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re: TRUMPS' Final PETTY Act to Pres Biden -He Cancelled White House Staff
Pres. Biden & V.P. Harris Inside Oval Office: Trumps' Art is Removed and "Tragic" Photo on Display
New president Joe Biden has taken care to distinguish himself from Donald Trump after moving into his new office, including the removal of a controversial portrait
Biden signs 10 executive orders as part of 'wartime' Covid plan. Executive orders target federal minimum wage and food insecurity
And will reverse Trump on climate, Iran, Covid and more..
Actions aim to help American families and workers struggling with economic toll of Covid-19
BBC News, 22 JAN 2021.
Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff (Image: Getty Images)
A photo illustration, named “That Little Girl Was Me,” of Vice President Kamala Harris walking alongside the shadow of civil rights trailblazer Ruby Bridges went viral after the announcement that the Biden campaign had won the 2020 presidential election. It was created by an artist working with the Sacramento-based company Good Trubble.
Two orders will increase food aid and expand protections for federal workers.
Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, said the orders would "provide a critical lifeline" to millions of families.
It comes a day after the new US president signed a raft of orders to boost the fight against coronavirus.
This included expanding testing and accelerating vaccine distribution.
Mr Biden said it would take months to defeat the pandemic but America would "get through this" if people stood together.
The Trump administration was widely accused of failing to get to grips with the pandemic.
The US has recorded the highest coronavirus death toll of any country in the world, with more than 410,000 fatalities, according to data collated by Johns Hopkins University. It has recorded more than 24.6 million cases.
What Will The Two Orders Do?
Mr Biden plans to sign the two executive orders on Friday.
The first increases food aid for children who rely on school meals as a main source for nutrition, but are unable to access them because of remote learning.
It also creates a guarantee that workers can access unemployment benefits if they refuse a job on the grounds that it could jeopardise their health.
The second is aimed at expanding protections for federal workers, by restoring collective bargaining rights and promoting a $15 (£11) hourly minimum wage.
Mr Deese said the orders were "not a substitute" for a $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that Mr Biden wants Congress to path, but an essential lifeline for people who need immediate assistance.
The American people cannot afford to wait," he told reporters. "So many are hanging by a thread. They need help, and we're committed to doing everything we can to provide that help as quickly as possible."
What Else Has Biden Done?
The day after taking office, Mr Biden signed 10 executive orders as part of a sweeping "wartime" Covid action plan.
This included increasing vaccinations and testing, and expanding the production of essential equipment.
Mr Biden said that the "bold practical steps" that he was taking would not come cheaply.
"Let me be clear - things will continue to get worse before they get better," he said, adding that he expected the number of dead to top half a million by next month.
"This is a wartime undertaking," he said, repeating that more Americans had already died in the pandemic than in the whole of World War Two.
He mentioned the vaccine, saying that its rollout had been a "dismal failure so far", and described his plan for 100 million jabs in his first 100 days in office as "one of the greatest operational challenges our nation has ever taken on".
But when challenged by a reporter who suggested the target might be too low, he snapped back: "When I announced it you all said that it's not possible. Come on. Give me a break, man."
Mr Biden also promised to be transparent about setbacks, and allow scientists to work free from political interference.
"I'm convinced the American people are ready to spare no effort to get this done," he concluded. "We can do this if we stand together."
Later chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci spoke about the vaccine rollout, saying the Biden administration was "amplifying" the programme that was already there.
If, as hoped, 70-85% of the population was vaccinated by the end of summer, there would be "a degree of normality" by autumn, he said.
Dr Fauci said his main concern was persuading people who were sceptical about the vaccine to take it.
He added that the administration was in talks with manufacturers to produce more vaccine, amid reports of supply problems. Some regional officials say they have run out of available vaccine.
The global outbreak in graphics
About 16.5 million shots have been administered so far.
The chief medical adviser, who served under Trump, also welcomed the new administration's emphasis on science.
