President elect biden good afternoon. Today, im very proud to be announcing our health care and covid team at a critical time, as we near the end of one of the toughest years weve faced as a nation. More than 285,000 dead americans because of covid19, and counting. Last week, covid19 was the number one cause of death in america. Of covid19 and counting. Last week, covid19 was the number one cause of death in america. For black, latino and native americans, were nearly three times as likely to die from it, covid19 is a mass causality. For families and friends left behind, its a gaping hole in your heart that never will be fully healed. As a country, weve been living with this pandemic for so long, were at risk of becoming numb to its toll on all of us. Were resigned to feel that theres nothing we can do. And we cant trust one another. That we must accept death, pain and sorrow. Were in the midst of this deadly pandemic that has infected almost 15 million americans. 1 out of every 22 people in our country often with devastating consequences to their health. At this very moment, what is the Outgoing Administration asking the Supreme Court to do in the United StatesSupreme Court . To repeal the entirety of the Affordable Care act when we need it most. A law thats on the front lines against the pandemic. Protects more than 100 million americans which will increase now including those with lung scarring and heart damage as a consequence of covid19. It provides coverage for more than 20 million americans who get the care they need if theyre showing symptoms of covid19. The law that fulfills our moral obligation here in america, health care is a right for all. Not a privilege for a few. But as all of you know, i know out of our collective pain, were going to find a collective purpose to control the pandemic, to save lives and to heal as a nation. Today im pleased to announce a team that is going to do just that. Its a team of worldclass experts at the top of their fields, crisis tested, defined by a deep sense of duty, honor and patriotism. Already, ready to jump in. Theyve been advising me for a long time and theyre going to be ready on day one to spare not a single effort to get this pandemic under control. So we can get back to work. Get back to our lives. Get back to our loved ones. Theyll lead the covid19 response across the government to accelerate testing, fix our supply chain and distribute the vaccine. Controlling the pandemic, delivering Better Health care and reviving the economy go hand in hand. Theyll work with my Foreign Policy and National Security teams because we cant only beat the virus at home, it must be beaten everywhere or it comes back to haunt us again. Today im announcing that in consultation with dr. Tony fauci, we developed the first three objectives of the new initiative that im asking this team to complete once im sworn in our first 100 days in office. My first 100 days wont end the covid19 virus. I cant promise that. But, but we did not get into this mess quickly. Were not going to get out of it quickly. Its going to take sometime. But im absolutely convinced that in 100 days we can change the course of the disease and change life in america for the better. First, my first 100 days is going to require im going to ask for a masking plan. Everyone for the first 100 days of my administration to wear a mask. It will start with my order on day one to require masks where i can under the law. Like federal buildings, interstate travel on planes, trains and buses. Ill be working with the governors and mayors to do the same in their states and their cities. Were going to require masks wherever possible. But this goes beyond government action. And so as a new president , im going to speak directly to the American People and say what im saying now. We need your help. Wear a mask for just 100 days. Its the easiest thing you can do to reduce covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Help yourself, your family and your community. Whatever your politics or point of view, mask up for 100 days once we take office. 100 days to make a difference. Its not a political statement. Its a patriotic act. It wont be the end of our efforts, but its a necessary and easy beginning, an easy start. Secondly, this team, this team will help get at the latest at the last 100 million covid19 at least 100 million Covid Vaccine shots into the arms of the American People in the first 100 days. 100 million shots in the first 100 days. And well follow the science to get at those most at risk. That includes Health Care Professionals, people in longterm care, and as soon as possible it will include educators. This will be the most efficient mask vaccination plan in u. S. History. I credit everyone who has we have gotten us up to this point. But developing a vaccine is only one herculean task. Vaccines in a vial only work if theyre injected in an arm of someone who is most at risk. This will be one of the hardest operational challenges in our nations history. Were going to need congress to fully fund Vaccine Distribution to all corners of the country, to everyone. Im encouraged by the bipartisan efforts in congress around 900 billion Economic Relief package which ive said is critical. But this package is only a start for more action early next year. We must also focus significant resources on direct Public Health response to covid19. Our preliminary view of the Trump Administrations Vaccine Distribution plans confirms media reports. Without urgent action by this congress this month to put sufficient resources into Vaccine Distribution and