And effectively deliver the vaccine. This relief package wont be the total answer, but its an important first step. Theres so much we have to do. These crises have ripped the blinders off the systemic racism that exists in america. American people can see clearly that black, latinos are more likely to get covid. Communities of color are left to ask whether theyll ever be able to break the cycle. In good times they lag. In bad times theyre hit first and the hardest. In recovery they take the longest to bounce back. Vice president elect harris and i knew we would have our work cut out for us, but we also knew we could build a team that would meet this challenging moment in american history. Some are familiar faces. So are new in their roles. All are facing new circumstances and challenges. Thats a good thing. They bring deep experience and bold new thinking. Above all, they know how government should and can work for all americans. For secretary of agriculture i nominate tom vilsak, a twoterm governor of iowa. He was there when the Great Recession was pummelling Rural America. Over eight years he oversaw an investment to bring us back. He implemented the recovery act to help Rural Communities recover and rebuild. He helped expand markets around the world. He improved our food with Safety Standards and helped millions of children and families receive healthy meals. He wasnt looking for this job, but i was persistent and i asked him to serve again in this role because he knows the usda inside and out. He knows the government inside and out. We need that experience now. One in six americans and a quarter a quarter of the children in america are facing hunger. The opoid crisis in Rural America is a crisis, as is the Climate Crisis with floods and doubts. Farmers and Small Businesses in small towns, Rural Communities, white, black, latino are reeling. To knows the Resources Available in this department to get immediate relief to those in need and to address the crises facing Rural America. He knows how to build back better. He helped develop my rural plan for america in the campaign and he has the dubious discontinuti now to carry it out. That includes making american agriculture the first in the world to create new sources of income for farmers. By planting cover crops that use the soil to capture carbon and the usda will include racial equality and inclusion. He will root out Racial Discrimination wherever it exists. I for secretary of housing and urban Development Im pleased to nominate congresswoman marshal fa fadge. As a former mayor, she understands how to Form Solutions at a local level. For 12 years in congress she represented the great city of cleveland. You know, though i think of her most significant feat was being elected the president of the deltas. I know how powerful the deltas are. She developed an entire career fighting for working people on issues from Affordable Housing to urban revitalization. Her district was hit hard during the Great Recession. She spent the past decade working to improve blighted neighborhoods. She understands where you live impacts your health, access to education, jobs and economic opportunity. Zip codes should not determine the outcomes on those issues. Shell bring that same vision using every lever at her exposure helping americans facing evictions, trying to pay their mortgages. Shell lead our charge to make housing more affordable and accessible. Shell work to achieve Home Ownership, particularly in communities of color. Its not just dealing with the other issues. We have to be able to build wealth in communities of color. Shes also going to help us build back better by working across the spectrum to fulfill the promise of h. U. D. s mission, the mission to create sustainable communities and quality Affordable Homes for all. Marcia will be the first woman to lead hud in more than 40 years. Im honor to have her serve and thank her for doing it in the Biden Harris Administration at this critical moment. For secretary of veteran affairs i nominate dennis mcdonough. Ive known dennis for a long time. He shares my beliefs. We need to prepare our troops that we send in harms way and then to protect them when they return. He travelled often to iraq and afghanistan to meet with our servicemen, to see what they were going through. He would visit them often at walter reed to see the visible and invisible wounds they brought home. He knows the cost of wars on veterans and their families, from the toll on their physical and Mental Health and hes a fierce advocate and relentless work horse. I believe hes a world class manag manager. He would work for our veterans. He worked closely with our va secretary bob mcdonald to ensure veterans would get the benefits they earned and deserve. He knows we have a very steep hill to get more funding, more docs, more nurses, more folks out of the private sector into the va. That includes implementing veterans choice, a bill led by my friend Bernie Sanders and my late friend and hero john mccain and signed into law by president obama in 2014 to help veterans access Quality Health care they need when they need it. In this role ive given dennis a clear mission. Fight like hell. Fight like hell for our veterans and their families. Anyone who has worked with dennis will tell you hell move heaven and earth to get a job done. Hell work closely with our secretary of defense designee to pull every lever to build back the va. Dennis wife carrie works with local communities so veterans can help each other out. Both our spouses feel incredibly strongly about this. To all the veterans and military families, nominee of va secretary is one of the most important nominees ill make. For the United