Biden, a Democrat, has vowed to spend trillions of dollars to reinvigorate US manufacturing, expand health care coverage and combat climate change, among other priorities.
But his chief priority remains controlling the coronavirus pandemic, which is surging to record levels and forcing state and local leaders to implement new rounds of restrictions on local businesses.
The President-elect has so far tried to sidestep difficult questions about whether he might support a short-term national lockdown to arrest the surge of coronavirus cases. Since defeating Trump, Biden has devoted most of his public remarks to encouraging Americans to wear masks and embrace social distancing measures.
But members of his coronavirus advisory board have been more specific. One member, Dr Michael Osterholm, recently suggested a four-to six-week national lockdown with financial aid for Americans whose livelihoods would be affected. He later walked back the remarks and was rebutted by two other members of the panel who said a widespread lockdown shouldn't be under consideration.
Speaking today on CBS, Osterholm was not asked about a potential lockdown, but he said the nation needs "a standard set of principles."
"Right now, we don't have a standardised set so you're hearing all these governors and mayors are scrambling to try to find what is the right answer for us, and it would surely help all of them, and that's what I'm hearing from them, that we have a standardised set of recommendations and protocols," he said.
Recent reports suggest that at least two vaccines are close to winning approval, though mass distribution is likely several months away.
The Trump Administration has refused to initiate the traditional transition briefings for the incoming president's team on national security and policy issues. Trump is also blocking Biden's team from being briefed on efforts to control the pandemic and distribute prospective vaccines.
"We now have the possibility ... of a vaccine starting perhaps in December or January," Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, said yesterday. "There are people at HHS making plans to implement that vaccine. Our experts need to talk to those people as soon as possible so nothing drops in this change of power we're going to have on January 20."
Before his address today, Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris held virtual meetings with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, General Motors CEO Mary Barra and Microsoft President and CEO Satya Nadella, among others.
Biden and Harris were speaking at a particularly tricky time for economic policy.
The US economy has recovered from the pandemic-induced shutdowns this northern spring more quickly than most economists expected. The unemployment rate dropped a full percentage point last month to 6.9 per cent and those who still have jobs — many of them working from home — have stepped up their spending on cars, electronics and home renovations.
But much of the rebound was fuelled by US$2 trillion in stimulus money that has largely run its course. And there are signs that the ongoing increases in confirmed virus cases are making Americans more cautious about travelling and shopping.
Consumers cut back on spending in early November, according to JPMorgan Chase, which tracks spending on 30 million of its debit and credit cards. Spending declines have been larger in some states with severe outbreaks, such as Iowa and North Dakota.
Most economists support another round of stimulus funding, including loans to small businesses, extended unemployment benefits and support for states and cities. Congressional Democrats have previously backed another US$2 trillion in aid.
Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader, has pointed to the falling unemployment rate as evidence that much less stimulus is needed.
- AP