manufacturing, which the partisan group is working on, theres a real chance that after an early round of vaccinations, the effort will slow and stall. Let me repeat, we need congress to finish the bipartisan work under way now or millions of americans may wait months longer to get the vaccine. Months longer than they otherwise would have to get wait to get the vaccination. Look, and then were going to need additional action next year to fund the rest of the distribution efforts. We also need the Trump Administration to act now, though, to purchase the doses it has negotiated with pfizer and moderna and to work swiftly to scale manufacturing to the u. S. Populations and the world. This can be fixed. If it does if it is fixed, my team will be able to get at least 100 million vaccinations done in my first 100 days. The third thing im going to ask in the 100 days, it should be a National Priority to get our kids back in school and keep them in school. If congress provides the funding we need to protect students, educators and staff, if states and cities put strong Public Health measures in place that we all follow, then my team will work to see that a majority of our schools can be open by the end of my first 100 days. Thats right. Well look to have the most schools open that we can possibly in 100 days if congress provides the funding we need. Its not a secret how to do it. Masking, vaccinations, opening schools, these are the three key goals for my first 100 days. Well still have much to do in the year ahead. And sadly, much difficulty as well. Well be far, far from done. Yet, its possible that after 100 days well be much further along in the fight against this pandemic. And im grateful to the members of my covid team that i would like to introduce to you now who will lead the way. Im really proud of this group. For secretary of health and Education Services i nominate xavier becerra. Hes currently the attorney general of california. For nearly 25 years before that, he was a congressman representing los angeles, one of the largest americas largest and most diverse cities. Xavier spent a year fighting to expand access to health care, reducing Racial Health disparities, protecting the Affordable Care act and take on powerful special interests who prey on, profit off of peoples help, from opioid manufacturers to big tobacco. During this pandemic, hell protect the safety of the Front Line Health Care workers. Root out the fraud from the bad actors who take advantage of people. And he stood up for homeowners trying to pay their mortgages during this devastating economic crisis. Theyre things hes already fought for and accomplished. As hhs secretary, he will skillfully oversee the cdc and the fda, medicare and medicaid. No matter what happens in the Supreme Court, hell lead our efforts to build on the Affordable Care act. Hell work to expand coverage and take bold steps to Lower Health Care and Prescription Drug costs. Xavier is a key leader who lead a key Agency Charged with protecting the health and wellness of the American People. Hes also the first latino leading hhs. The son of a working family class workingclass immigrant family who came from mexico. A true Public Servant who has dedicated his career and the service of the people and the service of this country that we all love. To serve as coordinator of the covid19 response team, im turning to world class manager and leader. Ive known jeff for a long time. From the first and last days of the Obama Biden White house and throughout the campaign and now the transition. Theres no one else you would want to help manage some of the most consequential priorities of a company. Acting director for the office of management and budget, hes there was there during the Great Recession as he went from crisis to recovery and resurgence in eight years. He was there to lead the team and help implement the Affordable Care act and get healthcare. Gov up and working. It required vision, patience, experience, fortitude and real expertise. Well respected across the country, chairman of the board of the Childrens National medical center, one of the worlds top childrens hospitals, jeff knows how to build and lead a team, how to identify and solve problems and how to fully mobilize the federal government on behalf of the health, safety and prosperity of the American People. Jeff zients thank you for being willing to do this again. Dr. Vivek murthy, he worked with me for a long time. Hes a renowned physician and research scientist, a trusted National Leader on health care. For me, a trusted adviser during the campaign and transition. This will be the second time serving as americas doctor, having served in this role under president obama. During his tenure, he took on some of the most pressing Public Health issues we face. Excuse me. From the Opioid Crisis to threats to americas Mental Health. I have asked dr. Murthy to serve again as Surgeon General. But with expanded responsibilities. He will be a key public voice on the Covid Response to restore public response and faith in science and medicine. One of the reasons, doc, i ask you to do this, when you speak, people listen. They trust you. You have a way of communicating. They can seen it in your eyes. He will also be a key adviser to me and help lead an allgovernment approach to broader Public Health issues. Weve talked a lot about the need to vastly increase the focus on Mental Health in the country, addiction and Substance Use disorders. Social and environmental determents to health and much more. Thank you for doing this. Above all, i believe i believe