Three things for January 19
1. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris formally resigns her Senate seat
Two days before she and President-elect Joe Biden are to be inaugurated, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris formally submitted her letter of resignation from the U.S. Senate.
Harris will give no farewell Senate floor speech according to AP News. The Senate is not scheduled to reconvene until Tuesday, the eve of Inauguration Day.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has confirmed he was aware of Harris’ decision, clearing the way for him to appoint fellow Democrat Alex Padilla, now California’s secretary of state, to serve the final two years of Harris’ term.
Padilla will be the first Latino senator from California, where about 40% of residents are Hispanic.
The wins by Democrat Jon Ossoff and Democrat Raphael Warnock in Georgia ensured a 50-50 Senate; however, Ossoff and Warnock cannot join the chamber until Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certifies the final vote tally.
2. Biden indicates plans to cancel Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day in office
On Sunday, sources confirmed to CBC News that U.S. president-elect Joe Biden has indicated plans to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day in office.
The Keystone XL pipeline was originally proposed in 2008 and was criticized by citizen protests and various conflicting legislative for seven years. In 2015, President Obama vetoed the pipeline. He acknowledged the oil pipeline’s threats to ecosystems, drinking water sources and public health.
Immediately after taking office in 2017, President Trump reversed course on Obama’s pledge. In January 2017, he signed an executive order to advance Keystone XL.
The news of Biden’s choice to cancel the permit comes in direct opposition to the Canadian government. The Canadian government supports the Keystone XL project, as the pipeline has been under construction for months in Canada.
3. 22-year-old woman handpicked to read a poem at Biden’s inauguration
Amanda Gorman, 22, has been handpicked by Jill Biden to read a poem at President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Gorman became the youth poet laureate of Los Angeles at age 16 in 2014 and the first national youth poet laureate three years later. Incoming First Lady Jill Biden, a fan of Gorman’s work, convinced the inaugural committee that she would be a perfect fit, reports the Los Angeles Times.
On Wednesday, Gorman will become the youngest poet to recite her work at a presidential inauguration, following in the experienced footsteps of Maya Angelou and Robert Frost.
Gorman, who has performed in front of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai, has struggled for years with her confidence as a public speaker. In fact, like her predecessor Angelou and the president-elect Joe Biden, she grapples with a speech impediment.
“I don’t look at my disability as a weakness. It’s made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be,” said Gorman.
Tune in for the 59th Presidential Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Wednesday, Jan. 20. The events of Inauguration day will be available for streaming on the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s website.
