Biden Team Awaits GSA Certification of Election Win

[steve2470]

Source: Wall Street Journal

Joe Biden's transition team is still waiting for the federal government to formalize his win, a move that would trigger the flow of government resources to the president-elect's team, including more government office space, millions of dollars and government email addresses.

More than a day after the Associated Press and other networks called the race for Mr. Biden, the General Services Administration has not "ascertained" the winner and Mr. Biden's team is getting antsy.

“Now that the election has been independently called for Joe Biden, we look forward to the GSA Administrator quickly ascertaining Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the President-elect and Vice President-elect," transition spokesman Cameron French said. "America’s national security and economic interests depend on the federal government signaling clearly and swiftly that the United States government will respect the will of the American people and engage in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.”

In past elections, the GSA has sent a letter identifying the winner within days of the AP and networks calling the election, long before the results are made official by the Electoral College. In 2008, the letter was signed within hours.



Read more: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/trump-biden-election-day-2020/card/jx3Ha1fOT6IA41bAlmtl

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Why is this being delayed ? Could it be pure partisan politics for Trump by his appointee ? Hmmm

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gsa-letter-biden-transition/2020/11/08/07093acc-21e9-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html

A Trump administration appointee is refusing to sign a letter allowing President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team to formally begin its work this week, in another sign the incumbent president has not acknowledged Biden’s victory and could disrupt the transfer of power.

The administrator of the General Services Administration, the low-profile agency in charge of federal buildings, has a little-known role when a new president is elected: to sign paperwork officially turning over millions of dollars, as well as give access to government officials, office space in agencies and equipment authorized for the taxpayer-funded transition teams of the winner.

It amounts to a formal declaration by the federal government, outside of the media, of the winner of the presidential race.

But by Sunday evening, almost 36 hours after media outlets projected Biden as the winner, GSA Administrator Emily Murphy had written no such letter. And the Trump administration, in keeping with the president’s failure to concede the election, has no immediate plans to sign one. This could lead to the first transition delay in modern history, except in 2000, when the Supreme Court decided a recount dispute between Al Gore and George W. Bush in December.

[msongs]

1. the woman in charge of this is not cooperating nt

[PatrickforO]

15. As of this reply it is 6:08AM Eastern Time, so nothing has happened yet.

But I'm bookmarking this post, because MontanaMama's post below has the GSA contact telephone number. We can also chat!

Let's see how it shapes up on Monday, and if necessary we could all do the same thing as we did with Trumpy's 'voter fraud hotline.'

Plus, of course, I will be calling my US Senators and my Representative, a member of the 'freedom caucus,' as if THAT will do any good.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. In reality, it's only the Electoral College vote that matters.

[Karma13612]

25. That is the case, BUT

Apparently, the GSA has not felt the need to wait for the EC to vote before releasing funds, etc for a smooth transition, in past elections.

This is because the current pResident is being destructive, vindictive, and criminal.
This is partisan crap that shouldn’t be happening.

[madaboutharry]

3. This is a disgrace.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. It really is.

And it holds up the transition's start. Valuable time is going down the drain while people stall and refuse to do their jobs.

[DeminPennswoods]

11. It's not holding up the start of the transition

The Trump administration can be as petty as it wants, but Biden's been elected President. He's going to take office at noon on Jan 20th and Trump will be the former president, forcefully removed from the WH if need be.

[onetexan]

30. exactly, transition will happen with or without his corrupt admin's cooperation

[Hestia]

43. Y'all don't understand the absolute importance of the Transition Team

This will be the only time that Secretaries of the different departments will be selected and will actively go into the offices and learn about what is going on because by federal law, the old and new secretaries cannot contact each other, so this is the only time they can get any help. Would you want to go into your new job, learn the entire job from top to bottom in 75 days and after that, oops too bad so sad if you didn't learn it, you had 75 days to get it done. It's why sometimes the departments are either run extremely well with old hands at the wheel or FUBAR with political appointees.

These next 74 now days will be so fraught.

[DeminPennswoods]

45. Maybe, if the incoming administration was full of newbies,

but Biden's won't be.

Anyway, I'm not sure there is any logical policy thread in any agency. It's all been slapdash.

[MontanaMama]

5. I don't think Emily Murphy's appointment to the GSA

was an accident. I believe her resistance to allow the Biden team to begin the transition fully and completely is planned. The tRump people have and will continue to damage our norms as long as they can. This stooge will be no exception. I don’t know if calling our Congress critters would help or not. Here is Murphy’s bio:

https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/office-of-the-administrator/administrator-bio

[yellowcanine]

26. She doesn't sound like a hard core Trumper. More of a worker bee.

I think she will do the right thing.

[MontanaMama]

27. I hope that's true.

But if we are having this conversation by the weekend, she’s officially a problem.

[Demsrule86]

46. No she is hardcore. Thos on twitter look her up.

[disalitervisum]

6. The bloodsucking cockroach trump family

will indulge in any and all outrages, violations of law, intimidations, blackmail, and regulatory power that they have in order to fuck you.

[yaesu]

7. As the House controls the purse why not just bypass tRumps poisoned agencies and fund through other

means.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. The GSA acted quickly in the past because the loser conceded, meaning result not contested.

Without a concession by the loser, the GSA must wait until concrete evidence, in the form of certification or electoral votes, is present.