as well as any person ive ever worked with, vivek can help restore faith in this country as a place of possibilities. A son of immigrants who raised their children to believe in the promise of america. He will be one of my most trusted Public Health advisers and im grateful for your willingness to continue to stay in public service. And for director of the centers for disease control, the cdc, and prevention, i might add. I appoint rocelle walensky. Shes a chief Infectious Disease shes chief of Infectious Disease at one of the countrys most preeminent hospitals, massachusetts general, in boston. A distinguished professor at Harvard Medical School and a worldclass physician. One of the nations foremost experts on testing, treatment and eradication of viruses. Shes served on the front lines on the covid crisis. Hes conducted groundbreaking research on vaccine delivery, including how to serve under served communities. Her work was instrumental in helping the world mitigate the Public Health crisis of hiv aids. It inspired her as a young doctor to pursue her Pioneering Research in virus containment. Now shell bring her expertise to bear against covid19. Shes uniquely qualified to restore morale and public trust. Shes martial our finest experts to turn the tide on this urgent crisis were facing today. Because of the pandemics disproportionate impact on communities of color, i concluded that i wanted we needed a covid19 equity task force. To chair it, i appoint dr. Marcella nunezsmith. One of the countrys foremost experts on health care disparities. Associate professor of medicine and Public Health at yale school of medicine, founding director of the Research Center and cochair of my advisory board, dr. Nunezsmith will lead our efforts to provide care to the communities most in need and most affected by the pandemic and often overlooked. Shell ensure that fairness and equity are at the center of every part of our response. This is a central front in our fight against this pandemic. And im grateful dr. Nunezsmith will lead this charge. And finally, as both head of my National Institute of allergy and infectious, im pleased to say that dr. Tony fauci will be a member of my covid team. By now, dr. Fauci needs no introduction. But hell have my gratitude when im president , the seventh president he will have served. We know each other and weve known each other for a long time. And im so grateful when i called him, almost before i asked, he said yes. Ive seen him take on hiv aides, h1n1, ebola, zika over his nearly 40 years of service to our country. Dr. Fauci is trusted, a truthtell he truthteller, a patriot. Hell tell me what i need to know, not what i want to know. What i need to know. Not what i want to know. This is my core Covid Health Care team. Before january 20th, well be adding more leaders to oversee Vaccine Distribution, the supply chain, testing and other key functions. To each of you on this team, you have my gratitude and i mean that. You have my gratitude for answering the call to serve. And to your families. I know many of you are making real sacrifices to do this. Thank you. To your families, i say thank you directly. We couldnt do this without them or without you, the families supporting this. And to the American People. I know weve all had a lot of sleepless nights this year. So many of you staring at the ceiling worrying, my god, what happens if it strikes my family. What happens if i lose my insurance . What happens . Am i going to be okay . Is my family going to be okay . All i can tell you is the truth. Were in a very dark winter. Things may well get worse before they get better. A vaccine may soon be available. We need to level with one another. It will take longer than we would like to distribute it to all corners of the country, depending on how it gets started off between now and the time im sworn in. Well need to persuade enough americans to take the vaccine. Many have become cynical about its usefulness. Its daunting. But i promise you well make progress starting on day one. We didnt get into this mess quickly. Its going to take time to fix. But we can do this. Thats the truth. Telling you the truth is what this team, Vice President elect harris and i will always do. Give it to you straight from the shoulder as roosevelt used to say. This is the toughest challenge americas ever faced. One of the toughest. But we know that we can overcome and heal together as one nation. To all of you on the front lines, the Health Care Professionals, first responders, Grocery Store workers, delivery tu truck drivers, educators, i say thank you. We can do. We can do. I want to thank you for everything youve done to get us through this crisis so far. Were never going to give up on you, i promise you. Well never give up on our country. We can do this. Theres nothing weve ever failed to do when we decided to do together. Together. Thats america. Its all those who have lost in this prapandemic, all those whoe sick and suffering, our hearts go out to you. Many of us know what its like. May god bless you all and may god protect our troops. Thank you for listening. Now i would like to turn it over to the team, starting with our next secretary of health and Human Services, xavier becerra. Xavier, thank you for your willing to take on the responsibility. Along with my wife, greetings from california. Mr. President elect, madam Vice President elect, im honored and excited to join your team. The mission of the department of health and Human Services has never been as vital or as urgent as it is today. The covid pandemic and its economic