Biden says 'no time to waste' on COVID relief bill

Tom Vilsack was sworn in as the secretary of agriculture Wednesday evening in a ceremony the vice president said was her first via Zoom.

Harris was in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building with a pool of journalists and Vilsack appeared on a large screen with his family.

"Congratulations, Mr. Secretary and to the whole family," Harris said after he was sworn in. "The president is so excited. We've got a lot of work to do and we'll do it together."

Vilsack is returning to a role he held in the Obama administration for eight years. He previously served two terms as Iowa's governor.

He was confirmed on Tuesday by a vote of 92-7.

Biden has reversed former President Donald Trump's presidential proclamation restricting immigration during the COVID-19 pandemic citing the economy, saying it does not advance the interests of the United States.  

"To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world. And it harms individuals who were selected to receive the opportunity to apply for, and those who have likewise received, immigrant visas through the Fiscal Year 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery," Biden wrote in a proclamation of his own.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that will begin a 100-day investigation into vulnerabilities in the supply chain of critical sectors including computer chips, large capacity batteries, active pharmaceutical ingredients and critical and strategic materials, including rare earth minerals.

Biden touted the move as something that will strengthen America for future challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed myriad flaws in the supply chain.

"This is about making sure the United States can meet every challenge we face in this new era," Biden said. "Pandemics, but also in defense, cybersecurity, climate change, and so much more. And the best way to do that is by protecting and sharpening America’s competitive edge by investing here at home."

In remarks before the signing, he called the subject one of few "where Republicans and Democrats agreed," having met earlier in the day with a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., a top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, is throwing his weight behind an alternative nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget: Shalanda Young.

Young was nominated by Biden to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Young was most recently the staff director at House Appropriations, and she and Shelby have a close working relationship.  

“I believe she would be good in that role. She’s smart, she knows the process inside-out, and she’s an honest broker who has demonstrated the ability to work with both sides and get things done. She would have my support, and I suspect many of my Republican colleagues would support her, as well," Shelby said in a statement. "But that’s up to the Biden Administration.”

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about Shelby's support on Wednesday and the possibility of Young being a Neera Tanden replacement, but she made clear that the White House maintains support for Tanden.

-ABC News' Trish Turner