WILMINGTON, Del. – President-elect Joe Biden called for Congress to immediately pass a COVID-19 stimulus package will slamming President Donald Trump for not reaching out to work together as the virus resurges.
Speaking from Wilmington, Delaware on Monday, Biden called on Congress to pass a relief package that is similar to the $3 trillion coronavirus bill the U.S. House of Representatives passed in the spring. He went on to slam Mr. Trump for golfing and not doing enough to work with his transition team.
“The idea the president is still playing golf and not doing anything about it is beyond my comprehension,” Biden said. “At least think you want to go off on a positive note.”
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris met with economic leaders from the labor and corporate sector early Monday morning, including Richard Trumka of AFL–CIO, Mary Barra of General Motors and Satya Nadella of Microsoft.
The president-elect made his most direct comments yet as Mr. Trump still refuses to concede and is hanging on to baseless conspiracy theories about fraud voters, preventing the Biden transition team to get the resources needed to fully begin the transition process.
“It’s more embarrassing for the country than debilitating for my ability to get started,” he said.
Biden went on to note that Harris is still sitting on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, allowing her to get access to intelligence briefings. Biden said the biggest threat to his transition is “more people may die” of COVID-19 if the Trump Administration doesn’t allow work with the president-elect and his transition team.
“People may die if we don’t coordinate,” he said. “If we have to wait until January 20th to start that planning, it puts us behind. “Does anyone understand this? It’s about saving lives, for real, this is not hyperbole.”
Aides for the Biden transition have commented in recent days that Mr. Trump’s refusal to engage in a transition also means Biden’s team has been limited from planning a vaccination distribution strategy.
“Getting a vaccine and a vaccination are two different things,” Biden said. “The sooner we have access to the administration’s distribution plan, the sooner the transition can move forward.”
Biden collected 306 Electoral Votes in the November 3 election to Mr. Trump’s 232. However, the President has refused to acknowledge his loss and has repeated his claims of voter fraud despite no evidence to support those claims.
