Biden wants Congress to take action on gun reform

The Biden administration will start sending vaccines directly to community health centers across the country as early as next week, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said at a press briefing with Health Equity Task Force Chair Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith.

"Equity is core to our strategy to put this pandemic behind us, and equity means that we’re reaching everyone, particularly those in underserved and rural communities and those who have been hit hardest by this pandemic," Zients said.

The administration's goal is to reach 250 community health centers and at least one in every state, Nunez-Smith said.

"Days are early yet but we’re very optimistic and encouraged by the partnership and really the interest from states and locals to work together with FEMA to launch additional ones. I expect more announcements to be forthcoming," she said.

The administration plans to issue 1 million doses during this initial phase: 500,000 first shots and 500,000 second vaccine shots.

FEMA mobile units will also be going directly to these hardest-hit communities, Zients said. Earlier this week, FEMA announced that it had finalized a contract for 30 mobile vaccination units expected to begin next week. 

 ABC News’ Matthew Vann contributed to this report.

When then-President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his economic team in November, one nominee received stiff resistance from Senate Republicans: Neera Tanden, his choice to become director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.

Tanden was known as a frequent political commentator on cable television and had been criticized for her past tweets blasting Republican lawmakers, as well as perpetuating a conspiracy that Russians hacked voter rolls in 2016 to take votes away from Hillary Clinton in favor of Donald Trump -- though she denied that was the intent of her tweet at the time. Republicans also point out that she signaled support to cut Social Security benefits following the 2010 midterm elections when the Tea Party swept Republicans into the House majority. She served most recently as the head of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress.

Tanden’s confirmation hearing took place before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Tuesday morning, and in her opening statement, she said she regretted her past tweets.

“I also know that the role of OMB director is different from some of my past positions,” Tanden said. “Over the last few years, it’s been part of my role to be an impassioned advocate. I know there have been some concerns about some of my past language and social media, and I regret that language and take responsibility for it. I understand that the role of OMB director calls for bipartisan action as well as nonpartisan adherence to facts and evidence.”

Sen. Rob Portman, of Ohio, the top Republican member of the committee, noted that “typically the OMB director is not a partisan” because the director needs to have relationships with lawmakers from both parties. He read specific things he said Tanden had tweeted about Sens. Susan Collins, Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell.

“I believe that the tone, the content and the aggressive partisanship of some of your public statements, have added to the troubling trend of more incivility and division in our public life, and in your case, I’m concerned that your personal attacks about specific senators will make it more difficult to work with them,” Portman said.

Tanden confirmed she had deleted tweets, saying she “regretted the tone.”

If confirmed, Tanden, 50, would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to lead the OMB.

The OMB director, while not a marquee Cabinet post in the presidential line of succession, is a critical economic adviser who has sometimes doubled as the president’s fiscal disciplinarian, serving as a check within the executive branch on any far-fetched spending plans fancied by other Cabinet members.

-ABC News Ben Gittleson and John Parkinson

Harris administered the oath of office to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough Tuesday afternoon, according to a pool report. Afterward, she offered him congratulations and they elbow bumped. Harris acknowledged McDonough’s daughter, who was watching virtually, noting that “it happened!”

Harris' office said McDonough was sworn in on his father’s bible, which still has his notes in it.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appeared Tuesday morning with all of his committee chairs who will craft legislation under the strict reconciliation process that will make up the $1.9 trillion Biden COVID-19 relief package.

Schumer stressed that members of Congress can craft relief legislation, confirm Biden nominees and conduct Trump's impeachment trial at the same time.

"To the pundits who said we can't do both at once, we say you are wrong -- we can and we are," he said. "The Senate is moving full-steam ahead on a bold plan to get this country out of the crisis -- to speed vaccination distribution, provide a lifeline to small businesses, help schools reopen safely, save the job of teachers, firefighters and other public employees, and so much more."

-ABC News’ Trish Turner