Democrats accuse GSA of undermining national security by failing to certify Biden’s victory

Democratic leaders of the main House and Senate panels on Monday accused General Services Administration (GSA) administrator Emily Murphy of undermining national security with her refusal to certify President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden will speak on the economy Tuesday, with NAACP chairman imminent, NAACP chairman calling Rittenhouse verdict “a wake-up call for vigilante justice to be allowed” Democrats optimistic as the Social spending bill heads to Senate PLUS as the winner of the presidential election.
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Murphy has been criticized by Democrats and some Republicans for failing to approve Biden’s appointment as president-elect so far, with Biden barred from accessing federal resources and receiving information about threats to the nation until now. ‘that this action is taken.
Schiff strongly criticized Murphy for not moving forward in the process of certifying Biden as a winner, writing that “you bear enormous responsibility for the ill effects that will result from your inaction.”
“The threats our nation faces today are more urgent and complex than in 2000. Most alarming is the growing number of deaths from the pandemic, but we also have to face the lingering dangers of national and international terrorism, of the increase in China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and more, ”Schiff wrote in his letter to Murphy. “The risks of an abbreviated transition period with insufficient opportunity for the new administration to fully prepare are obvious and potentially deadly. “
Warner was no less critical of Murphy’s inaction, specifically highlighting concerns about the delay in the transition process hampering background checks for new officials in the Biden administration.
“This could unnecessarily slow down the confirmation of officials like the director of national intelligence and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, critical positions in the effort to protect our country from foreign threats,” Warner wrote in a statement. separate letter. “There is no plausible reason why you should continue to delay making this observation. Any further delay will harm our national security, and I urge you to proceed with this common sense step immat once.
Nadler also raised concerns over the FBI’s ability to conduct background checks by criticizing Murphy for not certifying Biden as the winner.
“It is no exaggeration to assert that further delays in fulfilling your legal obligation to verify will have a dangerous, if not deadly, impact on the ability of the Biden administration to respond to terrorist threats, to reunite families. separated at the border, limit the spread of COVID-19 and preserve competition and consumer welfare, among other concerns, ”Nadler wrote in a third letter.
Thompson has raised concerns that Biden does not have access to information on critical threats, including those from “terrorists, cyber threat actors and ongoing efforts to spread disinformation.”
“Without this information, the new administration will be less prepared to keep our nation safe once President-elect Biden is sworn in on January 20, 2021,” Thompson wrote in a fourth letter to Murphy.
The GSA did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the letters.
GSA offered on monday brief major congressional committees next week on the transition process. Several House Democratic committee leaders demanded that the briefing take place earlier, citing concerns about “the coronavirus pandemic, our country’s severe economic crisis and our national security.”
The concerns of Democratic lawmakers were raised the same day Biden announced his candidates for key national security positions, with Alejandro Mayorkas appointed to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security, Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence and Jake Sullivan as National Security Advisor.
“It is an honor to be appointed and entrusted by the president-elect to serve”, Mayorkas tweeted Monday following the announcement of the appointment. “It is no small task to lead the Department of Homeland Security, but I will strive to restore confidence in our institutions and protect our security here at home. “
Sullivan tweeted that “President-elect Biden has taught me what it takes to protect our national security at the highest levels of our government.” Now he has asked me to be his national security adviser. While on duty, I will do everything in my power to ensure the security of our country. “