fallout have thrust families into crisis. Too Many Americans are sick or have lost loved ones. Too many have lost their jobs and with that, their health care and hope. You have made it clear, mr. President elect, to build back a prosperous america, we need a healthy america. That then will be job one for your team at hhs. 55 years ago during another time of hardship, former Health SecretaryJohn Gardener said, what we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems. He ushered in medicare, medicaid and civil rights that brought greater equity, greater opportunity and greater hope to all americans. Now its our turn to discover the breath taking opportunities before us. Its our turn to build up and back up our doctors and medical professionals, our hospitals and clinics battling the coronavirus. Our turn to restore faith and confidence in our leaders, to deliver solutions that unite and heal us and inoculate us from fear. Our turn to spur our brightest minds to launch the next generation of innovative medicines and cures and it is our turn to build a nation where as the president elect so often says, health care is a right, not a privilege. At hhs, tackling pandemics, saving lives, keeping us healthy should be our calling card and we wont forget that theres a second h in hhs, the Human Services. The work we do for our children, seniors and disabled. They will stand tall in a biden harris hhs. Almost a year ago on new years day, my father passed way peacefully at home surrounded by his family. We got to celebrate christmas together. And when the end came, my dad knew we were there with him. No one, no one should have ever have to die alone in a hospital bed. Loved ones forced to stay away. That seems to contrary to the values of a great nation, the values that drew my parents, like generations before and after them, to come to america. They had only their health and hope when they arrived in california, a Road Construction worker with a sixth grade education and a clerical worker who arrives in her teens from mexico. As they helped build a better california, they built a pretty good partnerships that lasted 67 years. Why they never got to experience the inside of a college, they did send their four kids there as well as to the military. Now president elect biden has offered me a breathtaking opportunity to work with his team to shape our health care future. I share the president elect and Vice President elects determination to rebuild unity and civility in america. We know it takes hard work, we know we must do it together. We know it will be key to building critical momentum and support for the prevention and treatment of the coronavirus. Those values and priorities will help us emerge from this pandemic a stronger, more just, and more equitable nation. Literally, there are millions of Small Business owners and tens of millions of workers who are counting on us. Im proud to have the chance to implement the president elects vision for a better america through the challenging assignments that are in store for the department of health and Human Services. Mr. President elect, madam Vice President elect, thank you for this opportunity to serve. Mr. President elect, madam Vice President elect, thank you for your trust and confidence. I bring greetings and thanks also from my grandmother and my mother and father, from my sister and brotherinlaw and from my dear wife alice and my dear children. We thank you for this opportunity to serve. When i left my role as Surgeon General, i never dreamed i would have the opportunity to serve again. And in this moment of crisis, when so Many Americans have fallen sick and lost loved ones, when people have lost their jobs and are struggling for childcare, i feel grateful to do everything i can to end this pandemic. While this is a daunting task, we absolutely have as a country what we need to overcome this virus. We have worldclass scientists, we have courageous medical professionals who are risking their lives to care for the ill. We have companies that are on the cusp of delivering vaccines and most of all, we are blessed with generous and compassionate people all across america who are stepping up to help those who are struggling. If we work together, we will overcome this pandemic and return to our lives. But covid19 is not the only Health Crisis we face. If anything, it is underscored a host of other epidemics that are devastating families and shortening lifespans. Crises like addiction, including the Opioid Crisis, our glaring Racial Health disparities and the high rates of chronic illness that we face like diabetes and heart disease. These challenges are caused by but also exacerbated by broader societal issues, from the economic strains so many people are facing to the disconnection and loneliness that many of us feel. In my new expanded role, i will work to bring a health focus to our policies across government so that our schools, our workplaces and our communities can be forces for strengthening our health and wellbeing. But the truth is, the very best policies, and even the best vaccines and treatments will not heal our nation unless we also overcome the fear, anxiety, anger, and distrust that so Many Americans are feeling right now. So more than anything, i will come to this role as a doctor, one who learned the most important lessons about medicine not in medical school, but from the clinic that my parents opened when they first came to america as immigrants decades ago. As a child i saw how they took their time not just to diagnosis illnesses but to ask their patients families about