"The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know and what the evidence, what the science is... it is something of a liberating feeling," Dr Fauci said, whereas under Mr Trump, "you didn't feel that you could actually say something and there wouldn't be any repercussions".
What is Biden's Covid Plan?
The new administration has released a seven-point plan which includes efforts to facilitate effective distribution of vaccines and reliable access to testing.
The Trump administration had been criticised for a lack of strategy at the federal level.
"The American people deserve an urgent, robust and professional response to the growing public health and economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak," an introduction to the plan said.
It said Mr Biden believed the government "must act swiftly and aggressively to help protect and support" essential workers and the most vulnerable.
Although executive orders do not require congressional approval, much of the funding for the planned measures is contained in the $1.9tn stimulus package announced by Mr Biden last week.
He will need co-operation from the Senate and House of Representatives for the package to be adopted smoothly.
The aim is to reopen most schools safely within 100 days, and establish vaccine centres at stadiums and community facilities.
International travellers will need to test negative before departing for the US and self-quarantine for 14 days on arrival.
On top of the already announced rules on wearing masks and social distancing on all federal government property, face coverings will become mandatory in airports and on many planes, trains and buses.
There will be more funding for state and local officials to help tackle the pandemic, and a new office will be established to co-ordinate the national response.
The Defense Production Act will be used to speed up production of personal protective equipment and essential supplies needed for vaccine production. Mr Trump used the same piece of legislation to compel the production of items in short supply last year.
In a further break with the previous administration, Dr Fauci said the US would join the Covax scheme designed to deliver Covid vaccines to poor countries.
Speaking by video call to the World Health Organization in Geneva, he also stressed that the US would continue to provide funding for the WHO, in line with Mr Biden's move to reverse Mr Trump's decision to leave.
MORE: What Kamala Harris did on her first day
Trump's Art Removed and "Tragic" Photo on Display...
The world got its first glimpse of newly-elected President Joe Biden's Oval Office last night.
The office - where major decisions will be made for the next four year - has undergone a transformation since Donald Trump exited the building.
Every new leader gets to have their say before moving in on what art they will display, what furniture they will use and even what shade the curtains are.
Here's how Joe Biden has chosen to decorate the Oval Office.
Snub to Trump
Famously, Trump was a big Diet Coke drinker, who reportedly could summon staff to bring him a soda in his office at the touch of the button.
But Biden has opted for a cup and saucer - and yesterday had a box of pens, as he prepared to sign several executive orders, some of which reversed Trump's most controversial decisions.
Trump was previously mocked for using Sharpie markers to sign official documents.
A touching set of family photos on display
On display behind the President, the sweet set of photographs show off Biden's sprawling family.
Many of them accompanied him to Washington for the inauguration.
On Twitter, many people were touched to see a large photo of Biden and his late son, Beau, who died in 2015 aged 46.
Meanwhile, a bust of Latino civil rights leader Cesar Chavez has been installed - on the same day, Biden proposed new immigration legislation offering protection to undocumented farmworkers.
There are said to be busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy as well as Rosa Parks and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Artwork
A portrait of Andrew Jackson, installed by Trump, has been replaced.
The seventh President of the United States signed the Indian Removal Act in the Oval Office in 1830.
The portrait previously sparked anger
The legislation led to the "Trail of Tears" which saw 100,000 Native Americans forcibly relocated from their ancestral homelands, which saw thousands of people die from disease, starvation and exposure.
He was set to be replaced on the $20 dollar bill by abolitionist Harriet Tubman, but the redesign was delayed by Trump.
Trump was criticised in 2017 for holding an event in the Oval Office to honour Navajo veterans while standing in front of the portrait.
It has now been replaced by a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of American's founding fathers, and is meant to highlight Biden's interest in science, along with a nearby moon rock.
Interior design
Not everything has been changed - as Biden has kept the Resolute Desk, which has been used by Trump and several previous presidents.
But a blue rug and darker gold curtains have been installed - which were previously seen in the office during Clinton's era.
The story of Trump's last day and Biden's inauguration - BBC News...
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