The Biden administration has officially initiated preparations for the upcoming presidential transition, marking a standard procedure to maintain government continuity regardless of the election outcome in November.
Shalanda Young, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, issued directives to all executive departments and agencies to appoint a designated official responsible for overseeing the transition by May 3.
Jeff Zients, White House Chief of Staff and previous chair of Biden’s 2020 transition team is set to lead the initial meeting of the White House Transition Coordinating Council next week.
This council is composed of high-ranking officials from various sectors of the White House, conforming to requirements set by the Presidential Transition Act. This Act was established to provide federal support to presidential candidates, ensuring they have the necessary resources and personnel to commence governing immediately upon taking office.
The emphasis on transition planning was significantly heightened following the September 11 attacks, leading to Act updates to bolster candidates’ resources and intensify preparation for power transfer by incumbents.
The process includes administrative planning and the security vetting of potential appointees to ensure they are ready by Inauguration Day. This follows a broader initiative launched by Biden in February, which aims to tackle the systemic mishandling of classified information during transitions, highlighted by a critical report from a Justice Department special counsel regarding incidents from when Biden ended his vice presidency in 2016.