AS BIDEN’S TEAM STARTS WORK, TRUMP BLOCKS THE WAY AHEAD
▶ President-elect makes coronavirus and economy his priorities but his predecessor is not going quietly
Joe Biden’s transition team is hoping for a speedy change of the guard in the next two months as the US president-elect makes addressing the coronavirus and reviving the economy his priorities, but they are well aware that legal battles could derail those plans.
Mr Biden crossed the 270 electoral vote threshold as the Associated Press projected wins for him in Pennsylvania and Nevada on Saturday. Traditionally, this would mark the beginning of the transfer of power from one administration to the next.
For decades, this process was seamless and orderly, but with President Donald Trump threatening litigation and calling for recounts, the road to inauguration day on January 20 is expected to be bumpy.
Another tradition is for the election loser to concede and congratulate the winner. Mr Trump may do neither and remain defiant until his term officially ends.
Transition teams are put in place months before the election.
Mr Biden formed his in the late summer, and Mr Trump assigned a team in September. They are tasked with handling the transfer of power and preparing the handover of the federal agencies to the incoming administration.
A transition team has to help decide on the more than 4,000 political appointees the new president can choose for government agencies.
These candidates must have security clearance and be vetted, which cannot happen until the election results are finalised. The incoming administration will not be allowed to use government buildings until the election is settled.
Senior Biden adviser Ted Kaufman said the transition team will focus on the nuts and bolts of building the new administration in coming days.
He said Mr Biden planned to speak to legislative leaders and governors from both parties. That suggested he may be willing to appoint some Republicans to high-profile positions.
His team has also set up a transition- focused website – BuildBackBetter.com – and is launching social media accounts under the user name Transition46. A statement from Mr Biden and Ms Harris on the Build Back Better website said the transition would focus on the coronavirus pandemic, racial justice and climate change.
“The transition – like the Biden- Harris administration to follow – will prioritise the following core values: diversity of ideology and background; talent to address society’s most complex challenges; integrity and the highest ethical standards to serve the American people and not special interests; and transparency to garner trust at every stage,” it read.
But with Mr Trump threatening legal challenges, this “could take till late December”, a Biden campaign official told The National.
The Biden team is not waiting for Mr Trump’s concession to begin its transition. The official said they would do their best to ensure a swift change despite the possibility of delays.
Mr Biden is already pushing to accelerate the process to address coronavirus and the economic downturn as matters of urgency. He mentioned his pandemic plan in all three addresses he has given since election day on Tuesday.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Mr Biden could begin making cabinet appointments as soon as this week.
Among those who might be named to a healthcare position is Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general under former president Barack Obama, the Times said.
Mr Biden also promised during the campaign to hire the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, whom Mr Trump has traduced.
Mr Biden will closely examine and is expected to begin negotiations with Congress on another coronavirus economic stimulus package.
As for other US agencies, Mr Biden announced he would launch review teams in the coming week to assess budgetary and staffing decisions, pending regulations and other work in progress from current staff at federal departments.
These will feed back to the transition team to ensure the thousands of the latest appointees gel with current staff to ensure continuity.
Only 72 days remain until the inauguration, but the Democratic team expects legal challenges brought by Mr Trump to extend the election period by another month.
The transition will prioritise diversity; talent to address complex challenges; integrity and highest ethical standards BUILD BACK BETTER Biden-Harris transition website