Bottoms had been offered a position in Biden’s Cabinet in 2020 but declined.
    • Biden invited Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 38 other world leaders to a climate summit on April 22-23.
    • Biden nominated Gayle Manchin to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission. Manchin, who previously served as West Virginia’s secretary of education and arts, is the wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
    • Biden criticized an elections law passed in Georgia that would require voter identification for absentee ballots, among other process changes. Biden said the Justice Department was reviewing the measure.
  • March 25, 2021:
    • Biden held his first news conference as president, where he discussed voting rights legislation, economic recovery, immigration, and the filibuster. He said he intended to run for reelection in 2024 with Vice President Kamala Harris (D). He also doubled his vaccination goal from 100 million to 200 million doses administered in his first 100 days in office.
    • Biden participated in a European Council meeting virtually, marking the first time a president has addressed an EU summit since 2009.
  • March 24, 2021:
    • Biden announced that Vice President Kamala Harris (D) would oversee the White House’s efforts to address an increase in migrants at the southern border. Her assignment included working with Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries on the root issues of migration.
    • Thirteen states, led by Louisiana, filed a lawsuit against Biden challenging a Jan. 27 executive order, which paused new oil and natural gas leases on public lands. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) called it an abuse of presidential power. Wyoming separately filed a lawsuit on the same issue.
  • March 23, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Shalanda Young as the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget by a vote of 63-37.
    • The Senate also confirmed Vivek Murthy as U.S. surgeon general by a vote of 57-43.
    • Biden issued a proclamation to honor the victims of the March 22 Boulder mass shooting. Biden also called on Congress to “ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country once again.”
    • The Biden administration announced that it was extending the special enrollment period deadline for the federal health insurance marketplace from May 15 to August 15.
    • Biden was expected to include a proposal for free community college in his upcoming $3 trillion economic stimulus package.
    • Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said they would withhold support for any future Biden nominees until Biden had more Asian American representation in his administration. They reversed this position after the White House announced it was adding a senior-level Asian American Pacific Islander liaison.
  • March 22, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as secretary of labor by a vote of 68-29. All 29 votes against his nomination came from Republicans.
    • Biden was expected to appoint Jeffrey Feltman, a former senior United Nations official, as the special envoy for the Horn of Africa. The newly created position would be focused on the armed conflict in Ethiopia.
    • The Biden administration named career foreign service officer Ricardo Zúñiga as the special envoy for the Northern Triangle countries: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The State Department said, “He also will hold our partners accountable for their commitments to address root causes of migration and the increase in arrivals of unaccompanied children at the U.S. southern border.”
    • Biden nominated Lina Khan, an associate professor at Columbia Law School focused on antitrust law, to lead the Federal Trade Commission.
    • The Washington Post reported that Asian American advocacy groups had coalesced around Nani Coloretti as a potential nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Shalanda Young, nominee for deputy director of the OMB, was considered the frontrunner for the position. Ann O’Leary withdrew from consideration.
  • March 21, 2021: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the U.S.-Mexico border was closed and that the U.S. would expel families and single adults. He continued, “We are building safe, orderly and humane ways to address the needs of vulnerable children. Do not come.”
  • March 20, 2021: The Biden administration contracted with hotels to house 1,200 migrants crossing the southern border in Arizona and Texas. The $86 million, six-month contract was facilitated by the nonprofit organization Endeavors.
  • March 19, 2021: Biden announced former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) as his nominee for administrator of NASA. Nelson is one of the few civilians who has traveled to space, participating in a mission onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986.
  • March 18, 2021:
    • Biden issued a proclamation ordering flags be flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the March 16, 2021, Atlanta shooting.
    • The Senate confirmed Xavier Becerra as secretary of health and human services by a vote of 50-49. Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) was the only Republican to support his confirmation. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) did not vote.
  • March 17, 2021:
    • Texas, Montana, and 19 other states filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for revoking the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. States not directly affected by the proposed path for the pipeline said its rejection would “also have a ripple effect that adversely impacts the economy and environment in non-pipeline states.”
    • The Washington Post reported that Rahul Gupta, the chief health and medical officer at the March of Dimes, was in consideration to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
    • A group of 20 senators—10 Democrats and 10 Republicans—met to discuss a bipartisan agenda. Breaking the filibuster in the Senate would require support from 10 Republicans.
    • The Biden administration announced it would spend $10 billion to implement COVID-19 screening programs in schools.
  • March 16, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Isabel Guzman for administrator of the Small Business Administration by a vote of 81-17.
    • Biden said he supported reinstating the talking filibuster in the U.S. Senate. This change would require senators to hold the Senate floor by speaking to block movement on a bill.
    • Biden also discussed the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, saying it would be tough to withdraw troops by May 1 as the Trump administration had pledged.
    • The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a report finding that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely directed efforts to interfere in the U.S. presidential election to benefit President Donald Trump’s (R) presidential campaign.
    • Vice President Kamala Harris (D) addressed the United Nations in a speech about women’s rights and violence against women during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • March 15, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Debra Haaland for secretary of the interior by a vote of 51-40, making her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
    • Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin traveled to Japan for the first in-person, overseas diplomatic meeting of the Biden administration.
    • Biden selected economist Gene Sperling as the point person for his administration’s coronavirus relief plan. This position does not require Senate confirmation. Sperling, who served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, would be responsible for implementing the stimulus package in the American Rescue Plan Act.
    • Thirteen Democratic senators, led by Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio), called on Biden to temporarily suspend waivers of the Buy American program to prevent foreign companies from bidding on government contracts funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
    • Bloomberg reported that Biden was planning a federal tax increase for earners making more than $400,000 a year. The taxes would pay, in part, for his economic and infrastructure plans.
  • March 12, 2021:
    • Biden met virtually with leaders from the Quad. This coalition, formed following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, includes three other democratic, Indo-Pacific countries: Japan, India, and Australia.
    • The Biden administration announced that it was terminating an information-sharing agreement between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services that allowed information from potential sponsors of unaccompanied minors to be shared with immigration enforcement authorities.
    • The U.S. Solicitor General’s Office requested the Supreme Court dismiss several cases related to cutting federal funding for medical facilities that referred patients to abortion services.
  • March 11, 2021:
    • Biden delivered his first primetime address as president to mark the anniversary of the beginning of coronavirus-related shutdowns.
    • The Senate agreed to discharge the nomination ofXavier Becerra for secretary of health and human services from the Senate Committee on Finance. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined the Democrats in supporting the discharge petition for a 51-48 vote.
  • March 10, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Marcia Fudge as secretary of housing and urban development, Merrick Garland as attorney general, and Michael Regan as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
    • Congress passed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes direct stimulus payments, extended unemployment benefits, and increased funding for vaccine distribution. For more information about the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
  • March 9, 2021:
    • Biden selected Clare Martorana as his federal chief information officer. Martorana reviously served as the chief information officer for the Office of Personnel Management.
    • Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved a request to keep 2,300 National Guard members deployed at the Capitol through May 23.
  • March 8, 2021:
    • Biden signed an executive order establishing the White House Gender Policy Council. An administration official said the council would be focused "on women and girls, particularly women and girls of color, given the historical and disproportionate barriers that they face."
    • Biden also signed an executive order calling for the evaluation of Title IX rules on how sexual harassment and assault cases were handled at educational institutions.
    • Twelve states, led by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), filed a lawsuit against Biden over an executive order he issued to assess the costs of and damages associated with greenhouse gas pollution. Schmitt called the executive order unlawful federal overreach. In addition to Missouri, the following states are involved: Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.
    • Biden nominated Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost as commander of the United States Transportation Command and Lt. Gen. Laura Richardson as commander of the United States Southern Command. If confirmed, they would be the second and third women to lead a combatant command.
  • March 7, 2021: Biden issued an executive order directing federal agencies to submit proposals on how to promote voter registration and participation and improve access to information about upcoming elections. The executive order also called for the Vote.gov website to be modernized.
  • March 6, 2021: The Senate passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The House needed to vote on the bill again since its provisions differed from what they had previously passed.
  • March 5, 2021:
    • Biden issued a notice continuing the declaration of a national emergency with respect to Iran.
    • White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated that Biden wanted to limit war power authority. She said that Biden wanted to “ensure that the authorizations for the use of military force currently on the books are replaced with a narrow and specific framework that will ensure we can protect Americans from terrorist threats while ending the forever wars.”
  • March 4, 2021:
    • The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced the nomination of Debra Haaland for secretary of the interior by a vote of 11-9.
    • The Department of Justice requested the Supreme Court dismiss three lawsuits relating to the withholding of federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions. It said it had reached an agreement with the jurisdictions at issue. The department, under the Trump administration, had sought to block jurisdictions that did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities from receiving certain aid.
    • The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden canceled a second airstrike on a target in Syria to avoid civilian casualties on February 26, 2021.
    • Bloomberg reported that Biden would meet with leaders from Australia, India, and Japan as part of the first meeting of the Quad bloc—four democratic Indo-Pacific countries. No date was set for the event.
    • Vice President Kamala Harris (D) cast her third tie-breaking vote to proceed with debate on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Senate had split 50-50 along party lines.
  • March 3, 2021: Biden reportedly selected Seth Harris, who served as acting secretary of labor during the Obama administration, to be his top labor adviser. In this capacity, Harris would work with the Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council.
  • March 2, 2021:
    • The White House announced that Neera Tanden requested to be withdrawn from consideration for director of the Office of Management Budget due to opposition to her nomination. Biden said in a statement that he had accepted her request: “I have the utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel, and I look forward to having her serve in a role in my Administration. She will bring valuable perspective and insight to our work."
    • Biden met with Senate Democrats to discuss the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. For more information about the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
    • The Biden administration was expected to announce sanctions against Russia for the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
    • The Senate confirmed Gina Raimondo as secretary of commerce by a vote of 84-15.
    • The Senate confirmed Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers by a vote of 95-4.
  • March 1, 2021:
    • Biden virtually met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to discuss immigration and economic issues and the coronavirus.
    • The Senate confirmed Miguel Cardona as secretary of education by a vote of 64-33. All 33 votes against his confirmation came from Republicans.
    • The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Merrick Garland’s nomination for attorney general by a vote of 15-7.
    • Biden issued six proclamations to commemorate the following daily, weekly, and monthly observances:
      • National Consumer Protection Week
      • Women’s History Month
      • American Red Cross Month
      • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
      • Read Across America Day
      • Irish-American Heritage Month
    • The Pentagon announced that Ukraine would receive a $125 military aid package. The department said that it “encourages Ukraine to continue to enact reforms that strengthen civilian control of the military, promote increased transparency and accountability in defense industry and procurement, and modernize its defense sector in other key areas in line with NATO principles and standards.”
    • The U.S. Forest Service nullified the publication of an environmental impact study that would have allowed for the transfer of Arizona land to a copper mine project.

