U.S. agency tells Biden he can formally begin transition

[webfact]

U.S. agency tells Biden he can formally begin transition

By Andrea Shalal and David Shepardson

 

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden listens as he holds a videoconference meeting with members of the U.S Conference of Mayors at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., November 23, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. federal agency that must sign off on the presidential transition told President-elect Joe Biden on Monday that he can formally begin the hand-over process.

 

"I take this role seriously and, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, am transmitting this letter today to make those resources and services available to you," General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy wrote in a letter to Biden.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he was recommending that Murphy and her team "do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same."

 

Lawmakers and business executives have put pressure on the little-known federal agency to recognize the Nov. 3 election results and free up millions of dollars in federal funds, office space and briefings for Biden's team.

 

The GSA had said Murphy, who was appointed to her job by Trump in 2017, would "ascertain" or formally approve, the transition when the winner was clear.

 

"Contrary to media reports and insinuations, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism," Murphy wrote.

 

Trump has repeatedly falsely claimed he won the race and has spent weeks offering baseless claims of widespread voter fraud that have repeatedly failed to gain traction in the courts.

 

The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 provides no firm deadline for the GSA to act, but the agency has historically acted once media organizations call a winner, which happened on Nov. 7.

 

Biden is due to take office on Jan. 20 after having won the election with enough state-by-state electoral votes to secure the Electoral College win. The Democrat leads in the national popular vote by more than 6 million. Trump's fellow Republicans have slowly broken from the president in recent days to urge the transition process to start.

 

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Shepardson; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Tom Brown, Peter Cooney and Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-24

 

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[OneMoreFarang]

Does that mean the loser does now recognize that he is the loser? Amazing.

http://loser.com/

 

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

Murphy has questions to answer, her not showing up for a Congressional hearing has simply delayed those questions being asked and perhaps made it more certain that she’ll face investigation.

 

 

[fishtank]

Seeing as how Biden won by a distance why shouldn't he begin the transition.

[Dumbastheycome]

Is Trump now aware that his petulance has created unnecessary problems  for many people who may  face legal issues?

[simple1]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump has repeatedly falsely claimed he won the race and has spent weeks offering baseless claims of widespread voter fraud that have repeatedly failed to gain traction in the courts.

 

The question is will his base accept defeat - Answer; No. In the meantime trump is making every effort to sour the Biden presidency to the detriment of the American people he is sworn to protect. Unfortunately the vindictiveness and attacks on the foundations of good governance will continue for the coming two months under trump.

[Thailand]

About time,  Murphy will probably lose her $170,000 a year job in the near future. 

[webfact]

Trump finally gives his administration green light to proceed with Biden transition

By Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt

 

Demonstrators in a car caravan demand the Board of State Canvassers to certify the results of the election in Lansing, Michigan, U.S., November 23, 2020. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

 

WASHINGTON/WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) -After weeks of defiance, President Donald Trump on Monday allowed officials to proceed with a transition to President-elect Joe Biden, giving his Democratic rival access to briefings and funding even as he vowed to persist with efforts to fight the election results.

 

Trump, a Republican, has alleged widespread voter fraud in the Nov. 3 election without providing evidence. Although he has not acknowledged Biden's victory, his announcement on Monday was the closest he has come to admitting defeat.

 

The General Services Administration, which is the federal agency that must sign off on presidential transitions, told Biden on Monday that he could formally begin the hand-over process. GSA Administrator Emily Murphy said in a letter that Biden would now have access to resources that had been denied to him because of the legal challenges seeking to overturn his win.

 

That announcement came shortly after Michigan officials certified Biden as the victor in their state, making Trump's legal efforts to change the election outcome even more unlikely to succeed.

 

Trump and his advisers said he would continue to pursue legal avenues, but his tweet served as a sign that even the White House understood it was getting close to time to move on.

 

"Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good ... fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same," Trump said in a tweet.

 

A Trump adviser painted the move as similar to both candidates getting briefed during the campaign, and said the president's tweet was not a concession.

 

A statement by the Biden transition said meetings would begin with federal officials on Washington's response to the coronavirus pandemic, along with discussions of national security issues.

 

The move by the GSA means Biden's team will now have federal funds and an official office to conduct his transition until he takes office on Jan. 20. It also paves the way for Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to receive regular national security briefings that Trump also gets.

 

Two Trump administration officials told Reuters the Biden agency review teams could begin interacting with Trump agency officials as soon as Tuesday.

 

Earlier on Monday, Biden named the top members of his foreign policy team, tapping trusted aide Antony Blinken to head the State Department and former U.S. senator, secretary of state and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry to serve as his special climate envoy.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason Trevor Hunnicutt, Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, James Oliphant, Julia Harte, Patricia Zengerle, Susan Heavey and David Morgan; Editing by Howard Goller and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-11-24

 

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[Tug]

Well it’s about time also Biden has picked some top notch folks to his cabinet he’s building a good TEAM to get the ship of state back on course!

[Lacessit]

37 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Given it appears that the fat lady is about to sing, I look forward to seeing CNN and the BBC etc pointing out everything that Biden/ Harris do wrong in the next 4 years, and the investigations into Hunter Biden.

 

As a wise person once said, be careful what you wish for.

There will always be armchair critics of any administration. IMO the difference will be Biden/Harris will be appointing professionals to run the country, not the corrupt lapdogs that were the hallmark of Trump's tenure.

 

[Scott]

Comment on moderation removed.   It is, by the way, the Biden administration.  

