President-elect Joe Biden
Joe BidenAzar in a farewell letter says riot on Capitol Hill threatens to tarnish administration achievements House Democrats introduce measures to oppose Trump’s sale of bombs to Saudis On The Money: Retail sales fall at the last sign of weakening the economy | Fast-food workers strike for minimum wage | US officials raise concerns about Mexico’s handling of energy licenses MORE will launch members of its science team on Saturday as it seeks to fill its administration and tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden will introduce Eric Lander, his nominee for director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and designated presidential scientific adviser; Alondra Nelson, your choice for deputy director of science and society at OSTP; and Frances Arnold and Maria Zuber, their choices for co-chairs of the President’s Council of Science and Technology Consultants.
Biden also said he will retain Francis Collins, the current director of the National Institutes of Health, in his current role.
“This deeply respected group of diverse and eminently qualified scientists will bring together the strength of science to drive significant progress in people’s lives. They will help the Biden-Harris administration tackle some of the biggest crises and challenges of our time, from climate change and the impact of technology on society to pandemics, racial inequality and the current historic economic crisis, ”said the Biden transition team. in a press release.
The launch comes as Biden unveils his plan to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic.
Biden on Friday detailed a $ 20 billion vaccination effort that would increase the size of the federal government’s response and is part of a broader $ 415 billion plan focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In fact, we continue in a very bleak winter,” said Biden on Friday, noting that the country is rapidly approaching 400,000 deaths. “The launch of the vaccine in the United States has been a terrible failure so far.”
Biden promised to administer 100 million vaccines in his first 100 days and use federal resources, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to launch new mass vaccination sites. The administration also plans to expand state and local immunization efforts across the country, including pharmacies and community health centers.
In total, Biden plans to distribute $ 1.9 trillion to support coronavirus vaccination efforts, help reopen schools, provide critical aid to workers and small businesses, tackle the hunger crisis and send funds to state and local governments.
Biden’s science team has extensive experience in several fields. Lander, for example, is a leading researcher in mapping the human genome, and Arnold won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018.