• February 2021 (click to collapse)

  • February 28, 2021:
    • Biden announced his support for Amazon warehouse workers’ efforts to unionize in Alabama, although he did not explicitly name the company in his statement.
    • The Biden administration announced that it was resuming peace negotiations with the Taliban.
  • February 26, 2021:
    • The Biden administration issued sanctions against associates of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia for their involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A declassified intelligence report said bin Salman approved Khashoggi’s capture or death. Biden declined to directly sanction him. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on February 28, “We believe there [are] more effective ways to make sure this doesn't happen again and to also be able to leave room to work with the Saudis on areas where there is mutual agreement.”
    • Biden traveled to Texas in his first visit to a major disaster site as president. He met with local leaders to discuss relief efforts and promote coronavirus vaccinations.
  • February 25, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Jennifer Granholm for secretary of energy by a vote of 64-35 on Thursday. All 35 no votes came from Republicans. Granholm was the tenth member of Biden’s Cabinet to be confirmed.
    • The Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Miguel Cardona for secretary of education by a vote of 66-32.
    • Biden ordered airstrikes in Syria on buildings used by Iran-backed militant groups, marking the first known use of military force by his administration. The Pentagon said it was a retaliatory strike in response to attacks in Iraq on American and allied personnel.
  • February 24, 2021:
    • Biden signed an executive order that lifted a ban on certain types of immigrant visas, revoking an executive order by President Donald Trump (R). Biden also revoked Trump executive orders on agency rulemaking, government review of certain welfare programs, and the architecture of federal buildings.
    • Biden announced his nominees to fill three vacancies on the nine-member U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors on Wednesday: Anton Hajjar, Amber McReynolds, and Ron Stroman. The other six members include four Republicans and two Democrats. If the Senate confirms Biden’s nominees, Democrats will have enough votes to remove Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump appointee.
    • The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship advanced Isabel Guzman’s nomination for administrator of the Small Business Administration by a vote of 15-5.
    • Biden was expected to sign an executive order calling for the review of global supply chains for computer chips, large-capacity batteries used in electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals and related products, and critical minerals.
    • The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Budget Committee postponed a planned vote on Neera Tanden’s nomination for director of the Office of Management and Budget.
  • February 23, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations by a vote of 78-20.
    • The Senate also confirmed Tom Vilsack to serve as secretary of agriculture by a vote of 92-7. Six Republicans voted against his confirmation: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also voted against Vilsack, marking the first time a Democrat or independent who caucuses with Democrats voted against a Biden nominee.
    • Biden held his first bilateral meeting as president with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The meeting took place virtually.
    • Drew Tipton, a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Biden administration’s 100-day moratorium on deportations. The injunction applied to all states. Tipton is a Trump appointee.
  • February 22, 2021:
    • Biden issued a proclamation to memorialize the more than 500,000 Americans who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff until February 26.
    • Four key senators announced their opposition to Neera Tanden’s nomination for director of the Office of Management and Budget: Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio). Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also said she was unlikely to vote for Tanden. Axios reported that Shalanda Young, a former staff director for the House Appropriations Committee, was being considered to replace Tanden in the event her nomination failed or was withdrawn.
    • Gene Sperling, the director of the National Economic Council under the Clinton and Obama administrations, and Ann O’Leary, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) former chief of staff, were also being considered as potential replacements for Tanden, according to CNBC.
    • The Senate invoked cloture on debate over Linda Thomas-Greenfield’s nomination for ambassador to the United Nations.
    • The Biden administration said it was adjusting the Paycheck Protection Program’s guidelines effective Feb. 24. Under the new rules, sole proprietors would be eligible to receive more aid. For companies with 20 or more employees, there would be a 14-day freeze on loans.
    • Seventy-five Republican members of Congress sent a letter to Biden requesting he withdraw Xavier Becerra from consideration for secretary of health and human services. Eleven senators signed the letter.
  • February 20, 2021: Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Texas, giving 77 of the state’s 254 counties access to federal assistance.
  • February 19, 2021:
    • Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said that he would vote against the confirmation of Neera Tanden for director of the Office of Management and Budget. “I believe her overtly partisan statements will have a toxic and detrimental impact on the important working relationship between members of Congress and the next director,” he said.
    • The United States officially rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement. The Biden administration was expected to set a target for reducing emissions in the coming months. The Obama administration had set a goal of reducing emissions, as measured in 2005, by 26 percent by 2025.
  • February 18, 2021:
    • The Budget Committee scheduled a vote on whether to advance Neera Tanden's nomination for director of the Office of Management and Budget for Feb. 24. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs also held a confirmation hearing for Tanden and had not scheduled a vote yet.
    • The Senate Finance Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Katherine Tai, Biden's nominee for U.S. trade representative, for Feb. 25.
    • Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) introduced Biden's immigration proposal in the Senate and House. The bill would provide an eight-year path for people living in the country without legal permission to become citizens, remove restrictions on family-based immigration, and expand worker visas. According to The New York Times, it also "invests $4 billion over four years in distressed economies in the hopes of preventing people from fleeing to the United States because of security and economic crises."
    • Interim guidance went into effect for Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees. The guidance established three priority categories for arresting and deporting noncitizens in the country without permission: people seen as posing a national security threat, such as those engaged in espionage or terrorism; those who entered the U.S. on or after Nov. 1, 2020; and those seen as posing a threat to public safety and convicted of an aggravated felony or involved in gang activity.
    • The Biden administration announced it was willing to begin talks with Iran and world leaders about returning to the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, from which Donald Trump withdrew in 2018. Biden also rescinded Trump's restoration of U.N. sanctions on Iran.

