Biden says reopening schools will be a priority for first 100 days in office

During the announcement of his health team’s key members, President-Elect Joe Biden spoke on his upcoming administration’s commitment to getting U.S. children back in school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In one hundred days, it should be a national priority to get our kids back into school and keep them in school, if Congress provides the funding we need to protect students, educators, and staff. If states and cities put strong public health measures in place that we all follow, then my team will work to see that a majority of our schools can be open by the end of my first 100 days,” Biden said.

US President-elect Joe Biden speaks as he announces his team tasked with dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware on December 8, 2020. - President-elect Joe Biden on December 7, 2020 named the team tasked with turning around the United States' floundering efforts to quell the Covid-19 pandemic, nominating Xavier Becerra as his secretary of health. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The president-elect said that his incoming administration also plans to administer 100 million vaccines within his first 100 days in office. Biden is also calling on Congress to deliver funding for not only vaccinations but school reopenings as well.

“That’s right. We’ll look to have the most schools open and we can possibly in 100 days. If Congress provides the funding we need. It’s not a secret how to do it. Masking, vaccinations, opening schools, the three key goals from our first 100 days.”

In the meeting, Biden outlined his COVID-19 vaccine goal: 100 million shots in 100 days. He also urged lawmakers to approve more funding to deal with the pandemic.

Biden has named Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Vivek Murthy, as Surgeon General, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith as the COVID-19 Equity Task Force Chair. He has also tapped Dr. Anthony Fauci to be chief medical adviser to the president on COVID-19 and continue as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

He has yet to name his Secretary of Education.

Reggie Wade is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @ReggieWade.

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