talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--Biden-Harris Transition Names Agency Review Teams

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have named their agency review teams .
Below is the full list of names the transition team has announced : The Arts and Humanities group includes the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , the National Endowment for the Arts , the National Endowment for the Humanities , the National Science Foundation , and the Smithsonian Institution .
The Department of Commerce team will also review the Export-Import Bank .
The Department of Education team will also review the Corporation for National and Community Service .
The Department of Energy team will also review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nuclear Regulatory Commission .
The Department of Health and Human Services team will also review the Consumer Product Safety Commission .
The Department of Housing and Urban Development team will also review the Federal Housing Finance Agency .
The Department of Justice team will also review the Federal Election Commission , the U.S. Election Assistance Commission , the Commission on Civil Rights , the National Council on Disability , the United States Access Board , AbilityOne , the State Justice Institute , and the Legal Services Corporation .
The Department of Labor team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission , the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission , the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation , the Federal Labor Relations Authority , the National Mediation Board , the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services , the Railroad Retirement Board , and the National Labor Relations Board .
The Department of the Interior team will also review the National Indian Gaming Commission , the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation , the Commission on Fine Arts , the Denali Commission , the Appalachian Regional Commission , the Delta Regional Authority , and the Northern Border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team will also review the National Transportation Safety Board , the National Railroad Passenger Corporation / AMTRAK , and the Federal Maritime Commission .
The Environmental Protection Agency team will also review the Chemical Safety Board .
Executive Office of the President , Management and Administration The Executive Office of the President , Management and Administration team will also review certain aspects of all EOP components , except those covered by the National Security Council team , in partnership with component-specific teams .
The Federal Reserve , Banking and Securities Regulators group includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation , the Federal Reserve , the National Credit Union Administration , and the Securities and Exchange Commission .
The Intelligence Community group includes all Members of the Intelligence Community .
The International Development group includes the Millennium Challenge Corporation , the Peace Corps , the United States Agency for International Development , and the United States International Development Finance Corporation .
The National Security Council team will also review the Homeland Security Council , the National Space Council , and the President ’ s Intelligence Advisory Board .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review the Office of Government Ethics , the Office of Special Counsel , the Administrative Conference of the United States , the Merit Systems Protection Board , and the Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board .
The Office of the United States Trade Representative team will also review the United States International Trade Commission and the US Trade and Development Agency .
The United States Department of Agriculture team will also review the Farm Credit Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation .
The United States Postal Service team will also review the Postal @ @ @

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have named their agency review teams. Below is the full list of names the transition team has announced:
Arts and Humanities
The Arts and Humanities group includes the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Courtney Chapin, Team Lead The Better Angels Society Volunteer Lauren Dugas Glover District of Columbia, Commission on the Arts and Humanities Volunteer Kei Koizumi The American Association for the Advancement of Science Volunteer Bob Lynch Americans for the Arts Volunteer Mahlet Mesfin University of Pennsylvania Volunteer Juan Sepúlveda Trinity University Volunteer David Skorton Association of American Medical Colleges Volunteer
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Leandra English, Team Lead State of New York, Department of Financial Services Volunteer Manny Alvarez California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation Volunteer Bill Bynum Hope Enterprise Corporation Volunteer David Mayorga Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Volunteer Josh Nassar The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers Volunteer Brian Shearer Justice Catalyst Law, Inc. Volunteer Diane Thompson Self-employed Volunteer Ashwin Vasan Sophant Consulting Volunteer
Council of Economic Advisers
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Martha Gimbel, Team Lead Schmidt Futures Volunteer Damon Jones University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy Studies Volunteer Jay Shambaugh George Washington University Volunteer
Council on Environmental Quality
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Cecilia Martinez, Team Lead Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy Volunteer Nikki Buffa Latham & Watkins, LLP Volunteer Horst Greczmiel The Clark Group, LLC Volunteer Shara Mohtadi Bloomberg Philanthropies Volunteer
Department of Commerce
The Department of Commerce team will also review the Export-Import Bank.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Geovette Washington, Team Lead University of Pittsburgh Volunteer Joshua Berman Clifford Chance US, LLP Volunteer Colleen Chien Santa Clara University Volunteer Tene Dolphin Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce Volunteer Michelle DuBois Values Partnerships Volunteer Anna Gomez Wiley Rein, LLP Volunteer Ellen Hughes-Cromwick Third Way Volunteer Karen Hyun National Audubon Society Volunteer Charmion Kinder CNKinder, Inc. Volunteer Paul A. Laudicina Global Counsel, LLC Volunteer Nancy Potok Self-employed Volunteer Pravina Raghavan Empire State Development Volunteer Denice Ross National Conference on Citizenship Volunteer Kris Sarri National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Volunteer Mary Saunders American National Standards Institute Volunteer Patrick Schaefer State of New Mexico Volunteer Kathryn Sullivan National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Retired) Volunteer Atman Trivedi Hills & Company Volunteer Todd Tucker The Roosevelt Institute Volunteer Arun Venkataraman Visa, Inc. Volunteer Kathryn de Wit The Pew Charitable Trusts Volunteer
Department of Defense
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Kath Hicks, Team Lead Center for Strategic and International Studies Volunteer Susanna Blume Center for a New American Security Volunteer Sharon Burke New America Volunteer Lisa Coe OtherSide Consulting, LLC Volunteer Melissa Dalton Center for Strategic and International Studies Volunteer John Estrada Department of State (Retired) Volunteer Victor Garcia Rebellion Defense Volunteer Karen Gibson Self-employed Volunteer Michelle Howard George Washington University, The Elliott School of International Affairs Volunteer Andrew Hunter Center for Strategic and International Studies Volunteer Mike McCord The Stennis Center for Public Service Volunteer Farooq Mitha Imbue Group, Inc. Volunteer Frank Mora Florida International University Volunteer Michael Negron State of Illinois Volunteer Stacie Pettyjohn RAND Corporation Volunteer Ely Ratner Center for a New American Security Volunteer Deborah Rosenblum Nuclear Threat Initiative Volunteer Lisa Sawyer JPMorgan Chase & Co Volunteer Shawn Skelly CACI International, Inc. Volunteer Terri Tanielian RAND Corporation Volunteer Veronica Valdez The Port of Seattle Volunteer Debra Wada Senshi Ame Advisors, LLC Volunteer Christine Wormuth RAND Corporation Volunteer
Department of Education
The Department of Education team will also review the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Linda Darling-Hammond, Team Lead Learning Policy Institute Volunteer Ary Amerikaner The Education Trust Volunteer Beth Antunez American Federation of Teachers Volunteer Jim Brown United States Senate, Office of Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Retired) Volunteer Ruthanne Buck Self-employed Volunteer Norma Cantu University of Texas at Austin, School of Law Volunteer Jessica Cardichon Learning Policy Institute Volunteer Keia Cole MassMutual Volunteer Lindsay Dworkin Alliance for Excellent Education Volunteer Donna Harris-Aikens National Education Association Volunteer Kristina Ishmael Open Education Global Volunteer Bob Kim John Jay College of Criminal Justice Volunteer James Kvaal The Institute for College Access & Success Volunteer Peggy McLeod UnidosUS Volunteer Paul Monteiro Howard University Volunteer Pedro Rivera Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Volunteer Roberto Rodriguez Teach Plus, Inc Volunteer Shital Shah American Federation of Teachers Volunteer Marla Ucelli-Kashyap American Federation of Teachers Volunteer Emma Vadehra The Century Foundation Volunteer
Department of Energy
The Department of Energy team will also review the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Arun Majumdar, Team Lead Stanford University Volunteer Dan Arvizu New Mexico State University Volunteer Rhonda Carter Marguerite Casey Foundation Volunteer Madelyn Creedon Green Marble Group Volunteer Noah Deich Carbon180 Volunteer Kerry Duggan Self-employed Volunteer Jonathan Elkind Columbia University Volunteer Bryan Garcia Connecticut Green Bank Volunteer Kathleen Hogan Self-employed Volunteer Hannah Lee State of California, Office of Digital Innovation Volunteer John MacWilliams Columbia University Volunteer Brad Markell AFL-CIO Volunteer Trisha Miller Gates Ventures Volunteer Rod O’Connor The Return On Communication Group Volunteer Adrianna Quintero Energy Foundation Volunteer R Ramesh University of California, Berkeley Volunteer Roque Sanchez High Water Mark, LLC Volunteer Dave Turk International Energy Agency Volunteer Rama Zakaria Environmental Defense Fund Volunteer
Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services team will also review the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Team Lead Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP Volunteer Robert Gordon, Team Lead State of Michigan, Department of Health & Human Services Volunteer Kathryn Alvarez The Aspen Institute Volunteer John Auerbach Trust for America’s Health Volunteer Lisa Barclay Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP Volunteer Jonathan Blum Health Management Associates Volunteer Lu Borio In-Q-Tel Volunteer Perrie Briskin University of California, Berkeley Volunteer Ken Choe Hogan Lovells, LLP Volunteer Henry Claypool Self-employed Volunteer Jose Cordero University of Georgia Volunteer Sarah Despres Pew Charitable Trusts Volunteer Eliot Fishman Families USA Volunteer Cristal Gary AMITA Health Volunteer Mina Hsiang Devoted Health Volunteer Tom Inglesby Johns Hopkins University Volunteer David C. Kaslow PATH Volunteer Natalie Kates Alloy Volunteer Jeremy Konyndyk Center for Global Development Volunteer Anna Martinez State of New Jersey, Department of Children and Families, Division on Women Volunteer Sarah Nolan Service Employees International Union Volunteer Yngvild Olsen Institutes for Behavior Resources, Inc. Volunteer Edwin Park Georgetown University Volunteer Sharon Parrott Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Volunteer Chuck Peck Guidehouse, Inc. Volunteer Anne Reid Co-Equal Volunteer Geoff Roth Self-employed Volunteer Meena Seshamani MedStar Health Volunteer Cyrus Shahpar Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies Volunteer Mary Wakefield University of Texas at Austin Volunteer
Department of Homeland Security
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Ur Jaddou, Team Lead America’s Voice Volunteer Amanda Baran Self-employed Volunteer Michael Coen Innovative Emergency Management Volunteer John Cohen Argonne National Laboratory Volunteer Pam Coleman State of New Mexico Volunteer Caitlin Durkovich Toffler Associates, Inc. Volunteer Andrea Flores American Civil Liberties Union Volunteer Craig Fugate One Concern, Inc. Volunteer Asha M. George Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense Volunteer Jonathan Meyer Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, LLP Volunteer Lori Moore-Merrell International Public Safety Data Institute Volunteer Peter Neffenger Self-employed Volunteer Blas Nuñez-Neto RAND Corporation Volunteer Kimberly O’Connor The Levy Group, Inc. Volunteer Esther Olavarria Self-employed Volunteer Lynn Parker Dupree Capital One Financial Corporation Volunteer Subhasri Ramanathan Deloitte & Touche, LLP Volunteer Paul Rosen Crowell & Moring, LLP Volunteer Samantha Silverberg Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Volunteer Robert Silvers Paul Hastings, LLP Volunteer Nicole Tisdale Advocacy Blueprints, LLC Volunteer Isabella Ulloa Urban Alliance Volunteer
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Department of Housing and Urban Development team will also review the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Erika Poethig, Team Lead Urban Institute Volunteer Alejandro Avilés UnidosUS Volunteer Peggy Bailey Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Volunteer Adria Crutchfield Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership Volunteer Julia Gordon National Community Stabilization Trust Volunteer Solomon Greene Urban Institute Volunteer Aras Jizan Community Solutions Volunteer Monique King-Viehland Urban Institute Volunteer Becky Koepnick State of New York, Homes and Community Renewal Volunteer Gail Winifer Laster National Credit Union Administration (Retired) Volunteer Meaghan McCarthy Housing Partnership Network Volunteer Gina Metrakas New York University, Furman Center Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Noel Poyo National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders Volunteer Antonio Riley Self-employed Volunteer Margaret Salazar State of Oregon Department of Housing and Community Services Volunteer Eric Stein Center for Community Self-Help Volunteer Karen Tamley Access Living Volunteer Ben J. Winter California Community Foundation Volunteer
Department of Justice
The Department of Justice team will also review the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the Commission on Civil Rights, the National Council on Disability, the United States Access Board, AbilityOne, the State Justice Institute, and the Legal Services Corporation.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Christopher Schroeder, Team Lead Duke University Volunteer Roy Austin Harris, Wiltshire and Grannis, LLP Volunteer Matt Axelrod Linklaters LLP Volunteer Michael Bosworth Latham & Watkins, LLP Volunteer Afua Bruce DataKind Volunteer James Cadogan Arnold Ventures, LLC Volunteer Melanca Clark Hudson-Webber Foundation Volunteer Danielle Conley WilmerHale, LLC Volunteer Raj De Mayer Brown, LLP Volunteer Chai Feldblum Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP Volunteer Shirlethia Franklin Jones Day Volunteer Larry Gold Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold, PLLC Volunteer Kathleen Hartnett Cooley LLP Volunteer Rocio Inclan-Rodriguez The National Education Association Volunteer Dawn Johnsen Indiana University Maurer School of Law Volunteer Pam Karlan Stanford University Volunteer Gene Kimmelman Public Knowledge Volunteer Richard Lazarus Harvard Law School Volunteer Martin Lederman Georgetown University Law Center Volunteer Neil MacBride Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Volunteer Alexander Mackler Delaware Department of Justice Volunteer Teresa Mason Bronx District Attorney’s Office Volunteer Barb McQuade University of Michigan Law School Volunteer José Morales Fair Fight Action Volunteer Brian Nelson 2028 Summer Olympics Volunteer Cristina Rodriguez Yale Law School Volunteer Kris Rose Healing Justice Project Volunteer Lynn Rosenthal The Center for Family Safety and Healing Volunteer Paul Tiao Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP Volunteer
Department of Labor
The Department of Labor team will also review the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the National Mediation Board, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services, the Railroad Retirement Board, and the National Labor Relations Board.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Chris Lu, Team Lead FiscalNote Volunteer Jennifer Abruzzo Communications Workers of America Volunteer Mary Beech Northeastern University Volunteer Jessica Chu Amalgamated Transit Union International Volunteer Michele Evermore National Employment Law Project Volunteer Jocelyn Frye Center for American Progress Volunteer Tanya Goldman Center for Law and Social Policy Volunteer Viv Graubard New America Volunteer Deborah Greenfield Self-employed Volunteer Seth Harris Self-employed Volunteer Micheal Hazard United Association Volunteer Nadia Marin-Molina National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) Volunteer Patricia Moscoso State of California Volunteer Seema Nanda Self-employed Volunteer Raj Nayak Self-employed Volunteer Shaun O’Brien American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Volunteer Josh Orton United States Senate, Office of Senator Bernie Sanders Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Doug Parker State of California, Department of Industrial Relations Volunteer Lynn Rhinehart Self-employed Volunteer Ann Rosenthal Self-employed Volunteer Robin Runge The Solidarity Center Volunteer Patricia Smith National Employment Law Project Volunteer Jenny Yang Urban Institute Volunteer
Department of State
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Team Lead Albright Stonebridge Group Volunteer Hady Amr Brookings Institution Volunteer Susan Biniaz United Nations Foundation Volunteer Oni Blair LINK Houston Volunteer Derek Chollet The German Marshall Fund of the United States Volunteer Frances Colon Self-employed Volunteer Bathsheba Crocker CARE Volunteer Sarah Cross Open Society Foundations Volunteer Michael Guest Self-employed Volunteer Sumona Guha Albright Stonebridge Group Volunteer Peter Harrell Self-employed Volunteer Owen Herrnstadt International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Volunteer Roberta Jacobson Albright Stonebridge Group Volunteer Bonnie Jenkins Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security Volunteer Alexandra Kahan Boston Consulting Group Volunteer Jeremy Konyndyk Center for Global Development Volunteer Ellison Laskowski The German Marshall Fund of the United States Volunteer Allison Lombardo Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Volunteer Raphael Majma Alloy Volunteer Nancy McEldowney Georgetown University Volunteer Amber McIntyre HWC, Inc. Volunteer Emily Mendrala Center for Democracy in the Americas Volunteer Jane Rhee The Estee Lauder Companies Volunteer Fouad Saad Self-employed Volunteer Gentry Smith Self-employed Volunteer Dana Stroul The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Volunteer Tom Sullivan Amazon.com, Inc. Volunteer Puneet Talwar Self-employed Volunteer Margaret Taylor Brookings Institution Volunteer Ramin Toloui Stanford University Volunteer
Department of the Interior
The Department of the Interior team will also review the National Indian Gaming Commission, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Commission on Fine Arts, the Denali Commission, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Northern Border Regional Commission.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Kevin Washburn, Team Lead University of Iowa Volunteer Bob Anderson Harvard Law School Volunteer Bret Birdsong The Nevada System of Higher Education Volunteer Shannon Estenoz The Everglades Foundation Volunteer Chris Goranson Carnegie Mellon University, The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy Volunteer Janie Hipp Native American Agriculture Fund Volunteer Kate Kelly Center for American Progress Volunteer Elizabeth Klein New York University, School of Law, State Energy & Environmental Impact Center Volunteer Amanda Leiter American University, Washington College of Law Volunteer Molly McUsic Wyss Foundation Volunteer Maggie Thomas Evergreen Action Volunteer Tanya Trujillo Colorado River Sustainability Campaign Volunteer
Department of the Treasury
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Don Graves, Team Lead KeyBank Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Mehrsa Baradaran University of California, Irvine School of Law Volunteer Michael Barr University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Volunteer Lily Batchelder New York University, School of Law Volunteer John Bentivoglio Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Volunteer Chris Brummer Georgetown University Volunteer Liyan David Chang Devoted Health Volunteer Heidi Crebo-Rediker International Capital Strategies, LLC Volunteer Will Fields Sidewalk Labs Volunteer Suzanna Fritzberg Birmingham Strong Volunteer Andy Green Center for American Progress Volunteer David Hinson Ategra Capital Management Volunteer Nicole Isaac LinkedIn Corporation Volunteer Simon Johnson Massachusetts Institute of Technology Volunteer Helen Kanovsky Mortgage Bankers Association Volunteer Marisa Lago New York City, Department of City Planning Volunteer Nancy Lee Center for Global Development Volunteer Sarah Miller American Economic Liberties Project Volunteer Sophie Raseman Brightside Benefit, Inc. Volunteer Rosie Rios Self-employed Volunteer Buzz Roberts National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders Volunteer Elizabeth Rosenberg Center for a New American Security Volunteer Javier Saade Impact Master Holdings Volunteer Damon Silvers AFL-CIO Volunteer Betsey Stevenson University of Michigan Volunteer Jay Williams Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Volunteer Charles Yi Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, LLP Volunteer
Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation team will also review the National Transportation Safety Board, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation / AMTRAK, and the Federal Maritime Commission.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Phillip Washington, Team Lead Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Volunteer Dave Barnett United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the US and Canada Volunteer Austin Brown University of California, Davis Volunteer David Cameron International Brotherhood of Teamsters Volunteer Florence Chen Generate Volunteer Brendan Danaher Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO Volunteer Paul Kincaid The Association of Former Members of Congress Volunteer Gabe Klein Cityfi Volunteer Jeff Marootian District Department of Transportation Volunteer Therese McMillan Metropolitan Transportation Commission Volunteer Brad Mims Conference of Minority Transportation Officials Volunteer Robert Molofsky Self-employed Volunteer Patty Monahan California Energy Commission Volunteer Mario Rodriguez Indianapolis Airport Authority Volunteer Mike Rodriguez Texas A&M University System (Retired) Volunteer Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian Figma Volunteer Polly Trottenberg New York City, Department of Transportation Volunteer Vinn White State of New Jersey Volunteer
Department of Veterans Affairs
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Meg Kabat, Team Lead Atlas Research, LLC Volunteer Phillip Carter Tableau Software Volunteer Maryanne Donaghy Self-employed Volunteer Shereef Elnahal University Hospital Newark, NJ Volunteer Mirah Horowitz Lucky Dog Animal Rescue Volunteer Andrea Ippolito SimpliFed Volunteer Josh Jacobs Booz Allen Hamilton Volunteer Carrie Kagawa Truman Center for National Policy and Truman National Security Project Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Jerry SH Lee Ellison Institute, University of Southern California Volunteer Heidi Marston Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Volunteer Steven Parker WorkMerk, LLC Volunteer Latriece Prince-Wheeler Ascension Volunteer Kayla Williams Center for a New American Security Volunteer Baligh Yehia Ascension Volunteer
Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency team will also review the Chemical Safety Board.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Patrice Simms, Team Lead Earthjustice Volunteer Amanda Aguirre Blue Crab Strategies Volunteer Ann Dunkin Dell Technologies Volunteer Matt Fritz Latham & Watkins, LLP Volunteer Lisa Garcia Grist Magazine, Inc. Volunteer Cynthia Giles Harvard Environmental and Energy Law Program Volunteer Joseph Goffman Harvard Law School Volunteer Ken Kopocis American University, Washington College of Law Volunteer Michael McCabe Self-employed Volunteer Billie McGrane PA Democratic Party Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Alejandra Nunez The Sierra Club Volunteer Luseni Pieh Self-employed Volunteer
Executive Office of the President, Management and Administration
The Executive Office of the President, Management and Administration team will also review certain aspects of all EOP components, except those covered by the National Security Council team, in partnership with component-specific teams.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Cynthia Bernstein, Team Lead Deloitte Consulting, LLP Volunteer Rebecca Katz Georgetown University Volunteer Austin Lin Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Christian Peele Self-employed Transition — PT Fund, Inc.
Federal Reserve, Banking and Securities Regulators
The Federal Reserve, Banking and Securities Regulators group includes the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Gary Gensler, Team Lead Massachusetts Institute of Technology Volunteer Reena Aggarwal Georgetown University Volunteer Mehrsa Baradaran University of California, Irvine School of Law Volunteer Lisa Cook Michigan State University Volunteer Amanda Fischer Washington Center for Equitable Growth Volunteer Andy Green Center for American Progress Volunteer Campbell Haynes Virginia Coordinated Campaign Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Simon Johnson Massachusetts Institute of Technology Volunteer Dennis Kelleher Better Markets, Inc. Volunteer Satyam Khanna New York University, School of Law, Institute for Corporate Governance and Finance Volunteer Renaye Manley Service Employees International Union Volunteer Lev Menand Columbia University Volunteer Damon Silvers AFL-CIO Volunteer Victoria Suarez-Palomo Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP Volunteer
Federal Trade Commission
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Heather Hippsley, Team Lead Federal Trade Commission (Retired) Volunteer Bill Baer Brookings Institution Volunteer Laura Moy Georgetown University Volunteer
General Services Administration
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Katy Kale, Team Lead Elevate, LLC Volunteer Nate Denny State of North Carolina, Department of Information Technology Volunteer Zoe Garmendia Democratic National Convention Committee Volunteer Michael Hornsby Salesforce.com, Inc. Volunteer Gianelle Rivera Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser, District of Columbia Government Volunteer Josh Sawislak Clio Strategies, LLC Volunteer
Intelligence Community
The Intelligence Community group includes all Members of the Intelligence Community.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Stephanie O’Sullivan, Team Lead Self-employed Volunteer Vince Stewart, Team Lead Ankura Consulting Volunteer Spencer Boyer New York University, School of Law, Brennan Center for Justice Volunteer Harry Coker Self-employed Volunteer Dawn Eilenberger Self-employed Volunteer Natalie Evans Harris Brighthive Volunteer Melvin Gamble Gamble Advisory Group Volunteer Karen Gibson Self-employed Volunteer Allison Hall Huntington Ingalls Industries Volunteer Milancy Harris Oversight Board Administration Volunteer Justin Jackson Self-employed Volunteer Chris Kojm George Washington University Volunteer Bob Litt Morrison & Foerster LLC Volunteer Kathy McGrath Central Intelligence Agency (Retired) Volunteer Carmen Middleton The Walt Disney Company Volunteer Ron Moultrie Self-employed Volunteer Matt Olsen Uber Technologies, Inc. Volunteer Jung Pak Brookings Institution Volunteer Bruce Pease Self-employed Volunteer Sean Roche Helena Foundation Volunteer Karen Schaefer Central Intelligence Agency (Retired) Volunteer Eric Velez-Villar Velez Security Solutions, LLC Volunteer Greg Vogle McChrystal Group Volunteer
International Development
The International Development group includes the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Peace Corps, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United States International Development Finance Corporation.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Linda Etim, Team Lead Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Volunteer Elizabeth Littlefield, Team Lead Albright Stonebridge Group Volunteer Cameron Alford U.S. Bank Volunteer Ashley Allen Oatly Volunteer Bama Athreya Laudes Foundation Volunteer Gaby Baca White & Case, LLP Volunteer Alex Crabtree American Civil Liberties Union Volunteer Beth Dunford United States Agency for International Development (Retired) Volunteer Chinesom Ejiasa Sums 15 Holdings, LLC Volunteer Dina Esposito Mercy Corps Volunteer Kate Gage The Movement Cooperative Volunteer Tara Guelig The Lightsmith Group Volunteer Charles Holmes Georgetown University Volunteer Cindy Huang Refugees International Volunteer Brian O’Hanlon Rocky Mountain Institute Volunteer Michele Sumilas Bread for the World Volunteer
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Ellen Stofan, Team Lead The Smithsonian Institution Volunteer Waleed Abdalati University of Colorado Boulder Volunteer Jedidah Isler Dartmouth College Volunteer Bhavya Lal IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute Volunteer Pam Melroy Self-employed Volunteer Dave Noble American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan Volunteer Shannon Valley Georgia Institute of Technology Volunteer David Weaver Air Line Pilots Association Volunteer
National Security Council
The National Security Council team will also review the Homeland Security Council, the National Space Council, and the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Jeff Prescott, Team Lead National Security Action Volunteer Alexander Bick Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies Volunteer Maren Brooks PenFed Foundation Volunteer Jeohn Salone Favors Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz Volunteer Christopher Fonzone Sidley Austin, LLP Volunteer Clare Gallagher Airbnb, Inc. Volunteer Paula Garcia Tufro United States Institute of Peace Volunteer Colin Kahl Stanford University Volunteer Rebecca Katz Georgetown University Volunteer Austin Lin Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Transition — PT Fund, Inc. Kelly Magsamen Center for American Progress Volunteer Michael Ortiz Sequoia Capital Operations, LLC Volunteer Dilpreet Sidhu City of Los Angeles Volunteer Pav Singh Self-employed Volunteer Nicole Wong Self-employed Volunteer
Office of Management and Budget
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Martha Coven, Team Lead Princeton University Volunteer Brandon Belford Lyft, Inc. Volunteer Bridget Dooling George Washington University Volunteer Cristina Killingsworth WestExec Advisors Volunteer Divya Kumaraiah Airbnb, Inc. Volunteer Elisa Montoya Meow Wolf, Inc. Volunteer Mark Schwartz Amazon Web Services Volunteer Samantha Silverberg Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Volunteer Christen Linke Young Brookings Institution Volunteer
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Rahul Gupta, Team Lead March of Dimes Volunteer Regina LaBelle Georgetown University Volunteer Kim Leary Urban Institute Volunteer Mario Moreno Washington Office on Latin America Volunteer Dave Noble American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan Volunteer Kimberly O’Connor The Levy Group, Inc. Volunteer
Office of Personnel Management
The Office of Personnel Management team will also review the Office of Government Ethics, the Office of Special Counsel, the Administrative Conference of the United States, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Kiran Ahuja, Team Lead Philanthropy Northwest Volunteer Rita Aguilar College Promise Campaign Volunteer Chris Canning DKC Public Relations Volunteer Theodora Chang Partnership for Public Service Volunteer Matt Collier Prudential PLC Volunteer Melody Gonzales National Education Association Volunteer Anne Harkavy Democracy Forward Foundation Volunteer Jane Lee 1560, LLC Volunteer David Marsh Markle Foundation Volunteer Andrew Stanner Covington & Burling LLP Volunteer
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Cristin Dorgelo, Team Lead Association of Science and Technology Centers Volunteer Andrew Hebbeler Nuclear Threat Initiative Volunteer Kei Koizumi The American Association for the Advancement of Science Volunteer Mahlet Mesfin University of Pennsylvania Volunteer Dave Reidmiller Gulf of Maine Research Institute Volunteer Pav Singh Self-employed Volunteer Erin Szulman EVgo Volunteer Nicole Wong Self-employed Volunteer
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative team will also review the United States International Trade Commission and the US Trade and Development Agency.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Jason Miller, Team Lead Self-employed Volunteer Kathleen Claussen University of Miami Volunteer Ted Dean Dropbox Volunteer Celeste Drake Directors Guild of America Volunteer Michelle DuBois Values Partnerships Volunteer Julie Greene AFL-CIO Volunteer Elizabeth Kelley Urban Institute Volunteer Riley Ohlson Alliance for American Manufacturing Volunteer Patrick Schaefer State of New Mexico Volunteer Daniel Sepulveda MediaMath Volunteer Brad Setser Council on Foreign Relations Volunteer Todd Tucker The Roosevelt Institute Volunteer Arun Venkataraman Visa, Inc. Volunteer Mark Wu Harvard Law School Volunteer Ryan Zamarripa Center for American Progress Volunteer
Small Business Administration
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Jonathan Swain, Team Lead Harvard University Volunteer Xavier Briggs New York University Volunteer Liyan David Chang Devoted Health Volunteer Michele Chang Markle Foundation Volunteer Michael Chodos Medsphere Systems Corporation Volunteer Isabel Guzman State of California, Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development Volunteer Bibi Hidalgo Future Partners LLC Volunteer David Hinson Ategra Capital Management Volunteer Chris James The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development Volunteer Clifton Kellogg C-PACE Alliance Volunteer Ellen Kim Roti Modern Mediterranean Volunteer Arthur Plews Stripe Volunteer Michael Roth Next Street Volunteer Meredith Shaffer Public Private Strategies Volunteer Jorge Silva-Puras Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan Volunteer
Social Security Administration
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Carolyn Colvin, Team Lead Self-employed Volunteer Scott Frey American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Volunteer David Holmes Rebellion Defense Volunteer Jack Smalligan Urban Institute Volunteer
United States Agency for Global Media
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Richard Stengel, Team Lead Self-employed Volunteer Rumana Ahmed National Democratic Institute Volunteer Brian Conniff Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Retired) Volunteer Raina Gardiner Juggernaut, LLC Volunteer Bruce Sherman Self-employed Volunteer Dana Shell Smith Self-employed Volunteer Margaret Taylor Brookings Institution Volunteer
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture team will also review the Farm Credit Administration and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Robert Bonnie, Team Lead Duke University, Bipartisan Policy Center Volunteer Nicholas Anthis University of California Volunteer Sanah Baig The Good Food Institute Volunteer Brooke Barron Office of the Speaker, Maine State Legislature Volunteer Kumar Chandran FoodCorps Volunteer Jonathan Coppess The University of Illinois Volunteer Andrea Delgado UFW Foundation Volunteer Debra Eschmeyer Arizona State University Volunteer Meryl Harrell Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards Volunteer LaQuita Honeysucker The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Volunteer John Padalino Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc. Volunteer Gregory Parham United States Department of Agriculture (Retired) Volunteer Lisa Pino State of New York, Department of Health Volunteer Amy Pitelka Barker Pitelka PLLC Volunteer Jeffrey Prieto Los Angeles Community College District Volunteer Audrey Rowe Self-employed Volunteer Corey Then Moneta Group Volunteer
United States Digital Service
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Matt Bailey, Team Lead PEN America Volunteer Andrew Nacin Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Volunteer
United States Mission to the United Nations
Name Most Recent Employment Source of Funding Isobel Coleman, Team Lead GiveDirectly Volunteer Kaysie Brown United Nations Foundation Volunteer Bathsheba Crocker CARE Volunteer Jeff DeLaurentis Georgetown University Volunteer Mounir Ibrahim Truepic, Inc. Volunteer Leonardo Martinez World Resources Institute Volunteer Michael Pan Open Society Foundations Volunteer Kelly Razzouk The International Rescue Committee Volunteer Jen Simon Self-employed Volunteer
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service team will also review the Postal Regulatory Commission.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-10--The Award For Most Bad Faith Refusal To Acknowledge Biden’s Win Goes To… Ron Johnson

For someone who ’ s talked a lot about the peaceful transfer of power between presidents , Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) has done less than nothing to assist in the peaceful transition between the Trump and Biden administrations .
Asked Tuesday whether he had congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his victory , Johnson said “ no.
” “ There ’ s nothing to congratulate him about , ” the Wisconsin senator said .
Johnson has pushed Republicans ’ bogus claims of widespread voter fraud for a while .
In September , for example , he said Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transfer of power reflected “ legitimate concern ” about mail-in voting .
But the refusal to acknowledge Biden ’ s clear victory is particularly rich .
Why ?
The senator has worked on the laws governing presidential transitions for years and spoken loftily about the importance of transitioning peacefully between presidents .
During former President Barack Obama ’ s second term , for example , Johnson and Sen. Tom Carper ( D-DE ) co-sponsored the “ Edward ‘ Ted ’ Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015 , ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( In an ironic twist of fate , one of the law ’ s namesakes , former Sen. Ted Kaufman ( D-DE ) is now leading Biden ’ s transition effort . )
The law beefed up the executive branch ’ s obligations to ensure a smooth transfer of power and mandated organizational bodies at the White House and among the executive branch agencies focused on the presidential transition .
In late 2016 , a report from the Johnson-led Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee counted the law as a success — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] ensure efficient transitions of power from one new administration to the next after a presidential election to keep Americans safe.
” “ The peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next is one of the hallmarks of our democracy , ” Johnson said when the bill passed the Senate in 2015 .
“ It is also an enormous undertaking , with complexities that require months of planning in order to be successful.
” Then , during the Trump administration , Carper , Johnson and others worked together on another transition-oriented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enhancement Act.
” When Donald Trump signed that into law in March of this year , Johnson thanked Carper and the President and said “ Regardless of what party wins an election , we need to make sure that handing over the keys to the entire $ 4.45 trillion federal government is a smooth and secure process.
” Johnson has played politics with the transition process before : the latter transition law was written partly in response to Trump team complaints that federal officials working on the 2016 transition shared documents with special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But even in that effort — and despite Johnson ’ s later admission that his work “ investigating the investigators ” would hurt Joe Biden — the senator professed his belief that the peaceful transition of power itself was paramount .
“ We are known in this country for the peaceful transition of power , respecting voters ’ wishes , ” he said in May — before accusing the Obama administration of not respecting that tradition .

For someone who’s talked a lot about the peaceful transfer of power between presidents, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) has done less than nothing to assist in the peaceful transition between the Trump and Biden administrations.
Asked Tuesday whether he had congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his victory, Johnson said “no.”
“There’s nothing to congratulate him about,” the Wisconsin senator said.
Reporter: "Senator, have you congratulated Vice President Biden yet?" Sen. Ron Johnson: "No." Reporter: "Why not?" Johnson: "Nothing to congratulate him about." pic.twitter.com/Is7APE2frx — The Hill (@thehill) November 10, 2020
Johnson has pushed Republicans’ bogus claims of widespread voter fraud for a while. In September, for example, he said Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power reflected “legitimate concern” about mail-in voting. But the refusal to acknowledge Biden’s clear victory is particularly rich.
Why? The senator has worked on the laws governing presidential transitions for years and spoken loftily about the importance of transitioning peacefully between presidents.
During former President Barack Obama’s second term, for example, Johnson and Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) co-sponsored the “Edward ‘Ted’ Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015,” which Obama signed into law the following year. (In an ironic twist of fate, one of the law’s namesakes, former Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) is now leading Biden’s transition effort.)
The law beefed up the executive branch’s obligations to ensure a smooth transfer of power and mandated organizational bodies at the White House and among the executive branch agencies focused on the presidential transition. In late 2016, a report from the Johnson-led Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee counted the law as a success — saying that it “help[ed] ensure efficient transitions of power from one new administration to the next after a presidential election to keep Americans safe.”
“The peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next is one of the hallmarks of our democracy,” Johnson said when the bill passed the Senate in 2015. “It is also an enormous undertaking, with complexities that require months of planning in order to be successful.”
Then, during the Trump administration, Carper, Johnson and others worked together on another transition-oriented bill, the “2019 Presidential Transitions Enhancement Act.” When Donald Trump signed that into law in March of this year, Johnson thanked Carper and the President and said “Regardless of what party wins an election, we need to make sure that handing over the keys to the entire $4.45 trillion federal government is a smooth and secure process.”
Regardless of what party wins an election, we need to make sure that handing over the keys to the entire $4.45 trillion federal government is a smooth and secure process. Thanks @SenatorCarper for helping get this done. — Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) March 4, 2020
In a statement to TPM, Carper said “a delayed transition has serious consequences, including potentially endangering our national security. That’s why it’s unfortunate that it seems some of my colleagues only respect the traditions and requirements of our government if their party wins.”
“But the bottom line is that it’s not up to Senator Johnson or Leader McConnell or President Trump to decide if or when a transition begins,” Carper added. “It’s a matter of law and precedent, including the law that Senator Johnson and I authored, and the law must be followed.”
Johnson has played politics with the transition process before: the latter transition law was written partly in response to Trump team complaints that federal officials working on the 2016 transition shared documents with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigatory team.
But even in that effort — and despite Johnson’s later admission that his work “investigating the investigators” would hurt Joe Biden — the senator professed his belief that the peaceful transition of power itself was paramount.
“We are known in this country for the peaceful transition of power, respecting voters’ wishes,” he said in May — before accusing the Obama administration of not respecting that tradition.
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--Another WH Official Tests Positive For COVID After Attending Trump’s Election Night Event

White House political director Brian Jack and at least one former Trump adviser who attended President Donald Trump ’ s election night party at the White House , have tested positive for coronavirus — joining a growing list of others , multiple reports have said .
Two people familiar with Jack ’ s diagnosis told The New York Times on Wednesday that Jack had tested positive for the virus over the weekend .
In a separate report , Bloomberg News said that former Trump campaign aide Healy Baumgardner who appeared at the event as a guest of Trump lawyer Rudy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The two new COVID-19 cases join three other infections reported earlier in the week , after Trump aides and allies attended festivities at the White House on election night , bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases that may have stemmed from the event to five so far .
Previously reported cases include , White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , housing and urban development secretary , Ben Carson , and Trump campaign adviser , David Bossie , who is leading Trump ’ s legal crusade to contest election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in several states .
The indoor gathering took place in the East Room , where hundreds gathered for several hours to watch the election results roll in and few wore masks according to the Times .
The news comes after an earlier White House event that Dr. Anthony Fauci a leading infectious-disease expert , dubbed a “ superspreader ” event , after President Trump and more than a dozen in attendance of a ceremony nominating now Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court tested positive for the coronavirus following the event .

White House political director Brian Jack and at least one former Trump adviser who attended President Donald Trump’s election night party at the White House, have tested positive for coronavirus — joining a growing list of others, multiple reports have said.
Two people familiar with Jack’s diagnosis told The New York Times on Wednesday that Jack had tested positive for the virus over the weekend.
In a separate report, Bloomberg News said that former Trump campaign aide Healy Baumgardner who appeared at the event as a guest of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, had also been infected with the virus.
The two new COVID-19 cases join three other infections reported earlier in the week, after Trump aides and allies attended festivities at the White House on election night, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases that may have stemmed from the event to five so far.
Previously reported cases include, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, housing and urban development secretary, Ben Carson, and Trump campaign adviser, David Bossie, who is leading Trump’s legal crusade to contest election results based on false claims of fraud in several states.
The indoor gathering took place in the East Room, where hundreds gathered for several hours to watch the election results roll in and few wore masks according to the Times.
The news comes after an earlier White House event that Dr. Anthony Fauci a leading infectious-disease expert, dubbed a “superspreader” event, after President Trump and more than a dozen in attendance of a ceremony nominating now Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court tested positive for the coronavirus following the event.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--Toomey Weakly Acknowledges That Biden Transition Should Proceed Like Those In Past

Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-PA ) submitted an entry Wednesday to the collection of Republicans weakly acknowledging that President-Elect Joe Biden has won the election , saying that it would be better for his transition process to begin like those past .
“ It does appear as though Joe Biden is likely to be certified as the President-elect relatively soon , ” Toomey said during a Washington Post live interview .
“ And so , I think it ’ d be better if we did begin a transition process that we ’ ve had in the past .
My guess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ I think that ’ s where it ’ s heading , ” he added .
While admitting that “ the media has a certain amount of evidence to make those projections , ” he refused to confirm that Biden is president-elect now .
“ It will be done soon enough and I think the outcome will be clear , ” he added .
Insistence on waiting until all the votes are counted and the elections are certified — a standard Republicans certainly did not adhere to in 2016 when outlets called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early hours of Wednesday morning — seems to be a way for some GOP lawmakers to coddle Trump ’ s refusal to concede without outrightly rejecting the clear results of the election .
A small number of senators , including Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) , Lisa Murkowski ( R-AK ) and Ben Sasse ( R-NE ) have actually extended congratulations to Biden on his victory .
Others , including Sens .
Susan Collins ( R-ME ) , Mike Rounds ( R-SD ) and Marco Rubio ( R-FL ) still entertain Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but have asserted that Biden should be given the tools to begin his transition .
Others , like Sens .
Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) and Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) , have happily boarded the Trump delusion train .
There is simply no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have to be present to undermine Biden ’ s decisive victory , and the Trump campaign ’ s lawsuits have been consistently unsuccessful .
While Trump ’ s petulant refusal to let Biden begin his transition is baseless , it is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and elected Republicans alike .
Biden has dismissed Trump ’ s attitude as “ an embarrassment , ” maintaining that his transition is well underway whether the President likes it or not .

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) submitted an entry Wednesday to the collection of Republicans weakly acknowledging that President-Elect Joe Biden has won the election, saying that it would be better for his transition process to begin like those past.
“It does appear as though Joe Biden is likely to be certified as the President-elect relatively soon,” Toomey said during a Washington Post live interview. “And so, I think it’d be better if we did begin a transition process that we’ve had in the past. My guess is that will probably begin relatively soon.”
“I think that’s where it’s heading,” he added.
While admitting that “the media has a certain amount of evidence to make those projections,” he refused to confirm that Biden is president-elect now.
“It will be done soon enough and I think the outcome will be clear,” he added.
Insistence on waiting until all the votes are counted and the elections are certified — a standard Republicans certainly did not adhere to in 2016 when outlets called the election for President Donald Trump in the early hours of Wednesday morning — seems to be a way for some GOP lawmakers to coddle Trump’s refusal to concede without outrightly rejecting the clear results of the election.
A small number of senators, including Mitt Romney (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) have actually extended congratulations to Biden on his victory. Others, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) still entertain Trump’s baseless voter fraud accusations, but have asserted that Biden should be given the tools to begin his transition.
Others, like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), have happily boarded the Trump delusion train.
There is simply no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have to be present to undermine Biden’s decisive victory, and the Trump campaign’s lawsuits have been consistently unsuccessful.
While Trump’s petulant refusal to let Biden begin his transition is baseless, it is being propped up by members of his administration and elected Republicans alike.
Biden has dismissed Trump’s attitude as “an embarrassment,” maintaining that his transition is well underway whether the President likes it or not.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--Biden Will Move Quickly To Dismantle Some Of Trump’s Signature Immigration Initiatives

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Some dramatic moves on immigration are expected in the early days of the Biden administration .
Joe Biden will likely use executive orders to reverse some of President Donald Trump ’ s most controversial actions , rolling back moves that were a central feature of his administration and important to his base .
The Biden administration plans to restore protection for people brought to the U.S. illegally as minors and stop using Pentagon funds to build a border wall .
Biden unveiled a detailed , highly ambitious plan on immigration , but it will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
The incoming president will also likely face a divided Congress , making it difficult to enact any kind of sweeping , comprehensive changes to the nation ’ s immigration system .
Here ’ s a look at what to expect : Restricting immigration was a signature issue for Trump , who infamously called Mexicans rapists as he pledged to build a border wall in launching his campaign .
His administration banned travelers from some predominantly Muslim countries as one of its first acts , took many steps to limit legal immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country by 80 % .
Biden has said “ immigration is central to who we are as a nation , ” noting that most Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants , but it isn ’ t a core issue .
It ’ s not even mentioned on his transition website ’ s top priorities : COVID-19 , economic recovery , racial justice and climate change .
Biden named Cecilia Munoz , President Barack Obama ’ s top immigration adviser , to his transition team , which some interpreted as signaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he will move quickly to undo some of Trump ’ s signature immigration initiatives .
The border wall ?
The roughly 400 miles ( 644 kilometers ) built so far won ’ t come down but the new administration won ’ t keep building it or taking money from the Pentagon to fund it over the objections of Congress .
The incoming administration plans to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , which currently shields from deportation about 650,000 people who came to the country when they were young .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on people visiting the United States from 13 countries , many of them Muslim-majority .
One of Trump ’ s first moves in office was to tell immigration officials that everyone in the country illegally was subject to deportation .
Biden is expected to return to criteria similar to what Obama adopted toward the end of his tenure , largely limiting deportations to people with serious criminal records in the United States .
Biden said he wants the government to help find parents of hundreds of children who were separated from their parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration .
Biden wants to get rid of policies that have been “ detrimental ” to seeking asylum — such as the policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court — but he is expected to move cautiously to avoid triggering more arrivals .
Rep. Veronica Escobar , a Texas Democrat who was a Biden appointee to the joint immigration task force with Bernie Sanders , said a resolution will require coordination with Mexico .
“ This is a moment that ’ s going to require true leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CHANGES WILL TAKE TIME Nearly every major policy change under Trump is in court and may take effort to disentangle , including considerations of protecting executive power .
Other reversals would be subject to formal rule-making procedures that require time .
Stephen Yale-Loehr , a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell Law School , thinks Biden will move cautiously on asylum to avoid setting off a new wave of arrivals and says other changes will face “ procedural and practical problems.
” Take the “ public charge ” rule , which disqualifies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on government benefits .
Biden wants it reversed but would need to go through the extensive , rule-making exercise .
A federal appeals court sided with Trump on ending humanitarian protections that have allowed hundreds of thousands of people from El Salvador , Nicaragua , Haiti and Sudan to remain in the United States .
Biden says only that he would order an “ immediate review ” of “ Temporary Protected Status.
” Yale-Loehr , a strong critic of Trump ’ s policies , says it is “ going to take four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration has done ” while Biden attends to the pandemic and other issues .
WHAT COULD STAY THE SAME At least initially , Biden may keep in place a Trump administration order that authorizes Customs and Border Protection to quickly expel any migrant as a public health measure during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Even though critics question the health justification for the order , the new administration may decide it ’ s necessary to avoid a rush of migrants and to protect Border Patrol agents and other CBP employees , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigration official now with the Migration Policy Institute .
“ This health circumstance is not likely to just disappear come January or February , ” she says .
Biden says he will “ commit significant political capital to finally deliver legislative immigration reform , ” which would be necessary to fix problems with the American immigration system and resolve the fate of millions of undocumented people living in the U.S. That ’ s a long shot , at best , with the divided Congress .
President George W. Bush called for a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama pushed for one as well , and it died in the House .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some dramatic moves on immigration are expected in the early days of the Biden administration.
Joe Biden will likely use executive orders to reverse some of President Donald Trump’s most controversial actions, rolling back moves that were a central feature of his administration and important to his base.
The Biden administration plans to restore protection for people brought to the U.S. illegally as minors and stop using Pentagon funds to build a border wall. Biden unveiled a detailed, highly ambitious plan on immigration, but it will take time to undo many actions taken by Trump.
The incoming president will also likely face a divided Congress, making it difficult to enact any kind of sweeping, comprehensive changes to the nation’s immigration system. Here’s a look at what to expect:
A CHANGE OF TONE
Restricting immigration was a signature issue for Trump, who infamously called Mexicans rapists as he pledged to build a border wall in launching his campaign. His administration banned travelers from some predominantly Muslim countries as one of its first acts, took many steps to limit legal immigration and cut the number of refugees allowed in the country by 80%.
Biden has said “immigration is central to who we are as a nation,” noting that most Americans can trace their ancestry to immigrants, but it isn’t a core issue. It’s not even mentioned on his transition website’s top priorities: COVID-19, economic recovery, racial justice and climate change.
Biden named Cecilia Munoz, President Barack Obama’s top immigration adviser, to his transition team, which some interpreted as signaling a more moderate tack.
BIG, EARLY MOVES
Biden has said he will move quickly to undo some of Trump’s signature immigration initiatives. The border wall? The roughly 400 miles (644 kilometers) built so far won’t come down but the new administration won’t keep building it or taking money from the Pentagon to fund it over the objections of Congress.
The incoming administration plans to reinstate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which currently shields from deportation about 650,000 people who came to the country when they were young. He plans to overturn the travel ban on people visiting the United States from 13 countries, many of them Muslim-majority.
One of Trump’s first moves in office was to tell immigration officials that everyone in the country illegally was subject to deportation. Biden is expected to return to criteria similar to what Obama adopted toward the end of his tenure, largely limiting deportations to people with serious criminal records in the United States.
Biden said he wants the government to help find parents of hundreds of children who were separated from their parents at the border early in the Trump administration.
Biden wants to get rid of policies that have been “detrimental” to seeking asylum — such as the policy to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court — but he is expected to move cautiously to avoid triggering more arrivals.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat who was a Biden appointee to the joint immigration task force with Bernie Sanders, said a resolution will require coordination with Mexico.
“This is a moment that’s going to require true leadership,” she said.
WHY SOME CHANGES WILL TAKE TIME
Nearly every major policy change under Trump is in court and may take effort to disentangle, including considerations of protecting executive power. Other reversals would be subject to formal rule-making procedures that require time.
Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law practice at Cornell Law School, thinks Biden will move cautiously on asylum to avoid setting off a new wave of arrivals and says other changes will face “procedural and practical problems.”
Take the “public charge” rule, which disqualifies more people from green cards if they rely on government benefits. Biden wants it reversed but would need to go through the extensive, rule-making exercise. A federal appeals court sided with Trump on ending humanitarian protections that have allowed hundreds of thousands of people from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti and Sudan to remain in the United States. Biden says only that he would order an “immediate review” of “Temporary Protected Status.”
Yale-Loehr, a strong critic of Trump’s policies, says it is “going to take four years to undo all the damage that the Trump administration has done” while Biden attends to the pandemic and other issues.
WHAT COULD STAY THE SAME
At least initially, Biden may keep in place a Trump administration order that authorizes Customs and Border Protection to quickly expel any migrant as a public health measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though critics question the health justification for the order, the new administration may decide it’s necessary to avoid a rush of migrants and to protect Border Patrol agents and other CBP employees, says Doris Meissner, a former senior U.S. immigration official now with the Migration Policy Institute.
“This health circumstance is not likely to just disappear come January or February,” she says.
PROSPECTS FOR MAJOR IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL
Biden says he will “commit significant political capital to finally deliver legislative immigration reform,” which would be necessary to fix problems with the American immigration system and resolve the fate of millions of undocumented people living in the U.S. That’s a long shot, at best, with the divided Congress. President George W. Bush called for a big immigration bill, to no avail. Obama pushed for one as well, and it died in the House.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--GOP Commissioner Debunks Conspiracy Theory About Dead Voters Casting Ballots In Philly

Republican Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt said Wednesday that his city had “ the most transparent and secure election in the history of Philadelphia , ” pushing back on claims of widespread fraud that he said have “ no basis in fact at all.
” The comments come after President Donald Trump and his campaign have leveraged baseless attacks on the integrity of the election , waging fizzling legal battles against fraud without evidence exclusively in battleground states that reported a projected loss for the one-term president who was defeated by President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday .
“ What evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the count in Philadelphia ?
” CNN ’ s John Berman asked the elections official during an interview on Wednesday morning .
“ I have not , ” Schmidt said .
The Republican commissioner ’ s defense of the election ’ s integrity in his city , come as Trump and his GOP allies continue to baselessly cast doubt over the election results in the state broadly , but in the city of Philadelphia in particular .
“ I have seen the most fantastical things on social media , making completely ridiculous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all and see them spread , ” the Republican elections official said .
While acknowledging that many people were unhappy with the results he said he unable to comprehend “ how hungry people are to consume lies and to consume information that is not true .
” He cited among a long list of examples , a false claim that “ dead voters ” had cast ballots in the city , a conspiracy theory that was shared last week by both Giuliani and Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) , among others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken the time to look at the ballot history of each deceased voter .
“ Not a single one of them voted in Philadelphia after they died , ” Schmidt said .
Giuliani , had falsely told Fox News over the weekend that Philadelphia is “ an epicenter of voter fraud ” adding that the campaign was “ going to be looking at dead persons ’ ballots , which may actually be very , very substantial.
” When asked to address efforts by the Trump campaign and its allies to spread falsehood about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged voters to be “ mindful that there are bad actors who are lying to them.
” “ They need to turn to people that they trust and to sources of information that they trust and not rumors and not nonsense included in lawsuits or anything else like that to make sure that they have confidence in this system and that their vote , regardless of who they voted for , is going to be counted , ” Schmidt said .

Republican Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt said Wednesday that his city had “the most transparent and secure election in the history of Philadelphia,” pushing back on claims of widespread fraud that he said have “no basis in fact at all.”
The comments come after President Donald Trump and his campaign have leveraged baseless attacks on the integrity of the election, waging fizzling legal battles against fraud without evidence exclusively in battleground states that reported a projected loss for the one-term president who was defeated by President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday.
Republican Philadelphia city commissioner Al Schmidt told CNN on Wednesday: "we just had the most transparent and secure election in the history of Philadelphia" in spite of false claims of widespread fraud that have "no basis in fact at all." pic.twitter.com/XUCI5VyjGs — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) November 11, 2020
“What evidence of any widespread fraud have you seen in the count in Philadelphia?” CNN’s John Berman asked the elections official during an interview on Wednesday morning.
“I have not,” Schmidt said. The Republican commissioner’s defense of the election’s integrity in his city, come as Trump and his GOP allies continue to baselessly cast doubt over the election results in the state broadly, but in the city of Philadelphia in particular.
“I have seen the most fantastical things on social media, making completely ridiculous allegations that have no basis in fact at all and see them spread,” the Republican elections official said. While acknowledging that many people were unhappy with the results he said he unable to comprehend “how hungry people are to consume lies and to consume information that is not true. ”
He cited among a long list of examples, a false claim that “dead voters” had cast ballots in the city, a conspiracy theory that was shared last week by both Giuliani and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), among others.
Schmit said that elections officials had taken the time to look at the ballot history of each deceased voter.
“Not a single one of them voted in Philadelphia after they died,” Schmidt said.
Giuliani, had falsely told Fox News over the weekend that Philadelphia is “an epicenter of voter fraud” adding that the campaign was “going to be looking at dead persons’ ballots, which may actually be very, very substantial.”
When asked to address efforts by the Trump campaign and its allies to spread falsehood about the integrity of the vote, Schmidt urged voters to be “mindful that there are bad actors who are lying to them.”
“They need to turn to people that they trust and to sources of information that they trust and not rumors and not nonsense included in lawsuits or anything else like that to make sure that they have confidence in this system and that their vote, regardless of who they voted for, is going to be counted,” Schmidt said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--Trump Camp’s List Of ‘Fraud’ In NV Is A Bust: Includes Hundreds Of Absentee Military Voters

A list containing information about voters accused by lawyers representing the Trump campaign of “ criminal voter fraud ” for absentee ballots submitted in Nevada , contains hundreds of overseas military post office boxes and more than 1,000 locations where military personnel are stationed across the United States , Military.com reported .
Amy Rose , the spouse of a military member , whose information appears on the list , told Miltary.com that she was appalled to learn that she and her husband had been included on the list of “ improperly cast ” absentee ballots .
“ To see my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the military to be challenged in this way , it is a shock , ” Rose who votes absentee in Nevada said .
“ And to be potentially disenfranchised because of these actions , that ’ s not OK. ” Rose and her husband are currently stationed in Davis , California , but she told Military.com that the couple claims Henderson , Nevada where they lived until 2018 as their home .
Her husband was later assigned to the Golden State .
By law , military voters can choose to vote absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote in the state where they are assigned .
Rose and her husband are among the alleged 3,062 voters accused of voter fraud in a copy of the Nov. 5 letter obtained by the Nevada Independent .
“ Voter fraud is a serious felony , one that cuts to the heart of our representative democracy , ” attorneys Shana Weir and Jesse Binnall , wrote on behalf of the Trump campaign .
“ We understand these are serious allegations , and we do not make them lightly.
” The letter , sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gloria , asserted that an accompanying list of fraudulent voters had been pulled after checking the names and addresses of Nevada voters against the National Change of Address database maintained by the U.S .
Postal Service .
Nevada became a flashpoint in the presidential election that was won by President-elect Joe Biden amid a number of tight races in critical battleground states that turned an unfavorable outcome for Trump during last week ’ s election .
The letter , which said the initial count of “ fraudulent ballots ” is expected to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of an attack on the integrity of the presidential election by the Trump campaign that seems to be falling flat .
Bob Carey , a retired Navy captain who serves as chairman of the National Defense Committee told Military.com he believed the military voters had been included in the complaint by mistake .
“ I believe that these military voters were included in the complaint mistakenly , and I believe a modified complaint will be filed to redact this , ” Carey who has reached out to both the campaign and the @ @ @ @ @

A list containing information about voters accused by lawyers representing the Trump campaign of “criminal voter fraud” for absentee ballots submitted in Nevada, contains hundreds of overseas military post office boxes and more than 1,000 locations where military personnel are stationed across the United States, Military.com reported.
Amy Rose, the spouse of a military member, whose information appears on the list, told Miltary.com that she was appalled to learn that she and her husband had been included on the list of “improperly cast” absentee ballots.
“To see my integrity challenged, along with other members of the military to be challenged in this way, it is a shock,” Rose who votes absentee in Nevada said. “And to be potentially disenfranchised because of these actions, that’s not OK.”
Rose and her husband are currently stationed in Davis, California, but she told Military.com that the couple claims Henderson, Nevada where they lived until 2018 as their home. Her husband was later assigned to the Golden State.
By law, military voters can choose to vote absentee in their home of record or register to vote in the state where they are assigned.
Rose and her husband are among the alleged 3,062 voters accused of voter fraud in a copy of the Nov. 5 letter obtained by the Nevada Independent.
“Voter fraud is a serious felony, one that cuts to the heart of our representative democracy,” attorneys Shana Weir and Jesse Binnall, wrote on behalf of the Trump campaign. “We understand these are serious allegations, and we do not make them lightly.”
The letter, sent to Barr and Clark County Registrar Joseph Gloria, asserted that an accompanying list of fraudulent voters had been pulled after checking the names and addresses of Nevada voters against the National Change of Address database maintained by the U.S. Postal Service.
Nevada became a flashpoint in the presidential election that was won by President-elect Joe Biden amid a number of tight races in critical battleground states that turned an unfavorable outcome for Trump during last week’s election.
The letter, which said the initial count of “fraudulent ballots” is expected to “grow substantially,” is just one example of an attack on the integrity of the presidential election by the Trump campaign that seems to be falling flat.
Bob Carey, a retired Navy captain who serves as chairman of the National Defense Committee told Military.com he believed the military voters had been included in the complaint by mistake.
“I believe that these military voters were included in the complaint mistakenly, and I believe a modified complaint will be filed to redact this,” Carey who has reached out to both the campaign and the Republican National Committee said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--With Sullivan Holding On In Alaska, All Dem Senate Hopes Hang On Georgia

Incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan ( R-AK ) has won reelection , according to CNN and the Associated Press , leaving all Democratic hopes of Senate control hanging on the Georgia runoffs .
The outlets called the state with its three electoral votes for President Donald Trump as well , though the presidential race has already been called for President-Elect Joe Biden .
While Sullivan had a significant lead after Election Day , the state didn ’ t start counting its mail-in ballots , as well as some of the early vote , until Tuesday .
Democrat Al Gross ’ campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the uncounted ballots , as the absentee vote elsewhere in the country skewed blue .
Ultimately though , there was too much ground to make up , and Gross would have had to win the remaining vote by extremely high margins to pull off a win .
While the Alaska loss looked likely for the Democrats , it increases the pressure on the January Georgia runoffs .
Those two races are officially Democrats ’ last hope of getting to 50 seats and maintaining Senate control via Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris ’ tie-breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warnock will be taking on Sens .
Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) and David Perdue ( R-GA ) in a race that will bring organizers , attention and floods of money to the Peach State .
“ I think these runoffs are going to get crazy , ” Jeffrey Lewis Lazarus , a political science professor at Georgia State University , told TPM in a recent interview .
“ This state is going to be saturated with politics .
”

Incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) has won reelection, according to CNN and the Associated Press, leaving all Democratic hopes of Senate control hanging on the Georgia runoffs.
The outlets called the state with its three electoral votes for President Donald Trump as well, though the presidential race has already been called for President-Elect Joe Biden.
While Sullivan had a significant lead after Election Day, the state didn’t start counting its mail-in ballots, as well as some of the early vote, until Tuesday. Democrat Al Gross’ campaign maintained that the path to victory lie in the uncounted ballots, as the absentee vote elsewhere in the country skewed blue.
Ultimately though, there was too much ground to make up, and Gross would have had to win the remaining vote by extremely high margins to pull off a win.
While the Alaska loss looked likely for the Democrats, it increases the pressure on the January Georgia runoffs. Those two races are officially Democrats’ last hope of getting to 50 seats and maintaining Senate control via Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote.
Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will be taking on Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) in a race that will bring organizers, attention and floods of money to the Peach State.
“I think these runoffs are going to get crazy,” Jeffrey Lewis Lazarus, a political science professor at Georgia State University, told TPM in a recent interview. “This state is going to be saturated with politics.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--Georgia SOS Announces Hand Recount In State Biden Leads By Over 14K Votes

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Wednesday that the state would conduct a hand recount of the presidential race .
The goal is to have the recount completed by November 20 , the deadline for certification .
President-Elect Joe Biden has a 14,111-vote lead .
“ With the margin being so close , it will require a full , by-hand recount in each county , ” Raffensperger said during a press conference .
“ This will help build confidence .
It will be an audit , a recount and a re-canvas all at once .
It will be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the counties to get this done in time for our state certification.
” The hand count goes beyond the “ scan ” recount required by law .
“ This race has national significant , national importance , ” he said .
“ We get that.
” The Trump campaign has been requesting the hand recount , though it ’ s unlikely to shift enough votes to erase Biden ’ s lead .
Raffensperger , a Republican , has become a recent subject of GOP ire , as Sens .
Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for his resignation earlier this week due to unspecified allegations of “ mismanagement and lack of transparency.
” He brushed off the piling on from the senators , Trump campaign and state Republicans , acknowledging that “ emotions are running high ” but flatly refusing to resign .
He also shared his doubt that there was enough illegal voting to flip the state red .
“ Does it rise to the numbers or margin necessary to change the outcome to where President Trump is given Georgia ’ s electoral votes ?
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump campaign has been desperately searching for evidence of massive fraud to somehow reverse the election ’ s result , but have watched their flimsy lawsuits be laughed out of court .
While every major network and the Associated Press have called the election for Biden , some pliant Republicans are going along with Trump ’ s tantrum and pretending that there ’ s still doubt in who won .
Biden laughed off the Republican charade at a Tuesday press conference , calling Trump ’ s refusal to concede “ an embarrassment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequence ” to his team ’ s transition plans which are already underway .
In a fit of pique , the Trump administration has refused to unlock the transition funds Biden is entitled to , and withheld his access to classified information .
“ How can I say this tactfully , ” Biden said carefully .
“ I think it will not help the President ’ s legacy .
”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Wednesday that the state would conduct a hand recount of the presidential race.
The goal is to have the recount completed by November 20, the deadline for certification. President-Elect Joe Biden has a 14,111-vote lead.
“With the margin being so close, it will require a full, by-hand recount in each county,” Raffensperger said during a press conference. “This will help build confidence. It will be an audit, a recount and a re-canvas all at once. It will be a heavy lift but we will work with the counties to get this done in time for our state certification.”
The hand count goes beyond the “scan” recount required by law.
“This race has national significant, national importance,” he said. “We get that.”
The Trump campaign has been requesting the hand recount, though it’s unlikely to shift enough votes to erase Biden’s lead.
Raffensperger, a Republican, has become a recent subject of GOP ire, as Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and David Perdue (R-GA) called for his resignation earlier this week due to unspecified allegations of “mismanagement and lack of transparency.”
He brushed off the piling on from the senators, Trump campaign and state Republicans, acknowledging that “emotions are running high” but flatly refusing to resign.
He also shared his doubt that there was enough illegal voting to flip the state red.
“Does it rise to the numbers or margin necessary to change the outcome to where President Trump is given Georgia’s electoral votes? That is unlikely,” he said.
The Trump campaign has been desperately searching for evidence of massive fraud to somehow reverse the election’s result, but have watched their flimsy lawsuits be laughed out of court.
While every major network and the Associated Press have called the election for Biden, some pliant Republicans are going along with Trump’s tantrum and pretending that there’s still doubt in who won.
Biden laughed off the Republican charade at a Tuesday press conference, calling Trump’s refusal to concede “an embarrassment” but ultimately “not of much consequence” to his team’s transition plans which are already underway.
In a fit of pique, the Trump administration has refused to unlock the transition funds Biden is entitled to, and withheld his access to classified information.
“How can I say this tactfully,” Biden said carefully. “I think it will not help the President’s legacy.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--DNC Touts Successes After Democrats’ Congressional Disappointments

The DNC produced a memo Wednesday touting the party ’ s election successes , a rebuttal to the congressional losses that have a few House Democrats taking potshots at each other .
“ Under Chair Tom Perez , Democrats rebuilt the DNC , setting the stage to win back the White House and secure victories at every level of the ballot , ” it reads , before listing successful operations like the rapid response team and voter protection measures .
The end of the memo lists the party ’ s success over the last four years , the 36 total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Democratic seat loss that took many by surprise .
Ultimately , Democrats will hang on to the majority , albeit a slimmer one than they had before .
Rep. Cheri Bustos ( D-IL ) has announced that she will not seek reelection to her chairwoman position at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after just barely managing to hang on to her own seat .
Juiced Republican turnout and under-polled enthusiasm from supporters of President Donald Trump seem to have cost Democrats seats , particularly some of those they flipped in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s support in the polls contributed to our projection of Democratic House gains , while now we know that Republicans are going to gain a fairly significant number of seats , ” said Nathan Gonzales , editor and publisher of Insider Elections , in an interview with TPM last week .
That influx of enthusiasm , he added , put many of those defending Democrats in a much more vulnerable place than even Republicans knew .
“ If Republican polling really showed what we ’ re seeing happen right now , they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House very differently , ” he added .
A few House Democrats have been taking out their frustrations by blaming different wings of the party .
During a well-publicized conference call , a yelling Rep. Abigail Spanberger ( D-VA ) pinned her near loss on generally unpopular ideas like “ defunding the police.
” Afterwards , Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) and Conor Lamb ( D-PA ) gave dueling New York Times interviews about where the locus of blame is for the under-performance .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calm her caucus , redirecting attention back to the party ’ s successful toppling of an incumbent President and maintaining of a House majority .
Over in the other chamber , Senate Democrats are nursing some disappointments too after Democrats Cal Cunningham in North Carolina and Sara Gideon in Maine under-performed the polling and lost two of the party ’ s best pickup opportunities .
There though , a possible source of salvation has been driving the conversation : Georgia .
In January , Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perdue ( R-GA ) and Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) in a runoff .
If they can win both races , the Senate will be even at 50 seats apiece , giving Democrats the edge with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris ’ tie-breaking vote .

The DNC produced a memo Wednesday touting the party’s election successes, a rebuttal to the congressional losses that have a few House Democrats taking potshots at each other.
“Under Chair Tom Perez, Democrats rebuilt the DNC, setting the stage to win back the White House and secure victories at every level of the ballot,” it reads, before listing successful operations like the rapid response team and voter protection measures.
The end of the memo lists the party’s success over the last four years, the 36 total House seats gained somewhat masking this cycle’s Democratic seat loss that took many by surprise.
Ultimately, Democrats will hang on to the majority, albeit a slimmer one than they had before. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) has announced that she will not seek reelection to her chairwoman position at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee after just barely managing to hang on to her own seat.
Juiced Republican turnout and under-polled enthusiasm from supporters of President Donald Trump seem to have cost Democrats seats, particularly some of those they flipped in 2018.
“The underestimation of Trump’s support in the polls contributed to our projection of Democratic House gains, while now we know that Republicans are going to gain a fairly significant number of seats,” said Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of Insider Elections, in an interview with TPM last week.
That influx of enthusiasm, he added, put many of those defending Democrats in a much more vulnerable place than even Republicans knew.
“If Republican polling really showed what we’re seeing happen right now, they would have been talking the fight for the House very differently,” he added.
A few House Democrats have been taking out their frustrations by blaming different wings of the party. During a well-publicized conference call, a yelling Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) pinned her near loss on generally unpopular ideas like “defunding the police.” Afterwards, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Conor Lamb (D-PA) gave dueling New York Times interviews about where the locus of blame is for the under-performance.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), for her part, has tried to calm her caucus, redirecting attention back to the party’s successful toppling of an incumbent President and maintaining of a House majority.
Over in the other chamber, Senate Democrats are nursing some disappointments too after Democrats Cal Cunningham in North Carolina and Sara Gideon in Maine under-performed the polling and lost two of the party’s best pickup opportunities. There though, a possible source of salvation has been driving the conversation: Georgia.
In January, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will get the chance to take out Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) in a runoff. If they can win both races, the Senate will be even at 50 seats apiece, giving Democrats the edge with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote.
Read the DNC memo here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-11-11--Trump Advisers Fear Court Battles Over Election Loss Are Falling Flat Without ‘Real Evidence’

President Trump has continued to deny defeat and days after his loss has whined without evidence that voter fraud cost him the election , even as his court fights appear to be falling flat .
Some of his Trump ’ s close aides and advisers including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel , as well as informal adviser Corey Lewandowski , have said privately that they fear the legal battles launched for the one-term president will fail without more convincing evidence , the Washington Post reported late Tuesday .
Sources familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met with advisers again Tuesday afternoon to discuss a way forward .
“ He wants to sow discontent in the public that the election was illegitimate , so he can say he didn ’ t lose , ” a Trump adviser who speaks regularly with the President told the Post .
The comments come as states continue counting ballots and work toward certifying the vote , which is expected to wrap up by the beginning of December — a deadline that Trump is ill-equipped to stop .
Grabbing for straws and continuing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President has not provided evidence of fraud that would change the outcome of the vote in critical battleground states like Arizona , Georgia , Nevada , Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin .
Among the battleground states that Trump and his allies have gone after to subtract ballots , Michigan delivered Biden a margin of victory that equaled nearly 150,000 votes , making any challenge there especially difficult , the Post noted .
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar ’ s office announced late Tuesday that counties had received about 10,000 votes total after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued to disqualify .
Even if Trump were tossed a small win in that suit , it wouldn ’ t change Biden ’ s projected win in the Keystone state .
A top Wisconsin elections official , Meagan Wolfe , said in a statement Tuesday evening that “ no evidence ” had been presented that “ supports allegations of systematic or widespread election issues ” in the state .
One Trump adviser acknowledged to the Post that most of the campaign ’ s court fights hadn ’ t amounted to much and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unless something really changes and we find real evidence.
” The vice president ’ s chief of staff , Marc Short , meanwhile reportedly dismissed calls for Pence to appear at an event on Saturday where Giuliani and others sought to chip away at the integrity of the election .
Per the Post , he told several advisers it would be inappropriate for Pence to attend and beneath the dignity of his office .

President Trump has continued to deny defeat and days after his loss has whined without evidence that voter fraud cost him the election, even as his court fights appear to be falling flat.
Some of his Trump’s close aides and advisers including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, as well as informal adviser Corey Lewandowski, have said privately that they fear the legal battles launched for the one-term president will fail without more convincing evidence, the Washington Post reported late Tuesday.
Sources familiar with their thinking told the Post that Trump met with advisers again Tuesday afternoon to discuss a way forward.
“He wants to sow discontent in the public that the election was illegitimate, so he can say he didn’t lose,” a Trump adviser who speaks regularly with the President told the Post.
The comments come as states continue counting ballots and work toward certifying the vote, which is expected to wrap up by the beginning of December — a deadline that Trump is ill-equipped to stop.
Grabbing for straws and continuing to delay the acceptance of defeat, the President has not provided evidence of fraud that would change the outcome of the vote in critical battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Among the battleground states that Trump and his allies have gone after to subtract ballots, Michigan delivered Biden a margin of victory that equaled nearly 150,000 votes, making any challenge there especially difficult, the Post noted.
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar’s office announced late Tuesday that counties had received about 10,000 votes total after Nov. 3, which the GOP has sued to disqualify. Even if Trump were tossed a small win in that suit, it wouldn’t change Biden’s projected win in the Keystone state.
A top Wisconsin elections official, Meagan Wolfe, said in a statement Tuesday evening that “no evidence” had been presented that “supports allegations of systematic or widespread election issues” in the state.
One Trump adviser acknowledged to the Post that most of the campaign’s court fights hadn’t amounted to much and he expected it to be over this weekend “unless something really changes and we find real evidence.”
The vice president’s chief of staff, Marc Short, meanwhile reportedly dismissed calls for Pence to appear at an event on Saturday where Giuliani and others sought to chip away at the integrity of the election. Per the Post, he told several advisers it would be inappropriate for Pence to attend and beneath the dignity of his office.