  • February 17, 2021:
    • Biden signed an executive order rescinding Donald Trump's executive order creating industry-recognized apprenticeships. Biden said the programs "have fewer quality standards than registered apprenticeship programs." Biden also endorsed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, which he said would expand registered apprenticeships, and reinstated the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships.
    • Biden nominated Jennifer Abruzzo for general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board. He also nominated Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

  • February 16, 2021:
    • The Senate scheduled resuming consideration of Linda Thomas-Greenfield's nomination for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Feb. 22.
    • The Senate scheduled debate and a vote on Tom Vilsack's nomination for secretary of agriculture for Feb. 23.
    • The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee scheduled considering whether to advance Isabel Guzman's nomination for administrator of the Small Business Administration to a full Senate vote for Feb. 24.
    • The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Xavier Becerra's nomination for secretary of health and human services for Feb. 23.
    • The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Debra Haaland's nomination for secretary of the interior for Feb. 23.
    • Biden was scheduled to participate in a CNN town hall at 9 p.m. ET, with Anderson Cooper as moderator. The town hall could be viewed on CNN, CNN.com, and CNNgo.
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Department of Agriculture announced extensions to forbearance and foreclosure relief programs. They extended the foreclosure moratorium and the mortgage payment forbearance enrollment deadline to June 30 and are providing up to six months of additional mortgage payment forbearance for those who entered forbearance on or before June 30, 2020.
    • The Department of Homeland Security disapproved a contract that former acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli signed with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) union. The contract would have granted ICE employees a say in immigration policy decisions. A DHS spokesperson said, "DHS will make policy decisions in accordance with the law and based on what's best for national security, public safety, and border security while upholding our nation's values."
    • Axios reported that Tracy Renaud, acting director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, signed a memo encouraging immigration officials to use "more inclusive language in the agency's outreach efforts, internal documents and in overall communication with stakeholders, partners and the general public." Officials have been encouraged to replace the word "alien" with "noncitizen" and "illegal alien" with "undocumented noncitizen" or "undocumented individual."

  • February 15, 2021: Based on an executive order from January, HealthCare.gov opened a special enrollment period Feb. 15, ending May 15.

  • February 14, 2021: Biden signed an executive order on relaunching the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The office was established by George W. Bush, aimed at partnering with faith-based and secular organizations to deliver services. President Donald Trump did not appoint a director of the office during his tenure, creating instead the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives. Melissa Rogers, who served as executive director of the office under President Barack Obama, resumed that role under Biden.

  • February 13, 2021: Biden issued a statement on the impeachment trial after the Senate acquitted Trump of incitement of insurrection. Biden said, "This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile. That it must always be defended. That we must be ever vigilant. That violence and extremism has no place in America. And that each of us has a duty and responsibility as Americans, and especially as leaders, to defend the truth and to defeat the lies."

  • February 12, 2021:
    • White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration intended to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and would begin a review process.
    • The Washington Post reported that the "Biden administration is seeking a court’s blessing to propose a new rule aimed at limiting greenhouse gas pollution from the nation’s power plants."
    • The Biden administration announced it would begin allowing an estimated 25,000 people seeking asylum at the Mexican border into the U.S. while they await immigration court hearings. The process was set to begin Feb. 19 with around 300 people per day.
    • The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden would begin the process of revoking permissions for states to implement work requirements for Medicaid.

  • February 11, 2021:
    • The Health, Education, Labor, & Pension Committee advanced the nominations of Miguel Cardona for secretary of education and Marty Walsh for secretary of labor to full Senate votes.
      • The committee advanced Cardona's nomination 17-5. The senators who voted against advancing the nomination were Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala).
      • The committee advanced Walsh's nomination 18-4. Braun, Paul, Scott, and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) voted against advancing the nomination.
    • Biden issued an executive order related to the coup in Myanmar (Burma) that he said enables the U.S. "to immediately sanction the military leaders who directed the coup, their business interests, as well as close family members."
    • Axios reported that Biden was considering two Republicans for ambassadorships: Former Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Cindy McCain, widow of former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
    • Biden rescinded former President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announcing his proclamation, Biden wrote, "I have also announced that it shall be the policy of my Administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall, and that I am directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to that end."
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a memorandum kicking off implementation of Biden's Jan. 20 executive order directing agency heads to review policies in order to bar discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. HUD said it "interprets the Fair Housing Act to bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and direct[s] HUD offices and recipients of HUD funds to enforce the Act accordingly."
    • Biden issued a notice that he was continuing the national emergency with respect to Libya for one year. Former President Barack Obama declared the national emergency by executive order in February 2011. Obama and Trump had extended the order several times while in office.

  • February 10, 2021:
    • The Department of Justice withdrew federal government support for a case against the Affordable Care Act in the U.S. Supreme Court. Several states filed the lawsuit, arguing that the individual mandate provision is no longer a valid exercise of Congress' authority after Congress eliminated the payment in 2017 and that the rest of the law is invalid due to that provision. Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler wrote that "it is now the position of the United States that the amended Section 5000A is constitutional" and that, "if this Court nevertheless concludes that Section 5000A(a) is unconstitutional, that provision is severable from the remainder of the ACA."
    • The Department of Justice also asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to hold off on an appeal of a ruling that blocked the Trump administration's restrictions on the video app TikTok while the Department evaluates the situation. According to the Associated Press, "Trump cited concerns that the Chinese government could spy on TikTok users if the app remains under Chinese ownership."
    • William Hyslop, U.S. attorney for Eastern Washington, announced he would resign at the end of February in response to the Biden administration's request that 56 (all but two) U.S. attorneys appointed by Trump resign.

