Biden's transition moves ahead

Moments after Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department has not found evidence to support allegations of widespread fraud that could have changed the result of last month's presidential election, President Trump’s legal team responded, criticizing the Department of Justice.

“We have gathered ample evidence of illegal voting in at least six states, which they have not examined. We have many witnesses swearing under oath they saw crimes being committed in connection with voter fraud. As far as we know, not a single one has been interviewed by the DOJ,” the statement continued.

The statement concludes by claiming Barr has no knowledge and there has been no investigation into the “substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud.”

There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the election, as Barr said in his interview with the AP.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dodged when asked by CNN’s Manu Raju why he has not spoken out amid President Trump's false claims that the election was rigged and stolen from him.

In his response, McConnell suggested that the outcome of the presidential election still has not been determined, but argued that he is not focused on the result and is instead focused on what Congress will do during the rest of the lame duck session.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, we have this government for the next three weeks for sure, and what I’m focusing on is trying to accomplish as much as we can during this three week period, which requires dealing with the government that we have right now," McConnell said.

Attorney General William Barr said in an interview with the Associated Press published Tuesday that the Justice Department hasn't found evidence to support allegations of widespread fraud that could have changed the result of last month's presidential election.

Attorney General William Barr says the Justice Department hasn't found evidence to support allegations of widespread fraud that could have changed the result of last month's presidential election.

Barr, who prior to the election echoed President Trump's claims that mail-in voting wasn't secure, says both the Justice Department and the Homeland Security Department have looked into claims of fraud and come up empty. 

"There's been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results," Barr said. "And the DHS and DOJ have looked into that, and so far, we haven't seen anything to substantiate that."

As President-elect Joe Biden exited The Queen theater following his event announcing his economic team in Wilmington, Delaware, he answered a few shouted questions from the pool from afar before he got into his SUV.

He said that he hasn't yet spoken to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"Not yet," Biden said when asked if he's spoken to McConnell. 

Asked whether he supports the $900 billion stimulus proposal, he replied, "I’ve just heard about it. I’ll take a look at it when I get back.” 

Biden did not answer a shouted question about whether he plans to go to Georgia to campaign ahead of the Senate runoff. 

As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to announce more key appointments to his administration, the door is closing on the prospect of tapping a nominee from one of his most cherished places in Washington: the halls of Congress.

Inside his transition team, there is a real recognition of how difficult it would be to choose a Senate Democrat for any role, given how closely divided the upper chamber will be next year.

And the narrowing Democratic majority in the House has made it far less likely that he would be able to easily turn to any House members for posts in the administration.

Multiple sources familiar with the transition say that regardless of what happens in the two Senate runoff races in Georgia next month – where even in the best case for Democrats, the Senate would be split evenly with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote – the bar would be extremely high for Biden to appoint a Senate Democrat to an administration role and take them out of Congress.

What Biden has indicated to allies is that “it would be really, really hard to take someone out of the Senate because the margin is so slim, no matter what happens in Georgia,” one source said. He echoed that sentiment in his interview with NBC News last month.

It certainly doesn’t mean there is no chance that Biden would do it – but it would need to be for the right person and for the right job, and if the person hails from a state where their Senate replacement would be appointed by a governor who guaranteed naming another Democrat. And in the House, even in a safe Democratic district, a vacancy could complicate close votes before a special election could be held.

We’ve already seen the effects of that political calculation. As CNN reported earlier this week, Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth was in the mix for the defense secretary job, but is now longer getting a serious look given Biden's reluctance to create any vacancies in the Senate.

Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is under consideration for attorney general, but Jones lost his seat last month and is leaving the Senate. The only two remaining Democratic senators in the mix for positions appear to be New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall for Interior secretary and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for Labor secretary, although Republicans have said prospects for confirmation are slim.

President-elect Joe Biden unveiled the top members of his economic team this afternoon in Wilmington, Delaware. They will be tasked with leading the incoming administration's economic response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The nominees outlined their vision of the US economy and their role. Here's some of what they had to say:

Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury nominee

Yellen said that the nation is "facing historic crises" like those the US saw during the Great Recession.

Yellen said "it is essential we move with urgency" to address the economic problems in America today. 

"Inaction will produce self reinforcing downturn causing yet more devastation," the nominee added. 

If confirmed, Yellen would be the first woman to be treasury secretary.