States trade representative i nominate katherine ty a trusted trade expert, a dedicated Public Servant who knows government. Shes currently served as the chief lawyer on trade for the house ways and means committee. Earning praise from lawmakers of both Political Parties and from both labor and business as well. Thats a feat across the board. All kidding aside, you have. Ive gotten more calls complimenting me on your appointment than you can imagine. During the Obama Administration she was the chief trade enforcement against china for unfair trade practices. That will be a key priority for the Biden Harris Administration. She understands we need to be more strategic in how we trade and that makes us all stronger. Trade that leaves nobody at home. Shell work closely with my Foreign Policy teams. Trade will be a pillar of Building Back better and carrying out our Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy for the middle class. I talked about a Foreign Policy for the middle class and i meant that in the literal sense. She brings a sophisticated understanding of the threats of Climate Change to trade as well as addresses the Climate Crisis with urgency. She also embodies a powerful immigration story of america. Her parents were both born in china. They moved to taiwan and came to the United States where katherine was born. Her parents become government scientists at walter read and n. I. H. Katherine says shes the First American born member of a family and a Second Generation u. S. Government servant. Thats a great way of expressing it. If confirmed, she will be the first Asian American and first woman of color to serve in this position. Our nation, our economy, our workers, our businesses will be fortunate to have her serve in this role. As director of the white house Domestic Policy Council, i spent some time convincing this wonderful Public Servant, im appointing susan rice, former United States ambassador to the united nations, former National Security to president obama, former cabinet member, team player, policy heavy weight and trusted Public Servant who ive known for a long time. Not only admired, but become friends with. She will lead and coordinate my critical domestic policy agenda. Shes going to elevate and turbo charge a revitalized Domestic Policy Council to help us build back better. Shell work closely with my director of National Economic council. Shell work closely with my National Security adviser jake sullivan. Together theyll align domestic policy, Foreign Policy and National Security unlike ever before. Its a big and critical role. Thats why i asked susan to serve. Shes been there. She knows what it takes, like she did in helping mobilize the entire federal government to end the ebola crisis. Her voice is needed in this particular moment. A grand daughter of immigrants, susan will be a tireless champion for all americans. She knows im really thrilled she was willing to come back to be at my side in the white house. To each of you on this team, you have my gratitude. The gratitude of the Vice President and me for answering the call to serve again. To your families, thank you. We know the sacrifice youre making to allow your Family Member to serve as they are going to, god willing. To career Civil Servants at these agencies we look forward to working with you. We know how many talented people are there. Its time to rededicate ourselves to the mission and to the American People, help is on the way. I promise were not going to let you down. May god bless you and may god protect our troops. Ill turn this over to the Team Starting with our next secretary of agriculture tom vilsak. Tom, thank you. Mr. President elect, im honored by the trust youve placed in me to return to the vital work of the usda at a very critical moment for so many families and communities throughout america. To begin that work by embracing the full benefits of a diverse and inclusive Senior Leadership team in the department as i was proud to do previously and to continue to important work of rooting out inequities and systemic racism in the systems we govern and the programs we lead. When Abraham Lincoln established the department of agriculture, he called it the peoples department. I look forward to making good on that moniker for all people as we build back better. I happen to be celebrating a birthday on sunday, one of those round numbers that causes you to reflect on your life. Thinking back on the path of my life, where it began in and orph orphanage in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, to iowa where christie and i raised are family, to standing here today given the chance to serve my country once again, i feel enormously lucky and grateful to live in a country where paths like mine are possible. A country as the president elect says is defined by possibilities. Unfortunately and tragically not all have experienced those possibilities. So i consider it my duty and my responsibility to help expand those possibilities for all americans at the usda. I know firsthand the character of the dedicated Public Servants who work hard each and every day to fulfill the mission of that department. Im especially grateful for the chance to get back to work alongside of them. One of our first charges will need to be to contribute all we can as a department to aid in the pandemic response, reviving Rural Communities and economies, addressing dire Food Shortages and getting workers and producers the relief they need to hang on and to come back stronger. When we emerge from this crisis, were going to have an Incredible Opportunity before us, to position american agriculture to lead our nation and the world in combatting Climate Change