The latest on Biden's transition

By Meg Wagner, Mike Hayes and Veronica Rocha, CNN

Updated 8:23 p.m. ET, December 15, 2020
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11:54 a.m. ET, December 15, 2020

McConnell for the first time recognizes Biden as president-elect, offers congratulations

From CNN's Ali Zaslav, Manu Raju, Ted Barrett

Sarah Silbiger/Pool/Getty Images
Sarah Silbiger/Pool/Getty Images

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that following the electors meeting yesterday, “as of this morning, our country officially has a president-elect and a vice president elect.”

“The Electoral College has spoken,” he said. Adding: “Today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.” 

He made the remark after talking about the Trump presidency in the past tense, touting the current administration’s accomplishments, including the country’s “economic prosperity” and “foreign policy,” judicial appointments, and “bold regulatory changes” in a speech from the Senate floor.

“It would take far more than one speech to catalogue all the major wins the Trump administration has helped deliver for the American people. The outsider who swore he would shake up Washington and lead our country to new accomplishments, both at home and abroad proceeded to do exactly that. President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence deserve our thanks and our gratitude for their tireless work and their essential roles in all these victories and in many more,” he said.

Manu Raju reports:

9:45 a.m. ET, December 15, 2020

Fauci says he believes Biden and Harris should be vaccinated as soon as possible

From CNN's Naomi Thomas

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Tuesday that his strong recommendation would be for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

“For security reasons, I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can,” Fauci said.

“You want him fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January,” Fauci said of Biden. “So that would be my strong recommendation.” 

9:51 a.m. ET, December 15, 2020

Biden will travel to Georgia today to support Senate runoff candidates

From CNN's Ryan Nobles

Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

President-elect Joe Biden will travel to Georgia today to headline a rally in support of the Democratic candidates in the state's US Senate runoff election, the Biden campaign announced Thursday.

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are challenging incumbent GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in a pair of races that will determine control of the United States Senate.

Biden's visit is tied directly to the start of early voting in Georgia. Voters could begin casting ballots in the state Monday and the Democratic ticket is placing a special emphasis on getting out the early vote.

In addition to Biden, the campaigns are also planning a future visit from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as well as tips from a number of high-profile Democratic surrogates.

The Democratic approach to surrogates has been much different than the Republicans who have been flooding the zone with visits from GOP stars.

President Trump made a trip to Valdosta, Georgia, and a made promise to return. The GOP ticket has also benefited from Vice President Mike Pence who has already made one trip and will be in Augusta later Thursday.

9:55 a.m. ET, December 15, 2020

The Electoral College affirmed Biden's victory yesterday. Here's what comes next.

From CNN's Jeremy Herb

Ross D. Franklin/Pool/AP
Ross D. Franklin/Pool/AP

California's 55 electors put Joe Biden over the 270 Electoral College votes needed to become president shortly after 5 p.m. ET Monday, affirming Biden's election as the 46th president of the United States.

Electors for all 50 states and the District of Columbia gathered in their respective capitols on Monday to cast ballots.

The Electoral College's vote, however, is not the final step in the constitutional process of selecting a president. The votes cast on Monday are sent to Congress, where they will be counted on Jan. 6 in a joint session led by Vice President Mike Pence.

Many congressional Republicans who have refused thus far to say that Biden won the election have claimed they are waiting for Monday's Electoral College vote to certify the results. But some of Trump's staunchest House Republican allies are preparing for a floor fight when the votes are counted in Congress next month.

Lawmakers can dispute a state's election result when the votes are counted next month. But a challenge can only be considered if both a House member and a senator sign onto it. So far only House Republicans have said they will contest the results, although some GOP senators have suggested they are considering joining.

Even if a senator signs on to challenge the results, it's only delaying the inevitable. In that case, the House and Senate separately debate the matter for two hours and vote on it. Democrats control the House, and enough GOP senators have already said they reject Trump's claims of fraud that a challenge would not succeed there either.

After the state electors cast their ballots on Monday, those results will be certified and sent to Congress, the National Archives and to the courts.

On Jan. 20, a new president takes the oath of office at noon.

Read more about the next steps here.