Neera Tanden, Director of the Office of Management and Budget nominee

Tanden said it is her "profound honor to help shape the budgets and programs to keep lifting Americans up, to pull families back from the brink, to give everybody the fair chance my mom got, and that every single person deserves." 

"That's the America they were drawn to, the America the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect are ready to grow," the nominee added.

Tanden noted that as Vice President-elect Harris, her mother also was born in India and immigrated to the US to pursue a better life.  

If confirmed, the nominee would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to oversee the office.

Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury nominee

Adeyamo said he looks forward to working at Treasury with Janet Yellen "to reduce inequality in this country, expand the middle class, make sure we build an economy that works for everyone."

He said the country "must also remain laser focused" in the treasury department's role in "protecting national security." 

He said, "The challenges before us today are unlike anything we have ever faced."

If confirmed, Adeyemo would be the first Black deputy Treasury Secretary. 

Cecilia Rouse, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers nominee

Rouse said that the country is facing a moment of urgency and opportunity, unlike any we faced in modern times." 

Jared Bernstein, selected as member of the Council of Economic Advisers

Bernstein said the Biden-Harris economic agenda is '"timely, resonant, and visionary." 

He added that the US must create an economy "that's far more resilient, far more fair, and far more inclusive."

Heather Boushey, selected as member of the Council of Economic Advisers

Boushey said she's dedicated her career to figuring out how we can grow and sustain the middle class."

She said the American economy should "uproot the gender barriers and racial barriers that leave too many Americans outside the dream looking in."

Learn more about Biden’s picks here.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are formally introducing key members of their economic team at an event happening now in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden pledged that his diverse team will create a recovery “for everybody” to get the economy moving again and promised that “help is on the way.”

"It includes groundbreaking Americans who come from different backgrounds but who share my core vision for relief here in the United States of America," Biden continued.

Yesterday, Biden made the long-expected announcement of Janet Yellen as treasury secretary along with three other women in top roles on a diverse team that will be tasked with helping lead Biden's economic response to the coronavirus pandemic and meet the former vice president’s campaign promises of narrowing economic disparities.

If confirmed, Yellen would be the first woman to be treasury secretary.

Among the other barrier-breaking nominees Biden announced is Adewale "Wally" Adeyemo, president of the Obama Foundation in Chicago, for deputy Treasury Secretary, serving under Yellen. If confirmed, he would be the first Black deputy Treasury Secretary. Biden also named Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget. If confirmed, she would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to oversee it.

Harris declared “this is the right team for this moment,” and thanked all for their continued government service. 

Here’s a look at the list of nominations and appointments: 

The President-elect called on Congress to pass a “robust package” for relief but urged that anything passed during the lame duck session will almost certainly at best be "just a start." 

"Let's begin the work to heal, to unite, to rebuild an economy for all Americans. They deserve and expect nothing less," Biden said. 

Read more about Biden’s picks here.

Watch:

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will formally introduce key members of their economic team shortly at an event in Wilmington, Delaware. 

Biden made the long-expected announcement of Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary yesterday along with three other women in top roles on a diverse team that will help him navigate the nation's punishing fiscal headwinds in hopes of building an economic recovery.

They will also be tasked with the Biden-Harris administration's economic response to the coronavirus pandemic.

President-elect Joe Biden is formally introducing his economic team shortly in Delaware, with Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen, OMB Director and the Council of Economic Advisers expected to stand on stage with him in Wilmington.

But today’s announcement is only one part of his economic team. Biden has settled on Brian Deese to lead the National Economic Council, people familiar with the transition tell CNN, and is still making final decisions on US Trade Representative, Commerce Secretary and others posts. Those announcements will be made in the coming days, transition officials say.

So what’s the difference between the Council of Economic Advisers and the National Economic Council? A simple way to look at the CEA is “the president’s think tank on the economy.” 

Cecilia Rouse, who will be nominated to lead the CEA, will be joined by Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey. The three-member Council of Economic Advisers was formed in 1946 to give economic advice to the president.

The National Economic Council was formed in 1993, during the Clinton administration, to coordinate policy across the government. It does not require Senate confirmation like the CEA. 

As CNN reported on Sunday, Deese will play a lead role in implementing economic policy of the Biden administration. He is a veteran of the Obama-Biden administration, leading the auto rescue package and the economic recovery act. He was elevated through the ranks from deputy director of the NEC to deputy director of OMB. He played a key role in the Paris climate accords in 2015.