and reaping the new good paying jobs and farm income that will come from that leadership. To make landmark investments in communities throughout Rural America, especially those mired in poverty by adopting the 10, 20, 30 rule that sets aside 10 of funding to communities where 20 of people have been caught under the poverty line for 30 years or more and to ensure every child in our country have access to safe, affordable and nutritious food. We need to build back a vibrant and resilient Rural Economy that creates new possibilities for manufacturing workers, for family forest owners, farmers, ranchers and producers that helps to make life better and richer for them and safer for all of us. Under my watch the usda will be a team player working with our sister agencies to advance issues of shared interest from rebuilding our infrastructure to fixing a broken immigration system, to combatting and fighting the opoid crisis. I look forward to pursuing that work on behalf of the American People and especially those who live, work and raise their families in Rural America. I will end by expressing my profound gratitude to the president elect and vicepresident elect for this amazing opportunity to serve. Thank you. Good afternoon everybody. Im Ayman Mohyeldin in new york. Youre watching the unveiling of key cabinet positions by president elect joe biden. You just heard tom vilsak and marcia fudge is about to take the podium. To my family, my friends, my Sorority Sisters and constituents, i thank you for the opportunity to join in remarkable team and work on behalf of people in every city and community, to serve all those who are struggling and looking for the fair shot we all deserve. When i think about the enormity of the task ahead of us, i am reminded of the book of matthew where it is written foxes have holes. Birds have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head. There is dignity and grace within every woman, man and child in this nation, including those who live on the outskirts of hope. Those who work hard, but still struggle to make it work and those who have no place to lay their head. It is one of the highest responsibilities of our government, to see them, to see their dignity and to lift them up. I remember the feeling i had as a kid of the safety, security and peace of mind contained in one word home. I remember the comfort of knowing that no matter what happened i could always go home. Far too Many Americans live without that feeling. More and more have had that comfort ripped away. The crisis of a pandemic that has threatened their lives, the crisis of a recession that has swallowed up jobs, hours, wages and life lines. The crisis of injustice that has forced communities of color to make it in america with one dream tied behind their back. Each crisis chips away at their hope, at the promise of our nation. I that hobelieve that hope is o way. I know the president elect and vicepresident elect are building a team grounded in dignity. Our task at the department of housing and urban development will be to stand up for the dignity of all americans and deliver the promise of our nation to all those left out in the cold. We will take on the deepset roots of poverty and homelessness. Well fight for housing in every community that is affordable, decent and safe. We will help more americans secure the dream of Home Ownership, to close the gaps of inequity, build waelt and pass it on to their children. We will pursue Creative Development projects to shape our landscapes and skylines, restart the engines of cities that have stalled out and launch new opportunities in hometowns across america. Perhaps most importantly of all, we will help people believe once again that their government cares about them, no matter who they are. That we understand their problems as the president elect often recalls his fathers words. Im honor to have this chance to deliver for the people and make them proud and build back better alongside this dedicated team. I thank you for the opportunity to serve. That was congresswoman marcia fudge. She was talking about really the trifecta of crises facing people in this country including the pandemic, Racial Injustice and recession. Lets listen to dennis mcdonough. Im deeply humbled in the confidence youve placed in me and, if confirmed, will be honored to serve. Mr. President elect, you pledged to restore the soul of our nation and unit us. In this work there is a mission that can bring every american together. Caring for our nations veterans and their families. This is a sacred obligation and i know for you and dr. Biden its very deeply personal. Ive been inspired by veterans in my life as well. Today im thinking of my grandpa, a marine, all the troops i met on my visits to afghanistan and iraq and the Wounded Warriors i spent time with at walter reed or showing around the white house. Im thinking of the many vets i had the pleasure to serve with in and out of government who have put the character and training they developed in uniform to work to continue serving our country as civilians. Im also thinking of one of my High School Coaches back in stillwater, minnesota. Joe sam samuels. He stormed the beaches of normandy. At the end of his life he and his family were grateful for the compassion of the va. When he passed, his wife gave me his coaching jacket, one of my most prized possessions. Coach sams jacket reminds me why were here. Our men and women in uniform have had our countrys back and when they come home, we need to have their back. As the president elect has said, his marching order to me is very clear. Fight like hell for our veterans. Were going to fight like hell to give our veterans and families