their lives, to pour over pictures of children and grandchildren that were pulled from wallets. They listened deeply to peoples stories and their struggles, often running well over their t doctor is not an Authority Figure who writes prescriptions, butes patients in their fullest humanity and empowers them to take charge of their health. That is the kind of doctor i have always tried to be. If confirmed that, is the kind of Surgeon General that i will strive to be. I will dedicate myself for caring for every american, driven always by science and facts, by head and by heart. And endlessly grateful to serve one of the few countries in the world where the grandson of a poor farmer in india could be asked by the president elect to look out for the health of an entire nation. That is a testament to the promise of america. One that i will seek to fulfill every day as Surgeon General. Thank you so much and thank you, again, mr. President elect and madam Vice President elect for this opportunity to serve. Thank you, vivek. Mr. President elect, madam Vice President elect, i am honored by the trust you have placed in me to serve the American People during this critical time. I want to thank my amazing husband and our three wonderful sons for answering this call along with me. As all doctors and Public Servants know, these jobs ask a great deal not only of us, but of our families. The pandemic that brought me here today is one that struck america and the world more than 30 years ago because my medical training happened to coincide with some of the most harrowing years of the hiv aids crisis. As a medical student i saw firsthand how the virus ravaged bodies and communities. Inside the hospital, i witnessed people lose strength and hope. While outside the hospital, i witnessed those same patients, mostly gay men and members of vulnerable communities, be stigmatized and marginalized by its nation and many of the leaders. A breakthrough came in 1995 when the fda approved the first aids cocktail. And we saw the first glimmers of hope. Ive dedicated my career ever since to researching and treating Infectious Diseases and to ending the hiv aids crisis for good. Now, a new virus is ravaging us. Its tracking hardest, once again, at the most vulnerable, the marginalized, the underserved. Nearly 15 million americans have been infected. Over 280 million loved ones are gone. The pain is accelerating. Our defenses have warn down. Were losing life and hope at an alarming rate. I never anticipated i would take on a role helping leads our National Response and Government Service was never part of my plan. But every doctor knows when a patient is coding, your plans dont matter. You answer the code. And when the nation is coding, if you are called to serve, you serve. You run to take care of people, to stop the bleeding, to stabilize, to give them hope and a fighting chance to come back stronger. Thats what doctors do. Im honored to work with an administration that understands that leading with science is the only way to deliver breakthroughs, to deliver hope and to bring our nation back to full strength. To the American People and to each and every one of you at the cdc, i promise to work with you, to harness the power of american science, to fight this virus and prevent unnecessary illness and death so we can all get back to our lives. Mr. President elect, madam Vice President elect, i thank you for this opportunity. Thank you, doctor. Mr. President elect, madam Vice President elect, thank you so much for this opportunity to serve the American People. Im proud to go to work with leaders who are deeply committed to science and to centering equity in our response to this pandemic. And not as a secondary concern, not as a box to check, but as a shared value woven into all the work that we do and prioritized by every member of the biden harrisul to my research tm and to my colleagues to the leadership here at yale for supporting me in this work. And im grateful to all of the researchers and advocates who blazed the trail, whose work on Health Equity and Racial Justice too often went unbelieved or overlooked across the generations. Most of all, im thankful to my family. To jessie and our three children for their unwavering support and humor. And to my mother and her mother, for modeling kindness, generosity, and courageous leadershiptor since i was 6 years old. And im a proud general internal medicine physician today. But as i grew up, i came to understand that there were deeper dimensions to help beyond what i saw in the human biology textbooks that i borrowed from my mothers bookshelf. I grew up in the u. S. Virgin islands, a place where people died too young from preventable conditions. My own father had his first stroke in his 40s and was left paralyzed. I learned there was a term for what we were, an underserved community, marginalized by place and by race. In my medical training, i saw countless patients whose conditions were shaped by factors having nothing to do with science and everything to do with broader social inequity. And now, the covid19 priccrisis laid those inequities bear. More than 70 of africanamericans and more than 60 of latinx americans personally know someone who has been hospitalized or died from covid19. The same disparities engrained in our economy, our housing system, our food system, our justice system, and so many other areas of our society have conspired in this moment to create a grief gap that we cannot ignore. It is our societal obligation to ensure equitable access to testing, treatments and vaccines. Equitable support for