Her role came as border unease has increased since President Biden took office.

Biden delivered his words at the White House and said, “She’s the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle, and the countries that are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.

It’s not her full responsibility and job, but she’s leading the effort, because I think the best thing to do is put someone who, when he or she speaks, they don’t have to wonder about, is that where the president is?”.President Biden added, “As she speaks, she speaks for me, doesn’t have to check with me, she knows what she’s doing, and I hope we can move this along”.

A senior White House official said, “Starting today the Northern Triangle nations and Mexico will know there is one senior official dedicated to this effort.

She is going to work first on the goal of stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the US, but also at the same time, and as part of the broader context, her real goal is the establishment of a strategic partnership with these countries that is based on respect and shared values”.

Moreover, Harris plans to work on making it safer for people to apply for asylum and legal pathways in their home nations instead of making the dangerous trip.President Biden is signaling to Mexican and Central American officials the seriousness with which his administration is approaching the situation by appointing his deputy to take the lead.

An official at the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) said it will be used for community organizations working to address gaps in the response to COVID-19.

The funding plan is targeted at organizations that are encouraging underserved and minority populations to get COVID-19 vaccinations and adopt safety practices to help them avoid contracting the virus.

The initiative is called Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19 and will be run by HHS’ Office of Minority Health.

The office will provide grants to localities partnering with community-based organizations.The HHS official also said the plan is intended to help local governments empower their efforts around COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and other mitigation measures while partnering with organizations that best know how to support their communities.

Point to be noted that Harris has already been trying to decrease vaccination disparities arising from racial, cultural, and socioeconomic concerns.

Some of them are caused by mistrust of the vaccine among minorities and rural Americans alike.

On Tuesday, the US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden as the president-elect for the first time.

The acknowledgment came more than a month after Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

McConnell waited until the Electoral College formally voted to elect Biden on Monday, officially finalizing the election results.

He’s devoted himself to public service for many years”.

McConnell said, “Beyond our differences, all Americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time”.On Tuesday, the departing for a campaign event in Georgia, Biden said he had a good conversation with Mitch McConnell today.

The president continues to falsely insist that the election was rigged, promoting unfounded claims of voter fraud.

On Wednesday, US Vice President Kamala Harris informed reporters that she is planning to visit Mexico and Guatemala very soon.

The VP has been on the receiving end of criticism from Republicans for having not yet traveled to the border or Central American nations contributing to the increased flow of migrants.

Point to be noted that the number of migrants trying to cross the border has critically increased in recent months.

Some facilities holding migrants are filled far past capacity, in spite of the still-raging pandemic.Reporters recently had a chance to look inside a facility in Donna, Texas, holding 16 times more migrants than its capacity during the pandemic.

It is still unclear when VP Harris will make the trip to Mexico and Guatemala.

President Biden tapped Harris for the role and said she would be working on two tracks, first on the objective of stemming the flow of irregular migrants to the US and establishing a strategic partnership with the nations within her purview.

He issued a statement hours after the Senate failed to muster the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump.

Biden said, “While the final vote did not lead to a conviction, the substance of the charge is not in dispute.

Even those opposed to the conviction, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, believe Donald Trump was guilty of a disgraceful dereliction of duty and practically & morally responsible for provoking the violence unleashed on the Capitol”.President Biden pointed out that 57 senators including a record 7 Republicans voted to find Trump guilty, following a bipartisan vote by the House of Representatives to impeach the Republican former president.

He said he was thinking about Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was killed during the siege of the Capitol on 6th January, others who bravely stood guard, and those who lost their lives.

He lauded the courage of those who made efforts to protect the integrity of US democracy, including Democrats, Republicans, election officials, judges, elected representatives, and poll workers.

That it must always be defended.

She also mentioned Eleanor Roosevelt’s historic work at the global body.

It was delivered on behalf of the Biden administration to the 65th session of the UN’s 2ND largest annual event, the CSW (Commission on the Status of Women).

Harris addressed the backsliding of women’s rights and the increase in violence against women during the pandemic, stressing their impact on the overall health of a nation’s political system.

Harris said, “When women face obstacles to obtaining quality healthcare; when women face food insecurity, when women are more likely to live in poverty, and therefore disproportionately impacted by climate change, more vulnerable to gender-based violence, and therefore disproportionately impacted by conflict”.She added, “Well it’s harder for women to fully participate in decision-making.

Which, of course, in turn, makes it that much harder for democracies to thrive”.

The VP also expressed a sense of confidence going forward and said, “Women in the United States lead our local, state, and national governments, make major decisions regarding our nation’s security and drive major growth in our economy.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden has reversed Donald Trump’s ban against transgender Americans serving in the US military.

The White House issued a statement that the new executive order sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able to serve.

US President Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Mark Milley, and incoming Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “The All-Volunteer Force thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the rigorous standards for military service, and an inclusive military strengthens our national security.

What I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform”.

Point to be noted that Trump reversed a policy of Barack Obama’s administration (to allow transgender people to serve) in 2017.It is noteworthy that the military service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria were prohibited from undergoing medical surgeries for gender transition unless they were in the process of receiving treatment.

However, transgender people who received hormone treatment or had undergone transition-related surgery were barred from enlisting.

The US Senate has approved a budget resolution for President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.

The move came hours later after the House passed the Senate-amended budget plan by a vote of 219-209.

The budget resolution doesn’t have the force of law but paves the way for Democrats to move forward on a subsequent COVID-19 relief bill that can bypass a filibuster in the Senate.

It also potentially affects the timeline to send the third wave of stimulus checks out faster.

The New York Times reported that senators agreed to block tax increases on small businesses and to create a fund that provides grants for restaurants impacted by the pandemic.

A marathon legislative event was among the amendments during the session.There was also bipartisan support to restrict $1,400 direct payments in Biden’s stimulus package from going to Americans with high incomes, though the amendment didn’t specify what income level would be considered too high for a $1,400 stimulus check.

On Tuesday, US Senate has confirmed Shalanda Young (63-37 vote) to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.

She has received bipartisan honor from members of the US Congress over her work as the Democratic staff director for the House Appropriations Committee.

Point to be noted that Young will be the first Black woman director of OMB.

They issued a statement and cited Young’s “intellect, deep expertise on the federal budget and her determination to ensure that our budget reflects our values as a nation”.

But some Asian American groups are now looking for Nani Coloretti.

She served as deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration.It is noteworthy that they are frustrated by the lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the Cabinet.