US President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has run into a major hurdle as it has not received “verification” from a key federal agency to formally begin the presidential transition. Biden has already assembled a group, responsible for ensuring a smooth transfer of power between the Trump-Pence administration and the incoming Biden-Harris administration. However, the team relies on a statement called “verification.”
Why is “verification” important?
For the formal beginning of the presidential transition, the administrator of the federal General Services Administration (GSA) must determine the “apparently successful candidate” in the US elections. While the GSA’s green signal is required to move forward with preparation for the handover of power, neither the Presidential Transition Act nor federal regulations, according to the Associated Press, specify the criteria for making such a determination.
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GSA responsibilities
GSA, an executive branch, works with billions of dollars in budget to manage federal office space, procure supplies, and improve the use of technology throughout the government. He is also responsible for providing Washington office space to the transition team and coordinating their access to federal agencies. GSA Administrator Emily Murphy is a Trump appointee who has not provided any reason behind the verification delay.
A spokesperson for the GSA had previously said in a statement that the administrator will continue to “meet and comply with all requirements established by law and comply with the precedent set by the Clinton Administration in 2000.”
Impact on rapid transition
Once the Biden-Harris transition team is GSA certified, they will be able to use millions of federal dollars to smoothly proceed with the transition, including around 4,000 political appointments across the government. The transition team is responsible for selecting staff, determining policy implementation steps, and developing management agendas for federal agencies.
The Biden-Harris transition team has already announced key members of the agency review teams (ART), responsible for evaluating the operations of federal agencies. Biden is expected to start announcing the names of the people he wants in his cabinet soon, including the heads of all key departments and agencies, and GSA certification remains important for moving quickly.
(With AP inputs)
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