Biden Administration

Politico reports: States, airlines and tech companies are pressuring the Biden administration to develop a federal standard for vaccine passports — a policy that could speed the economic recovery but might also discriminate against disadvantaged groups and jeopardize privacy. Digital credentials showing proof of a person’s Covid-19 test results and vaccination status are rapidly being embraced as a tool to …

NPR reports: Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history. The Senate voted 51-40 Monday to confirm the Democratic Congresswoman to lead the Interior Department, an agency that will play a crucial role in the Biden administration’s ambitious efforts to combat climate change and conserve nature. Republican lawmakers …

STAT News reports: The White House will soon unveil a wide-reaching, $1.5 billion public relations campaign aimed at boosting vaccine confidence and uptake across the U.S., Biden administration aides told STAT. This television, radio, and digital advertising blitz, set to kick off within weeks, will focus on Americans outright skeptical of vaccines’ safety or effectiveness as well as those who …

The Washington Post reports: President Biden has tapped Gene Sperling, a longtime Democratic economic policy expert, to oversee the implementation of his $1.9 trillion stimulus package, according to people familiar with the matter. Sperling’s position could be announced as soon as Monday, when Biden delivers remarks on implementing the relief, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of …

The Associated Press reports: The Biden administration is turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help managing and caring for record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children who are streaming into the United States by illegally crossing the border with Mexico. FEMA will support a governmentwide effort over the next three months to safely receive, shelter and transfer minor children …

CNBC reports: The United States on Friday topped 100 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 35 million people have been fully vaccinated, accounting for 13.5% of the adult U.S. population, according to the CDC. Over 65.9 million people have received at least one shot of the two-dose regimens, the …

The Hill reports: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Thursday said he will vote to confirm Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services. Manchin’s support will likely give Democrats the necessary votes for confirmation, after the Senate Finance Committee deadlocked on advancing President Biden’s nominee to lead the health agency. It is unclear if any GOP senators will vote …

CNN reports: The Senate voted to confirm Michael Regan as President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday, where he’ll join an administration that has pledged aggressive action on tackling the climate crisis. With a bipartisan confirmation vote of 66 to 34, Regan will become the first Black man to lead the EPA in the agency’s …

CBS News reports: The Senate is expected to confirm Judge Merrick Garland as attorney general on Wednesday, five years after he was blocked from consideration as former President Barack Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Garland’s nomination is expected to be approved with bipartisan support. The Senate Judiciary Committee last week advanced his nomination with a vote of 15 to …

Spectrum News reports: The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the first Black woman to lead the department in decades. The final vote was 66-34. Notable GOP support included Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, who announced this week he is not seeking reelection, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, …

The Washington Post reports: President Biden intends to announce Wednesday that his administration will secure an additional 100 million doses of the single-shot vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson, according to two officials familiar with the matter. He is expected to preview the plans at a Wednesday meeting with executives from Johnson & Johnson and Merck, just over a week …

CNN reports: The White House has rehung the official presidential portraits of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton after they were removed last July during the Trump administration, an official tells CNN. They are back on display in the Grand Foyer of the executive mansion, the official said. The portraits were removed last July and were replaced by …

The Associated Press reports: The Biden administration on Monday reversed a policy imposed under former President Donald Trump that drastically weakened the government’s power to enforce a century-old law that protects most U.S. bird species. Trump ended criminal prosecutions against companies responsible for bird deaths that could have been prevented. The move halted enforcement practices under the Migratory Bird Treaty …

NPR reports: President Biden will mark International Women’s Day on Monday by signing two executive orders geared toward promoting gender equity, both in the United States and around the world. The first executive order will establish a Gender Policy Council within the White House, reformulating an office from the Obama administration that was later disbanded by former President Donald Trump, …

ABC News reports: A key Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination of New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland to be interior secretary, clearing the way for a Senate vote that is likely to make her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved Haaland’s nomination, 11-9, sending it to the Senate …

CNN reports: The White House is pulling the nomination of Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget, according to an administration official. In a statement, President Joe Biden said Tanden requested to withdraw her name from consideration. “I have accepted Neera Tanden’s request to withdraw her name from nomination for Director of the Office of Management and …

Axios reports: The Senate voted 84-15 on Tuesday to confirm Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to lead the Commerce Department. The agency promotes U.S. industry, oversees the Census Bureau, plays a key role in the government’s study of climate change through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and evaluates emerging technology through the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Raimondo, …

USA Today reports: The Senate confirmed Miguel Cardona as President Joe Biden’s education secretary Monday. Cardona, confirmed in a 64-33 vote, will oversee an Education Department that employs thousands and has an annual budget of more than $60 billion. He would also oversee the agency’s $1.5 trillion student loan portfolio. He takes the helm of American schooling at a fraught …

CNBC reports: The Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to be attorney general to the full Senate, paving the way for his confirmation to head the Department of Justice. The bipartisan vote was 15-7. A full Senate vote has not been scheduled but could come early this week. Garland’s hearings before the committee last …

Axios reports: Just over 2.4 million coronavirus vaccinations were reported to the CDC on Sunday, matching Saturday’s record-high for inoculations as seen in Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker. Why it matters: Vaccinations are ramping up again after widespread delays caused by historic winter storms. Over 75 million vaccine doses have been administered thus far, with 7.5% of the population fully vaccinated and …