  • February 9, 2021:
    • The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works advanced the nomination of Michael Regan for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency by a vote of 14-6.
    • The Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled Merrick Garland’s confirmation hearing for U.S. attorney general on February 22-23, 2021. Garland will testify on the first day, while outside witnesses will speak on the second day.
    • The White House said that the Biden administration planned to keep the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The Trump administration moved the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.
    • Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), along with four Republican House members and the Illinois Republican Party, requested Biden allow U.S. Attorney John Lausch to continue in his role investigating public corruption charges in Illinois.
    • Biden announced that he was asking all Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to resign with two exceptions: David Weiss and John Durham, who were investigating Hunter Biden’s taxes and the FBI probe into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, respectively.
    • The Justice Department said that it would continue efforts to have WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange extradited from the United Kingdom.
  • February 8, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Denis McDonough for secretary of veterans affairs by a vote of 87-7. McDonough is the second non-veteran to hold this office. The following senators voted against his confirmation: Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
    • Federal judge Drew Tipton of United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas extended an order blocking Biden’s moratorium on deportations for two more weeks. Tipton was appointed by Trump in 2020.
    • Vox reported that the potential choices for commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had been narrowed to Janet Woodcock, the acting FDA commissioner, and Joshua Sharfstein, a former principal deputy commissioner at the FDA.
    • The Department of Justice dropped a Trump administration lawsuit challenging California’s net neutrality law. Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting chairwoman of the FCC, said in a statement, “When the FCC, over my objection, rolled back its net neutrality policies, states like California sought to fill the void with their own laws. By taking this step, Washington is listening to the American people, who overwhelmingly support an open internet, and is charting a course to once again make net neutrality the law of the land.”
    • The Washington Post reported that Biden was expected to request U.S. attorneys appointed by President Donald Trump (R) and confirmed by the Senate resign with some exceptions. The federal prosecutor investigating Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, would continue to work, for example.
  • February 7, 2021:
    • The Associated Press reported that Biden was considering instructing the Department of Justice to halt new executions. When asked about a moratorium, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “The President has spoken about his opposition to the death penalty in the past, but I don’t have anything to predict for you or preview for you in terms of additional steps.”
    • Under the Biden administration, the United States was expected to return to the United Nations Human Rights Council as an observer. Trump withdrew from the council three years earlier, citing bias against Israel and other issues.
  • February 6, 2021:
    • The Biden administration suspended three asylum cooperatives agreements established by the Trump administration with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on Saturday. Under these agreements, asylum seekers from the region were expected to seek refuge in these Central American countries before applying for asylum in the U.S.
    • Biden said he did not expect a $15 minimum wage to be in the final COVID-19 economic relief bill, although it was in his initial proposal.
  • February 5, 2021: Vice President Kamala Harris (D) cast her first two tie-breaking votes in the Senate as part of the budget reconciliation process being used to pass a COVID-19 relief package.
  • February 4, 2021:
    • The Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the nomination of Linda Thomas-Greenfield for ambassador to the U.N. by a vote of 18-4.
    • The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs advanced the nomination of Marcia Fudge for secretary of housing and urban development by a vote of 17-7.
    • Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) placed a hold on the confirmation vote for Gina Raimondo for secretary of commerce, citing concerns with her position on whether the activity of Chinese company Huawei should be restricted in the U.S. A hold is a procedural tool any senator can use to temporarily block movement on a nominee’s confirmation process.
    • Biden signed two memoranda directing relevant federal agencies to advance protections for the human rights of LGBT people abroad and modernizing how the national security community approaches workforce issues, including recruitment and retention of workers with critical skills.
    • Biden also signed an executive order to expand the U.S. refugee admissions program. In a fact sheet, the Biden White House said the administration had a goal of 125,000 refugee admissions in its first fiscal year.
  • February 3, 2021:
    • The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced Gina Raimondo for secretary of commerce by a vote of 21-3.
    • The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced Jennifer Granholm for secretary of energy by a vote of 13-4.
    • Biden issued three proclamations regarding Black History Month, American Heart Month, and National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention.
    • The Federal Labor Relations Authority said all 10 members of the Federal Service Impasses Panel were asked to submit their resignations by February 2. “It is customary when control of the White House is transferred between political parties for the new president to replace the panel’s membership, but President Joe Biden acted more quickly than his predecessors,” Bloomberg Law reported.
    • Roger Severino, a member of the Administrative Conference of the United States, sued the Biden administration for calling on him to resign or be fired. Severino’s lawsuit said Biden did not have the constitutional authority to terminate Severino since the board is an advisory entity. The White House had not commented, according to Politico.
  • February 2, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Pete Buttigieg for secretary of transportation by a vote of 86-13. Thirteen Republicans voted against his nomination. Buttigieg was the only Biden nominee, out of six so far, that Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) had supported. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) had opposed all six confirmations so far. Buttigieg is the first openly gay person to be confirmed as a Cabinet secretary.
    • The Senate confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas for secretary of homeland security by a vote of 56-43. Six Republicans supported his confirmation: Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).
    • Biden was expected to announce immigration-related executive actions to review and potentially reverse Trump administration border policies. One action would create a task force dedicated to reuniting families separated at the border, according to The Washington Post.
  • February 1, 2021:
    • Biden signed a proclamation to reimpose a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports from the United Arab Emirates. President Donald Trump (R) had lifted the tariff in a proclamation on January 19.
    • Ten Republican senators, led by Susan Collins (R-Maine), were expected to meet with Biden to discuss their counter-proposal to Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan. This $600 billion proposal would reduce stimulus checks from $1,400 to $1,000 and lower income eligibility limits to receive the check. It would also eliminate increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
    • The Senate postponed a confirmation vote for Alejandro Mayorkas for secretary of homeland security to February 2 due to inclement weather.
    • Biden was scheduled to deliver his first major foreign policy speech as president, A senior administration official said the speech would be about “restoring America's place in the world.”

• January 2021 (click to collapse)

