NBC News- With the backing of President Donald Trump, the head of the General Services Administration informed President-elect Joe Biden on Monday that the official governmental transition process has been approved.
GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, after weeks of delay, said in a letter to Biden that he is now able to access millions of dollars in federal funds and other resources to begin his transition to power.
Trump in a pair of tweets vowed to continue his legal fight but said, "I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
The Biden campaign celebrated the news in a statement.
"Today’s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track," Biden transition adviser Yohannes Abraham said. "This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies. In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies."
The transition process had been stalled for weeks as Trump's team waged a sputtering legal battle across the country to contest the results, leaving Biden out of the loop on the Covid-19 vaccine and other key issues.
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