those who are hurting and equitable pathways to opportunity as we emerge from this crisis and rebuild, including for those most marginalized communities, the undocumented, the incarcerated, the homeless. Im grateful for this chance to continue this work, to earn trust and to find success through genuine partnerships with the people and communities who have been hit the hardest during and before the crisis. On this team, you will be heard, you will be counted, and you will be valued. Thank you. President elect biden and Vice President elect harris, thank you so much for asking me to be part of this Covid Response team. I hope that you dont mind that the reason im sending this video is because a close friend and colleague at the nih, dr. Harvey alter, is receiving the noble prize in medicine at the same time and we wanted to attend the ceremony at the nih to show our support. Such an achievement is a reminder of the incredible Public Servantswe americas pla pioneer in science and medicine. I believe, as you do, that in the fight against this pandemic, we must lead with science and that a key piece of our ongoing work is communicating consistently with the American People. Whether its maintaining social distancing and not congregating indoors or the 100day challenge you described on masking, or to get as many people vaccinated as possible, these actions are bold. But they are doable and essential to help the public avoid unnecessary risks to help us save lives, reopen schools and businesses, and to eventually beat the pandemic. I look forward to advising you on these most urgent priorities and to work with this team of worldclass experts whom i have known for many years and deeply respect. I have been through many Public Health crises before, but this is the toughest one we have ever faced as a nation. The road ahead will not be easy. We have got a lot of hard and demanding work to do in the next year. But as we have done during previous crises, i also know we can get through this pandemic together as a nation. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of this effort. President elect biden and Vice President elect harris, im honored by your trust in me and humbled by the task at hand. And im hopeful because of your leadership. As it is for both of you, everything starts with family for me. And im forever grateful for the love and support of my wife, our children and our parents. Mr. President elect, weve known each other for a long time and our relationship has been forged under immense pressure. The severity of the great e session, the challenge of implementing the Affordable Care act and the daily decisions a white house makes that affects the lives of millions of americans. You and president obama knew how to build the team with the right diversity of backgrounds and views, a team to make progress on difficult situations and capture enormous opportunities. Thats what ive tried to do throughout my career. Im not a doctor or a Public Health expert. In fact, weve got the best ones in the world on this team. But i do know management and execution and the key part of the role youve asked me to take on is the last part, coordinator. Its about empowering experts, developing a culture of teamwork and maintaining a focus on strategy and execution. Its knowing that leadership requires transparency, and prioritization. It also requires trust, truth, and integrity. To the American People, thats what this team will provide. We will utilize the full capacity of the federal government to get this pandemic under control. To harness and exam the data to expand testing, to deliver equipment and ppe to those on the front lines. To provide resources for schools and businesses to operate safely. To address the Racial Disparities and inequities of this pandemic. To rejoin the global fight against covid19 because no one is safe until everyone is safe. And with our collective expertise, we will oversee the rollout of the vaccine which is the president elect said will be one of the greatest operational challenges our country has ever faced. And we will also pull the country together, across governments at the federal, state and local levels and across the private sector. As we begin this work, mr. President elect, i remember what you told me when we were implementing the Affordable Care act. Your message was, i know this is no small task, i know you and the team are feeling tremendous pressure to succeed and we want and need the team to pull this off. You then said, i know you and the team can do this. But i need to promise you promise me one thing. That you will always, always give it to us straight because we have to understand the challenge were facing. Because most of all, were in this together and together we can do this. President elect biden, Vice President elect harris and the American People, this team will always give it to you straight. The work ahead will not be easy. But we know what needs to be done and we will get it done together. Thank you. Congratulations, mr. President elect on nominating and appointing a most Outstanding Team to get this pandemic under control. And thank you to these accomplished physicians and experts and Public Servants for answering the call to serve the American People in this critical hour of need. Over thanksgiving, the president elect and i called Health Care Workers who are on the front lines of this pandemic just to thank them. We wanted to express our gratitude and our nations gratitude for everything they have been doing, for every sacrifice they have made. That day i spoke with two registered