White House Seeks $1.4 Billion to Combat Growing Ebola Outbreak 
US Delivers $13M Autonomous Maritime Drones to Philippines 
Trump Highlights Manufacturing Agenda in Pennsylvania as Midterm Elections Approach 
Russia Signals Frustration Over Unfulfilled U.S. Commitments After Alaska Summit 
Pelosi Discloses Major Intel and Uber Call Option Purchases Worth Up to $6 Million 
US Senate Approves War Powers Resolution Urging Trump to End Iran Military Action 
US Seeks Gulf Support for Iran Peace Deal Amid Regional Tensions 
Marco Rubio Reassures Gulf Allies Over U.S.-Iran Peace Deal 
U.S. Reviewing Potential F-35 Fighter Jet Sale to Turkey Amid S-400 Dispute 
US Urges States and Businesses to Strengthen Taiwan Ties Amid China Pressure 
Crimea Power Outage After Ukrainian Drone Attack, Russian Authorities Say 
Japan Signals Preference for Low Interest Rates as BOJ Policy Debate Intensifies 
Trump Requests $11 Billion More in Farm Aid as Rising Costs Pressure U.S. Farmers 
Rubio Faces Gulf Skepticism Over U.S.-Iran Peace Deal 
Peru Election Dispute Deepens as Roberto Sanchez Rejects Runoff Results 
White House Seeks $87.6 Billion Emergency Funding for Iran War, Farmers, and Ebola Response 
U.S. Eases Iran Team Travel Restrictions Ahead of Seattle World Cup Match 
The Senate is currently moving through the process of confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees for his Cabinet. In the confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services Secretary, nominee Xavier Becerra has pledged to make the pandemic the agency’s top priority.
Becerra begins his two days of Senate hearings this week, with Republicans already expected to voice their opposition while Democrats remain unfazed. The California attorney general would be questioned by two Senate panels, the health committee questioning Becerra on Tuesday, followed by the finance committee on Wednesday. Should Becerra be confirmed, he would become the first Latino to lead the agency which oversees health insurance programs, drug safety and approvals, advanced medical research, and child welfare. In his prepared statement, Becerra said that tackling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would be his top priority.
“The president has ambitious goals - 100 million vaccine shots in arms in his first 100 days, increasing access to testing, sequencing the virus so we’re prepared for the variants, and reopening schools and businesses. HHS has a central role in meeting these goals - safely and equitably,” said Becerra, who succeeded Vice President Kamala Harris as attorney general when she won the Senate.
Becerra’s hearing was met with opposition from the GOP. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell described the nominee as very partisan, North Carolina senator Richard Burr said that Becerra is not fit for the job, while Tom Cotton of Arkansas and John Kennedy of Louisiana wrote a letter to Biden asking to withdraw his nomination of Becerra. They also echoed McConnell’s description of Becerra not being fit for the position.
Becerra is not the only Cabinet nominee who has come under fire by the GOP lawmakers during their confirmation hearings. OMB director nominee Neera Tanden’s confirmation is also in the balance as West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin said he does not intend to confirm Tanden. New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland, Biden’s nominee for Interior Secretary, also went through contentious Senate hearings.
However, two of Biden’s nominees were also confirmed this week. Linda Thomas-Greenfield was confirmed by the Senate for the post of US Ambassador to the United Nations on a 78-20 vote. Tom Vilsack, who was the Agriculture Secretary during the Obama administration, is back on the post.
