Biden's 1st 100 days live updates: Senate passes COVID relief bill along party lines

Jill Biden, the nation’s highest-ranking teacher, is wading into the debate over reopening schools, with a visit Wednesday to Connecticut and Pennsylvania alongside the newly confirmed Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. Upping her role in this contentious fight is a significant move for Jill Biden, and one that could put her in the political crosshairs, as the Biden administration tries to balance the interests of teachers' unions and pandemic-weary parents who are desperate to get their kids back in school. 

The first lady will need to walk a fine line. Wednesday's visits are being billed more as a listening session. Biden and the education secretary will be stopping by two schools that have managed to reopen with the hopes of “having a conversation… about what has been effective, what has worked, what are the lessons learned, what do they need more assistance with?" White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. 

But Biden, who herself is teaching virtually at Northern Virginia Community College this semester, will nonetheless get a reality check on the difficulties facing schools as the Biden administration struggles to achieve its goal to reopen the majority of schools in his first 100 days. 

-ABC News' Mary Bruce and Sarah Kolinovsky

After meeting with Senate Democrats two days in a row, Biden speaks, virtually, to the House Democratic Caucus at their annual retreat. Before that, Biden and Harris will hold a 1:45 p.m. bipartisan meeting on cancer in the Oval Office. Details on that are still unclear but Biden has long advocated a cancer "moonshot."

Separately, Harris will spend part of the day visiting a woman-owned small business in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss the impact of the pandemic and promote the American Rescue Plan. The vice president will also ceremonially swear in Gina Raimondo as Secretary of Commerce in the evening.

The White House Covid-19 response team will hold a press briefing at 11 a.m. and White House press secretary Jen Psaki will hold a briefing at 12:30 p.m.

-ABC News' Shannon Crawford

Facing insurmountable math in the Senate, Neera Tanden has withdrawn her nomination for Office of Management and Budget director.

"I appreciate how hard you and your team at the White House has worked to win my confirmation. Unfortunately, it now seems clear that there is no path forward to gain confirmation and I do not want continued consideration of my nomination to be a distraction from your other priorities," Tanden writes in her letter to the White House. 

Biden said in a statement he looks "forward to having her serve a role in my Administration," and that he has "the utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel."

Last month, a vote on her nomination in the Homeland Security Committee was postponed "because members need more time to consider the nominee," a Democratic committee aide said in a statement. The Senate Budget Committee also delayed a confirmation hearing, two sources with knowledge of the matter told ABC News.

Tanden's confirmation came into question last month, when Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced that he would break with his party and vote against Tanden's nomination, citing past tweets with strong language critical of Republican members of Congress and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., many of which were deleted prior to her nomination.

Since then, the list of moderate Republicans opposing Tanden for the role has grown and in the evenly divided Senate, she needs support from a Republican.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, confirmed Monday that she met in person with Tanden, but said she remained undecided.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

Biden, announcing the partnership between Merck and Johnson & Johnson to help expand the production of the J&J single-shot vaccine, said the increased vaccine availability means there will be enough supply for every American adult by May.

Biden compared the collaboration of competitors to World War II and likened the pandemic to a wartime effort. He also said his administration encouraged J&J to speed up production and that its "facilities will now begin to operate 24/7."

"When we came into office, the prior administration had contracted for not nearly enough vaccine to cover adults in America. We rectified that. About three weeks ago, we were able to say that we’ll have enough vaccine supply for adults by the end of July," Biden said. "And I'm pleased to announce today, as a consequence of this stepped-up process that I've ordered and just outlined, this country will have enough vaccine supply, I'll say it again, for every adult in America by the end of May."

Biden also announced that he has directed states to prioritize the vaccinations of educators and is using the Federal Pharmacy Program to do so.

"My challenge to all states, territories, and the district of Columbia is this: We want every educator, school staff member, child care worker to receive at least one shot by the end of the month of March," Biden said.

Though Biden touted the progress of vaccines, he issued a somber warning and asked Americans to continue following public health measures.

"We're moving in the right direction," Biden said. "And today's announcements are a huge step in our effort to beat this pandemic, but I have to be honest with you, this fight is far from over."