Democratic House leaders renewed their push for an immediate briefing from the General Services Administration’s top official as President Trump refuses to unlock transition resources to President-elect Joe Biden.
A letter sent to the GSA on Monday, led by House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, said the GSA’s counteroffer to have Administrator Emily Murphy’s deputy brief them next week on the refusal to sign off on the transition was unacceptable.
“We cannot wait yet another week to obtain basic information about your refusal to make the ascertainment determination,” the Democrats wrote in a letter to the agency. “Every additional day that is wasted is a day that the safety, health, and well-being of the American people is imperiled as the incoming Biden-Harris Administration is blocked from fully preparing for the coronavirus pandemic, our nation’s dire economic crisis, and our national security.”
The lawmakers initially requested a briefing from Murphy last week and, in their new letter, pressed the agency to reconsider having Murphy conduct a virtual briefing for them on Tuesday. The letter mentioned that the GSA said the agency has a problem with its ability to do videoconferencing and offered a bevy of solutions, including alternative platforms or to have the briefing by phone.
The Democrats asked the agency to respond to their new request by 5 p.m. on Monday. The Washington Examiner reached out to the GSA for comment.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as national security experts, have called for the transition process to begin in order for Biden to be well prepared on security matters heading into office in January.
Biden was declared the winner by media outlets more than two weeks ago, but Trump has yet to concede, continuing legal fights in several battleground states that went for his opponent.
