Wilmington, Delaware – One of the consequences of the General Service Administration’s reluctance to “determine” a presidential winner is that the congratulatory phone calls President Joe Biden receives from world leaders are running out of the State Department, according to a transitional official. .
The GSA is the federal government company that provides the president-elect’s transition team to federal agencies to assist plan policy adjustments with existing administrative officials.
Over the next two days, Biden has met with leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom for readings from the transition team.
Lack of verification through the GSA means biden-Harris’ transition team is denied calls provided through the State Department with foreign leaders as they manage to express their congratulations, a transitional official told CBS News.
“I let you know that America is back. We’re going back to the game,” Biden said of appeals after a speech in Delaware on Tuesday.
This lack of coordination with the State Department regarding congratulatory calls is unprecedented,” said David Marchick, director of the Public Service Association’s Center for presidential transition.
There is only one president at a time, and the protocols established for coordination between incoming and outgoing management are designed for the global interests of the United States. This requires management to work with the transition team.
The media wrote of the transition process: “Historically, the State Department has helped coordinate phone calls between an elected president and foreign dignitaries. The most productive practice would be for the president-elect to make commitments that could undermine the existing administration. “
Beyond transitions, the State Department has facilitated call logistics and provided translation services, imaginable talking points and even taking notes as needed. In the first month of his presidential transition, former President Barack Obama spoke to 44 foreign leaders, according to a center account.
Because Biden, as america’s recent vice president, has already had relations with these foreign leaders, his assistants seem to continue to make long-distance phone calls between the two teams.
When asked Tuesday about the State Department’s role in the transition process, Secretary of State Pompeo did not recognize that Pompeo Biden intended to win the election and replied, “There will be an elegant transition to the Trump administration at one point. “
He went on to say that the world has “full confidence” that the branch will maintain its key purposes and “make a successful transition” with the president who is in the workplace on January 20. “
“If you just say “hello, ” I suppose it’s not too hard, ” said Pompeo Tuesday night, when asked on Fox News if foreign leaders call Biden, “but make no mistake, we have a president and a secretary of state. One national security team at a time. It is convenient that (this) be so. “
The State Department did not respond to more express QUESTIONS from CBS News regarding the State Department’s transition efforts or its communications with the Biden team.
Lack of verification through the GSA can also save you access to classified data for new national security officials, access to secure services, and access to $6. 3 million in the budget allocated through Congress to pay for transition activities, a transitional official told CBS News.
While President-elect Biden would like to officially begin his transition, he did not express dismay because he is not yet receiving the maximum data in the country and suggested to reporters Tuesday: “Look, classified data are useful, I’m not in a position to make decisions about those problems anyway. As I said, one president at a time and he will be president until January 20. “
While the existing impediment posed through the GSA remains, Biden said his transition would continue his work.
“First of all, we’re already starting the transition. We’re on the right track,” Biden said, when asked Tuesday about the GSA obstacle. dynamic at all and what we’re going to do. “