[ad_1]
Joe Biden talks about the behavior of the President of the United States. And in phone calls with Merkel, Macron & Co., the “president-elect” announces the return of the United States.
How can I say that tactfully? I don’t think it will help the president’s legacy “: Joe Biden on Trump’s refusal to surrender office.
Photo: Keystone
The administration of the current President of the United States, Donald Trump, has refused to provide the winner of the election, Joe Biden, the legally required support to assume official functions. The lockdown is likely to make it difficult for Biden to get started, and that’s in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic and economic crisis. Most experts agree: For Biden and his team, every day counts.
The orderly handover of official business (“transition”) after a presidential election has been enshrined in law for nearly 60 years. In doing so, Congress wanted to ensure that Americans could always count on a functioning government. “Any disruption caused by the handover of government affairs could result in outcomes that are detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States and its citizens,” he said in 1963 to justify the law.
America is back. We will return to the game. It’s not just about the United States. “
In light of Trump’s lack of recognition of his election victory, Biden said Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware, that he did not see this as an obstacle to further preparations for his presidency. “I just think, frankly, it’s embarrassing. How can I say that tactfully? I don’t think it will help the president’s legacy. ”Biden promised that he could name the first candidates to his cabinet before Thanksgiving on November 26.
Reading tip: People next to Joe Biden: that’s the new First Family
The newly elected US president has also promised Germany and other European allies a revival of the badly damaged transatlantic relationship. After phone calls with Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, he said on Tuesday: “First of all, I will let you know that America is back. We will return to the game. It’s not just about America. “In doing so, he clearly distinguishes himself from the foreign policy principle of” America first, “which was coined by incumbent President Donald Trump.
Why is “transition” so important?
The president of the United States is the most powerful man in the Western world. It must be fully operational from day one: it will be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, it will have responsibility for a good 1.3 million soldiers, and it will have the codes to authorize the use of nuclear weapons in an emergency. He and his government will be responsible for a budget of almost $ 5 billion. The pandemic and economic crisis will also give the president little time to familiarize himself with the situation.
Newly elected presidents vigorously use the two and a half months between the vote and the inauguration to rally their government team. It is not just about the cabinet, the secretaries of state and the heads of authorities. Unlike Germany, for example, the president also has to quickly fill thousands of positions in the White House, ministries and authorities. About 1,200 of the personal data still need to be approved by the Senate. Therefore, an elected president must begin hiring as soon as possible to implement his policy.
Why is that a problem with Trump?
The Transfer Law gives an important role to the little-known GSA, which serves the government as a provider of real estate and equipment services. The director of the Trump-appointed agency, Emily Murphy, has to determine after the election who are the “obviously successful candidates” for the presidential and vice president positions. The transfer of office can only be formally started with your letter, which is normally considered a formality. Murphy refuses to recognize Biden and his vice president Kamala Harris as winners of the election.
Why is the head of authority blocking?
Murphy follows Trump’s argument that the election has not yet been finalized in light of the fraud allegations and ongoing lawsuits. In theory, this could keep Biden and Harris away for weeks. The final certified results of the all-state elections will not be available until December 8, just under a week before the electorate casts their votes for the next president. The result of the vote will only be announced in Congress on January 6, only then will there be absolute legal certainty.
Has there ever been something like this?
In 2000, the head of the relatively apolitical service authority GSA (General Services Administration) refused for the first time to determine who had “apparently” won the election. Back then, the race between George W. Bush and Al Gore depended on the extremely even result in the state of Florida. There were trials and, in some cases, stories. The entire United States held its breath at the time because it was unclear who the next president would be, until Gore admitted defeat after a Supreme Court decision. In the remaining years, the GSA letter was generally issued immediately after the election.
What exactly is Biden missing without the formal handover?
The GSA letter would give Biden millions of dollars in salaries and other expenses, as well as government office space and email addresses. But it’s even more important that your teams have official access to all government offices. Hundreds of Biden employees will be dispatched to the ministries and authorities to gather all the important information and initiate the transfer. For example, Biden has appointed 23 members to his transition team for the Defense Ministry alone.
In accordance with the law, all authorities have already prepared documents for delivery, some of which are hundreds of pages long. Without the GSA letter, Biden’s team can hardly tell which government agency is doing what. Therefore, Biden’s team will not receive the government’s confidential status reports on the status of the corona pandemic at this time. In addition, the most important employees of the new president already have to go through the sometimes time-consuming controls in the transition phase to obtain permission to inspect secret information (security clearance).
The handover generally includes numerous high-level discussions and discussion of important classified information, as explained by the nonpartisan center for the presidential handover. In 2016, for example, employees of the National Security Council (NSC) also executed disaster scenarios for their successors in the Trump administration, one of which was a pandemic that was starting in Asia. In addition, the president-elect already usually receives daily information from the secret service, which the incumbent also receives. The former presidents initiated this “in the interest of national security,” explains the center.
Biden’s personal protection by the Secret Service was strengthened after the election victory. A no-fly zone was also expanded and lengthened around his home in Delaware. Other things that were previously taken for granted, such as State Department assistance in organizing conversations with heads of state and government, were denied by the Trump administration, as the New York Times reported.
How difficult will it be without the proper handover?
Democrats and even individual Republicans have condemned Murphy’s refusal, especially since time for the complex handover is tight, even at best. So far, Biden has kept a low profile and emphasizes that he will replace the president on January 20 in any case. “To be honest, we don’t see anything holding us back,” he said Tuesday. Despite Murphy’s refusal, he sees no need for legal action. At the same time, his team urges the head of authority to issue the necessary letter.
Democrat David Axelrod, who was involved in the 2008 handover to Barack Obama, described the blocking attitude as “subversive” and dangerous for the country’s security. Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton said a “sensible” president should initiate the handover even if there is still a dispute over the final election result. “One of them will be president. We have to make sure that both are absolutely prepared in matters of national security, and frankly also with the coronavirus pandemic, “the Republican told CNN on Tuesday.
Federal Election Commissioner (FEC) Ellen Weintraub condemned Murphy’s blocking stance on Tuesday. In view of the pandemic, the Biden government must “be fully operational from day one like few before,” the Democrat wrote to Murphy. The situation regarding the election results was the same as in 2016, when the letter to Trump was quickly issued. The only difference was Trump’s refusal to admit defeat, “unprecedented in American history.” But this has no legal effect. The delay of “every day, every hour” reduces Biden’s chances of success.
