Democrats formally regained control of the Senate this week, following the inauguration of Georgia lawmakers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who won the elections in the second round in January.
But its majority is meager (they are tied at 50 votes with the Republicans, although the vice president, Kamala Harris, is a tiebreaker), which can seriously influence the margin of maneuver of the president, Joe Biden.
In any case, that advantage can be decisive in the many vital tasks that lie ahead, from the confirmation of the members of the new administration to the impeachment of former President Donald Trump or the approval of the new economic stimulus package proposal. against the $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus crisis, about which both Republican and Democratic senators have already raised doubts.
Before Biden took office, his advisers were in contact with Republican lawmakers to get swift approval of the economic bailout plan proposed by the new Administration a few days ago.
This, according to the informative website Politico, did not like many Democrats.
[Diverse and with experienced leaders: this is what the Cabinet of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris looks like]
In the House of Representatives, meanwhile, a more limited proposal is brewing that includes
stimulus checks of $ 1,400
and aid for the rapid distribution of vaccines, in case the stimulus package of 1.9 billion does not achieve endorsement. of the Senate.
Cabinet confirmation
Biden took office Wednesday without any of his Cabinet agencies being led by secretaries he trusted, confirmed by the Senate.
In anticipation of this delay, the transition team appointed the heads of the main government agencies on a provisional basis.
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Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that
the Senate's priority is to confirm
Biden's
Cabinet nominees
.
He added that it is of utmost importance to have a national security team as soon as possible, as well as key officials to respond to the economic and health crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Pete Buttigieg, nominated for Secretary of Transportation, attended a hearing Thursday before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for his confirmation in office.
Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, would be the
first openly LGBTQ Cabinet member.
The same happened with Lloyd J. Austin III, for whom Congress approved a special exemption this Thursday that will allow him to assume the position of Secretary of Defense if validated by the Senate.
For this Friday the Finance Committee is expected to hold a meeting on the nomination of
Janet L. Yellen
, who, if confirmed by the Senate, will be the Secretary of the Treasury.
Avril Haines was confirmed this Wednesday as director of National Intelligence.
He is the first Joe Biden Cabinet official to be approved by the Upper House.
“We appreciate the bipartisan cooperation in getting his confirmation.
We should continue in that spirit, ”said Schumer.
Due to
objections from Republicans
, four other confirmations were still pending Wednesday: Yellen and Austin;
and Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of National Security;
and Anthony Blinken as secretary of state.
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Impeachment Against Trump
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, reported this Thursday that she
will send the indictment of Trump
for "incitement to insurrection"
to the Senate "soon
", without specifying an approximate date.
For the past few days, those responsible for
impeachment
have been working on their arguments and on how to present their case.
Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is leaning toward giving Trump's legal team three weeks to similarly prepare his defense, delaying impeachment until February or March.
[What does Trump's letter to Biden say in the White House and how leaving one for his successor became a tradition in the US]
There is a small group of Republicans who find it necessary to hold Trump accountable for his incitement in the violent events that occurred on January 6 on Capitol Hill.
But others avoid condemning his actions, arguing that going ahead with the trial would be damaging and would further divide the country.
“The president committed an act of incitement to insurrection.
I don't think it's very unifying that we forget it and move on.
This is not how it is unified
, "Pelosi said at a press conference.
With information from
CNN, The Washintong Post, Politico and The Wall Street Journal.