Biden has harsh critique of Trump.
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday said the “darkest days” in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic “are ahead of us, not behind us,” and urged Americans to prepare themselves for the struggle.
“One thing I promise you about my leadership during this crisis: I’m going to tell it to you straight. I’m going to tell you the truth. And here’s the simple truth: Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us,” Biden said in remarks in Wilmington, Delaware.
“So we need to prepare ourselves, to steel our spines,” the president- elect continued. “As frustrating as it is to hear, it’s going to take patience, persistence and determination to beat this virus. There will be no time to waste in taking the steps we need to turn this crisis around.”
Biden said that in addition to acting swiftly to provide more economic relief and support to Americans, his administration will urgently address the recent massive cyberattack on U.S. c omp a n ie s and federal government agencies.
“T he r e ’s still so much we don’t k now, i ncluding the full scope of the breach or the extent of the damage it has caused. But we know this much: This attack constitutes a grave risk to our national security,” Biden said, in his most extensive comments on the matter to date.
“The Trump administration failed to prioritize cybersecurity,” he said. He criticized President Donald Trump for downplaying the cyberattack and contradicting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s public remarks linking the hack to Russia.
Biden said the Trump administration needs to “make an official attribution.”
“This assault happened on Donald Trump’s watch when he wasn’t watching. It’s still his responsibility as president to defend American interests for the next four weeks,” Biden said.
Biden said Trump’s team has not been fully cooperating with his transition team to share information and ensure a smooth handoff between administrations.
“The Defense Department won’t even brief us on many things,” Biden said.
The president- elect applauded Congress for passing a far-reaching $900 billion COVID relief package on Monday. The legislation aims to accelerate vaccine distribution and deliver muchneeded aid to small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, Americans who have lost their jobs and front-line health care workers.
“Like all compromises, it’s far from perfect. But it does provide vital relief at a critical moment,” Biden said.
Biden said his former 2020 Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Senate Republicans deserved credit for getting the stimulus checks for Americans included in the package.
Biden has said that while immediate funding from Congress is critical, his administration will seek further stimulus.
Specifically, Biden said Tuesday that when he takes office in January he will ask Congress for enough money to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to at least 300 million Americans over the next calendar year. He previously pledged to distribute 100 million vaccine shots, which is enough to cover 50 million Americans, in his first 100 days in office.
He said he will also ask Congress to ensure that all Americans who have been unemployed because of the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic “continue to be able to live day to day.” He said that includes ensuring they don’t have food shortages or are evicted from their homes.