the health care, respect and dignity that deserve. That means helping our veterans build civilian lives of meaning and opportunity. Making our va more welcoming to all veterans, including women veterans, veterans of color and lgbtq veterans and keeping faith with our incredible military families because we need to have their backs too. To the men and women of the va, many of you veterans yourselves, you work tirelessly to take care of our veterans and your demanding jobs have been made more difficult by the pandemic. To you and the many dedicated vets Service Organizations which include vets, survivors and their families, i look forward to being your partner. One united team in delivering care and support thats second to none. Finally taking care of our veterans is not a job for the va alone. Every federal department and agency has a role to play and ill fight like hell to make that happen. Even though only 1 of americans wear the uniform, under President Biden every american will be called upon to embrace our responsibility to support our veterans and our military families. Mr. President elect, madam vicepresident elect, on behalf of my wife and our family thank you for this opportunity to serve. May god bless our troops, our veterans and their families and, as a nation, may we always give them our very best just as they have done for us. Thanks very much. One of the more recognizable faces, a holdover if you will from the obama years. Former chief of staff for president obama now director of veteran affairs. Lets go back. Mr. President elect, madam vicepresident elect, im grateful for the opportunity to serve and look forward to working with you and with the bright and dedicated Public Servants at ustr to deliver for the American People. When the president elect approached me about taking on this role, two memories of my past spring to mind. The first is when i initially joined ustr in 2007. I was filling out paperwork about my family history. My parents were born in china and grew up in taiwan. In the 1960s president kennedys immigration reforms welcomed them to america as graduate students in the sciences. My dad would become a researcher at walter reed helping the army. My mom still works at the National Institutes of health developing treatments for opoid addiction. They were naturalized in 1979, five years after i was born in connecticut. It wasnt until decades later filling out that paperwork that it occurred to me that i became an american before my parents, the very First American in our family. The second memory that came to mind was from several years later when a colleague and i went to geneva to present a case, suing china before the world trade organization. We sat down at the table. She whose parents immigrated from south india and i whose parents had come from taiwan. My heart swelled with pride as we raised our placard and stated that we were there to present the case on behalf of the United States of america. Two daughters of immigrants there to serve, to fight for and to reflect the nation that had opened doors of hope and opportunity to our families. Those memories fill me with gratitude for being an american and for what america is at our best. They remind me of the extraordinary responsibilities that come with the honor as we navigate our relationships with the world. Trade is like any other tool in our domestic or Foreign Policy. It is not an end in itself. It is a means to create more hope and opportunity for people and it only succeeds when the humanity and dignity of every american and of all people lie at the heart of our approach. I am proud to join with leaders who instill their policy with purpose and who never lose sight of the humanity and dignity, the opportunity and hope that make trade a force for good in our nation and the world. I am very proud to be an advocate for american workers, to stand up for their ingenuity and innovation and for americas interests across the globe. I look forward to harnessing the power of our trade relationships to help communities lift themselves out of the current crisis. Im grateful for the chance to serve, fight for and reflect america on behalf of all of our people once again. Thank you. That was katherine ty the nominee for the United States trade representative. A former staffer for the house ways and means committee. A lot of experience. She has argued cases as well before the world trade organization. Ambassador susan rice now. Lets listen in. Im honored to join this tremendous team. Today we confront a profoundly connected set of crises, a relentless pandemic, a struggling economy, urgent demands for Racial Equity and justice, a climate in need of healing, a democracy in need of repair and a world in need of renewed american leadership. In the 21st century our foreign, economic and domestic imperatives are deeply intertwined. Tackling these challenges is personal to me. Im a descendent of immigrants and the enslaved and service is in our blood. My paternal great grandfather was born a slave in South Carolina and joined the union army. He went on to get a college degree, become an ame minister and he founded the borden town school in new jersey which provided africanamerican with vocation al and College Preparatory education. My father serveds a tuskegee airman and a governor of the reserves. My maternal grandparents came to this country from jamaica. Working as a janitor and maid they saved to send all five of their children to college and on to professional success. My mother, lois rice, was known as the mother of the pell grant program, which has enabled 80 million americans to reach college. As she likes to say, not bad for a poor colored girl from