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U.S. NEWS Monday 18 January 2021
Vice President-elect Harris to resign her Senate seat Monday

By BILL BARROW other witnesses as a mem-
Associated Press ber of the Senate Judiciary
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Committee.
Vice President-elect Ka- Harris was viewed as a fu-
mala Harris will resign her ture presidential candidate
Senate seat on Monday, almost immediately upon
two days before she and joining the Senate in 2017.
President-elect Joe Biden She announced her White
are inaugurated. House bid in January 2019
Aides to the California but dropped out the sub-
Democrat confirmed the sequent December after a
timing and said Gov. Gavin lackluster campaign and
Newsom was aware of her before the ballots were cast
decision, clearing the way in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation
for him to appoint fellow caucuses. Biden, himself a
Democrat Alex Padilla, former senator, invited her
now California’s secretary to join the national ticket in
of state, to serve the final August.
two years of Harris’ term. The wins by Ossoff and
Padilla will be the first Lati- Warnock in Georgia en-
no senator from California, sured a 50-50 Senate, po-
where about 40% of resi- sitioning Harris as the tie-
dents are Hispanic. New- breaking vote for Demo-
som announced his choice In this Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020 file photo, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris speaks as she and cratic control. But Ossoff
in December, following in- President-elect Joe Biden introduce their nominees and appointees to key national security and and Warnock cannot join
foreign policy posts at The Queen theater, in Wilmington, Del.
tense lobbying for the rare Associated Press the chamber until Geor-
Senate vacancy from the gia Secretary of State Brad
nation’s most populous an inflection moment. You Raphael Warnock of Geor- Moseley Braun finished a Raffensperger certifies the
state. know, sometimes we think gia to be certified as victors single term representing Il- final vote tally. Raffens-
Harris will give no farewell an inflection moment is in their Jan. 5 elections and linois. perger, a Republican, has
Senate floor speech. The the bringing of something then be sworn in. Among many potential said he could act as soon
Senate is not scheduled that is positive. No. It was Harris is the first woman successors to Harris, New- as Tuesday, conceivably
to reconvene until Tues- in many ways a reckoning. ever elected vice presi- som passed over at least allowing Padilla, Ossoff and
day, the eve of Inaugura- It was an exposure of the dent — and the first Black two prominent Black wom- Warnock to join the Senate
tion Day, two weeks after vulnerability of our democ- woman and first woman en, U.S. Reps. Karen Bass together as early as that af-
supporters of outgoing racy.” of South Asian descent to and Barbara Lee. Bass also ternoon’s session.
President Donald Trump Padilla’s arrival, along with serve in that office. But her was among Biden’s finalists But Republicans will main-
stormed the Capitol as law- Harris becoming the Sen- Senate departure leaves for running mate. tain a narrow majority until
makers were meeting to ate’s presiding officer when the chamber’s roster with- Democrats were in the mi- all three take office and
affirm Biden’s election vic- she’s sworn-in as vice presi- out a Black woman. Harris nority during Harris’ four Harris sits in the presiding of-
tory. dent, is part of Democrats’ was just the second Black years on Capitol Hill. Per- ficer’s chair.
That siege, Harris said in an upcoming Senate major- female senator, winning haps her biggest mark Harris’ early departure from
interview broadcast Sun- ity. But the party still needs her California election 17 came as a fierce question- the Senate has multiple
day, “was seismic. It was Sens.-elect Jon Ossoff and years after Democrat Carol er of judicial nominees and precedents. q
March for Life asks its supporters to stay home this year

By DAVID CRARY ly facing in and around the lation, although turnouts
AP National Writer Capitol, this year’s March were smaller than usual.
Organizers of the March for Life will look different,” Local March for Life events
for Life, the anti-abortion she said. “The annual rally also have been affected
movement’s preeminent will take place virtually and this year. State marches
annual event, are asking we are asking all partici- in Arkansas and Oregon
their supporters nationwide pants to stay home and to have been indefinitely
not to gather in Washing- join the March virtually.” postponed, while a march
ton this year because of Tim Tebow, the football star, planned in Tucson, Arizona,
the COVID-19 pandemic is still scheduled to make a was converted into a car
and political unrest. keynote speech at a virtual caravan dubbed the Road
Instead, a small group of in- gala taking place after the Rally for Life.
vited anti-abortion leaders downsized march, Mancini The annual National Prayer
will march Jan. 29, and the said. Mancini said she looks Vigil for Life, usually held
event will be livestreamed, forward to holding the the night before the nation-
March for Life’s president, event in person next year. al march at the Basilica of In this Friday, Jan. 24, 2020 file photo, anti-abortion activists
Jeanne Mancini, an- The march has been held the National Shrine of the participate in the “March for Life” rally near Capitol Hill in
nounced Friday. annually since 1974, one Immaculate Conception in Washington.
“Since we are in the midst year after the Supreme Washington, will instead be Associated Press
of a pandemic which may Court’s Roe v. Wade deci- a livestreamed event, with sitting U.S. president to ad- Court justices and other
be peaking, and in view of sion that legalized abortion bishops participating virtu- dress the March for Life. federal judges viewed as
the heightened pressures across in the United States. ally from across the U.S. Trump became a hero to open to the possibility of re-
that law enforcement offi- Even blizzards in 1987 and A year ago, President Don- many anti-abortion activ- pealing or weakening the
cers and others are current- 2016 did not force cancel- ald Trump became the first ists for appointing Supreme Roe v. Wade ruling.q