Trump and Biden Reach Agreement on Transition Process

President-elect Donald Trump and President Joe Biden's White House have reached an agreement on the transition process, allowing Trump's team to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office on January 20th.

This agreement, mandated by Congress, allows transition aides to work with federal agencies, access non-public information, and receive assistance from government workers. However, Trump has declined to sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration (GSA) that would have provided his team with secure government offices and email accounts. This decision stems from the requirement that the president-elect limit contributions to $5,000 and disclose donors to his transition effort.

The White House agreement, which was supposed to be signed by October 1st according to the Presidential Transition Act, is a crucial step in ensuring a smooth transfer of power. It allows the White House and government agencies to begin sharing details on ongoing programs, operations, and threats, mitigating the risk of the Trump team taking control without proper briefings and documents.

As part of the agreement, Trump's team will publicly disclose its ethics plan and commit to upholding it. Transition aides must also sign statements confirming they have no financial conflicts of interest before accessing non-public federal information.

The agreement was finalized after discussions between Trump and Biden in the Oval Office on November 13th, meetings between Trump's chief of staff-designate and Biden's chief of staff, and numerous conversations between lawyers for both sides.

While the agreement allows for information sharing and preparation, a separate agreement with the Department of Justice regarding background checks is still being negotiated. This agreement would allow Trump aides and appointees to access classified information before taking office.

Despite declining the GSA agreement, the White House is working on alternative ways to provide Trump's team with the necessary information without compromising national security. This may involve in-person meetings and document reviews, as well as requiring the Trump team to take basic security measures for unclassified information.

The signing of this agreement is a positive step towards an effective transfer of power, ensuring the incoming administration is prepared to govern on Day One.