Dear Administrator Murphy:
On behalf of the more than 600,000 Americans I serve as mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I am writing to urgently request that the General Services Administration immediately cease the transparently political obstruction of the ascertainment of President-Elect Joe Biden.
It is critical that you do now that which you should have done more than two weeks ago when the results of the 2020 election became clear: meet your legal obligations under the Presidential Transition Act and the United States Constitution, and begin the peaceful transition of power.
The failure of the General Services Administration to comply and execute its basic duties not only violates the cherished precedent honored by past Democratic and Republican Administrations alike throughout the history of our Republic; it jeopardizes our national security, our economic recovery, and our ability to defeat the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has already taken the lives of over 600 of my city’s residents.
There is no doubt who won the 2020 presidential election. So much depends on the smooth transfer of power, and even more so in these times of crisis: responding to the coronavirus virus, distributing a vaccine quickly and efficiently when it is available, rebuilding our economy ravaged by the pandemic, getting help to workers and small and mid-sized businesses, supporting those facing hunger, eviction and other desperate challenges. Every day of needless, unconscionable delay means more of our fellow Americans will face serious illness, financial ruin and even death.
It is time to put country over party and fulfill your duties as a federal official and ascertain President-Elect Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 Presidential election so the transition can finally begin.
Sincerely,
Tom Barrett
Mayor