portland, maine. Today for far too many, the American Dream has become an empty promise, a cruel mockery of lives held back by barriers, new and old. That is not good enough for any american. We know that throughout our history americans have forged opportunity out of crisis. After the civil war we ended slavery and enshrined the concept of equal protection under the law. During the Great Depression we established the Work Progress Administration and civilian conservation corp. After world war ii we enacted the gi bill. In the 1960s we abolished legal segregation, established full Voting Rights and enacted medicare and medicaid. Now at the foot of another bridge between crisis and opportunity im honored and excited to take on this role. Joe biden and Kamala Harris vision for our future is expansive but achievable. America must finally become a nation where every child from akron to arkansas, from the bronx to brownsville, from the sioux nation to South Central los angeles can dream without limits and make their dreams come true. I have no illusions about the difficulty of making that vision real, but we are here to get hard stuff done. Our Top Priorities will be to help end the pandemic and revitalize the economy so that it delivers for all, to bring dignity and humanity to our broken immigration system, to advance civil rights for all. To ensure health care is accessible and affordable and to educate and train americans to compete and thrive in the 21st century. I profoundly believe that we all rise or fall together, absolutely all of us. Mr. President elect, madam vicepresident elect, i promise you i will do everything i can to help this country i love to build back better, to make our government deliver for all americans and for working families and to bring the American Dream far closer to reality for all. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Over these past few days and weeks we have announced members of our administration who will help us meet the unprecedented challenges facing america. We have brought together a Health Care Team that will help contain the pandemic once and for all, an Economic Team that will help build an economy that works for working people and all those looking to work, a National Security and Foreign Policy team that will help keep our nation safe and restore and advance our leadership around the world. Today we are announcing leaders who will help deliver immediate relief to every corner of our great country from Rural Communities to big cities and every place in between. Leaders who will help care for our veterans and their families and advance opportunity for all americans at this consequential moment in our country. At a time when one in eight households say they didnt have enough money for food in the past week, we need leaders who understand that no one should go hungry in the United States of america. At a time when one in six renters are behind on rent, we need leaders who will not only help provide relief to all who need it, but help address the Affordable Housing crisis in america. I was in high school by the time my mother saved up enough money to put a downpayment on a home. I understand the dignity of Home Ownership and the importance of making the American Dream a reality for everyone. At a time when veterans, including those i represented in california, have been strained by almost two decades of war and economic hardship, we must have leaders who will treat all who have worn our nations uniform and their families with the dignity and respect they have earned. Leaders who will be focussed on doing what is in the best interests of the American People, who will negotiate trade deals that are good for workers and good for our economy, who will address the defining challenges of our time from combatting our Climate Crisis to advancing racial justice. That is what we remarkable americans will do. I know them well and some are very dear friends. These leaders have different background and Life Experience and they bring to their roles different skills, perspectives and areas of expertise and they all reflect the very best of our nation. They are all dedicated and compassionate Public Servants and all are ready to hit the ground running on day one. So, mr. President elect, congratulations on these outstanding choices. I look forward to working with each member of the team and the whole team that we are bringing together to meet the urgent challenges facing our nation and to rebuild our country in a way that lifts up all americans. Thank you. Thank you all. Reporter president elect joe biden, how soon do you plan to take the Coronavirus Vaccine . Reporter did hunter biden commit a crime . Have you spoken to your son . You are watching Kamala Harris and joe biden announcing key roles for their administration. Their former white house National Security and u. N. Ambassador susan rice will lead the white house Domestic Policy Council. Tom vilsak nominee for the secretary of housing and urban development. Dennis mcdonough secretary of veterans affairs. The president elect talking about his goals for the Coronavirus Vaccine and making note how the death toll continues to surge in this country. The u. S. Death toll is now approaching 295,000. It has risen above 3,000 for two days in a row. 250,000 people were infected just yesterday. Joining us now is mike memoli with the biden Transmission Team and carol lee at the white house. Mike, this is a team that has a lot of experience. Talk about what has people excited with this team and any criticisms against this team. Reporter ayman, i thought it was interesting because i think i heard from the president elect an awareness of some of the criticism that youre