Top Republican finally acknowledges Biden's polls victory

ATLANTA • US President-elect Joe Biden said he has spoken with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and that the two agreed to meet soon, after the lawmaker ended his silence on the results of the presidential election held six weeks ago.

Mr McConnell congratulated Mr Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory during remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday, a day after the Electoral College formalised the Democrats' Nov 3 win.

The senator was among many congressional Republicans who had not acknowledged Mr Biden's defeat of President Donald Trump while the latter has continued to make unfounded claims of election fraud and refused to concede.

Mr Biden told reporters he spoke with Mr McConnell before heading to Georgia, where he will campaign for two Democratic US Senate candidates whose Jan 5 run-off elections could make or break his domestic policy agenda.

"While we disagree on a lot of things, there are things we can work together on," Mr Biden told reporters. "We agreed to get together sooner (rather) than later."

Hours after their call, Mr McConnell told reporters that lawmakers would not leave Washington this year until they have agreed on a new coronavirus economic relief package.

Top congressional leaders are seeking to finalise a government funding Bill and end a long stand-off on economic relief.

Mr McConnell and his top deputies pressed other Senate Republicans not to join with any House Republicans who may object to the election outcome when Congress meets on Jan 6 to ratify the decision.

Any such effort to challenge the results is almost certain to fail since it would require approval by both chambers, including the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

Mr Biden and Ms Harris will be sworn in on the steps of the US Capitol on Jan 20 with far fewer people present than is customary due to the raging coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people in the United States, the inaugural planning committee said on Tuesday.

Festivities will be largely virtual, and the committee urged members of the public to refrain from travelling to Washington.

Mr Biden has pressed ahead with building his Cabinet, with word of more picks emerging on Tuesday.

He has chosen Mr Pete Buttigieg, one of his former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, to lead the Transportation Department, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Mr Buttigieg, 38, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would be the first LGBTQ person nominated to Mr Biden's administration and, if confirmed, the first LGBTQ Cabinet secretary approved by the Senate.

Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico is Mr Biden's leading choice to head the Interior Department, according to three sources familiar with the proceedings, a selection that would make her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency.

The President-elect's trip to Atlanta comes nine days after Mr Trump travelled to Georgia in support of the Republican senators seeking re-election.

Mr Biden's narrow win in Georgia last month underscored the Southern state's transformation from Republican stronghold to one of the country's most competitive political battlegrounds.

Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, in twin races that will determine which party will control the US Senate.

If the Republicans win either contest, they would maintain power in the Senate, allowing them to thwart many of Mr Biden's ambitious legislative goals on issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and climate change.

A Democratic sweep would give Mr Biden's party control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. Democrats already hold a majority in the House of Representatives.

REUTERS