[Ligyron]

9. I thought a concession was a mere nicety.

An informal custom, not something that is required as long as the states declare a winner.

[soothsayer]

14. Yep same here

[Fiendish Thingy]

17. A concession isn't required to be elected, but often the first sign an election has been resolved

[Blue_playwright]

18. Yup. Not necessary but...

...a definite signal to the government to move forward with the transition.

[ret5hd]

20. A state will only "declare" a winner after the votes are certified.

That's my understanding anyway.

[Hestia]

44. GSA doesn't wait for concrete evidence, they generally issue the letter as soon as AP calls the

election, certainly never after the Sunday after the election. This foot dragging is on purpose.

[Demsrule86]

47. They do not have to wait. She chooses to wait.

I hope her future involves jail.

[PSPS]

10. Emily Murphy is a super MAGA trump appointee (i.e., toady)

[yellowcanine]

28. I disagree. Someone posted her bio & doesn't sound that way.

Do you have specific evidence other than that she was appointed by Trump?

[JI7]

12. Any chance the tv fools will report on this instead of their obsession

with needing to understand white men ?

[mr_lebowski]

13. If they do they'll play up how the GSA is super independent and non-partisan

And hence the failure of this TOADY to do her fucking job is actually a sign that the election is still in legitimate doubt.

Cause the M$M are dipshits like that.

[Native]

16. Kickin' for the daylight.

[Blue_playwright]

19. How did Bush/Gore handle it?

I can’t remember. I had a baby that month and aside from my absentee vote (bed rest), it’s all a blur.

Apparently, they knocked me out right after my C-Section because of my blood pressure. I woke up that evening (Nov. 23), and I didn’t ask where my baby was, I asked if we had finally won! 🤣

[steve2470]

21. 844-472-4111 is Emily Murphy's phone number per TLP

Link to tweet

[Thekaspervote]

23. That photo is WAY to kind!

[Marthe48]

29. was she wearing a tee shirt that said

trump can grab this. With an arrow pointing down.

[ffr]

33. You can reach her at @GSAEmily and [e-mail]

[e-mail] needs some DU love.

Link to tweet

[bdamomma]

40. Can charges be filed on her

if she continues to decline?

I just sent off an e-mail to her.

[steve2470]

41. no idea nt

[Marthe48]

22. Hope impeached traitor isn't trying to diddle the E.C.

Can he get to the electors with threats and bribes? Faithless electors and all that crap? This has been ridiculous and is getting more so.

Biden/Harris won. Let them get to work.

[EndlessWire]

48. He already had Bannon do it.

He broadcast advocating executions as a method to keep people in line. His buddy advocated hanging people.

I kid you not, and Bannon is actually out on bail. Where is the justice??

[Karma13612]

24. I'm surprised that once again,

It’s a partisan office that gets to do this.

There are so many loop holes in the governing of our country.

I’m 66, therefore too old to start a new career. But, if I had it to do over, I would have gotten involved in our government. Of that I am sure. It took me years to become aware of all this nonsense. And now I am pissed at what I see, on a daily basis.

Hopefully this specific bit of partisan nonsense won’t last much longer.

Partisan Brat she is.

[onetexan]

31. One more item for the Biden admin to fix

We've won the battle now. I'm confident that just as Obama had to clean up after Dubya, that Biden/Harris admin will have to clean up after the Con's admin. Alot of work ahead but Dems have a huge pool of good talent they can rely on.

[Karma13612]

39. Yes they do

If I lived closer to DC, I swear I would try to volunteer in some capacity. I’d be a page on the floor in the House or take on some clerical job.

Something!

[LiberalLovinLug]

42. Yup. I am finding out so many loopholes and traffic jams that Repubicans can use to stop or stall

Its not that they were not there before, but that no other administration had the gall to push to such a limit those powers ability to muck things up. Biden may not get any of that money until Jan 20th!

[James48]

32. She turned off her cellphone.

“The wireless customer you have dialed is not available at this time. Please try your call again later.”

[BarbD]

34. When does the electoral college meet?

Trump will delay everything until that happens.

[steve2470]

35. January 6, 2021

https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/key-dates#:~:text=January%206%2C%202021%E2%80%94Congress%20counts,of%20the%20Electoral%20College%20vote.

January 6, 2021—Congress counts the electoral votes
Congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes. The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the Electoral College vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.

If any objections to the electoral votes are made, they must be submitted in writing and be signed by at least one member of the House and one Senator. If objections are presented, the House and Senate withdraw to their respective chambers to consider the merits of the objection(s) under procedures set out in Federal law.

If no Presidential candidate wins at least 270 electoral votes (a majority of the 538 available votes), under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution the House of Representatives decides the Presidential election. If necessary, the House would elect the President by majority vote, choosing from among the three candidates who received the greatest number of electoral votes. The vote would be taken by State, with each State having one vote. (The District of Columbia does not vote because it doesn't have voting members in the House of Representatives.)

If no Vice Presidential candidate wins at least 270 electoral votes (a majority or the 538 available votes), under the 12th Amendment the Senate elects the Vice President. If necessary, the Senate would elect the Vice President by majority vote, choosing between the two candidates who received the greatest number of electoral votes. Each Senator would have one vote.

[BarbD]

37. Do you think they can delay until January 6th?

We have to take the two Georgia senate seats.

[steve2470]

38. I have no idea nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

36. Trump has taken the deep state and replaced it with a derp state.