Three things for January 20
1. Biden’s cabinet nominees face confirmation hearings
Confirmation hearings began Tuesday for several of President Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees.
Five nominees, including Janet Yellen — the nominee for treasury secretary — and Alejandro Mayorkas — the nominee for homeland security secretary — appeared before the Senate committee on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
In her hearing, Yellen emphasized the need for congressional support for the Americans struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The damage has been sweeping and, as the president-elect said last Thursday, our response must be too,” said Yellen according to NBC News.
Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Mayorkas vowed to turn the Department of Homeland Security’s attention to white supremacist threats.
“The threat of domestic extremism is one of the greatest challenges DHS confronts,” said Mayorkas, who will become the first Latino to lead the agency if confirmed.
The five nominees — Yellen, Mayorkas, Avril Haines, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin — await approval before they can assume their positions.
2. US COVID death toll passes 400,000
The total COVID-19 death count rose to over 400,000 exactly a year after the first confirmed COVID case hit the U.S.
According to data gathered by The New York Times, Jan. 12 was the deadliest day for the Coronavirus as 4,400 deaths were reported. As of Monday, Jan. 18, Arizona, California, South Carolina, New York and Oklahoma take the lead on the most new cases announced per capita.
CNN Health reports more Americans have died from Coronavirus than U.S. soldier deaths in World War I, the Vietnam War and Korean War combined. The country also accounts for the most confirmed COVID cases, with a total of 23,819,290 cases as of Jan. 17, 2021.
Around the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool, 400 lights were lit Tuesday evening to honor the 400,000 people in the U.S. who have died from COVID-19. Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the memorial.
3. Trump delivers farewell address ahead of Biden’s inauguration
In a prerecorded farewell address, President Donald Trump talked about his record on the economy and foreign policy while failing to mention in detail the breach of the Capitol or his successor Joe Biden.
Trump’s nearly 20-minute speech, taped on Monday, framed his departure from the White House as a natural end to his four years of successfully delivered promises.
“We did what we came here to do — and so much more,” Trump said in the address. “This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck — a very important word.”
Unlike past presidents’ farewell speeches, Trump’s address makes no specific mention of his successor.
“All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated,” Trump said in the speech — the only mention of the breach.
Trump has denied any responsibility for the invasion though many in the Senate have blamed him for inciting the violence.
Trump was impeached for a second time last week. According to Senate rules, a trial should begin the day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivers the articles of impeachment to the Senate. The word from her office about when that delivery will be made is “soon.”