  • January 28, 2021:
    • Biden signed an executive order to create a special enrollment period for the federal healthcare marketplace. The Department of Health and Human Services will reopen enrollment from February 15 to May 15.
    • Biden also signed a presidential memorandum ending the Mexico City policy, a prohibition on federal funds being sent to non-governmental organizations that provide access to or information about abortion.
    • By a vote of 55-42, the Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas for secretary of homeland security. His confirmation vote was scheduled for Feb. 1.
    • Two confirmation hearings were held:
      • Marcia Fudge, nominee for secretary of housing and urban development, will appear before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
      • Cecilia Rouse, nominee for chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, will also appear before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  • January 27, 2021:
    • Biden issued two executive orders establishing the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and policies to address climate change, including halting new oil and natural gas development on public lands and offshore waters.
    • Three confirmation hearings were held:
      • Jennifer Granholm, nominee for secretary of energy, before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
      • Linda Thomas-Greenfield, nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
      • Denis McDonough, nominee for secretary of veterans affairs, before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
  • January 26, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Tony Blinken for secretary of state by a vote of 78-22.
    • The Senate Homeland Security Committee advanced the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas for secretary of homeland security by a vote of 7-4.
    • Biden issued an executive order to phase out federal use of privately operated criminal detention facilities and prisons.
    • Biden also signed three other executive actions focused on racial equity. The actions addressed anti-discrimination housing policies, the sovereignty of Native American tribes, and violence and xenophobia against Asian Americans.
    • Federal judge Drew Tipton temporarily blocked Biden’s pause on deportations for 100 days. Tipton wrote, “The Jan. 20 memorandum not only fails to consider potential policies more limited in scope and time, but it also fails to provide any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations.”
  • January 25, 2021:
    • Biden signed an executive order reversing the ban on transgender servicemembers in the military.
    • Biden also signed an executive order directing federal agencies to purchase American-made goods and services where possible. He instructed the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to make recommendations to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to further this goal within 180 days.
    • Biden reinstated a travel ban on non-U.S. citizen travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and 26 other countries. He also imposed a ban on most non-U.S. citizens traveling from South Africa effective Jan. 23.
    • The Senate confirmed Janet Yellen for secretary of the Treasury on Monday by a vote of 84-15. All 15 senators who voted against her confirmation were Republicans. She is the first woman to serve in this position.
    • The Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a favorable report of Tony Blinken for secretary of state by a vote of 15-3.
  • January 24, 2021: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the reconciliation process was one tool Democrats were considering to move forward on Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan.
  • January 22, 2021:
    • The Senate confirmed Lloyd Austin for secretary of defense by a vote of 93-2.
    • The Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted to support Janet Yellen’s nomination for secretary of the Treasury.
  • January 21, 2021:
    • Pete Buttigieg appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for his confirmation hearing for secretary of transportation.
    • Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) filed articles of impeachment against Biden. She released a press release that said the charges were “for his corrupt actions involving his quid pro quo in Ukraine and his abuse of power by allowing his son, Hunter Biden, to siphon off cash from America’s greatest enemies Russia and China.” Biden has not issued a response. The Hill reported, “An investigation by Senate Republicans last year into corruption allegations against the Bidens found no evidence of wrongdoing by the current president.”
  • January 20, 2021:
    • Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Harris was sworn in as the 49th vice president of the United States.
    • Avril Haines was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of national intelligence by a vote of 84-10.
    • Biden was expected to sign 17 executive orders, memoranda, and agency directives related to the coronavirus, economy, immigration, and other issues. This included launching a mask mandate on federal property, ending the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, and canceling the Keystone XL pipeline.
  • January 19, 2021: Biden announced the creation of a White House Gender Policy Council. Jennifer Klein, the chief strategy and policy officer at Time’s Up, and Jill Biden’s incoming chief of staff Julissa Reynoso, were named the co-chairs of the council.
  • January 18, 2021: Biden announced the following two presidential appointments:
    • Gary Gensler for chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
    • Rohit Chopra for director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  • January 16, 2021: Biden announced that he had selected a geneticist Eric Lander as his presidential science advisor and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Biden also said that he was elevating this position to be Cabinet-rank.
  • January 15, 2021:
    • Biden announced additional appointees to deputy and administrative roles:
      • Janet McCabe for deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
      • Shalanda Young for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget
      • Jason Miller for deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget
      • David Cohen for deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency
      • Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator
    • Biden also selected David Kessler to lead the federal vaccine distribution program. Kessler was the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during the Bush I and Clinton administrations.
  • January 14, 2021:
    • Interior Secretary nominee Debra Haaland released her financial disclosures, which showed that she received no income beyond her congressional salary and had between $15,000 and $50,000 in student loan debt from her 2006 law degree.
    • The Senate Intelligence Committee postponed its planned hearing with Avril Haines from January 15 to the following week.
    • Following Twitter’s announcement that current @POTUS followers would be reset to zero when Biden took office, the Biden Transition created a new account in the interim—@PresElectBiden—to build up a following before he took office. This account would become @POTUS when he was sworn in.
    • Biden announced additional appointees to the Domestic Policy Council, Office of Domestic Climate Policy, The White House Council on Environmental Quality, National Economic Council, and the Presidential Personnel Office.
  • January 13, 2021:
    • Biden announced that he had selected Samantha Power, a former ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017, as his nominee for administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. He also elevated the position to the National Security Council (NSC).
    • Biden announced more appointees to the National Security Council, including Ann Neuberger in a new cybersecurity-focused position on the council.
  • Due to security concerns, Biden would not take the Amtrak from Delaware to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration.
  • January 12, 2021:
    • The Washington Post reported that Biden was likely to select Gary Gensler, a former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during the Obama administration, as his pick for chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
    • Three members of the Senate Armed Services Committee—Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)—said they would vote against granting a waiver to Ret. Army General Lloyd Austin to allow him to serve as secretary of defense after leaving military service less than seven years ago.
    • In addition to Lloyd Austin’s previously announced confirmation hearing, three more confirmation hearings were scheduled for January 19:
      • Janet Yellen, nominee for secretary of the Treasury, before the Senate Finance Committee;
      • Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for secretary of homeland security, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and
      • Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
    • The Biden Transition said that Biden planned to appoint career officials as interim agency heads during the confirmation process for his nominees.
    • Politico reported that the Biden Transition was prioritizing confirmation of national security Cabinet nominees Alejandro Mayorkas, Lloyd Austin, and Antony Blinken. “Amid fallout from the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol, Biden officials and congressional allies will begin making the case Tuesday that there is a unique urgency in getting the positions filled as soon as possible so there is no gap in national security during a presidential transfer of power,” Politico said.
  • January 11, 2021:
    • Biden announced William J. Burns, a former ambassador to Russia and Jordan, was his nominee for director of the CIA. Politico reported that the position, created in 2005, would not be part of Biden’s Cabinet. President Donald Trump (R) was the first and only president to give it Cabinet-rank status.
    • The House introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump (R) on Monday. With the possibility of a Senate trial taking place during the first 100 days of Biden’s presidential term, Biden said he was exploring whether both his policy agenda and the trial could be on the Senate schedule at the same time.
    • Bloomberg reported that the Biden Transition was considering what it would take to remove the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mark Calabria, who was appointed in 2019 to a five-year term. It was not known whether Biden would have the authority to do so. “Any effort to oust Calabria probably wouldn’t be activated unless he starts to take drastic steps to change Fannie and Freddie’s status that the Biden administration would have difficulty reversing, such as trying to release the companies from federal control,” Bloomberg said.
    • Biden received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19.
  • January 8, 2021:
    • Ten House Republicans called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to not fast track Lloyd Austin’s waiver to serve as secretary of defense. They wrote, “We urge the waiver process to receive full time for deliberation, including committee hearings, a committee vote, and a recorded vote on the House floor.” The signers include Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
    • Trump said he would not attend Biden’s inauguration. The last president not to participate in his successor’s inauguration was Andrew Johnson in 1869. Vice President Mike Pence (R) said he would attend the event.
  • January 7, 2021:
    • The Senate Armed Services Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin on January 19. This was the first confirmation hearing scheduled by a Senate committee for a Biden nominee.
    • Biden announced three economic Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees:
      • Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) for secretary of commerce
      • Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for secretary of labor
      • Isabel Guzman for small business administrator
    • Congress convened a joint session on January 6 to count electoral votes by state and confirm the result of the presidential election. The proceedings were interrupted when supporters of President Donald Trump (R) breached the Capitol and the building went into lockdown. After the Capitol was secured, Congress reconvened after 8 p.m. ET to continue with the count. At 3:40 a.m. ET on January 7, Pence declared Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Click here to learn more about the proceedings, Capitol lockdown, and objections to the count.
    • Biden announced that federal judge Merrick Garland was his nominee for attorney general.
    • He also announced three other Department of Justice nominations:
      • Lisa Monaco, deputy attorney general
      • Vanita Gupta, associate attorney general
      • Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights
    • Biden reportedly selected Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) for secretary of commerce, according to New York Times reporter Jonathan Martin.
    • Biden reportedly selected Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) for secretary of labor, according to White House correspondent Tyler Pager.
  • January 6, 2021:
    • Operation Warp Speed leader Moncef Slaoui was expected to continue to work in the Biden administration as a consultant. He said, “I will continue to support as needed, I think we are getting close to the point where my value add is more limited and therefore I’ll expect my activity to decrease gradually after January 21.”
    • Biden was expected to name the National Security Agency’s director of cybersecurity, Anne Neuberger, to a newly created position on the National Security Council focused on cybersecurity.
  • January 5, 2021:
    • Fourteen Democratic senators sent a letter to Biden encouraging him to select former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) for U.S. attorney general. HuffPost described the signatories as mostly moderates.
    • Politico reported that Biden was expected to name Jon Finer as deputy national security adviser and Wendy R. Sherman as deputy secretary of state. Both Finer and Sherman worked with former Secretary of State John Kerry.
    • Biden announced White House staff appointments to the offices of the Cabinet Secretary, Political Strategy and Outreach, Public Engagement, and Management and Administration. None of these positions require Senate confirmation.
      • Evan Ryan, cabinet secretary
      • Cristóbal J. Alex, deputy cabinet secretary
      • Emmy Ruiz, director of political strategy and outreach
      • Erin Wilson, deputy director of political strategy and outreach
      • Adrian Saenz, deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement
      • Austin Lin, deputy director of technology
      • David Recordon, director of technology
    • HuffPost reported lawyer David Frederick, a partner at Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, was in consideration for solicitor general. He was an assistant to the solicitor general during the Clinton administration and considered for solicitor general by President Barack Obama (D).
  • January 4, 2021:
    • Axios reported Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) was again in consideration for a Cabinet position as secretary of commerce. In December, she publicly stated she would not be Biden’s nominee for secretary of health and human services.
    • Biden held a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday for the two Democratic candidates in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections.
  • January 2, 2021: Eleven Republican senators—Ted Cruz (Texas), Ron Johnson (Wis.), James Lankford (Okla.), Steve Daines (Mont.), John Kennedy (La.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Roger Marshall (Kan.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.)—announced that they would challenge electors from several states due to allegations of election fraud. They did not specify which states. Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) previously announced his objection.

