Washington — President Biden on Thursday announced he is doubling his goal of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in his first 100 days in office, setting a new target of 200 million shots in the arms of Americans.
Mr. Biden unveiled this plan in the first formal press conference of his presidency, during which he is expected to face questions on the challenges facing his administration in its early months, including COVID-19, surge of migrants at the border and gun violence.
“That’s right, 200 million shots in 100 days,” the president announced in opening remarks on his administration’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. “I know it’s ambitious, twice our original goal, but no other country in the world has even come close, not even close to what we are doing and I believe we can do it.”
Mr. Biden initially set a goal of 100 million vaccine doses within his first 100 days, but the nation surpassed that number last week, on the 58th day of his administration. The president also highlighted his administration’s new $10 billion investment, announced earlier Thursday, to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine among minority communities and ensure equitable access to the shots.
After addressing the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Mr. Biden took questions on the immigration crisis at the southern border and whether he can successfully usher proposals on immigration reform, gun control, voting rights and climate change through Congress. While Democrats control the House, the Senate is evenly divided, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting tie-breaking votes.
The slim margins in the Senate have led to calls from progressives to eliminate or reform the filibuster rule, under which 60 votes are needed to end debate and move to a final vote on legislation.
“Let’s see what happens,” Mr. Biden said of his ability to address those four issues. “I’ve been hired to solve problems, not create division.”
Mr. Biden is expected to also answer questions on foreign policy, including on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the ballistic missiles launched Thursday by North Korea.
