President-elect Joe Biden’s team named officials that will begin preparations for a transfer of power at federal agencies on Tuesday despite an ongoing bid by President Trump's campaign to challenge the 2020 election results.
The “agency review teams” consist of hundreds of officials who will study key information regarding the day-to-day operations at federal agencies such as the Departments of Defense and Education. The teams are meant to ensure a smooth transfer to the incoming presidential administration.
“Our nation is grappling with a pandemic, an economic crisis, urgent calls for racial justice, and the existential threat of climate change," said Sen. Ted Kaufman, co-chair of the Biden-Harris transition team. "We must be prepared for a seamless transfer of knowledge to the incoming administration to protect our interests at home and abroad. The agency review process will help lay the foundation for meeting these challenges on Day One. The work of the agency review teams is critical for protecting national security, addressing the ongoing public health crisis, and demonstrating that America remains the beacon of democracy for the world.”
President Trump has yet to concede defeat to Biden, who is expected to have surpassed the 270 electoral vote threshold last Saturday with projected victories in Pennsylvania and Nevada. The Electoral College is expected to formalize Biden as president-elect on Dec. 14, pending the outcome of the Trump campaign’s many legal challenges in key battleground states.
Biden officials have accused the Trump administration of blocking access to transition resources since the former vice president was independently confirmed as the victor. The General Services Administration, which is in charge of releasing transition funds, has declined to do so because an “ascertainment” on the winner of the election has yet to occur.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“There's no question that whichever route we travel here, we are going to be moving very quickly and very decisively toward a full transition that enables President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris to assume office fully ready,” Biden campaign legal adviser Bob Bauer told Fox News.
The full list of officials appointed to the Biden-Harris transition’s agency review teams can be viewed here.
Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.