Defending The Peaceful Transfer Of Power

PHOTO: US HUB

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen Addresses U.S. Presidential Election Debacle

 By Chris Van Hollen

Chris Van Hollen is a Democrat from Maryland who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017.

On January 20th, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the next President and Vice President of the United States. But even though the American people have spoken at the ballot box in this election, President Trump refuses to concede. And instead of standing up to the President’s blatant disregard for the peaceful transfer of power, congressional Republicans are aiding and abetting his assault on our democratic institutions. This dangerous, false narrative is undermining public confidence in our democracy and distracting from the urgent work of passing another round of much-needed pandemic emergency relief as COVID-19 cases surge in Maryland and around the country.

Make no mistake, just because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won this election doesn’t mean that what Donald Trump and so many Republican Senators are doing now is harmless. I recently spoke on the Senate floor about how their actions are downright dangerous to our national security interests and the health of our democracy.

In the death throes of his Administration, President Trump is replacing qualified individuals in charge of keeping our country safe with political lackeys whose only credentials are unwavering loyalty to him. The White House is also prohibiting the government from providing daily intelligence briefings to the President-elect. Access to these briefings is critical during a Presidential transition. It ensures that the Biden Administration can hit the ground running on day one and keeps our country safe from foreign adversaries seeking to exploit a moment of potential vulnerability in the United States. In fact, the 9/11 Commission Report advised that Presidential transition should move as quickly as possible to expedite the identification, recruitment, clearance, and confirmation of key national security appointees.

In addition to the threats we face from abroad, the Trump Administration’s refusal to coordinate with the Biden transition threatens our nation’s efforts against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The President’s actions have blocked the Biden team from accessing official government data on our nation’s pandemic response and consulting with federal experts. This has undermined the President-elect’s ability to move forward on plans for a coordinated COVID-19 response, including efforts to address mask shortages and distribute a vaccine. As our nation faces an increasing number of cases by the day, we cannot afford to miss a beat in our response. From working to increase surge capacity across the country to approving and distributing a vaccine, we have no time to waste. The immediate consequences of these delays could not be more grave.

In the long term, the President’s behavior – and the silence or active complicity of so many Republican Senators – is undermining the confidence of the American people in the outcome of this election. Polling shows that 70 percent of Republicans believe this election was neither free nor fair. And this Administration’s efforts to sow public distrust in this process plays directly into the hands of authoritarian leaders who want nothing more than to see democracy fail. Trump’s actions are threatening our national security, hurting our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, eroding confidence in our elections, and impeding Joe Biden’s ability to be a President for every American. Each hour that this lie persists is another hour that the health of our democracy is at risk.