The former head of the General Services Administration (GSA), David Barram, is declaring that it is time to recognize Joe Biden as the president-elect.
While President Donald Trump has refused to concede the election and several major outlets have projected Biden as the winner, Biden has indicated that he does not have the access to information necessary during the transition.
Barram â who was previously appointed by former President Bill Clinton as the GSA administrator â told CNNâs John Berman on Thursday morning, âTo me, itâs clear that we should be recognizing Joe Biden as the president-elect.â
Emily Murphy, the current administrator of the GSA, has yet to âascertainâ the winner of the election â and she has been faced with growing pressure to do so. Once she does, funds and resources are released to the winner of the presidential election.
Barram also noted that he is âvery sympatheticâ to Murphy and that it is a âtough spot to be in.â
âI just think she has to finally come to a decision and like I say, Iâm sympathetic for her,â he said. âI think it will make everything work when she finally does.â
The former GSA head also weighed in on what the impact would be if more Republican lawmakers came out in acknowledging Biden as the winner.
âIt would be fantastic, and thatâs exactly what ought to happen,â Barram said. âThese Republican senators who are letting Emily sit out there twisting in the wind strike me as not courageous.â
See his comments below:
Biden said this week that Trump has refused to cooperate with his transition team.
He said, âWeâve been unable to get access to the kinds of things we need to know about the depth of the stockpiles [amid the coronavirus pandemicâ and âthereâs a whole lot of things we just donât have available to us.â
The former vice president said that unless it is made available soon to his team then they are going to be âbehind by weeks or months.â
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) suggested that Trump should give Biden access to intelligence briefings.
âThe president is contesting the election and I would urge him to give intel briefings to Joe Biden,â Graham told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
Inauguration day is set for Jan. 20, 2021.
