The year 2020 may now be behind us, but we aren't done with the 2020 election just yet.
The newly-elected Congress is waiting to be sworn in and two runoff elections in Georgia are coming up that will determine control of the Senate, while President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory still has to be certified by Congress. Biden also still has a few Cabinet picks to announce – including his nominee for Attorney General – as he plans for his inauguration.
Here are the upcoming dates to watch:
- Jan. 3: New Congress is sworn in.
- Jan. 5: Senate runoff election in Georgia.
- Jan. 6: Congress will count and certify the electoral results in a joint session.
- Jan. 20: Inauguration of Biden, who will take the oath of office.
Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the transition.
Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin Jr. dies after contracting COVID-19.
State Sen. Ben Chafin Jr. died Friday after contracting the coronavirus, his office announced in a statement.
"State senator Augustus Denton (Ben) Chafin Jr., a native son of Russell County located in Southwest Virginia, passed away on January 1, 2021 from COVID-19 complications," the news release from his office stated.
Chafin, 60, was treated in Richmond at the VCU Medical Center for two weeks before his death.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam ordered the state flag to be immediately lowered over the Capitol in Richmond.
"With the passing of Senator Ben Chafin, Southwest Virginia has lost a strong advocate – and we have all lost a good man," Northam said in a statement. "This is is sad news to begin a new year with the loss of a kind and gracious man. May we all recommit to taking extra steps to care for one another."
Chafin, a Republican, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2013 before being elected to the state senate the following year.
"He served to ensure that his region and community, and the people he loved, would never be forgotten," state Senate Republicans said in a statement.
Days before Chafin’s death, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, R-La., also died after contracting the virus. LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor G.E. Ghali said Letlow, 41, died from a heart attack following a procedure related to the infection.
– Sarah Elbeshbishi
Congress overrides Trump defense bill veto
WASHINGTON – The Senate on Friday overrode President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – the first congressional override in Trump’s tenure as president and a final rebuke of the president just weeks before he leaves office.
The House of Representatives on Monday voted 322-87 to override the president, a remarkable bipartisan condemnation of the president in divided Washington. The Senate voted 81-13 in favor of overriding Trump, and the NDAA will be enacted into law despite Trump's disapproval.
The NDAA, a $741 billion national security package, will raise troops' pay, direct the purchase of weapons and set military policies. It passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming support by both parties.
Trump opposed the bill for not including language that would strip social media companies from the protections they enjoy under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and for ordering name changes for bases dedicated to former Confederate figures.
"Our Republican Senate just missed the opportunity to get rid of Section 230, which gives unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic!!!" the president tweeted after his veto was overridden.
– Christal Hayes
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