2020

• December 2020 (click to collapse)

  • December 31, 2020: The Office of Government Ethics released financial disclosure statements from Cabinet nominees Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, and Avril Haines.
  • December 30, 2020:
    • Jen Psaki, the incoming White House press secretary, said that Biden would make more Cabinet announcements this week.
    • The Biden Transition announced additional White House staff appointments, including special assistants to the president and legislative affairs personnel. The transition team said in a statement that 100 White House staff appointments had been made before the end of the year.
    • The Biden Transition said that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was not fully cooperating with the transition. “OMB leadership's refusal to fully cooperate impairs our ability to identify opportunities to maximize the relief going out to Americans during the pandemic and it leaves us in the dark as it relates to COVID-related expenditures and critical gaps,” transition executive director Yohannes Abraham said.
    • OMB Director Russell Vought responded in a letter on December 31: “As the record shows, OMB has fully participated in appropriate transition efforts. What we have not done and will not do is use current OMB staff to write the [Biden Transition Team's] legislative policy proposals to dismantle this Administration's work. OMB staff are working on this Administration's policies and will do so until this Administration's final day in office.”
  • December 28, 2020:
    • Biden announced members of the White House Office of Digital Strategy. All 12 appointees worked on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign:
      • Brendan Cohen, platform manager
      • Rob Flaherty, director of digital strategy
      • Maha Ghandour, digital partnerships manager
      • Jonathan Hebert, video director
      • Jaime Lopez, director of platforms
      • Carahna Magwood, creative director
      • Abbey Pitzer, designer
      • Olivia Raisner, traveling content director
      • Rebecca Rinkevich, deputy director of digital strategy
      • Aisha Shah, partnerships manager
      • Christian Tom, deputy director of digital strategy
      • Cameron Trimble, director of digital engagement
    • Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D) received her first dose of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine.
    • Biden criticized the level of cooperation his team was receiving from certain agencies. He said, “We’ve encountered roadblocks from the political leadership in the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget. Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas.”
    • Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller (R) responded in a statement, “The Department of Defense has conducted 164 interviews with over 400 officials, and provided over 5,000 pages of documents – far more than initially requested by Biden’s transition team."
  • December 27, 2020: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said that the Cabinet should include progressive members. "What I have said many, many times is the progressive movement itself probably is 35 or 40 percent of the Democratic Coalition. And I believe that the progressive movement deserves seats in the Cabinet; that has not yet happened,” he said.
  • December 25, 2020: Three former federal prosecutors were reportedly still in consideration for attorney general: judge Merrick Garland, Sen. Doug Jones (Ala.), and former deputy attorney general Sally Yates.
  • December 23, 2020: Politico reported that Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D) was in top consideration for secretary of labor. California Labor Secretary Julie Su (supported by AAPI legislators) and former ambassador to South Africa Patrick Gaspard (supported by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC) were also potential nominees.
  • December 22, 2020:
    • Biden announced Miguel Cardona, the Connecticut commissioner of education, as his nominee for secretary of education.
    • Biden digital director Rob Flaherty said that Twitter would not automatically roll over followers of the @POTUS (33 million) and @WhiteHouse (26 million) accounts to the Biden administration. Those accounts would instead be archived under different names and the primary accounts reset to zero followers. In 2017, President Donald Trump (R) inherited outgoing President Barack Obama’s (D) 13 million followers under those account names. Twitter spokesman Nick Pacilio said Twitter was in “ongoing discussions with the Biden transition team on a number of aspects related to White House account transfers.”
    • Biden said the Pentagon was not briefing his transition team on the suspected Russian cyberattack and other national security issues. In a responding statement, a representative from the Pentagon directed Biden’s team to the Cyber Unified Coordination Group for such a briefing.
    • California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that state Secretary of State Alex Padilla would fill the vacancy left by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in the U.S. Senate for the remaining two years of her term.
  • December 21, 2020:
    • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) discussed the confirmation process for Biden’s nominees, saying, “They aren’t all going to pass on a voice vote, and they aren’t all going to make it, but I will put them on the floor.”
    • The Washington Post reported that Biden was expected to nominate Miguel Cardona, the commissioner of education in Connecticut, for secretary of education. Cardona accepted Biden’s offer, according to Axios. Former Howard University Dean Leslie Fenwick was also a finalist for the position.
    • The Food & Water Watch, which The New York Times described as a consumer and environmental watchdog group, and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) opposed Tom Vilsack's nomination for secretary of agriculture. “I think he’ll fold under pressure from the ag lobby, the subsidy lobby and big agriculture,” said EWG President Ken Cook. The National Farmers Union and Feeding America both backed Vilsack’s nomination.
    • Biden and his wife, Jill, were scheduled to publicly receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Delaware. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was expected to receive the vaccine the following week.
    • Harris was scheduled to campaign in Columbus, Georgia, with Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
  • December 20, 2020: Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said that he expected a Republican-controlled Senate to challenge Biden’s nominees. “[I]t's not going to be a garden party. If the Republicans are in the majority, these nominees are going to have to run the gauntlet,” he said.
  • December 18, 2020:
    • To manage the narrow Democratic majority in the U.S. House, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said that Biden would likely appoint Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) to his administration as a senior advisor before nominating other sitting members of Congress for Cabinet positions. This appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, would trigger a March special election in Louisiana. Clyburn said Biden would delay the nominations of Rep. Debra Haaland (D-N.M.) for interior secretary and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) for housing and urban development secretary until after this special election.
    • Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller temporarily halted Pentagon meetings with the Biden Transition, saying in a statement, “At no time has the Department cancelled or declined any interview. ... After the mutually-agreed upon holiday, which begins tomorrow, we will continue with the transition and rescheduled meetings from today.”
    • The Biden Transition said that they did not agree to such a holiday break. “In fact, we think it's important that briefings and other engagements continue during this period, as there's no time to spare,” said spokesman Yohannes Abraham.
  • December 17, 2020:
    • Biden announced six appointments, including three Cabinet-level appointments: Jennifer Granholm for secretary of energy, Debra Haaland for secretary of the interior, Michael Regan for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Brenda Mallory for chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, Gina McCarthy for national climate advisor, and Ali Zaidi for deputy national climate advisor.
    • Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Biden’s incoming director of the Office of Public Engagement, tested positive] for COVID-19. Biden representative Kate Bedingfield said Richmond was not in close contact with Biden, and would quarantine for two weeks and be tested twice before returning to work.
    • Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) announced he had requested the transition team remove his name from consideration for any remaining positions. Garcetti said he made the decision due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This is a time to lead, and not to leave,” he said.

