Joe Biden is going to be the next President of the United States, and he has already begun the essential work of planning the transition of power. But Donald Trump's administration is already trying to undermine the transition.
The Administrator of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, is refusing to sign crucial paperwork that unlocks public funding, staff, and resources to allow the presidential transition to go smoothly and on time.1
This is another example of Trump and his allies refusing to accept defeat. And it could lead to the first delay in a presidential transition in nearly a century. With the coronavirus pandemic raging and the economy in crisis, we cannot afford any delays. It's time for Murphy and the Trump Administration to cooperate.
Sign the petition: Stop obstructing the presidential transition!
According to the Washington Post, the GSA's paperwork is essential to a smooth transition, as it allows the "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."2
There is no conflict between enabling a transition process to begin now and counting all the votes. Every presidential transition in modern times, except for 2000, happened on time even as votes continued to be counted. And the disputed 2000 election is not one we should emulate -- especially given that the 2020 election isn't a close one.
We've seen once before how devastating it can be when an outgoing president refuses to constructively participate in a transition process. In 1932 Republican president Herbert Hoover refused to work with incoming Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt. One result was that the federal government was crippled as a serious financial crisis spread through the country. The banking system nearly collapsed as a result. Congress later amended the constitution to shorten the transition period by moving inauguration day from March 4 to January 20.3
Once more, our country is in a severe crisis. Coronavirus is spreading uncontrolled across the country at record levels. The economic crisis continues to worsen.
Trump may not want to admit defeat, but the people who run the government need to stop answering to him and instead, work with Biden and his team to ensure a smooth transition.
Add your name: Stop obstructing the presidential transition!
Sources:
1. The Washington Post, "A little-known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition resources to Biden — and she isn’t budging," November 9, 2020.
2. Ibid.
3. The American Prospect, "The Winter of our Discontent," September 9, 2020.