PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — President-elect Joe Biden received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Monday at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. He said his top priority will be getting the vaccine to every other American.
“My No. 1 priority is getting the vaccine in people’s arms like we just did today as rapidly as we can,” he said. “Three-thousand to 4,000 people a day dying is just beyond the pale. It’s just wrong, and we can do a lot to change it. It’s going to be hard, it’s not going to be easy, but we can get it done.”
Biden hopes to pass a new COVID-19 aid package quickly after taking office.
Despite last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and continued threats of violence, the president-elect said he is not afraid to take his oath of office there on Jan. 20.
He emphasized swift justice is needed to keep order.
“It’s critically important that there be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition, threatened people’s lives, defaced public property, caused great damage, that they be held accountable,” he added.
Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that security operations will begin on Wednesday, rather than the day before Biden’s inauguration.
Wolf, who had called on President Donald Trump to condemn the "unconscionable" Capitol riots, announced his resignation from the Trump administration Monday afternoon.
Although he has pledged to work with both parties, Biden continued to criticize Republican legislators who remained maskless during the siege at the Capitol.
“I was appalled when I saw the distinguished congresswoman from the state of Delaware — when they showed folks in hiding, in effect, from the mob — she was going around trying to hand out masks to everybody. Her Republican colleagues wouldn’t take the masks. I think it’s irresponsible.”
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As to whether Trump should be impeached for his role in inciting the violence, Biden said he’s waiting to see whether that could be done without interfering with his legislative priorities.
“We have to check with the parliamentarian as to whether or not you can bifurcate this. Can you go half a day on dealing with the impeachment and half a day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate as well as moving on the package?”
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