 

[Sujo]

Trump says he told murphy to proceed. Murphy, in her letter, says she got no pressure from anyone on what to do.

 

Those two statements cannot be true.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Does that mean the loser does now recognize that he is the loser? Amazing.

http://loser.com/

 

 

 

Doubt it.

[webfact]

Trump finally gives his administration green light to proceed with Biden transition

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1193598-us-agency-tells-biden-he-can-formally-begin transition/?do=findComment&comment=16025438

 

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Sujo said:

Trump says he told murphy to proceed. Murphy, in her letter, says she got no pressure from anyone on what to do.

 

Those two statements cannot be true.

The alternative scenario is senior Republicans accepted the situation could not go on, and took matters out of Trump's hands. Trump's letter was just putting a brave face on the subject.

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Given it appears that the fat lady is about to sing, I look forward to seeing CNN and the BBC etc pointing out everything that Biden/ Harris do wrong in the next 4 years, and the investigations into Hunter Biden.

 

As a wise person once said, be careful what you wish for.

Given the extremely low bar that Trump and his administration set, the things that Biden/Harris do will be more strikingly better. Things will improve dramatically and conspiracy theories will find no place in a science and fact base Biden's administration. When sanity returns and triumph over all those lies, conspiracies, incompetencies, decencies, immoralities the last 4 years, Trumpism will fade just like McCarthyism. Trump will be in the history book of bad immoral impeached one-term President. Most wise person see that.  

[Bluespunk]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter that he was recommending that Murphy and her team "do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same."

All you and your team need to do trump, is now you have accepted you lost is help with the transition and pack your bags,

Edited November 24, 2020 by Bluespunk

[Phoenix Rising]

50 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps you could name the political opponents that Trump actually investigated. I'm not aware of any.

You really need to do better than that.

[onthedarkside]

A bunch of off-topic posts about "investigations" have been removed.

 

[Phoenix Rising]

The election loser and his slimy entourage of bottom dwellers will soon slink out of the WH and the grown-ups and their dogs will return.

 

The return of dogs to the White House feels magnificently American

 

 

 

[riclag]

Stay the course and let it play out Emily and just do your job ,despite all ...

 dear mr. biden

"I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law"!

Emily W. Murphy

 

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2020/images/11/23/gsa.biden.pdf

Edited November 24, 2020 by riclag
txttxttxt

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

All you and your team need to do trump, is now you have accepted you lost is help with the transition and pack your bags,

But he won't. He's made it clear by tweet that he will never concede. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/23/trump-came-promising-so-much-winning-hes-going-out-with-so-much-whining/

 

 

Trump came in promising so much winning. He’s going out with so much whining.

 

It’s all over but the pouting.

[Odysseus123]

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

 

It’s all over but the pouting.

Thank goodness that it is all over-let the transition begin!

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, riclag said:

 dear mr. biden

"I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law"!

 

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2020/images/11/23/gsa.biden.pdf

It is unfortunate that the current President add to the tension with his combative narratives. It is within his capability and authority to reduce this deep division even in his last couple of months but he chose not and instead heightened the tension and trepidation of a divided country. 

[Bluetongue]

I wonder will Biden go back on every single thing Trump has done.? Particularly asking about the Middle East where Pompeo has been recently with meetings between Israel and Saudi etc. Also it seems to be the area where the US has been most likely to get involved militarily. I've got an uneasy feeling that Trump could still cause problems, or US hating nations like Iran or NK could take advantage and do likewise. Hopefully Xi remains hunkered down until this is all over. Maybe every nation being focused on Covid is actually a good thing. 

[Lacessit]

33 minutes ago, riclag said:

Stay the course and let it play out Emily and just do your job ,despite all ...

 dear mr. biden

"I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law"!

Emily W. Murphy

 

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2020/images/11/23/gsa.biden.pdf

We only have Emily Murphy's word that this happened, and I would question why these threats apparently have not been communicated to law enforcement.

Given most of Trump's appointees seem to have developed his habit of lying like pigs in s##t, permit me to doubt the threats actually occurred, or have not been grossly exaggerated.

Threatening pets. Really? Thousands of threats. Really?

 

Edited November 24, 2020 by Lacessit

[newatthis]

52 minutes ago, riclag said:

Stay the course and let it play out Emily and just do your job ,despite all ...

 dear mr. biden

"I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law"!

Emily W. Murphy

 

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2020/images/11/23/gsa.biden.pdf

dear Emily,

Please send all evidence to the FBI to be investigated. Online and mail threats can be easily traced.

[candide]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

But he won't. He's made it clear by tweet that he will never concede. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/11/23/trump-came-promising-so-much-winning-hes-going-out-with-so-much-whining/

 

 

Trump came in promising so much winning. He’s going out with so much whining.

 

It’s all over but the pouting.

Exactly.

 

[animalmagic]

5 hours ago, Sujo said:

Trump says he told murphy to proceed. Murphy, in her letter, says she got no pressure from anyone on what to do.

 

Those two statements cannot be true.

So one or both must be lying; wouldn't be a first for the current administration.

[placeholder]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

Stay the course and let it play out Emily and just do your job ,despite all ...

 dear mr. biden

"I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law"!

Emily W. Murphy

 

http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2020/images/11/23/gsa.biden.pdf

Given the brilliant performance of Trump's formidable legal strikeforce, how could she have done otherwise but wait? 

Edited November 24, 2020 by placeholder