The Biden transition team has been briefed on Operation Warp Speed, according to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
He said that Rear Adm. Erica Schwartz, the official in charge of the transition planning effort, discussed the Operation Warp Speed to the Biden transition team on Monday evening. The goal of Operation Warp speed is to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to the public in record time.
“We are immediately getting them all of the pre-prepared transition briefing materials,” Azar said.
“We will ensure coordinated briefings with them to ensure they’re getting whatever information that they feel they need,” Azar stressed, explaining that the “transition planning and execution will be professional, cooperative and collaborative.”
Azar's update came after the General Services Administration (GSA) officially acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
GSA chief Emily Murphy told Biden that the Trump administration will make federal resources accessible for his transition into office.
Murphy’s letter about Biden’s victory was disclosed minutes before President Donald Trump tweeted that his administration authorizes Biden transition.
However, Trump has still refused to concede the elections to Biden, who is predicted to win 306 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 232.
Trump has falsely claimed that he won the U.S. election “by a lot,” and has spread conspiracies about an electoral fraud without evidence.
In her letter, Murphy explained her actions and responded to her critics.
“I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right. Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly 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,” Murphy wrote.
“To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination. I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law,” Murphy wrote.
“Contrary to media reports and insinuations, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism,” she added. “Instead, I strongly believe that the statute requires that the GSA Administrator ascertain, not impose, the apparent president-elect. Unfortunately, the statute provides no procedures or standards for this process, so I looked to precedent from prior elections involving legal challenges and incomplete counts.”
Cooperation with the Biden transition team
According to White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Trump administration must work with the Biden transition team on coronavirus response.
“It’s almost like passing a baton in a race,” Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during an interview on “State of the Union.” “You don’t want to stop, and then give it to somebody, you want to just essentially keep going.”
Dr. Fauci said that the transition period is important. He believes that the process would be smoother if Donald Trump’s administration will work with the Biden transition team.
When asked if health authorities would benefit from cooperating with the Biden transition team, Dr. Fauci said, “Of course it would be better if we can start working with them.”
Ron Klain, chief of staff for president-elect Biden, said on Sunday that the delayed transition could affect the timing of the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The vaccine distribution may start as early as December and January, he said.
“Our experts need to talk to those people as soon as possible so nothing drops in this change of power we’re going to have on January 20th,” Klain told NBC’s Chuck Todd Sunday.
