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Last Updated: March 24, 2021, 12:17 AM EDT

This is Day 12 of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Top headlines:

Here is how events are unfolding. All times Eastern.
Jan 29, 2021, 2:30 PM EST

Biden says no 'ifs, ands or buts' for COVID-19 relief bill before departing for Walter Reed

Biden left for Walter Reed Military Medical Center Friday to visit wounded service members.

President Joe Biden tours the COVID-19 vaccine center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with Col. Andrew Barr, director of Walter Reed, Jan. 29, 2021, in Bethesda, Md.
Alex Brandon/AP

The president took his first trip on Marine One to visit Walter Reed and briefly took questions from reporters before he boarded the chopper.

Biden said that he was going to Walter Reed meet with service members there, as well as look at their vaccination distribution plan. He noted that he spent quite a bit of time at Walter Reed for his own treatment.

Biden also spoke of his economic rescue package, saying that he supports passing it “with support from Republicans if we can get it.” 

“But COVID relief has to pass,” he added. “No ifs, ands, or buts.”

The comments are the first from Biden opening the door to passing the measure however Democrats can, despite his preference for working with Republicans.

Biden departed the Oval Office with his wife, Jill Biden, and walked hand-in-hand with her before they both lowered their masks and share a quick kiss before he departed.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Jan 29, 2021, 12:51 PM EST

Biden names Rob Malley special envoy for Iran

The State Department has confirmed that Rob Malley will return as the Biden administration’s Special Envoy for Iran. Malley served in the Obama and Clinton administrations, including as a key architect of Obama's 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

That's exactly why some GOP members advocated against his appointment, which 12 former Iranian hostages and human rights activists said "would send a chilling signal to the dictatorship in Iran that the United States is solely focused on re-entering the Iran nuclear deal and ignoring its regional terror and domestic crimes against humanity."

The State Department is pushing back on that, saying Malley will lead "a dedicated team, drawing from clear-eyed experts with a diversity of views," and bring "a track record of success negotiating constraints on Iran's nuclear program," according to spokesperson Ned Price. 

-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan

Jan 29, 2021, 12:30 PM EST

Biden reacts to new vaccine, urges economic action

During brief remarks Friday, Biden shared his first reaction to news of Johnson & Johnson’s new COVID-19 vaccine. 

“I’m waiting to hear from my team on the details,” the president said. “I saw it was reported on the news this morning.” 

“I haven't had a chance to speak with Dr. Fauci,” he added. 

His comments came after a meeting to discuss the economy with his Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. 

President Joe Biden, with Vice President Kamala Harris, left, participates in an economic briefing with Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen, right, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 29, 2021.
Shawn Thew/EPA via Shutterstock

Biden claimed that economists left, right, and center agree this is a unique moment in the crisis as he touted his economic rescue package. 

"The cost of inaction is high, and it's growing every day," Biden said. "The choice couldn't be clearer. We have learned from past crises, the risk is not doing too much. The risk is not doing enough." 

The president emphasized that his plan will actually grow the economy -- in apparent response to GOP arguments that the minimum wage increases could hurt small businesses or that increasing the national debt could hamper the economy in the future. 

"Let's get this straight -- it's not only that people will be badly, badly hurt if we don't pass this package, not only in terms of increased death, in terms of poverty, a whole range of things. But, we will also be hurt long-term economically,” he said. “We need to make these investments so the economy can grow the remainder of this year and next year.” 

Yellen added what is becoming a common refrain for her, saying that, “The price of doing nothing is much higher than the price of doing something, and doing something big.” 

“The benefits of acting big will far outweigh the costs in the long run," Yellen added. 

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Jan 29, 2021, 12:30 PM EST

Immigration task force, executive actions delayed by Mayorkas’ confirmation holds

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Friday that Biden is planning to launch a task force dedicated to migrant family reunification on Tuesday, which will be led by incoming Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Psaki blamed the delay of Biden’s planned immigration actions from late this week to early next week on Senate Republicans’ efforts to block Mayorkas’s confirmation.

“We had planned to do it this week because we had hoped that Ali Mayorkas would be confirmed by the end of this, but because of the filibuster of his nomination, we expect him to be confirmed on Monday evening and the president will sign it on Tuesday and then secretary Mayorkas will be overseeing that moving forward,” Psaki said during her press briefing Friday. 

In addition, Psaki confirmed reports that First Lady Jill Biden will be personally involved in the family reunification efforts. 

-ABC News’ Ben Gittleson

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