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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 22, 2020, 8:59 AM EST

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

Dec 22, 2020, 8:59 AM EST

Biden expands senior staff, names longtime aide Bruce Reed deputy chief of staff

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced additional members of the White House senior staff on Tuesday, including positions that will be key to how the West Wing operates over the next four years.

The names announced Tuesday include Bruce Reed, a longtime aide to Biden who advised him on policy during the campaign, and someone who some progressives sought to block from getting a more prominent position in the administration, accusing him of being a deficit hawk out of step with their priorities. Reed was named deputy chief of staff. 

The other appointees announced Tuesday include Anne Filipic as White House director of management and administration; Ryan Montoya as White House director of scheduling and advance; Gautam Raghavan as White House deputy director of the office of presidential personnel; Vinay Reddy as director of speechwriting; and Elizabeth Wilkins as senior advisor to the chief of staff. 

“These experienced individuals are joining my administration to carry out policies that will put our nation on a path to building back better than ever before. They are respected leaders whose values and priorities align with my own and who will dutifully execute their roles to serve the American people. Their dedication to overcoming the challenges facing our country are rooted in their diverse backgrounds and experiences, helping deliver the change America needs in these difficult times,” the president-elect said in a statement.

-ABC News’ John Verhovek.

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.