November 30, 2020
This is going to be very quick tonight because our power is out and we’re operating on a generator. Apologies in advance for typos and lack of elegance….
The coronavirus pandemic is ravaging America while the president and his administration are offering no government help or protection for Americans. In November, U.S. coronavirus infections have topped 4 million, more than doubling the cases we suffered in October. More than 170,000 people a day are testing positive for the virus. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and expers worry that numbers are going to move much higher, quickly. In its focus on private enterprise, the administration has turned its back on the government expertise that has protected us from previous epidemics.
Amidst the pandemic, there is hope today. Moderna has applied for authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine. Moderna’s vaccine is 94.1% effective and 100% effective at preventing severe effects of the disease. Pfizer applied for a permit on November 20 with similar trial results. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review their applications in December.
Today all of the six states whose election results Trump was contesting certified their votes for Joe Biden. Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are all in Biden’s column.
Meanwhile, Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris are demonstrating that their administration is going to be very different than Trump’s, returning to traditional institutions and expertise.
Quite a small thing tipped their hand yesterday. After the previous administration, when Trump’s hand-picked doctors offered exaggerated assurances that Trump was unnaturally healthy, Biden’s doctors were simply transparent yesterday when Biden tripped playing with his dog and fractured his foot. It was all very… normal.
Facing the need to get his nominees through a Senate that could well be controlled by Republicans-- meaning that Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has made it his signature to stop Democrats from accomplishing anything, could remain Senate Majority Leader-- Biden has opted to nominate exceedingly well qualified centrist candidates for key positions in his administration. This is frustrating to progressives, but the people he is tapping are institutionalists who will restore the contours of the government that crumbled under Trump.
For all their moderation, though, Biden’s appointees are a major reworking of the government simply by virtue of who they are. Since the Democratic Party organized around President Andrew Jackson in the 1830s, its leaders have argued—sometimes with principles, sometimes without—that a democratic government by definition must reflect the people it governs. Unless the government looks like the nation’s people, early Democrats theorized, it will never properly understand what the people it governs need.
Biden has filled vital positions with extraordinarily qualified women and people of color. His nominees include Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary and Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. Adeyemo will be the first Black Deputy Treasury Secretary. Biden has chosen Alejandro Mayorkas for Secretary of Homeland Security—the first Latino and migrant in that position—and Avril Haines to be the Director of National Intelligence. She would be the first woman in that role. He has tapped Dr. Cecilia Rouse to chair the Council of Economic Advisors; she will be the first woman of color in that position. He has offered the position of Director of the Office of Management and Budget to Neera Tanden, who would be the first woman of color and first south Asian American in that position.
Biden appears to be recovering the structure and stability of our government while also enabling it to reflect our nation more accurately than it ever has before.
—-
Notes:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/23/joe-biden-picks-cabinet-foreign-policy-national-security
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/health/moderna-vaccine-fda-eua-application/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/politics/historic-firsts-biden-administration/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/28/world/covid-19-coronavirus
Heather What about “priority recognition” by the VP bypassing McConnell? I am re-posting a comment made by Joan Friedman who said we could share this information. It would seem foolhardy not to use this opening out of nicey niceness when so much is at stake and vulnerable for beneficial legislation to be squelched let alone brought before congress. No? Joan FriedmanNov 21
There will be a way to break McConnell's chokehold even if the Republicans maintain a Senate majority. To quote a post on FB by Linda Brown: "Even if the Democrats don’t win control of the Senate, there is a legal, Constitutional way to strip Mitch McConnell of his power for good: priority recognition.
According to Article I, Section 3, Clause 4 of the Constitution, the Vice President is also the President of the Senate. The Majority Leader is not a position that exists anywhere in the Constitution. The reason that the Majority Leader has near-dictatorial powers to control floor votes is because of a tradition that dates back to 1937. The tradition is that the Vice President gives the floor leaders priority recognition. Most notably, this is not a rule in the Senate.
As President of the Senate, Vice President Harris could give any senator priority recognition. That senator could then decide on all legislation that is brought before the entire Senate. Even with a minority in the Senate, Vice President Harris could simply give Chuck Schumer priority recognition. He could decide what is voted on and what isn’t.
This would change everything. Without Mitch McConnell to hide behind, the moderate Republican Senators would be forced to vote down every Cabinet member, bill, resolution, everything that Harris would want done. Without McConnell, anything even remotely popular with at least two senators would pass. Including getting a cabinet assembled.
I see some debate as to what the Senate rules do and due not permit. I encourage everyone to read this article on the actual written rules and why the Majority Leader is so powerful today. It should be noted, however, unlike the House of Representatives, a large part of the Senate rules is tradition. As Mitch McConnell will gladly tell you, tradition is not written rule.
Also, This wouldn’t be the first time Schumer has done something like this. And yes, while there’s the possibility of rule changes, they cannot change the Constitution. At the end of the day, Madame Vice President Harris is President of the Senate. Period. Not Mitch McConnell."
Ms.Brown is correct - this chokehold stands on a mere custom introduced in 1937. https://www.senate.gov/reference/Sessions/Traditions/Priority_recognition.htm
Given the past, present and clearly intended future abuse of this custom by McC, VP Harris would be wise to adopt a different custom.
There couldn't be a better pick for Secretary of Treasury than Janet Yellen. She has done research and papers on poverty, on the gender wage gap, on income disparity and policy responses, and importance of trade liberalization. And this position will give her the Triple Crown of Economics. If she could put in place policies that will stop and reverse income disparity I will be a very happy camper!