Good morning. I'm Allison Michaels from the Washington Post and this is the Daily 202 for Tuesday, December 22nd.

James is out for the holidays, but I'll be here today with the stories you need to know.

In today's news, a new coronavirus mutation believed to have originated in London

prompts more travel bans and major disruptions.

And Attorney General William Barr said that he saw no basis for the federal government seizing voting machines.

But first, the big idea.

Republicans brimmed with pride over the $900 billion stimulus package taken up by Congress

on Monday, with the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell calling it a historic bipartisan rescue package.

President-elect Joe Biden, though, saw it differently, calling the deal merely a down payment.

The posts Annie Linsky and Mike Debonus calling the deal merely a down payment.

The posts Annie Linsky and Mike de Bonus report that Biden's assessment echoes the view

of many Democrats who see the bill as the beginning of a negotiation, not the end.

Biden at times has said talks should start as early as January.

The notion that more aid is necessary sets up perhaps the first major legislative test for

the new president and his self-proclaimed

negotiating skills. It's a challenge made greater now that Congress has approved new

spending in the areas where common ground was relatively easy to find.

There's also an expectation that many Republicans will become more skeptical of big ticket

spending after President Trump leaves the White House.

Biden has consistently said that bolstering the economy will be one of his four top priorities,

the others being ending the pandemic, addressing climate change and promoting racial justice.

This approach suggests Biden will put a strong emphasis on new spending.

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