Sunday shows preview: US rolls out first doses of coronavirus vaccine; Congress close on stimulus deal

The United States rolled out its first coronavirus vaccine this week as Congress closes in on a relief deal, both of which are expected to dominate this week’s Sunday talk shows.

Inoculations began this week with Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted it an emergency-use authorization. 

Public figures and politicians received their first doses this week; Vice President Pence and second lady Karen Pence were inoculated on camera, along with Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who will appear on on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Multiple lawmakers received their first dose, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif,), who will appear on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Meanwhile, the FDA also issued an emergency-use authorization for Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine this week after an advisory panel voted 20-0 in its favor. The vaccine is just as effective as Pfizer’s vaccine, but does not require the same ultra-cold storage, creating fewer logistical challenges.

Moncef Slaoui, the scientific chief of Operation Warp Speed, predicted last week that the U.S. would distribute 40 million doses of vaccine by the end of the year, and up to 80 million doses through January. Slaoui is expected to appear on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Meanwhile, Congressional leaders are planning to attach a stimulus deal to a spending package to keep the government funded through the rest of the fiscal year. President Trump signed a two-day stopgap bill on Friday night to keep the government funded while lawmakers finalize the deal.

The proposed $900 billion deal is expected include another round of stimulus checks, between $600 and $700, as well as $325 billion for the Small Business Administration. It’s also expected to include $16 billion for vaccine distribution and testing, and $100 billion to help schools reopen.

Also last week, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) to lead the Interior Department. Haaland would be the first Native American to lead the department if confirmed.

Biden also selected former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) to run the Energy Department. Granholm is scheduled to appear on ABC’s “This Week.”

In addition, former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg was announced as Biden’s choice to serve as Transportation Secretary, making him the first openly-gay Cabinet secretary if confirmed. Buttigieg is scheduled to appear on CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

Below are the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday Talk Shows:

ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.); Adm. Brett Giroir, the Health and Human Services Department official overseeing coronavirus testing; Granholm

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Vivek Murthy, Biden’s pick to be surgeon general; Kyle McGowan and Amanda Campbell, former officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah)

CBS’s “Face the Nation” — Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of staff; Adams; Kevin Mandia, CEO of cybersecurity firm FireEye; David Ricks, chairman and CEO of drugmaker Eli Lilly; Mary Daly, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Romney; Moncef Slaoui, head of the U.S. vaccine development effort; Buttigieg; Christopher Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

“Fox News Sunday” — Jen Psaki, Senior Adviser Biden-Harris Transition; John Barrasso (R-Wy.); Morrill Worcester, Wreaths Across America Founder

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures“— McCarthy; Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.); Peter Schweizer, author of “Secret Empires”; Herschel Walker, former NFL player; Christian Walker, political commentator

“America This Week with Eric Bolling”— Giroir; Brad Parscale, former Trump campaign manager; Peter Navarro, White House trade advisor; Peter Schweitzer, Government Accountability Institute; Bob Unanue, GOYA president and CEO  

Updated 4:12 p.m.