hearing of this cabinet in the making, that is that its a reboot of the Obama Administration, a third obama term. You heard him acknowledge there are some familiar faces here, but he said they bring bold new thinking as well. He said theres deep experience as well. Jeff bennett referred to this as a cabinet of colleagues, rather than a team of rivals. You could speak to what we heard from everyone of the speakers just now which is this is a crisis cabinet. Perhaps in a different circumstance biden might be putting together a different team. Because of whats at stake here, the severe challenges theyre facing, he needs to bring in familiar hands who can get the crisis under control, multiple crises. Another important takeaway, the rising death tolls here. He talked about were in the teeth of the crisis and it requires president ial leadership very clearly saying were not getting that right now from the outgoing occupant of the white house. Carol, it was a team thats being introduced grounded in the reality of the moment. Lets talk about the delusion thats coming out of washington, d. C. Texas attorney general is under investigation for abusing his authority and facing security fraud charges. Federal agents served a subpoena on the Texas Attorney general on wednesday, thats the day before he met with the president at the white house about their lawsuit to overturn the election. What does the white house have to say about the effort to get him a pardon at this hour . Reporter thats the lawsuit the president called the big one, the one hes pinning all his hopes on, even though those closest to him this is not going to go anywhere, particularly when it comes to elevating this all the way to the Supreme Court and ultimately overturning the result of the election. Nonetheless the president continues to push that and democrats accused the Texas Attorney general of angling for a pardon and thats why hes pushing forward this lawsuit which is gaining praise from the president. In terms of pardons from this white house, we know that nothing is off the table when it comes to what the president might do between now and Inauguration Day as any number of individuals could receive a pardon. People are angling for pardons and making their case to the president , to his allies, trying various ways to get in front of him and whether or not the president decides to take moves on someone like the attorney general in question remains to be seen. You can be sure there are any number of pardons the president is considering. Theres no reason why that wouldnt be on his list. Carol lee, mike memoli, thanks for joining us. Lets return to nbc news special coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. As we could be on the verge of history, the fda moving closer to granting an emergency use authorization for pfizers vaccine. Joining me now is dennis carr l carroll. Its great to have you with us. You recently said theres no reason why we shoulder have a pandemic again. A lot of people love to hear those words. Tell us why. Well, first off, its really important to recognize that covid19 didnt just happen. Its been circulating in nature for decades. We know that the next pandemic virus, the next epidemic virus already exists. It exists in nature. What we dont have is a wellcoordinated global effort to monitor these viruses in their natural habitat and to really be able to bring the kind of forwardleaning capability, one to prevent what we call spillover, the movement of these viruses from their natural reservoir. In the case of covid19, the bats. And disrupt the spillover so we dont have these events. Secondly, even if we did, we know there are certain places in the world that are called hot spots, that have a higher risk of spillover events. If we had a global surveillance system, which does not exist, we would be in a much better position to pick these events up immediately after they happen, not months later, as is likely the case with the covid19 virus and the early pickup allows us to eliminate that virus before it has the chance to cause the kind of damage that the covid19 pandemic virus has caused. A global viral Surveillance Network, thats the difference between being able to prevent and respond to future threats. Lets be very clear, covid19 is not an unexpected event. There will be more of these type of viral spillovers as we move further into the 21st century. The time to act, to prevent and prepare the world for these threats is now. A global viral Surveillance Network would be a key step. While we await that global cooperation, what advice would you give to the Incoming Biden Administration as they now take responsibility, if you will, for the response in this country from preventing a future outbreak as well as dealing with the current outbreak . Well, first off, i think weve been hearing from the Incoming Administration plans and strategies which really, at the heart of them, will really have a major impact on this virus. I think what this Administration Needs to also consider is our responsibility as a member of the Global Community to the other nations in the world that do not have early access to this vaccine. And there is an effort that the Current Administration has ignored to bring a coalition of countries to ensure equitable and early access to this vaccine to those low and middleincome countries that are far more vulnerable. So i would hope this administration not only follows through with its very aggressive and smart domestic policies but that they reach out and join this global effort to make sure this virus is brought under control not just in the United States but everywhere in the world. All right. Dennis carroll, thank you so