The peaceful transfer of power begins as President Barack Obama prepares to meet with President-Elect Donald Trump on Thursday morning in Washington.
According to the White House, The President was grateful for the time and care put into the 2008 transition by President Bush’s Administration. That is why he directed his team last year to make a smooth transition between administrations a top priority of his final year in office.
On the VP end, yesterday, Vice President and Dr. Biden called Vice President-elect Mike Pence to congratulate him and Karen Pence. Both the Vice President and Dr. Biden offered to help answer any questions the Pences may have to ensure that the offices of the Vice President are turned over to the Pences as smoothly and as graciously as they were handed over to the Bidens. The Vice President expressed his admiration for the Vice President-elect and Dr. Biden told him that she knows the Pences will love the journey as much as she and the Vice President have.
As with past presidential transitions, following the Election, the Federal government has begun to engage with the President-Elect’s Transition Team (PTT). The President-Elect’s Agency Review Teams will receive detailed, agency-specific briefings that have been prepared by current Administration officials. Those briefings include organizational charts, budget materials, briefings on key agency priorities and areas of responsibility, and other materials describing the essential functions of that agency.
Starting in early 2016, Administration officials began to map out the transition planning, including three key components: preparing for the incoming administration, ensuring this Administration’s records are appropriately archived, and facilitating the off-boarding of current Administration personnel. To coordinate the planning across government, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough convened the President’s Cabinet in March to give an overview of the transition process and set the expectation that the transition should be a top priority for every federal agency.
The President also established the White House Transition Coordinating Council (WHTCC) and the Agency Transition Directors Council (ATDC), which have met regularly throughout the year.
The Administration is also taking steps to ensure the next President and his or her team is prepared from day one to protect our national security.
