Elizabeth Schulze reports from Washington.
530pm Nation View Biden Transition 12072020
Our nation view... president-elect joe biden is moving forward with cabinet appointments.... naming his picks to lead the department of health and human services and the c- d-c.
Both will be critical roles in his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile president trump, still making unfounded claims of widespread fraud in the election.... despite losing dozens of legal challenges in court, where no fraud has been found.
Elizabeth schulze is in washington with the latest.
L3: nationview white president-elect biden names more cabinet picks as covid-19 cases soar and hospitalizations hit all-time highs -- president-elect joe biden is building out his team that will lead the response to the pandemic.
Biden announcing california attorney general and former congressman xavier beccera will be his pick for secretary of health and human services.
If confirmed -- beccera would be the first latino to hold the job -- one that will be essential for distribution of a covid-19 vaccine.
The president-elect saying friday a critical task will be getting the vaccine to communities of color that have been hit especially hard by the pandemic -- sot: biden : "so we got a lot of work to do.
And, and there has to be the equity side of this has to be important part of distribution."
A member of biden's covid-19 advisory board echoing the president-elect's claim from last week--telling c-b-s news the trump administration still has not shared a detailed plan about vaccine distribution.
Sot: dr. celine gounder on cbs: "we really need to understand what their plan for distribution is.
We've already been trying to get handle on how many doses will be available to us from each of the companies and by when, but we do need some internal information on that from the federal government."
Biden also announcing infectious disease expert rochelle walensky as his director of the c-d- c.
While doctor anthony fauci will stay on as director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases -- and take on a new role as biden's chief medical officer on covid-19.
President trump for his part still refusing to accept biden won the election -- sot: trump : "it was a rigged election.
It's a disgrace to our country."
The president continuing to make unfounded claims about widespread fraud even as dozens of legal challenges on the election from his campaign and supporters continue to be rejected in the courts.
Tag: the white house will be hosting a vaccine summit tomorrow with governors and private sector leaders.
A transition official tells a-b-c news no one from the biden team has been invited.
Elizabeth schulze, abc news, washington.