much, sir. I appreciate your patience while we were dealing with that breaking news. Thank you so much for sticking around. Thank you. Once a Coronavirus Vaccine is approved, a massive Transportation System is standing by to begin the daunting process of distributing it across the United States. United airlines has already been flying doses of pfizers vaccine to Distribution Centers as part of the complex system of planes, warehouses and trucks required to deliver the vaccine nationwide. Joining me now is the ceo of united airlines, mr. Scott kirby. Mr. Kirby, thank you so much for joining us. The Pfizer Vaccine has to be stored at below freezing temperatures. Its something weve all learned about over the last couple of months. How is united transporting the vaccine and accounting for the challenge of keeping it cold . So at united we started working with all the pharma partners months ago, early in the summer, to start working on the cold chain logistics. And we made some structural changes to our aircraft, and we worked on safety procedures in partnership with the faa to be able to carry up to 15,000 pounds of dry ice, which allows us to carry over a million doses of vaccine per flight. And because we started early, we were able a few weeks ago to begin, once manufacturing started, actually begin carrying vaccine around the world. It sounds like a massive undertaking. If the fda approves the use of pfizers vaccine as expected today, walk us through what happens next from your perspective. How does this get distributed . Well, look, weve been honored to be to play a small role in the distribution of this vaccine. The real heroes, of course, are the people at pfizer, moderna, and the other Pharma Companies that have developed these vaccines. But well continue to do our part to distribute it, particularly from the original Manufacturing Centers to locations around the globe where it gets into more of the last mile distribution. Our role is more a long haul aircraft to fly it across continents and get it into the more local Distribution Centers. Weve been doing that, and well continue doing that. As you very well know better than anyone, theres an intersection of the pandemic and travel in this country. Its on a lot of peoples minds. Reuters is reporting that united is asking some flight attendants whose colleagues test positive for the coronavirus to continue working and selfmonitor for symptoms instead of quarantining. This is according to three employees. Im curious to get your thoughts. Why have these flight attendants not quarantined to ensure the safety of everyone onboard per cdc guidelines . Well, im not sure what the three flight attendants said. What i will tell you is from the beginning of march weve been following the cdc guidelines, and weve had an aggressive and pretty consistent policy from the beginning about quarantines and isolation and all of our safety protocols and particularly given the unique air flow in airplanes, it turns out its a pretty safe environment. Our employees, including our flight attendants, have about a 30 lower infection rate than the general population. So while im not sure what the specifics that report are, i can tell you our Safety Policies have been quite effective at proteblting our employees. Let me ask you about a big headline. United recently pledging to get to net zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. How are you planning to do that, and how are you moving away from Carbon Offsets because i think that was another part of headline that caught a lot of peoples attention, that you werent just buying Carbon Offsets. Thats right. What we call it is 100 green, which is different then net zero because were going to do it without using traditional Carbon Offsets. What we got to do is had a wonderful opportunity with occidental, who is really the lead on this project, at being able to be an initial partner in a project that is going to take carbon directly out of the atmosphere and pump it deep underground where it will stay permanently buried for millions of years. And theyve done an amazing job on the r d and the engineering to make this work at occidental. By being a partner in this, this is the only way were really going to be able to solve the Climate Change problem because theres simply not enough traditional offsets to come close to offsetting the 4,000 times increase in manmade emissions that have happened since the industrial era began. All right. Scott kirby, ceo of united airlines, thank you so much for your time this afternoon. A lot of important developments there. I appreciate it. Let me just say as part of our special covid coverage, today at nbcnews. Com, youre going to find several compelling interactive features on our website, including one that allows users to type in their county to find out how close they are to a pharmacy that will have the vaccine. And of course we are following the very important announcement that will come out of the fda perhaps any hour in the coming day about the authorization for that Pfizer Vaccine. We should also note that we have crossed 295,000 coronavirus deaths in this country. You see that tally there, the nbc news tally. There are a lot of resources on the website right now as we continue to see the economic and human toll of this pandemic. That wraps up this hour for me. Deadline white house with Nicolle Wallace starts right after this quick break. Heres l really take you back. Wow whatd you get, ryan . Its customized Home Insurance from Liberty Mutual what does it do bud . It customizes our Home Insurance so we only pay for what we need and what did you get, mike . I got a bike. 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