Joe Biden eyes a speedy transition after winning US presidency

President-elect’s plans to start tackling coronavirus and economy face hurdles from incumbent

A woman waves a Joe Biden flag across from the White House on November 7, 2020 after the Democratic candidate was declared the winner of the US presidential election. AFP

Joe Biden’s transition team is hoping for a speedy “change of guard” in the next two months as the US President-elect makes addressing Covid-19 and the economy his priorities, but they are well aware that legal battles could derail those plans.

Mr Biden crossed the 270 electoral vote threshold as the Associated Press projected wins for him in Pennsylvania and Nevada on Saturday. Traditionally this would mark the beginning of the transfer of power from the current administration to the next one.

For decades this transition has been seamless and orderly, but with President Donald Trump threatening litigation and calling for recounts, the process leading up to the inauguration of the new president on January 20 is expected to be bumpier.

Another tradition is for the election loser to concede and congratulate the next president. But in this case Mr Trump may do neither and remain defiant until his term officially ends on inauguration day.

Transition teams are put in place months before the election. Mr Biden formed his in the late summer, and Mr Trump assigned a team in September. They are tasked with handling the transfer of power and preparing the handover of the various federal agencies to the incoming administration.

A transition team has to help decide on more than 4,000 political appointees the new president can appoint in government agencies. These candidates need security clearance and vetting, which cannot happen until the election results are finalised. The incoming administration will also not be able to use government buildings until the election is settled.

Senior Biden adviser Ted Kaufman said the transition team will focus on the “nuts and bolts” of building the new administration in coming days. He said Biden plans to speak to legislative leaders and governors from both parties. That suggests he could be willing to appoint some Republicans to high-profile administration positions.

His transition team has also come out with a transition-focused website — BuildBackBetter.com — and is launching transition-focused social media accounts under the username “Transition46.”

A statement from the pair on the Build Back Better website said the transition would focus on the Coronavirus pandemic, racial justice and climate change.

"The transition — like the Biden-Harris administration to follow — will prioritise the following core values: diversity of ideology and background; talent to address society’s most complex challenges; integrity and the highest ethical standards to serve the American people and not special interests; and transparency to garner trust at every stage," the statement read.

But with Mr Trump threatening legal challenges, this "could take 'til late December", a Biden campaign official told The National.

The Biden campaign is not waiting for Mr Trump’s concession to start its transition. The official said they would do their best to ensure a swift transition despite the possibility of delays.

Mr Biden is already pushing for an accelerated transition and plans to address Covid-19 and the economic downturn as priorities. He mentioned his pandemic plan in all three addresses he gave since election day on Tuesday.

The New York Times reported on Friday that Mr Biden could start announcing cabinet appointments as soon as the coming week. Among those who might be named to a healthcare position is Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general under former president Barack Obama, the Times said. Mr Biden also promised during the campaign to hire the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, whom Mr Trump continuously attacked.

Mr Biden will closely examine and is expected to start negotiations with Congress on a new Covid-19 stimulus package.

As for other US agencies, Mr Biden announced on Sunday he will launch "review teams" in the coming week to assess budgetary and staffing decisions, pending regulations and other work in progress from current staff at the federal departments.

These teams will feed back to the transition team to ensure the thousands of new appointees gel with current staff to ensure continuity.

Only 74 days are left until the inauguration, but the Democratic team expects legal challenges brought by Mr Trump to extend the election period by another month.