  • December 16, 2020:
    • The New York Times reported Biden would select Brenda Mallory to head the Council on Environmental Quality. Mallory worked at the Environmental Protection Agency for 15 years before joining the Conservation Litigation Project and the Southern Environmental Law Center.
    • A member of Biden’s transition press corps tested positive for COVID-19. Biden’s office confirmed the individual traveled with Biden on Dec. 15 but was not in close contact with Biden as defined by the Centers for Disease Control.
    • CNN reported Biden would receive a COVID-19 vaccine publicly the week of Dec. 21. On Dec. 16, Biden told reporters, “I don't want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take. When I do it, I'll do it publicly, so you can all witness my getting it done.”

  • December 15, 2020:
    • Biden announced he had selected former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) as his nominee for secretary of transportation.
    • Axios reported that Biden was considering selecting a Republican or conservative, like former Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman, for secretary of commerce.
    • Biden reportedly selected Gina McCarthy as his senior advisor on climate change and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm for secretary of energy, according to The New York Times.
    • The Inauguration Committee announced that Biden and Harris would be sworn in on the steps of the Capitol. They called on Americans to remain home rather than travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the event in person.
    • Biden campaigned in Atlanta to support the Democratic candidates—Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock—in two runoff elections for Senate in Georgia. Following the general election in November, Republicans had 50 Senate seats to Democrats’ 48.
    • The Senate Finance Committee sent questionnaires to Janet Yellen (nominee for treasury secretary) and Xavier Becerra (nominee for health and human services secretary). The questionnaires were the beginning of their nomination processes.
  • December 14, 2020:
    • Biden won 306 electoral votes when Electoral College members met in each state and Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump (R) received 232 votes. There were no faithless electors.
    • Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he did not believe a Republican-controlled Senate would confirm Sally Yates for U.S. attorney general. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also questioned her chances if she were nominated.
    • New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said that he was not interested in serving as U.S. attorney general.
    • Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s pick for secretary of homeland security, received letters of support from the following law enforcement groups: Major County Sheriffs of America, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, the National Fusion Center Association, and the National Narcotic Officers' Associations' Coalition.
    • Biden was expected to name his picks for secretary of the interior and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the following days. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and former deputy Interior Secretary Michael Connor were in consideration for interior secretary, according to The Wall Street Journal.
  • December 13, 2020:
    • The Biden Transition confirmed that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms had been offered a Cabinet position but declined. They did not specify which office.
    • Michael Regan, secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, was in consideration for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Bloomberg.
    • CNN reported that former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg was being considered for secretary of transportation.
    • New York Daily News also reported that interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg and former city Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg were being vetted for the position.
  • December 10, 2020: Biden announced appointees for the following positions:
    • Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture
    • Marcia Fudge, secretary of housing and urban development
    • Denis McDonough, secretary of veterans affairs
    • Katherine Tai, U.S. trade representative
    • Susan Rice, director of the Domestic Policy Council
  • December 9, 2020:
    • Politico reported that the majority of Biden’s staff was working remotely rather than making use of space provided to them in the Commerce Department and the Pentagon following the General Service Administration’s ascertainment of the election. This decision was part of the transition’s COVID-19 protocol.
    • In a statement posted on the Biden Transition website, Hunter Biden said the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware was investigating his tax dealings. Joe Biden was not implicated in the investigation.
  • December 8, 2020:
    • Biden announced retired Gen. Lloyd Austin III as his nominee for secretary of defense. Biden also wrote an op-ed in The Atlantic about his selection.
    • Three Democratic senators said they would not support a waiver for Austin: Richard Blumenthal (Ct.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Jon Tester (Mont.).
    • Biden reportedly selected Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) for secretary of housing and urban development. NPR reported, “Biden chose Fudge because of her track record as both a mayor of a Cleveland suburb and a lawmaker championing affordable housing and urban revitalization, and her ideas for addressing poverty and issues of inequality through the department's programs.” Fudge’s district, Ohio's 11th, was rated Safe Democratic. House vacancies are filled by special elections.
    • Biden also reportedly picked former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) to serve as secretary of agriculture. Vilsack held this role during all eight years of the Obama administration. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that he approved of Vilsack’s tenure and “if he was in for another four years it’d be OK with me.”
    • Axios reported that former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) was in consideration for ambassador to China. They said that “initial conversations over leading the Department of Veterans Affairs didn’t firm up, while Buttigieg's name is still mentioned among those under consideration for other domestic posts, including Transportation or Commerce.”
  • December 7, 2020:
    • Biden reportedly selected retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin as his nominee for secretary of defense. If nominated, Austin would require a congressional waiver. Federal law prohibits a commissioned officer from filling this position if he or she is appointed within seven years of active duty. Austin would also be the first Black secretary of defense in U.S. history.
    • Biden announced appointees for key health and COVID-19-related positions in his administration.
      • Xavier Becerra, secretary of health and human services
      • Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general
      • Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
      • Marcella Nunez-Smith, chairwoman of the COVID-19 Equity Task Force
      • Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser on COVID-19 and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
      • Jeff Zients, coordinator of the COVID-19 response and counselor to the president
      • Natalie Quillian, deputy coordinator of the COVID-19 response
    • Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Reps. James Clyburn (S.C.), Cedric Richmond (La.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.) were announced as the co-chairs of Biden’s inaugural committee.
  • December 4, 2020: Politico reported that Lily Eskelsen García, the former president of the National Education Association, secured the support of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda for secretary of education and consulted with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a former secretary of education.
  • December 3, 2020:
    • The Washington Post reported that Biden chose Dr. Vivek Murthy for U.S. surgeon general. Murthy previously held the position in the Obama administration.
    • Biden said that he asked Dr. Anthony Fauci to remain in his administration as chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci confirmed on Dec. 4 that he had accepted the offer.
    • Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said that she was not taking a spot in Biden’s administration as secretary of health and human services. “My focus is right here in Rhode Island, as I have said. I’m working 24/7 to keep Rhode Islanders safe and keep our economy moving, and I have nothing else to add on that topic,” she said.
    • Bloomberg reported that New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declined an offer to join the Biden administration as secretary of the interior, preferring instead the post of secretary of health and human services. “The Biden team read that -- paired with the lack of Latina candidates for other cabinet-level posts -- as an effort to force their hand and soured on her candidacy, the person said,” Bloomberg continued.
  • December 2, 2020:
    • Politico reported that, in anticipation of Republican challenges in the Senate to their appointees, the Biden Transition was focusing on appointments for mid- and lower-level officials at agencies that do not require Senate confirmation.
    • The Washington Post identified former National Economic Council Director Jeff Zients and former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy as the top two contenders for a White House senior position focused on the administration’s pandemic response.
    • Politico reported that Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo was now favored to be secretary of health and human services over New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Murthy was also in consideration but “his candidacy for the HHS job has been dented by concerns over his lack of management experience,” according to Politico.
    • The New York Times reported that Biden did not plan to remove FBI Director Christopher Wray—appointed by Trump in 2017—if he was still in the post when Biden’s administration began. Biden was also considering former Deputy Director of the CIA David S. Cohen for the top spot at the CIA.
    • Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) said that he planned to challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress certified it on January 6, 2021. To initiate deliberation on the matter, a senator would also need to join the challenge.
    • Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recommended two Democratic Iowans for secretary of agriculture: former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Rep. Collin Peterson.
  • December 1, 2020:
    • Biden was reportedly considering Mustafa Santiago Ali, Cecilia Martinez, and Brenda Mallory to head the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
    • ABC News reported that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy (R) was expected to remain in office when the Biden administration took power because a president may not remove the postmaster general. Only the Postal Service’s governing board—composed of six Trump-appointed Republicans at the time of this story—may do so.
    • FT reported that Biden was considering creating an Asia tsar position on the National Security Council with an emphasis on U.S.-China relations.
    • Attorney General William Barr (R) said that the Department of Justice had not found any evidence of “fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.”

