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"Vice President Joe Biden visit to Israel March 2016" by U.S. Embassy Jerusalem is licensed under CC BY 2.0; Image has been cropped and tinted
The Transfer of Power
The Transfer of Power
A glimpse at President-elect Joe Biden's transition
THIS STORY IS OUT OF DATE. TO READ ABOUT BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION, CLICK HERE.
On Monday, November 23rd, the General Services Administration declared Joe Biden the President-Elect of 2020. Biden and his team have officially begun preparing for the transfer of power on January 20, 2021. He has publicly announced his team and started talking to other world leaders about his plans for America.
Almost three weeks after Election day, the head of the GSA released a letter to Biden where she gave him the resources to begin his transition. The head of the GSA, Emily Murphy, repeatedly emphasized that she was not pressured, indirectly or directly, to withhold an official declaration of the election results. She says that throughout her career she has remained unbiased by any official. Now that the GSA has officially named Biden the winner, the most significant hurdles for Biden are Trump's lawsuits.
Trump has launched two dozen lawsuits against states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada, alleging that massive voter fraud took place in these states during the election. These lawsuits have been unable to gather any considerable evidence to support their claims, and are very unlikely to change the results of the election. Many have already been tossed out by judges. Despite these lawsuits' lack of evidence, they have effectively slowed the transition process, making it even more difficult for Biden's team to organize a transition of power.
The main question is: how much can Biden do for his presidency before January 20th?
The answer is actually quite a lot. The GSA typically provides six million dollars in funding to the President-elect for a workspace and access to federal agencies, and now that he has access to that his team should begin immediately. They will attend briefings on public health and welfare, set up an official office, and begin funding their projects.
Biden's transition team, a group of around 500 qualified volunteers, has already begun ensuring a peaceful transfer of power and preparing Biden and Harris for their first day in office.
He has been promising diversity in American Government, and it appears he is fulfilling that promise even before his first day. Half of his transition staff are people of color and half are women. This diversity is no surprise, considering his vice president is a Black and South Asian woman, the first of either ethnicity to be a vice president. Biden wants his team, cabinet, and every aspect of government to represent communities that are underrepresented in government. Alongside his transition team, he will soon announce his cabinet members and senior staff.
"Vice President Joe Biden visit to Israel March 2016" by U.S. Embassy Jerusalem is licensed under CC BY 2.0
His Presidential Cabinet currently consists of members like Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chief of Staff Ron Klein. Biden appears to be putting background and qualifications over political ties.
With Biden already transitioning, Trump still refuses to concede the election. He has claimed that the GSA does not declare the winner of the election, which is technically true but false in practice. It is unclear how long he will delay the transition process.
Biden will now have to work with a president who will not let him take control until the very end. It is unlikely that his transition will be easy and painless.
After this nail-biting election, whichever candidate becomes president will have an extremely difficult job unifying America. Legal disputes could go on after Inauguration Day, though they are unlikely to have much effect. The country needs to accept the final results of the election and work together to achieve a peaceful transition of power. Only then will America be able to rebuild.
This is Alicia's second year at Edgewood and first year on the Edge staff. She loves writing, debating, and bettering Brevard. She hopes to educate and entertain the members of her community.
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