The latest on Biden's transition

President-elect Joe Biden would not call the cyberattack an “act of war,” when asked by a reporter if he believes it is, but did say he has seen no evidence that it is under control.

Biden says his team needs to look at the nature of the breach, the damage done and spoke of international “rules of the road” on cybersecurity to hold countries accountable.

He would also not foreshadow what options his incoming administration is looking at in terms of consequences.

Earlier, Biden slammed President Trump and his administration for not making an official attribution, saying it happened on “Donald Trump’s watch” when he wasn’t watching, accusing him of not prioritizing cybersecurity.

More on the hack: The US government is reeling from multiple data breaches at top federal agencies, the result of a worldwide hacking campaign with possible ties to Russia.

Investigators are still trying to figure out how much of the government may have been affected and how badly it may have been compromised.

Read more here.

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President-elect Joe Biden said that he has a detailed plan on what he intends to prioritize when he takes office in January, including vaccine distribution, more unemployment help for Americans and eviction protections.

Here's what he said he will focus on after inauguration next month:

Vaccine distribution

Biden said that he wants to make sure "we have all the money we need to get the vaccine to 300 million Americans at a minimum" over the next calendar year.

Unemployment

For those who are unemployed because of the pandemic, as well as small and big businesses, Biden said he wants to make sure "they continue to be able to live day to day."

"I would also ask for a moratorium to be evicted from your homes from not being able to pay rent, a moratorium on your mortgage getting paid," he said.

Small business assistance

Biden said that he thinks it's "critically important" to provide "direct payments to small businesses and others to be able to stay open, to be able to keep the people employed."

Job creation

"We're going to need to make sure that we're in a position that we can provide for the opportunity for people to begin to go back to work and get new jobs, developing infrastructure," Biden said.

President-elect Joe Biden said that his pandemic relief plan will include a new round of stimulus checks for the American people.

When asked about the amount, he said, "That's a negotiating issue."

Biden added: "By the way, I think we owe Bernie Sanders and his Republican colleagues thanks for getting not all the stimulus we looked for, 1,200, but getting 600 done."  

Watch the moment:

President-elect Joe Biden said today that members of Congress "deserve credit for making the hard compromises" to pass the stimulus bill this week.

He added that the bill is "far from perfect" in his opinion, "but it does provide vital relief at a critical moment." 

Biden said the bill is the first step in addressing pandemic relief.

Biden said that early next year he will present his plan to Congress "for what comes next."

More on the stimulus: Congress voted Monday evening to approve a far-reaching $900 billion Covid relief package that promises to accelerate vaccine distribution and deliver much-needed aid to small businesses hit hard by the pandemic, Americans who have lost their jobs during the economic upheaval and health care workers on the front lines of the crisis.

The White House has said that President Trump will sign the legislation once it reaches his desk.

Final passage of the aid package came after Hill leaders announced Sunday evening they had finally reached a deal after months of bitter partisan stalemate and days of contentious negotiations that created uncertainty over whether an agreement could be reached at all or if talks would collapse.

The rescue package, which was negotiated on a bipartisan basis, was combined with a massive $1.4 trillion government spending bill to fund federal agencies for the new fiscal year in a 5,593-page bill.

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President-elect Joe Biden continued to encourage Americans to get the Covid-19 vaccine, which he called "one of the biggest operational challenges the United States has ever faced."

Biden added: "And we're going to take many more months for that to happen. In the meantime, this pandemic rages on. Experts say things are going to get worse before they get better."

Some context: Biden received his first dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on live television Monday afternoon and reassured Americans of the vaccine's safety.

The shot, which Biden received in his left arm, was administered at ChristianaCare's Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware, by Tabe Mase, who is a nurse practitioner and the head of employee health services at the hospital, according to the Biden transition team.

"We owe these folks an awful lot," Biden said, thanking those involved in the vaccine's development and distribution and front-line health care workers.

Biden said the Trump administration deserved "some credit" for Operation Warp Speed, the federal government's vaccine program, and their role in making coronavirus vaccinations possible.

"I also think that it's worth saying that this is, is great hope. I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared, when it's available, to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about. I'm looking forward to the second shot; so is Jill," Biden said.

Watch the moment:

President-elect Joe Biden said that the vaccine offers Americans hope during the pandemic, but widespread distribution of doses is "one of the biggest operational challenges the United States has ever faced."

He urged people to continue to remain vigilant with masks and social distance during the holidays because "in the meantime the pandemic rages on."

Biden delivered the remarks ahead of Christmas in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday afternoon.

"This has been one of the toughest years we've ever faced as a nation," he added.

Biden said he and Jill Biden’s heart goes out to the families who feel loss during this “dark winter.”

“Our hearts go out to all of you who have fallen on hard times through no fault of your own I might add, unable to sleep at night, way down with the worry of what tomorrow will bring to you and for your family,” he said.

Some context: The speech comes amid a holiday season in which Americans have been advised by public health experts to not travel or gather in large groups, as coronavirus cases spike and the death toll rises across the country.

Biden also received his first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on live national television on Monday and reassured Americans of the vaccine's safety.

A day after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, President-elect Joe Biden will deliver a year-end holiday message this afternoon at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware, aides said, during what is expected to be his last formal appearance before the holidays.

His remarks are likely to be 10 minutes or less, aides say, and he is poised to address the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine distribution, as well as the economic stimulus bill passed by Congress and the cyber attack against the United States.

He is expected to take questions from reporters, aides say.

Biden is planning to remain at his home near Wilmington through the Christmas holiday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' Senate seat on Tuesday, choosing the first Latino in state history for the role.

"His appointment will make history. But the @AlexPadilla4CA I know is far more interested in changing history — especially for the working men and women of our state and country," Newsom tweeted Tuesday. "I can think of no one better to represent the state of California as our next United States Senator."

Padilla responded to the announcement in a statement provided by the governor’s office.

Padilla served as the state’s first Latino Secretary of State in 2015.

He will now be the first Latino Senator to represent California.

Just as then-Vice President Joe Biden oversaw the counting of electoral votes that gave President Trump the White House in 2017, now it will be Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's loyal soldier these last four years, who will announce on Jan. 6 the vote tally that officially makes Biden the winner.

And Republicans will have to choose how deeply they want to follow Trump into his rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.

Lawmakers will have the ability to raise objections about the vote — just like some Democrats did in 2017. But while those objections were dismissed easily in 2017, Republican senators could, if they choose, drag the process out this year, and force the House and Senate to vote on individual points.

Here's a breakdown of what will take place on Jan. 6: