HAS NOT TAKEN QUESTIONS SINCE
HIS ELECTION, SINCE HIS ELECTION
DEFEAT, HAS LEFT THE BRIEFING
ROOM, ON A GOOD DAY FOR VACCINES
AND A GOOD DAY FOR THE STOCK
MARKET.
MAX STEYER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US.
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
TRANSITION, THE AWKWARDNESS, THE
DELAY, AND YOU CAN SEE BY THE
PRESIDENT’S BODY LANGUAGE AND
HIS RARE EXIT, AGAIN, FROM THE
BRIEFING ROOM WITHOUT TAKING
QUESTIONS SINCE THE ELECTION WAS
CALLED FOR JOE BIDEN, HE IS
STILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGING HIMSELF
THIS DEFEAT.
MAX, OF COURSE, IS THE CEO --
I’M SORRY.
FOR THE COMMISSION FOR
PRESIDENTIAL -- THE PARTNERSHIP
FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, I SHOULD
KNOW THAT, THE NONPARTISAN
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE,
FORGIVE ME FOR THAT, MAX.
LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS
HAS DELAYED THE TRANSITION AND
WHAT IS THE HANDICAP FOR JOE
BIDEN GOING IN?
>> CERTAINLY.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
ANDREA, FOR BEING SUCH AN
IMPORTANT VOICE FOR KNOWLEDGE
AND INFORMATION.
YOU STATED IT EXACTLY RIGHT, THE
PRESIDENT, FRANKLY, THE
CONCESSION ISSUE AND THE
PREPARATION FOR THE TRANSITION
ARE VERY SEPARATE MATTERS.
WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT
OUR CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT A NEW
PRESIDENT GETS SWORN IN ON
JANUARY 20.
THAT INDIVIDUAL AND THE TEAM
THAT HE PUTS TOGETHER IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH ALL
THE ISSUES YOU’VE BEEN COVERING
IN THE NEWS, THE PANDEMIC, THE
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES, THE
ISSUES AROUND RACIAL EQUALITY,
THOSE ARE KNOWN CHALLENGES.
THERE WILL BE A BUNCH OF UNKNOWN
THINGS AS WELL.
SO A TRANSITION IS FUNDAMENTALLY
ABOUT CAN THAT TEAM BE READY ON
SECOND ONE TO MANAGE ALL THOSE
ISSUES IN A $5 TRILLION, 4
MILLION PERSON ORGANIZATION.
SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
THE GSA HAS MOVED FORWARD TO
COOPERATION WITH THE INCOMING
BIDEN TEAM.
THAT MEANS THEY WILL HAVE ACCESS
TO AGENCIES SO THEY KNOW WHAT’S
HAPPENING WITH THE VACCINE,
THEY’LL ALSO BE ABLE TO HAVE
THEIR PERSONNEL GO THROUGH THE
DIFFICULT SYSTEMS, SO ALL THE
ANNOUNCEMENTS YOU’RE HEARING
RIGHT NOW, ALL THOSE FOLKS, FBI
INVESTIGATIONS, AGREEMENTS WITH
THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL
ETHICS, ALL THAT WORK CAN NOW
BEGIN IN EARNEST.
THAT’S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO
KNOW THAT THAT TEAM CAN BE READY
TO GO AT SECOND ONE.
>> DO THEY NEED BACKGROUND
CHECKS, TO BE BRIEFED, TO HAVE
ACCESS FOR THE FIRST TIME, DO
THEY NEED A BACKGROUND CHECK TO
GET THE INTELLIGENCE THEY HAVE
BEEN?
>> SO THE LAW PERMITS THE
TRANSITION TEAM TO ACTUALLY GET
INTERIM CLEARANCES BEFORE THE
ELECTION.
SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO
NEED THAT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEARED ALREADY
SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO
CLASSIFIED AND CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION.
BUT TO ACTUALLY BE IN PERMANENT
POSITIONS AFTER THE
INAUGURATION, THEY WILL NEED A
PERMANENT CLEARANCE AND A FULL
FIELD INVESTIGATION FOR THE
SENATE CONFIRMED MEMBERS.
THE STANDARDS I THINK ARE REALLY
CHALLENGING.
IT’S REALLY AN OBSTACLE COURSE
TO GET INTO THESE JOBS.
THAT’S, AGAIN, WHY STARTING
REALLY EARLY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO
HAVING YOUR TEAM IN PLACE AND BE
BEING READY TO GO.
>> AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THEY
COULDN’T EVEN GET THOSE INTERIM
CLEARANCES BECAUSE THERE WASN’T
ANY PERMISSIBLE CONTACT PRIOR TO
THE GSA DECISION LAST NIGHT.
>> SO ACTUALLY, AND REALLY
IMPORTANTLY, THIS WAS IN THE
AFTERMATH OF THE 9/11 ATTACKS,
THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT MADE TO
THE TRANSITION ACT IN 2004 THAT
REALLY PERMITTED THESE INTERIM
CLEARANCES TO TAKE PLACE.
THE GSA HAS ACTUALLY BEEN
COOPERATING WITH THE BIDEN TEAM
FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
IT’S REALLY ONLY AFTER THE
ELECTION THAT THE REAL CHALLENGE
TOOK PLACE.
SO THE BIDEN TEAM HAS HAD ACCESS
TO THE INTERIM CLEARANCES THAT
THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS
CRITICAL INFORMATION HERE AND
NOW.
POST-ELECTION, ONE WOULD HAVE
HOPED THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN
THE DECISION TO PERMIT THE NEXT
PHASE OF TRANSITION COOPERATION
TO OCCUR, BUT UP UNTIL NOW THEY
ACTUALLY HAVE HAD QUITE A BIT OF
COOPERATION AND THEY’VE BEEN
PHENOMENALLY WELL-ORGANIZED,
STARTING REALLY EARLY WITH
REALLY STRONG LEADERSHIP IN
PREPARING FOR THIS MOMENT.
THEY ARE NOW SET BACK BY A
COUPLE OF WEEKS.
YOU KNOW, IT’S A GIGANTIC TASK
IN THE ORDINARY COURSE, MADE
HARDER BY HAVING TO DO THIS
VIRTUALLY.
THE DELAY DID NOT HELP.
BUT THEY’RE VERY EXPERIENCED
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVESTING A
LOT OF ENERGY EARLY ON TO MAKING
THIS WORK RIGHT AND WE ALL HAVE
AN INTEREST IN SEEING IT
ACTUALLY OCCUR, BECAUSE IT’S
ABOUT OUR SAFETY AT THE END OF
THE DAY.
>> THERE WAS AN EMAIL FROM CHIEF
OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS TO THE
EXECUTIVE OFFICE STAFF ON MONDAY
ACKNOWLEDGING THE GSA HAD MADE
THIS ASCERTAINMENT AND ADDING
THAT UNLESS SPECIFICALLY
AUTHORIZED, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF
THE PRESIDENT PERSONNEL ARE NOT
PERMITTED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH
MEMBERS OF THE TRANSITION TEAM
OR THE FEDERAL TRANSITION
COORDINATOR.
WHAT’S THAT ABOUT?
>> I CAN’T ANSWER EXACTLY WHAT’S
IN CHIEF OF STAFF MEADOWS’ HEAD
ON THAT.
I WOULD SAY THAT MORE BROADLY,
THERE ARE -- THERE’S AN MOU,
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING,
BETWEEN THE INCOMING
ADMINISTRATION AND THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
IT’S SO IMPORTANT THIS BE DONE
IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO ENABLE
THE BIDEN TEAM TO GET THE
INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
YOU KNOW, IT’S A PHENOMENALLY
LARGE JOB TO RUN THE AGENCIES,
TO HANDLE THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE
ON OUR DOORSTEPS RIGHT NOW.
SO MY HOPE WOULD BE -- YOU KNOW
PRESIDENT BUSH DIRECTED HIS
CHIEF OF STAFF, JOSH BOLTON, TO
MAKE THE OUTGOING BUSH
ADMINISTRATION COOPERATION THE
BEST TRANSITION THAT HAD EVER
BEEN.
MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT AFTER THIS
ASCERTAINMENT, THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WOULD TAKE A PAGE
FROM THAT BOOK AND DO EVERYTHING
THEY CAN TO HELP THEIR
SUCCESSORS SUCCEED, BECAUSE
AGAIN, WE’RE ALL ON THE SAME
PLANE TOGETHER.
WE SHOULD ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN AND