Axios Sneak Peek: All-Biden edition approaching 100 days: Jobs, ambassadors, vaccines

Plus: Biden telegraphs tough moves with preemptive actions | Sunday, April 25, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By PhRMA   Axios Sneak Peek By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Kadia Goba ·Apr 25, 2021 Welcome back to Sneak. Tonight we kick off our weeklong buildup to President Biden's 100th day with an all-Biden edition. Today's newsletter — edited by Glen Johnson — is 572 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Biden close to naming ambassadors for EU and NATO President Biden walks with his sister, Valerie Biden Owens, after attending Mass in Delaware on Saturday. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images   President Biden is leaning toward nominating Mark Gitenstein to be his ambassador to the European Union and Julie Smith as his envoy to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, people familiar with the matter tell Axios' Hans Nichols. Driving the news: Some Biden advisers want to have the EU and NATO ambassadors announced ahead of Biden's first foreign trip as president, when he heads to the United Kingdom for the G-7 and then Brussels for a NATO summit in June. While the president began reviewing names of potential ambassadors in March, officials have stressed he's taking his time on making final decisions. Gitenstein, an international lawyer and President Obama's first ambassador to Romania, now serves as a senior counsel at Mayer Brown. He's also on the board of directors of The Biden Foundation. Smith, a German speaker who was one of Biden's deputy national security advisers while he was vice president, is currently a senior adviser at the State Department. Biden officials say that final decisions have not been made. Keep reading.     2. Biden's three tools for selling progressive policies: Jobs, jobs, jobs Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Biden has found a key tool for selling the most progressive parts of his agenda during his first 100 days: make them all about jobs, Axios' Alayna Treene writes. Why it matters: Long considered a centrist Democrat, Biden has had to court and cater to his party's progressive wing to maintain support in a narrowly divided Congress. Talking jobs also has the benefit of resonating with the moderates and conservatives he needs in 2022 and beyond. The big picture: From coronavirus relief and infrastructure to climate change and immigration, the president has continually argued each proposal will be an economic driver and jobs creator — addressing a key vulnerability Democrats have faced in pushing progressive solutions previously. As he rolled out his climate plan to a worldwide audience Thursday, Biden declared: "When people talk about climate, I think jobs." Keep reading.     3. Biden's 100-day numbers: Vaccinated Americans Data: CDC via Our World in Data; Chart: Will Chase/Axios Biden promised as president-elect to get 100 million coronavirus vaccine shots in American arms during his first 100 days in office; since taking office, he's more than doubled that goal — and more than a quarter of Americans are now fully vaccinated, Axios' Stef Kight reports. By the numbers: Not quite 1% were vaccinated when Biden took office, although the Trump administration managed to reach an important milestone of 1 million doses administered in a day. The Biden administration has since surpassed 4 million vaccine doses administered in a day three times, according to CDC data. Of note: Axios Sneak Peek will be counting down to Biden's 100th day in office on Friday with data-driven analyses of the administration's accomplishments and challenges each day this week.     A message from PhRMA Instead of breaking what works, let's fix what's broken     America's unique R&D ecosystem delivered multiple COVID-19 medical breakthroughs in recordbreaking time. As we continue our work to help end the pandemic, we have a common sense plan for better, more affordable health care — for everyone.     4. Biden's preemption doctrine A child protests World War I-era Armenian genocide outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington on Saturday. Photo: Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images   Biden has repeatedly telegraphed tough decisions with earlier announcements designed to cushion the blow, Axios' Glen Johnson writes. Driving the news: On Friday, the White House announced a generic call with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. Less than 24 hours later, the president issued a statement labeling a World War I Armenian massacre "genocide," angering the Turks. Several weeks ago, Biden released a slate of career foreign service officers he was nominating to be U.S. ambassadors. The president will soon announce a series of friends and donors to marquee diplomatic jobs, a traditional source of friction between political appointees and careerists at the State Department. On April 14, Biden also announced his new liaison to the Asian American Pacific Islander community just before he sat down with a group of AAPI lawmakers — including two who had demanded just such an appointment. Why it matters: Good policy stems from good politics, and Biden prides himself on being a gentleman. But the two-step also reveals what bettors would call a presidential "tell." Keep reading.     5. Tweet du jour Via Twitter.   President Biden promised access when he asked Kamala Harris to be his vice president, and she says he's delivered since they took office.     A message from PhRMA Instead of breaking what works, let's fix what's broken     America's unique R&D ecosystem delivered multiple COVID-19 medical breakthroughs in recordbreaking time. As we continue our work to help end the pandemic, we have a common sense plan for better, more affordable health care — for everyone.   👏 Thanks for launching your week with Sneak. If you'd like email delivery of this or another of Axios' free newsletters, sign up here.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? 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