Biden Pushing Congress To Kick Start Stimulus Negotiations

Politico: Biden Wades Into Coronavirus Relief Fight
As the pandemic worsens and the U.S. economy teeters on the edge of another downturn, President-elect Joe Biden is ramping up calls for Congress to pass another coronavirus relief bill before he’s sworn in. At the same time, he’s aligned himself with Democratic leaders in Congress, who have insisted on roughly $2 trillion in new relief spending — a price tag Senate Republicans so far have refused to accept. If Biden maintains a unified front with Hill Democrats rather than throwing his weight behind a smaller package, it's unlikely the two parties will be able to reach a deal before the year is out. (Cassella, Meyer and White, 11/21)

The New York Times: Biden Team, Pushing Quick Stimulus Deal, Prepares For Renewed Recession 
Advisers to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. are planning for the increasing likelihood that the United States economy is headed for a “double-dip” recession early next year. They are pushing for Democratic leaders in Congress to reach a quick stimulus deal with Senate Republicans, even if it falls short of the larger package Democrats have been seeking, according to people familiar with the discussions. Until now, Mr. Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, have insisted that Republicans agree to a spending bill of $2 trillion or more, while Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, wants a much smaller package. The resulting impasse has threatened to delay additional economic aid until after Mr. Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. (Tankersley and Cochrane, 11/22)

In other news about President-elect Joe Biden's transition —

CNBC: Trump Covid Vaccine Chief Has Had ‘No Contact’ With Biden Transition Team
Operation Warp Speed chief advisor Dr. Moncef Slaoui acknowledged on Sunday that has had “no contact” with the incoming Biden administration regarding the transition process and vaccine distribution plans. Since President-elect Joe Biden won the election, President Donald Trump has refused to concede and his campaign has challenged the results of the election in court. (Locke, 11/22)

Politico: Biden To Spotlight CDC Officials Shunned By Trump
President-elect Joe Biden is putting scientists in charge and back on the stage to restore trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The plans include immediately reviving regular media briefings and giving a central role to long-sidelined career officials including Nancy Messonnier, the public health official who first warned of the “severe” impact of the Covid-19 back in February. (Ollstein and Cancryn, 11/23)

Stat: Democrats Want Biden To Keep Trump’s Last-Minute Drug Pricing Reform
President-elect Joe Biden has already pledged to dismantle a number of Trump-era policies and regulations. Democratic advisers, however, say he’d be wise to keep one of the slapdash drug pricing reforms that Trump touted during a White House briefing Friday. (Florko and Facher, 11/20)

KHN: What Biden Can Do To Combat COVID Right Now
When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, the country was in the midst of a dire economic crisis. Twelve years later, his vice president, Joe Biden, has been elected president in the midst of a dire economic crisis and a worldwide, worsening coronavirus pandemic. In 2008, Obama’s team and that of outgoing President George W. Bush worked together to allow the new administration to be as prepared as possible on Jan. 20, 2009. That’s not happening for Biden, as President Donald Trump continues to fight the election results and block the official transition. (Rovner, 11/23)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Transition Troubles Mount As COVID Spreads
President-elect Joe Biden is still being blocked from launching his official transition while President Donald Trump contests the outcome of the election. That could be particularly dangerous for public health as COVID-19 spreads around the country at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, a second vaccine to prevent COVID — the one made by Moderna — is showing excellent results of its early trials. And unlike the one made by Pfizer, Moderna’s vaccine does not need to be kept ultra-cold, which could ease distribution. (11/20)

Also —

USA Today: Joe Biden Inauguration Amid Pandemic Will Be A Scaled-Down Affair
Donald Trump is still trying to sow doubts about the election results, but planning already has begun for inaugural ceremonies in which Joe Biden is expected to officially become the nation’s 46th president. But while planners of past presidential inaugurations have had to resolve complex issues like how to handle crowd control and security matters, organizers of the Jan. 20 ceremony are confronting an unprecedented challenge: How do you safely stage a presidential inauguration in the middle of a deadly pandemic? (Collins, 11/21)

Reuters: Biden Inauguration Will Be Scaled Down Amid COVID, Aide Says
“I think it’s going to definitely have to be changed,” incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said. “Obviously, this is not going to be the same kind of inauguration we had in the past.” The Democratic president-elect was attacked repeatedly by Republican President Donald Trump for wearing masks and practicing other COVID mitigation measures during the campaign for the White House. (11/22)