• November 2020 (click to collapse)

  November 2020

  • November 30, 2020:
    • Biden announced his appointees for top economic roles, including the secretary of the Treasury and the Cabinet-rank positions of director of the Office of Management and Budget and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.
      • Janet Yellen, secretary of the Treasury
      • Neera Tanden, director of the Office of Management and Budget
      • Cecilia Rouse, chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers
      • Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the Treasury
      • Jared Bernstein, member of the Council of Economic Advisers
      • Heather Boushey, member of the Council of Economic Advisers
    • CNN reported that Tanden could face difficulty being confirmed. Several Republican senators, including John Cornyn (Texas), Tom Cotton (Ark.), and Lindsey Graham (S.C.), either questioned her record or said she was unfit for the position.
    • Biden announced that Delaware State University President Tony Allen is leading the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
  • November 29, 2020:
    • Biden announced his appointees for top White House communications roles on Sunday. “For the first time in history, these communications roles will be filled entirely by women,” the Transition said in a statement.
      • Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director
      • Jen Psaki, White House press secretary
      • Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for the first lady
      • Ashley Etienne, communications director for the vice president
      • Karine Jean-Pierre, principal deputy press secretary
      • Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson for the vice president
      • Pili Tobar, deputy White House communications director
    • The New York Times reported that Tom Donilon, a former national security advisor during the Obama administration, declined to serve as CIA director because he did not want to return to government. Others in consideration for that post include Michael Morell, Sue Gordon, Vincent Stewart, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.), and Darrell Block.
  • November 28, 2020: Biden was injured while playing with his German shepherd Major, suffering hairline fractures in his right foot. NBC News reported he would likely have to wear a walking boot for several weeks.
  • November 26, 2020: Biden was expected to name an appointee to lead a new climate office or policy council similar to the Domestic Policy Council. This would be the second high-level climate position in Biden’s administration following the announcement of climate envoy designate John Kerry.
  • November 23, 2020:
    • The General Services Administration ascertained the results of the presidential election, identifying Biden as the apparent winner and allowing him access to resources and funding to help with the transition. GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said in a letter, "Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official—including those who work at the White House or GSA—with regard to the substance or timing of my decision."
    • Biden announced six leading members of his foreign policy and national security team. He said of his selections, “Their accomplishments in diplomacy are unmatched, but they also reflect the idea that we cannot meet the profound challenges of this new moment with old thinking and unchanged habits — or without diversity of background and perspective. It’s why I’ve selected them.”
      • Tony Blinken, secretary of state nominee
      • Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of homeland security nominee
      • Avril Haines, director of national intelligence nominee
      • Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations nominee
      • John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate
      • Jake Sullivan, national security advisor
  • November 22, 2020: Biden Transition senior adviser Jen Psaki said that the team preferred to use public pressure rather than legal action to encourage the General Services Administration to ascertain the election results and open up access to funding, background checks, and other resources.
  • November 20, 2020:
    • NPR reported that Obama’s final Supreme Court justice nominee, Merrick Garland, was in consideration for attorney general. The shortlist also included former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and Sen. Doug Jones (Ala.).
    • Biden and Harris met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) in Wilmington, Delaware.
    • Three Republican senators indicated they were willing to confirm Biden’s Cabinet nominees. Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) said that a “president ought to be able to pick his or her Cabinet barring someone who is out of the mainstream of either party.” Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) said she would give “great latitude” to the president. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) similarly said, “Our job, our role is to make sure that he selects folks that are … within the mainstream. And are good, qualified credible candidates. And if he does that, sure, I am going to work with him.”
    • Biden said that he had selected his nominee for secretary of the Treasury and would make an announcement the following week. Federal Reserve Board member Lael Brainard, former Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen, and former Federal Reserve Board member Roger Ferguson were on the shortlist, according to The New York Times.
  • November 19, 2020:
    • CNN reported that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel were in consideration for secretary of transportation.
    • Politico reported that the Biden Transition had raised more than $8 million to cover costs and payroll associated with the transition.
    • CBS News called Tony Blinken, Biden’s campaign adviser on global issues, the frontrunner for secretary of state.
    • Biden and Harris discussed the coronavirus pandemic response in a virtual meeting with the bipartisan National Governors Association’s executive committee.
  • November 18, 2020:
    • Biden hired former Obama White House communications director Jen Psaki to lead a team overseeing the Senate confirmation process for his nominees.
    • Politico reported that infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci was expected to continue his role in the Biden administration. They added that it was unclear whether Trump coronavirus coordinator Deborah Birx would be retained. Céline Gounder, a member of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory team, said, “It’s complicated. It’s almost like she herself has been politicized.”
    • The Hill reported the following officials were candidates to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): longtime BLM official Steve Ellis, Audubon Society lawyer Nada Culver, and former BLM director Neil Kornze.
  • November 17, 2020:
    • Biden announced nine members of his senior White House staff, including Jennifer O'Malley Dillon as deputy chief of staff, Cedric Richmond as senior advisor, and Steve Ricchetti as counselor to the president.
    • The Biden Transition was vetting Rep. Debra Haaland (D-N.M.) for secretary of the interior, according to The Hill. If selected, she would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary. Haaland’s district, New Mexico’s 1st, is rated Safe Democratic.
    • NPR reported that John Jones, a former chief of staff to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), was being considered for the position of director of the Office of Management and Budget. Jones also worked as an aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
    • Biden and Harris received a non-governmental national security briefing on Tuesday from diplomatic, intelligence, and defense experts. “The briefing is clearly part of the incoming administration's effort to pressure the General Services Administration to ascertain the election so that Biden can start receiving intelligence briefings,” NBC News reported.
  • November 16, 2020: The Biden Transition began reviewing potential judicial nominees, according to The Huffington Post.
  • November 15, 2020: According to data provided to CNN, 46% of Biden’s transition staff are people of color and 52% are women.
  • November 13, 2020:
    • Forty progressive groups—including MoveOn, Color of Change, and the Sunrise Movement—published a list of 400 recommended candidates for what they called "the most powerful positions nobody's ever heard of” in government.
    • Bloomberg reported that Gary Gensler, the former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and former U.S. attorney Preet Bharara were in consideration to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other potential candidates named in the article were former SEC commissioner Kara Stein, SEC commissioner Allison Lee, former Treasury official Michael Barr, Georgetown Law professor Chris Brummer, and former SEC commissioner Robert Jackson Jr.
    • Politico described Michèle Flournoy as the “consensus choice among establishment Washington” for secretary of defense. Flournoy was the undersecretary of defense during President Barack Obama’s first term in office.
    • Politico also reported that Biden was considering Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, for director of national intelligence. Maine is one of 37 states where Senate vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment until the next statewide general election. Maine Gov. Janet Mills is a Democrat.