The Stalled Presidential Transition
The transition period between administrations is usually a 75-day sprint to bring the incoming administration up-to-speed on the wide span of government. Processes for security clearances, office space and other resources are taken care of during this period in order to keep some level of continuity, even between seemingly incongruous administrations. GSA chief Emily Murphy has not “ascertained” a winner, the official process that would let the Biden team send its beachhead into the agencies as part of the transition. President Trump has not conceded the 2020 election and there is concern that this may be factoring into Murphy's inaction. And so, the Biden team is in a holding pattern.
David Marchick is director of the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition at the Partnership for Public Service. He has also held several positions during the Clinton administration, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Policy at the State Department. He joined the podcast to discuss the transition and what needs to happen for it to go forward smoothly.