Lawmakers press GSA chief to release transition funds

While the presidential election process continues to play out in the courts, House legislators are questioning the refusal by General Services Administration chief David Barram to release $7.1 million set aside to fund the new President's transition. In a letter sent Tuesday, Reps. Steve Horn, R-Calif., and Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., pressed Barram to explain why GSA has failed to authorize the release of transition funds in the wake of Texas Gov. George W. Bush's certification as the winner of the election in Florida. Horn is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology. Kolbe chairs the House Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government. In the letter, the lawmakers said Barram's refusal to release the funds "jeopardizes the ability of the President-elect to implement an efficient transition, may constitute a deferral of appropriated funds, and is inconsistent with the underlying authorization." Horn and Kolbe asked Barram to provide the funds to the Bush transition effort immediately. The two legislators said if Barram does not comply with their request, they want answers to eight questions by the close of business on Dec. 1, including what criteria the administrator is using to determine the presidential winner, how the criteria were developed, who approved the criteria and why Barram does not believe Bush is the President-elect. In his response to the letter, Barram told Horn and Kolbe that ongoing legal action in regard to the election made the outcome "unclear and very much un-apparent." According to Barram, GSA officials are "fully prepared to detail the work we have done with both campaigns since August to help them prepare for a smooth transition." Horn has scheduled a hearing on the issue for Monday, Dec. 4.