- President-elect Joe Biden has selected long-time advisor Ron Klain as his incoming chief of staff, as COVID-19 cases across the U.S. continue to escalate
- Klain’s experience as part of the Obama administration’s response to the 2014 Ebola Epidemic was cited as a major reason for his appointment
- In a recent public appearance, Biden said bringing the coronavirus outbreak under control will be his administration’s top priority
- On Wednesday, a record 142,000 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the U.S., bringing the nation’s total cases to 10.5 million
- Klain has been a vocal opponent of current President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic and is likely to be a key figure in the Biden administration’s COVID-19 response
Joe Biden has selected long-time advisor Ron Klain as his incoming chief of staff, in the President-elect’s first appointment since securing the U.S. election.
This won’t be the first time Klain has taken the on the role, acting as chief of staff for Biden under the Obama administration, as well as for former Vice President Al Gore during Bill Clinton’s tenure in the White House.
Notably, Klain’s key role in the Obama administration’s response to the 2014 Ebola Epidemic appears to have been a major consideration for his appointment, as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge across the U.S.
In a recent public appearance, President-elect Biden said bringing the coronavirus outbreak under control will be his administration’s top priority.
Klain has been a vocal opponent of current President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic and is likely to be a key figure in the Biden administration’s national COVID-19 response.
New cases across the U.S. once again reached record numbers this week, peaking at 142,000 daily cases on Wednesday, with no sign of infection rates slowing down.
Total recorded cases across the nation have reached 10.5 million, with the state of Texas alone recording over one million COVID-19 infections.
Turning to the Congress, key members of the Democratic Party have brought forward a new COVID-19 relief bill aimed at easing the current economic downturn. However, some members of the Republican Party are continuing to forestall negotiations, as they continue to contest the election’s outcome.
In a media interview on Thursday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer addressed the need for bipartisan cooperation in the coming months.
“The Republicans should stop their shenanigans about an election that President Trump has already lost and focus their attention on the immediate issue at hand – providing relief to a country living through the COVID health and economic crisis,” he said.
Around 242,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 so far this year.