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Trump-Biden transition latest: Trump signs coronavirus relief bill amid pressure

The president had gone nearly a week without signing the bill.

Last Updated: December 21, 2020, 6:23 PM EST

President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 24 days.

Dec 21, 2020, 6:23 PM EST

Congress set to vote on pandemic relief, facing midnight funding deadline

The House and Senate are set to vote Monday evening on a $900 billion pandemic relief bill after a deal was reached over the weekend following months of stalled negotiations.

The relief measure is attached to a $1.4 trillion spending bill.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi walks back to her office after opening the House floor following an agreement of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) aid package the night before on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Dec. 21, 2020.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters

Lawmakers are facing a midnight deadline when government funding expires.

The entire text of the measure runs 5,593 pages and members have had little time to read it.

Dec 21, 2020, 5:29 PM EST

Sidney Powell back at the White House

Sidney Powell was at the White House again today for meetings. It was not immediately clear if she met with President Trump. 

Attorney Sidney Powell speaks at a press conference on election results in Alpharetta, Georgia, Dec. 2, 2020.
Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

Sources told ABC News that the president had considered trying to appoint Powell, an election lawyer Trump had cut from his legal team, as a special counsel to look into the 2020 election -- even though the president cannot do so under the auspices of the Justice Department. Attorney General William Barr has already rejected the idea of appointing a special counsel to investigate the election.

-ABC News' John Santucci and Ben Gittleson.

Dec 21, 2020, 3:28 PM EST

Joe Biden receives COVID-19 vaccine 

President-elect Joe Biden received the first shot of a coronavirus vaccine during a televised event in Delaware on Monday. 

Many have expressed hope that Biden receiving the jab on camera will help stoke public confidence in the vaccine, as well as ensure the continuity of government. 

President-elect Joe Biden receives a dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital, in Newark, Del., Dec. 21, 2020.
Leah Millis/Reuters

"I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine, there’s nothing to worry about," Biden said. 

His wife, Jill Biden, received her shot earlier in the day. The Bidens received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to a statement from his office. 

The president-elect also took time to thank health care workers and first responders, including the woman who administered the shot, saying, "We owe you big, we really do." 

Finally, Biden encouraged people to still wear masks, socially distance, and avoid travel during the holidays.

Dec 21, 2020, 1:37 PM EST

Harris campaigns for Democrats in Georgia 

Vice President-elect Harris stopped in Columbus, Georgia, on Monday to campaign on behalf of Senate Democratic candidates. She told reporters that she will be heading right back to Washington, D.C., afterwards to vote on the COVID-19 relief bill. 

Harris said that she was in the Georgia to support Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, "and to remind Georgians that their voice is strong and matters in this election." 

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris campaigns in support of Georgia Democratic Senate candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff during a drive-in rally at Bibb Mill Event Center, Dec. 21, 2020, in Columbus, Ga.
Jessica Mcgowan/Getty Images

"And so, I want to remind everyone to vote and vote early," she said, noting that the runoffs will determine "the future of Georgia and, certainly, our country." 

Finally, the vice president-elect said they were closely monitoring the situation with the new strain of COVID-19 in the U.K., and they will "make a decision as appropriate" regarding banning travel.

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson