Day: November 9, 2020

“Joe Biden won this election fair and square,” Schumer said. “Too many, including the Republican leader, have been silent or sympathetic to the president’s fantasies.”

So far, only four Republican senators — Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Susan Collins of Maine — have acknowledged Biden’s victory and referred to him as the president-elect.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Monday that Trump should not concede yet.

“We’re going to know who is president on December the 14th,” the Iowa Republican said, referring to the date when Electoral College members will vote. “We just better let everything play out.”

Even as Biden’s team is preparing for the transfer of power, a top political appointee in the Trump administration is thus far refusing to officially certify Biden as the president-elect. Such a declaration is necessary to kick-start the presidential transition process; specifically, it would unlock resources for Biden’s team including federal funding and access to the federal agencies that will need staffing.

Republicans have also declined to weigh in on whether the appointee, General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy, should certify Biden as the winner.

Collins went as far as to say on Monday that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “should be given every opportunity to ensure that they are ready to govern” when they take office on Jan. 20. But she was largely on an island Monday.