Despite that President-elect Joe Biden won a decisive electoral college victory and that the coronavirus crisis is worsening, Donald Trump’s handpicked GSA administrator is refusing to certify the election’s results — jeopardizing the incoming administration’s ability to combat the pandemic.
Roundup: The Trump Administration’s GSA Is Blocking the Biden Team From Accessing Transition Resources
- The Hill: Biden Campaign Pushes GSA Chief To Approve Transition
- Daily Beast: Obscure Trump Appointee Refusing to Sign Papers Allowing Biden Post-Election Transition to Begin, Says Report
- Washington Post: A Little-Known Trump Appointee Is In Charge Of Handing Transition Resources To Biden — And She Isn’t Budging
- Associated Press: Former WH Officials Urge Cooperative Transition
- Politico: Pressure Mounts On Federal Agency To Affirm Biden Victory
- Wall Street Journal: Biden Team Awaits GSA Certification Of Election Win
- Washington Examiner: Biden Denied Transition Funds As Trump Refuses To Concede
- CNN: Government Agency Tasked With Transition Process Has Yet To Recognize Biden’s Victory
After a Decisive Electoral College Victory, the GSA Is Obligated to “Ascertain” Biden’s Victory So the Incoming Administration Can Get to Work Combatting the Crisis
Center For Presidential Transition: “The Outcome Is Sufficiently Clear That The Transition Process Must Now Begin… We Urge The Trump Administration To Immediately Begin The Post-Election Transition Process And The Biden Team To Take Full Advantage Of The Resources Available Under The Presidential Transition Act.”
- “Former Republican White House officials and veterans of past presidential transition are calling for the government to begin the formal transfer of power from President Donald Trump to President-elect Joe Biden. ‘While there will be legal disputes requiring adjudication, the outcome is sufficiently clear that the transition process must now begin,’ the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition wrote in a letter exclusively obtained by POLITICO. The letter is signed by Democratic and Republican experts in transitions, including George W. Bush’s former chief of staff Josh Bolten and the former Republican Governor of Utah Mike Leavitt. The letter was also signed by Bill Clinton’s first chief of staff Thomas (Mack) McLarty and Barack Obama’s Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. ‘We urge the Trump administration to immediately begin the post-election transition process and the Biden team to take full advantage of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act,’ they wrote.” [Politico, 11/8/20]
Rep. Gerry Connolly, Chairman Of The House Oversight And Reform Subcommittee On Operations: “The [GSA] Administrator Plays A Critical Role In The Peaceful Transfer Of Power… This Is All The More Important Amid A Deadly Pandemic.”
- “[Rep.]Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Operations, told the news outlet that a speedy transition process is especially important due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. ‘The Administrator plays a critical role in the peaceful transfer of power and ensuring vital government services are not disrupted. This is all the more important amid a deadly pandemic,’ Connolly said.” [The Hill, 11/9/20]
Max Stier, President And Chief Executive Of The Nonpartisan Partnership For Public Service: “The Transition Process Is Fundamental To Safely Making Sure The Next Team Is Ready To Go On Day One.”
- “For people who have been through them, a presidential transition is a massive undertaking requiring discipline, decision-making and fast learning under the smoothest circumstances. Each lost day puts the new government behind schedule. ‘The transition process is fundamental to safely making sure the next team is ready to go on Day One,’ said Max Stier, president and chief executive of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, which has set up a presidential transition center and shares advice with the Biden and Trump teams. ‘It’s critical that you have access to the agencies before you put your people in place.’” [Washington Post, 11/8/20]