Biden and Harris formally introduced newly nominated and appointed members of their administration from Wilmington, Delaware, Friday afternoon, showing off several familiar faces, be it from the Obama administration or from Capitol Hill.

For director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, a position which does not require Senate confirmation, Biden picked Susan Rice. Rice served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later as national security adviser in the Obama administration.

In her remarks, Rice laid out the path of her ancestors on both sides who overcame adversity -- a paternal great grandfather who was born a slave in South Carolina and maternal grandparents who immigrated from Jamaica with no education and worked to send their children to college, leading to her mother’s role in creating the Pell Grant.

“Now at the foot of yet another bridge between crisis and opportunity, I'm honored and excited to take on this role. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's vision for our future is expansive but achievable," Rice said, stressing her excitement to serve again and the need to develop policies that break down racial barriers that hold all Americans back.

Rep. Marcia Fudge, who has represented Ohio's 11th Congressional District for the last 12 years has been tapped for secretary of Housing and Urban Development and talked about the importance of housing in America and the need to give people hope amid  America’s ongoing crisis.

“Perhaps most importantly of all, we will help people believe once again that their government cares about them, no matter who they are. That we understand their problems, as the president-elect often recalls his father's words,” she said.

Biden's nominee for secretary of agriculture, Tom Vilsack, seemed to address some of the criticism of his previous tenure at USDA (he held the same Cabinet position he's nominated for throughout the Obama administration) by promising to deal with systemic inequities.

Vilsack also mentioned his support for Rep. Jim Clyburn's 10/20/30 plan, an effort the South Carolina congressman said aims to help counties that had a poverty level of more 20% for more than three decades. Those communities would receive at least 10% of federal funds from a specific program. When asked in 2019 if he considered the measure a form of reparations, Clyburn said the measure "absolutely" is.

Biden's pick for secretary of veterans affairs, Dennis McDonough, former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff, pledged to make the department more inclusive to all veterans, particularly women, veterans of color and members of the LGBTQ community.

Biden's appointed Katherine Tai to U.S. trade representative, who began by recalling her parents' immigrant story of her father, a researcher at Walter Reed, and her mother, who still works at the National Institutes of Health developing treatments for opioid addictions. She also stressed the role trade can play to create opportunities and lift people out of poverty and the need to rebuild relationships around the globe.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle, John Verhovek and Beatrice Peterson

Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., has called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to refuse to seat those Republicans who signed on to a brief supporting the Texas lawsuit seeking to throw out millions of votes when the next Congress is sworn in next year.

"Stated simply, men and women who would act to tear the United States government apart cannot serve as Members of the Congress," he said. "These lawsuits seeking to obliterate public confidence in our democratic system by invalidating the clear results of the 2020 presidential election undoubtedly attack the text and spirit of the Constitution, which each Members swears to defend."

“The House still retains the right to decide who is seated,” Pelosi said in 2018, amid concerns of fraud impacting the election in North Carolina's Ninth Congressional District. “Any member-elect can object to the seating or the swearing in of another member-elect, and we’ll see how that goes.”

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel

Biden is introducing more nominees and picks for the incoming administration from Wilmington, Delaware, and while the resurgence of Obama-era officials has some Democrats worried the president-elect is relying so heavily on his longtime allies, Biden argued the choice behind each of his picks Friday.

"Vice President-Elect Harris and I knew we’d have our work cut out for us when we got elected, but we also knew we could build a team that would meet this unique and challenging moment in American history. Some are familiar faces. Some are new in their roles," Biden said. "Above all, they know how government should and can work for all Americans."

For secretary of agriculture, Biden’s nominating Tom Vilsack, who served in the same post throughout the Obama administration. Vilsack previously served two-terms as governor of Iowa.

For secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Biden chose Rep. Marcia Fudge, who has represented Ohio's 11th Congressional District for the last 12 years. If confirmed, she will be the first woman to lead the department in more than four decades.

For secretary of veterans affairs, Biden is nominating former President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, Denis McDonough. McDonough also served as deputy national security adviser and chief of staff of the National Security Council during the Obama administration.

Biden picked Katherine Tai for U.S. trade representative. Tai currently serves as the chief lawyer on trade for the Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives and previously was chief counsel for China trade enforcement in the office of the U.S. trade representative.

For director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Biden has appointed Susan Rice. Rice served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and later as national security adviser in the Obama administration.

Before introducing more Cabinet nominees and administration picks to the public on Friday, Biden opened with a statement on Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve for emergency use at any time.

"I want to make it clear to the public: You should have confidence in this. There is no political influence,” Biden said.

Biden’s remarks come as sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in a phone call on Friday suggested to FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn that his job could be on the line if his agency doesn't authorize the emergency use for the vaccine by the end of the day.

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders and John Santucci

Shortly before releasing his press release confirming retired four-star Gen. Lloyd Austin as his pick to lead the Pentagon, The Atlantic magazine published an op-ed penned by Biden op-ed, laying out the reasons behind his choice and noting their history together in the Obama administration.

“Today, I ask Lloyd Austin to once more take on a mission for the United States of America—this time as the secretary-designate of the Department of Defense. I know he will do an outstanding job,” Biden wrote.

Austin, the former commander of U.S. Central Command -- with jurisdiction over military activities in the Middle East -- retired in 2016 after more than 40 years of military service. If confirmed, he would be the first African American to lead the Pentagon.

Biden pointed to Austin’s ”many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government” as factors that made him “the person we need in this moment," saying his experience leading the Iraq drawdown prepares him for coordinating vaccine distribution and connecting with American families.

“And the next secretary of defense will have to make sure that our armed forces reflect and promote the full diversity of our nation. Austin will bring to the job not only his personal experience, but the stories of the countless young people he has mentored. If confirmed, he will ensure that every member of the armed forces is treated with dignity and respect, including Black, Latino, Asian American, Native American, women, and LGBTQ service members," Biden wrote.

Biden also seemed to address the fact that Lloyd’s nomination would require a waiver given his recent military service -- something that some Democrats have already expressed opposition to.

“I respect and believe in the importance of civilian control of our military and in the importance of a strong civil-military working relationship at DoD—as does Austin," he wrote.

"Austin also knows that the secretary of defense has a different set of responsibilities than a general officer and that the civil-military dynamic has been under great stress these past four years," Biden added.

The announcement comes as Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris meet with civil rights leaders who have pushed Biden to name more people of color to senior-level Cabinet positions.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle