Joe Biden 40 , CD3 DFL

Pa. and Nevada certify Biden’s wins; president-elect introduces national security team

NOTE: This article provided to all free of charge by The Washington Post.

Pennsylvania and Nevada, two key battleground states, certified President-elect Joe Biden’s wins Tuesday, even as President Trump continued to fight results in court and insisted that he will “never concede.”

Meanwhile, Biden introduced several foreign policy and national security picks at an event in Wilmington, Del., calling them a team that will “make us proud to be Americans.” Trump made a brief appearance at the White House to tout that the Dow Jones industrial average reached 30,000 points for the first time in history, and later for the annual pre-Thanksgiving turkey pardons. He took no questions at either event. View the post here.

Trump undercuts official who delayed transition as she gets slammed for ‘unprofessional’ letter

GSA head Emily Murphy’s lengthy letter telling President-elect Joe Biden she is releasing transition funds to him comes with a strange set of personal remarks, including the claim she was not told how or when to authorize release the more than $7 million in those funds.

The only problem is that President Donald Trump says he is the one who told her to release the money.

“Please now (sic) that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts,” Murphy writes. “I was never directed or indirectly pressured by any Executive branch official–including those who work at the White House or GSA–with regard to the substance or timing of my decision.”

Wisconsin recount confirms Biden’s win over Trump, cementing the president’s failure to change the election results

The recount of presidential ballots in Wisconsin’s two largest counties finished Sunday, reconfirming that President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Trump in the key swing state by more than 20,000 votes.

After Milwaukee County completed its tally Friday and Dane County concluded its count Sunday, there was little change in the final breakdown of the more than 800,000 ballots that had been cast in the two jurisdictions. As a result of the recount, Biden’s lead over Trump in Wisconsin grew by 87 votes.

Under Wisconsin law, Trump was required to foot the bill for the partial recount — meaning his campaign paid $3 million only to see Biden’s lead expand. Continue reading.

G.M. Drops Its Support for Trump Climate Rollbacks and Aligns With Biden

General Motors said it would no longer back President Trump’s effort to strip California of the power to set fuel economy standards.

WASHINGTON — General Motors turned its back Monday on the Trump administration’s legal fight to nullify California’s strict fuel economy rules, signaling that it was ready to work with President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to reduce climate-warming emissions from cars and trucks.

The decision by Mary Barra, the General Motors chief executive, to withdraw her company’s support for Trump administration efforts to strip California of its ability to set its own fuel efficiency standards was a striking reversal. It was also a signal that corporate America is moving on from President Trump.

More specifically, it was a sign that Mr. Biden may find the auto industry amenable as he tries to reinstitute and rebuild Obama-era climate change regulations that Mr. Trump systematically dismantled, at times with the help of industry. Continue reading.

Trump relents as GSA informs Biden transition to begin

The General Services Administration (GSA) has informed President-elect Joe Biden and his team that the Trump administration is ready to begin the transition process.

GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, a Trump appointee, sent a letter to Biden on Monday saying that he would have access to federal resources and services to facilitate a presidential transition, according to a copy obtained by The Hill.

Trump in two tweets sent after Murphy’s letter went out said he was recommending that his administration begin the transition, though he did not concede his loss to Biden and said he would keep fighting. Continue reading.

Biden moves forward as GOP breaks with Trump rise

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday began filling out his Cabinet positions, even as President Trump‘s campaign launched new long-shot efforts to challenge the results of this month’s presidential election.

Biden rolled out his national security team on Monday, announcing his intent to nominate longtime aide Antony Blinken as secretary of State — a decision that had leaked out a night earlier.

Biden also tapped the first ever Latino to run the Department of Homeland Security, the first ever woman to be Intelligence chief, and announced that former secretary of State John Kerry would lead his administration’s efforts to combat climate change. Continue reading.

Michigan certifies Biden victory in another blow to Trump

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers on Monday certified the state’s election results showing Joe Biden defeating President Trump in the presidential race.

The four-member panel voted 3-0 to certify the results from Michigan’s 83 counties, further formalizing Biden’s win amid Trump’s flailing efforts to challenge the election results in court. Biden leads Trump in Michigan by more than 150,000 votes.

Aaron Van Langevelde, the Republican vice chairman of the board, voted with its two Democratic members, Chairwoman Jeannette Bradshaw and Julie Matuzak, to certify the results. Norman Shinkle, the other Republican member, abstained. Continue reading.

Biden’s pick for treasury secretary will be Janet Yellen

Former chair of Federal Reserve would be first woman to hold nation’s top economic position

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate former Federal Reserve chair Janet L. Yellen as his treasury secretary, according to three people in close communication with aides to the president-elect.

Yellen, who was appointed chair of the Federal Reserve by President Barack Obama, would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department if confirmed by the Senate. Biden said last week that he has decided on his choice for treasury secretary and that the name would be announced publicly either shortly before or after the Thanksgiving holiday.

On Monday afternoon, Biden adviser Jen Psaki wrote on Twitter: “The President-elect looks forward to announcing some members of his economic team early next week who will work with him to build the economy back better.” Continue reading.

Biden transition names first Cabinet nominees

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday unveiled his nominations for top national security positions in his administration, tapping former Secretary of State John Kerry as his climate czar and former deputy national security adviser Avril Haines as director of national intelligence.

Why it matters: Haines, if confirmed, would make history as the first woman to oversee the U.S. intelligence community. Biden also plans to nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to become the first Latino secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Full list:

Secretary of State: Tony Blinken
National Security adviser: Jake Sullivan
Director of National Intelligence: Avril Haines
Department of Homeland Security Secretary: Alejandro Mayorkas
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations: Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Special presidential envoy on climate: John Kerry. Continue reading.

Biden Team, Pushing Quick Stimulus Deal, Prepares for Renewed Recession

Economists warn that lawmakers must pass aid now, as a renewed coronavirus surge chills consumer spending and business activity.

WASHINGTON — Advisers to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. are planning for the increasing likelihood that the United States economy is headed for a “double-dip” recession early next year. They are pushing for Democratic leaders in Congress to reach a quick stimulus deal with Senate Republicans, even if it falls short of the larger package Democrats have been seeking, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Until now, Mr. Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, have insisted that Republicans agree to a spending bill of $2 trillion or more, while Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, wants a much smaller package. The resulting impasse has threatened to delay additional economic aid until after Mr. Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Many of the president-elect’s advisers have become convinced that deteriorating economic conditions from the renewed surge in Covid-19 infections and the looming threat of millions of Americans losing jobless benefits in December amid a wave of evictions and foreclosures require more urgent action before year’s end. That could mean moving at least part of the way toward Mr. McConnell’s offer of a $500 billion package. Continue reading.

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