Axios

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called White House chief of staff Mark Meadows Tuesday morning to say he planned on congratulating Joe Biden on winning the Electoral College and would officially address him as president-elect on the Senate floor, two sources familiar with the call tell Axios.

Why it matters: The Senate leader had resisted public demands to acknowledge Biden's victory despite the president's losing court battles, holding off until electors had formally given Biden the 270 votes he needed to secure his win on Monday. The delay underscored that McConnell still needs President Trump to back must-pass legislation before leaving office, one of the sources said.

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to tap former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to serve as secretary of energy, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Granholm will play a key role in making good on Biden’s promise to shift the U.S. to clean energy. Her prior experience in the auto industry is largely seen as a strength that will appeal to blue-collar workers, Politico, which first reported the news, writes.

Michael Regan, the top environmental regulator in North Carolina, has emerged as a leading candidate to head the Environmental Protection Agency, according to people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: If nominated and confirmed, Regan, the secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, would be the first Black male to head the agency and is yet another example of Biden assembling one of the most diverse Cabinets in U.S. history.

The bipartisan group of senators working on an economic stimulus deal have received assurances from Senate GOP leadership that their $748 billion proposal will be used as the framework for a relief package that Congress hopes to pass by the end of the week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) tells the Axios Re:Cap podcast.

Why it matters: This is the most compromise we've seen from Congress to date in trying to pass a new round of economic stimulus, as the country grapples with its worst-ever surge of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

With vaccine distribution beginning this week, America can finally see the light at the end of the COVID tunnel. But that tunnel remains several months long, and that means economic pain and hardship for millions across the U.S.

Axios Re:Cap speaks with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who's helping spearhead a bipartisan and bicameral effort to get economic stimulus passed, about the odds of success and what's in the plan.

Facebook said Tuesday it will begin letting advertisers run ads targeting Georgia voters about the state's Jan. 5 runoff elections, starting Dec. 16 at 9am Pacific Time, even as its broader temporary political ad ban remains in place.

Why it matters: The move comes days after Google lifted its full post-election political ad ban that went into effect after polls closed on Nov. 3. The updates from the two tech giants mean more digital ads will likely start being used to target voters in Georgia.

Joe Biden plans to name Mayor Pete Buttigieg as his transportation secretary as early as today, tapping a former rival to help rebuild America's infrastructure, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Why it matters: By selecting Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, for transportation, Biden will be nominating the first openly gay person for a Cabinet position.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his leadership team urged fellow Republicans on a conference call today not to participate in any efforts to object to certifying Joe Biden's presidential election win in the Jan. 6 joint session, two sources on the call tell Axios.

Why it matters: This is about politics as much as about doing the right thing. McConnell expressed concern about such a vote, because the GOP would have to vote it down — something that could damage incumbents up for re-election in 2022.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) officially addressed Joe Biden as president-elect on Tuesday, saying in a speech on the Senate floor: "The Electoral College has spoken."

Why it matters: McConnell is the most prominent Republican to concede that President Trump lost the November election and congratulate Biden on his victory.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee issued a statement Tuesday urging the public to "refrain from any travel and participate in the inaugural activities from home" due to COVID-19.

Driving the news: Former FDA commissioner David Kessler will serve as the committee's chief medical adviser as it plans a "new and innovative program" for participation in inaugural ceremonies, which will be released in the coming weeks.

Progressives are demanding Joe Biden's domestic climate policy czar, who he is expected to name this week, have "direct access to the president" and "wide-reaching power," according to a memo to Biden transition officials obtained by Axios. 

Why it matters: After focusing on personnel and policy, progressives are pivoting to focus on other ways to wield power with the Biden-Harris administration — including spelling out explicit demands.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Tuesday he'd sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden congratulating him on his victory in the U.S. presidential election, shortly after the Electoral College affirmed his win.

Why it matters: López Obrador was one of the last holdouts among major world leaders who had refrained from immediately acknowledging Biden's victory as Trump's legal challenges played out, seeking to avoid friction with Washington.

Congress and the White House are continuing their tortoise act on economic stimulus, all while telling us that help is almost certainly, maybe, on its way.

The state of play: One thing most elected officials agree on is the need for a reauthorized Paycheck Protection Program, which would provide forgivable loans to struggling small businesses.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is the latest Republican to accept Joe Biden as president-elect after the Electoral College affirmed his election victory on Monday.

Why it matters: Many GOP lawmakers have for weeks refused to accept Biden's win, highlighting President Trump's influence over the party, even as his efforts to overthrow the election based on false allegations of widespread voter fraud proved unsuccessful.

America got quite a respite yesterday from this bleak year: A woman of color became the first American to get the COVID vaccine; Democracy worked, as the Electoral College voted in 50 state capitals; And President-elect Biden called on the nation to "turn the page."

Yes, but: Biden is trying to prepare us for what incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow will be "a very, very, very dark winter," with "probably tens of thousands of deaths left before the end of the year."

The share of Americans who say they'll get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it's available has doubled since September, with more than one in four now putting their hands up, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: This increased comfort with or appetite for getting the vaccine is happening as the first Americans get vaccinated. It's being driven by people 65 and older, but it's happening across all age, party ID and racial and ethnic groups.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a message of congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden, the Kremlin announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: Putin was one of the few world leaders to refrain from congratulating Biden for his election win. But after the Electoral College affirmed his election victory, the Kremlin released a statement saying Putin looked forward to having "interaction and contact with" Biden, per Russia's TASS news agency.

A number of immigration and law enforcement groups are publicly backing Homeland Security nominee Alejandro Mayorkas after he failed to receive a single Republican vote when he last faced Senate confirmation, according to support letters reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: Mayorkas would be the first immigrant and Latino to run the Department of Homeland Security, and the push from typically right-leaning law enforcement groups in particular could give him a critical boost with GOP lawmakers.

Right up to Monday's Electoral College vote, President Trump held the false hope that Republican-controlled state legislatures would replace electors with allies who'd overturn Joe Biden's win, two people who discussed the matter with him told Axios.

The big picture: Through the past week, the sources said, the president browbeat GOP legislators in multiple states, launched tirades against Republican Govs. Doug Ducey of Arizona and Brian Kemp of Georgia, vowed to make Fox News "pay" for accurately calling the race, and tested ways to say he didn't win without acknowledging he had lost.

Business leaders see President-elect Biden's first six months as a make-or-break period for the economy — when he will either emerge as a promised bipartisan, centrist leader or submit to the demands of his party's progressive wing, lobbyists, top banks and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce tell Axios.

Why it matters: Both Presidents Obama and Trump were able to pass big-ticket legislative items, like the Affordable Care Act and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, at the outset of their terms, thanks to having a unified government in both chambers of Congress.

President-elect Joe Biden emphasized unity in a speech on Monday evening as the Electoral College finished its formal voting process, handing him a solid 306 electoral votes to confirm his win.

What they're saying: "The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic — or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame," Biden said.

President-elect Biden officially received the majority of Electoral College votes on Monday, further solidifying his victory even though the outcome of the election has been known for weeks.

Why it matters: The Electoral College result affirms Biden as the next president after weeks of President Trump's false accusations that the election was stolen from him, dozens of failed legal challenges from the Trump campaign, and protests threatening the safety of states' electors.