nurses, maureen in pennsylvania, and talisa in illinois, they shared stories that weve all heard. Weve all heard the stories about grandmothers and grandfathers, loved ones and friends spending their last moments alone. Weve all heard about nurses and physicians who are physically and mentally exhausted trying to keep up with everincreasing case loads. Those on the front line who say to each other, its not a matter of when its a matter not of when, but when they will get the virus. Its a matter of when and not if they get the virus. This is what theyre saying to each other every day. We heard about Health Care Workers without the supplies and equipment they need to care for patients and save lives. So today we have a message for talisa, maureen and all americans, help is on the way. And it is long overdue. The scale of this pandemic is heartbreaking. As you know and have heard, almost 15 million cases, more than 2800 deaths in a single day. And then there is the economic devastation, the lost jobs, the Small Businesses shuttered, not to mention whats happening to our schools, the parents and teachers who are being stretched to their limits and the toll its taking on the Mental Health and wellbeing of our children who risk each day falling behind. Opening our schools and economy safely and responsibility, getting this virus under control, all of it starts with listening to experts and leaders like these. Americans who reflect the very best of our nation. They are top physicians, Public Health experts and Public Servants. And they are the team that the American People need and deserve to make sure testing and treatment are free for everyone. To make sure vaccines are safe, free and equitably distributed. To make sure we are better prepared for future pandemics and other health threats. And to make sure quality, Affordable Health care is available to all. From an early age, i saw the lifesaving work that our Health Care Professionals provide, especially for the most vulnerable among us. My mother was a Breast Cancer researcher and my sister and i spent many hours roaming the hallways of the hospital where she worked. Im sure your kids have too. And its why i actually later cofounded an auxiliary group to help patients at a hospital in oakland, california, more than 20 years ago. Its why we need to protect and expand the Affordable Care act, and its why we have to listen to Front Line Health Care workers like maureen and talisa. During our conversation, talisa said we wouldnt send our soldiers to battle without the gear they need. And we shouldnt, then, send our doctors and nurses to fight this pandemic without the gear they need. And of course shes right. And president elect biden and i, along with this worldclass team, will make sure we are doing everything we can to save lives and contain once and for all getting this virus under control is one of the defining challenges of our time, and we will do what the American People have always done in the face of a great challenge. We will stand together and we will defeat it. Thank you. [chatter] with joe biden as president elect, stay with cspan for coverage of the election process and transition of power. Cspan. Your unfiltered view of politics. Journal. s washington everyday we are taking your calls live on the air on the news of the day, and we discuss policy issues that impact you. Wednesday morning, and ohio congressman discusses the future of the democratic party, and congressional news of the day, including the looming government funding deadline, and efforts to reach a compromise on covid19 relief legislation. And an alabama congressman talks about his plan to challenge the Electoral College vote tally when college officially certifies the results of the president ial election on january 6. And a Johns Hopkins university, former chief scientist at the fda, discusses the covid19 approval process. Watch washington journal, live at 7 00 eastern tomorrow morning. Be sure to join with your phone calls, facebook comments, takes messages and tweets. Coming up and live on wednesday, the house returns at 10 00 a. M. Eastern for speeches. Noon eastern for legislative business. And to vote on a oneweek federal spending measure while negotiations continue on a funding bill. On cspan2, the senate works on the resolution blocking arms sales to the united arabs emirates. On cspan3 at 10 00 a. M. , the Senate VeteransAffairs Committee holds a hearing on the visas once to the coronavirus v. A. sc libbthe response to the coronavirus pandemic. Now is the perfect time to purchase a cspan product for holiday gift. Goto cspan. Org store. The housepassed the 2021 defense programs and policy bill , with one member voting present. The bill heads to the senate. The bill is named for the Ranking Member on the Armed Services committee, congressman mac thornberry, who is retiring at the end of his congressional term. This runs 90 minutes. Mr. Speaker, i now yield myself five minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Smith thank you. I rise in strong support of the conference report before us today. This is the defense policy bill and this is an incredibly important piece of legislation. Theres a lot of public debate about different issues that sort of rise to the level of people arguing about. And theyre very important, passionate issues. But lost in that sometimes is the basic substance of what we do in the defense policy bill. And that is we exercise our legislative authority to do oversight of the pentagon and National Security policy. And on that measure, this years bill is an incredibly impo