Transition Roundup: Top Democrat Questions Trump’s Records Preservation; McConnell Promises Votes on Biden’s Nominees 

The Office of Personnel Management published its transition guide on Monday. “This guide provides any agency officials who have transition responsibilities with a detailed description of the various rules, regulations, and policies that govern the departure and appointment of political appointees, and the treatment of career federal employees (especially members of the Senior Executive Service) during a transition period,” acting OPM Director Michael Rigas wrote in an accompanying memo. “Our citizens depend on all of us continuing the work of the federal government without interruption, and it is vital that any transition be absolutely transparent.” Here are some of the other recent headlines you might have missed. 

President-elect Biden announced additional members of his White House senior staff on Tuesday morning. Anne Filipic, chief program officer and chief operating officer at the Obama Foundation, will be director of management and administration; Ryan Montoya, director of scheduling and advance for Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on the campaign, will be director of scheduling and advance; Gautam Raghavan, deputy head of presidential appointments on the Transition, will be deputy director of the Office of Presidential Personnel; Vinay Reddy, speechwriter on the transition and campaign, will be director of speechwriting; Bruce Reed, Biden’s chief-of-staff from 2011 to 2013, will be deputy chief of staff; and Elizabeth Wilkins, senior adviser to the chief of staff for the transition, will be senior adviser to the White House chief-of-staff. 

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent a letter to the Archivist of the United States with concerns that the outgoing Trump officials are not complying with the records preservation laws. “The committee currently has no visibility into what is happening at the White House in terms of archiving and transferring records to [the National Archives and Records Administration],” she wrote. “According to NARA, due to the coronavirus pandemic, NARA has not detailed any employees to the White House to assist or oversee this process, as it has in past transitions.” Additionally, “Press reports have indicated that President Trump and senior officials at the White House have not been fully compliant with the requirements.” 

Trump is leaving behind “a real mess” for the Biden administration, The Washington Post reported on Monday. This includes: “abruptly” pulling troops out from conflict zones, downplaying the massive cybersecurity breach, installing loyalists on government boards and commissions and “spending its final days trying to reshape the government,” among other things. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promised votes for all of Biden’s nominees, during an interview for a column in the Louisville Courier-Journal on Monday. 

Amid voting on the coronavirus relief deal and fiscal 2021 spending package, the Senate confirmed Eric Soskin to be inspector general for the Transportation Department on Monday night. Trump nominated Soskin for the position held in an acting capacity the same night he fired the State Department IG, and both situations stirred controversy. The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency detailed in its transition handbook that IGs typically do not change with a change in administration. 

Top Biden advisers said the administration will not immediately roll back some of Trump’s immigration policies on day one, which walked back some of the campaign’s promises, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday. “The situation at the border will not transform overnight due in large part to the damage done over the last four years,” Susan Rice, incoming domestic policy adviser, told the Spanish wire service EFE. “But we are committed to addressing it in full.”

Upcoming: Biden will deliver holiday remarks at 2:30 p.m. 

Today’s GovExec Daily podcast episode is about what we know so far about the Solar Winds hack that affected several agencies. 

Help us understand the situation better. Are you a federal employee, contractor or military member with information, concerns, etc. about how your agency is handling the transition? Email us at newstips@govexec.com.