JUDY WOODRUFF: President
Biden is moving on new fronts
tonight in his latest spate of

policy actions. They include
boosting COVID vaccine supplies
and addressing racial equity,

this as the United States
Senate geared up to put
his predecessor on trial.

Congressional correspondent
Lisa Desjardins reports.

LISA DESJARDINS: Rounding out
his first full week in office,
President Biden took on a

longstanding American failing,
racial discrimination, signing
a series of executive actions.

White House domestic policy
adviser Susan Rice echoed
the president's commitment to

expand opportunities
for Americans.

SUSAN RICE, White House Domestic
Policy Adviser: These aren't
feel-good policies. The evidence

is clear. Investing in equity
is good for economic growth
and it creates jobs for all

Americans.

LISA DESJARDINS: Mr.
Biden targeted four areas,
housing, federal prisons,
tribal sovereignty,

and harassment and
discrimination against
Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders.

The racial problem overlaps
with the health one, with
communities of color hit hardest

by the coronavirus and
government response.
A CNN analysis of 14
states concluded that

white Americans are getting
COVID vaccines at more than
twice the rate of Blacks and

Latinos.

In the afternoon, the president
announced that governors
will receive 16 percent more

vaccine doses next week,
a total of 10 million.

JOE BIDEN, President of the
United States: This is going to
allow millions of more Americans

to get vaccinated sooner than
previously anticipated. We have
got a long way to go, though.

LISA DESJARDINS: The new
administration is also watching
the Capitol, where the U.S.

Senate was busy, today
confirming Antony Blinken as
secretary of state inside.

MAN: The yeas are 78.
The nays are 22. The
nomination is confirmed.

LISA DESJARDINS: As, outside,
Vice President Harris conducted
a ceremonial swearing-in

of new Treasury
Secretary Janet Yellen.

And committees continued
moving through a stack of other
Cabinet nominees, Rhode Island

Governor Gina Raimondo as
commerce secretary and Alejandro
Mayorkas, nominated for homeland

security secretary. He won
committee approval, moving
him closer to confirmation.

The Senate also worked on
its own mission-critical
business. Minority Leader
Senator Mitch McConnell

dropped his demand that
Democrats guarantee they would
keep the filibuster rule, which

gives both parties power on
most votes, this after two
Democratic senators, Joe Manchin

of West Virginia and Kyrsten
Sinema of Arizona, stressed
they would not vote to dismantle

it.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY):
We have a higher calling than
endless partisan escalation.

We placed our trust in the
institution itself and a common
desire to do the right thing.

I'm grateful that's been
reciprocated by at least a pair
of our colleagues across the

aisle.

LISA DESJARDINS: Now all
sides expect an agreement
allowing the new 50-50
Senate to fully function.

Majority Leader
Senator Chuck Schumer:

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY):
I'm glad we're finally able to
get the Senate up and running.

My only regret is that it took
so long, because we have a
great deal we need to accomplish

over the next several
weeks and months.

LISA DESJARDINS: And there was
more news. House managers last
night delivered the article

of impeachment to the Senate.
As a result, senators were
sworn in as jurors today for

the second impeachment trial of
former President Donald Trump.

Republican Senator Rand Paul of
Kentucky challenged the trial a
unconstitutional for targeting

a president now out of
office and his speech.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): Who
hasn't used the words fight
figuratively? And are we going

to put every politician in jail,
are we going to impeach every
politician who has used the

words fight figuratively
in a speech?

LISA DESJARDINS: Paul raised a
point of order, but the Senate
rejected his challenge on a

mostly party-line vote.

As impeachment moves forward,
a growing recognition
that it is an uphill
effort. President Biden

told CNN last night he did not
think there would be enough
Republican votes to convict

Mr. Trump.

For the "PBS NewsHour,"
I'm Lisa Desjardins.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And Yamiche
Alcindor is at the White House
with more on the Biden agenda.

So, hello, Yamiche.

We know the president's now
been in office almost a full
week. Today, he was speaking

both about the vaccine
distribution challenges
around the country and
about equity. So, tell

us more about what he's
doing on those fronts.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well,
President Biden is ramping up
vaccine distribution around the

country. And he's also pledging
to put equity and fighting
systemic racism at the center

of everything he does.

On the COVID vaccine and the
response he's doing, he said
he's increasing weekly vaccine

supply to states, tribes and
territories by 16 percent. He
is also increasing the total

U.S. vaccine order by 50
percent, from 400 million
doses to 600 million doses.

That means he says there is
going to be enough vaccines for
300 million Americans by the

summer. Of course, the U.S.
population is 329 million
Americans. So, that's a big deal

there.

The other thing is that equity,
he said, is important, not
just for Americans of color

and Black Americans, but for
all Americans. He said that
we will have a safer and more

secure and more prosperous
country if we all get together
and fight systemic racism.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And, Yamiche,
we know also, separately, the
president had his first phone

call today with Russia's
President Vladimir Putin. What
is the White House saying about

that?

YAMICHE ALCINDOR: That's right.

The White House said that
President Biden telephoned the
Russian president, Vladimir

Putin, and that the two men
talked about a number of
issues, including an arms treaty

that's being negotiated. He
also said that the U.S. really
affirmed its support for Ukraine

sovereignty. They also talked
about Russia - - alleged
Russian interference in the 2020

election, as well as the
poisoning of a Russian
opposition leader, and
the Russian alleged

hack on U.S. governments,
as well as U.S. businesses.

That is seen as really
important, because President
Trump was seen as too lenient on

Russia and not being willing to
really confront Vladimir Putin
on a number of issues, including

meddling in the U.S. election.

So, it's seen as President
Biden really taking a tougher
stance on Russia, which is what

he pledged to do
during the campaign.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Of course, we'd
love to know more about that
phone call, and I'm sure you

will be reporting on it.

Yamiche Alcindor,
thank you very much.

YAMICHE ALCINDOR:
Thank you, Judy.