UMD Libertarians

Friday, December 15, 2000

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Vice President-elect Dick Cheney accepts the keys to the General Services Administration Building from GSA deputy administrator Thurmand Davis on Wednesday Dec. 14, at the Bush-Cheney transistion office in McLean, Va. Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson and co-chair Patricia Harrison celebrate outside the Bush-Cheney transition headquarters in Washington on Thursday, Dec. 14.

The Associated Press

McLEAN, Va. ‹ With keys to a new office and $5.3 million in taxpayer transition money, Vice President-elect Dick Cheney says the incoming administration will begin filling Cabinet jobs “as rapidly as we can.”

"We are going to do everything we can to get everyone named as quickly as possible," said Cheney after being handed an electronic card that opens a 90,000-square-foot government-supplied transition office in downtown Washington. It had been off-limits while the presidential election remained unresolved.

As nice as it was to finally open the government-funded office, Cheney still plans to work for a time at the Bush-Cheney temporary transition office here that was set up Nov. 30 with private funds.

That office is just minutes from his home. "It’s a great commute," he said with a smile, "and I want to take advantage of that."

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Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson and co-chair Patricia Harrison celebrate outside the Bush-Cheney transition headquarters in Washington on Thursday, Dec. 14.

Working with just half the time that most new administrations have to appoint a Cabinet and fill top jobs, Cheney said appointments would come rapidly but said naming a Cabinet before the holidays might be tough.

"I don’t want to establish an artificial deadline and say that it’s all going to be done a week from Friday," Cheney said. "If we make it, that would be fantastic, but I don’t want to set out an artificial deadline."

A more realistic plan, he said, is to name the Cabinet quickly and forward their security clearances to Congress in enough time for lawmakers to begin holding confirmation hearings in January and be ready to start voting after the inauguration.

The Bush team will get extra help from the FBI, which will expedite security checks for Cabinet members, said Clay Johnson, executive director of the transition.

Cheney said the election deadlock, broken Wednesday night with Al Gore’s concession, slowed the process, particularly approaching Democrats who might serve in the GOP administration. That was "awkward while there was still a contest under way," Cheney said.

The McLean, Va., transition office has received more than 21,000 resumes for 6,000 jobs; most were sent electronically to the transition’s Web site, aides said.

The Bush-Cheney transition foundation has raised nearly $3 million in private money and spent nearly $500,000 so far, most of it for the temporary office.

The General Services Administration, a government agency in charge of federal property and equipment, is considering whether the Bush team may use some of its taxpayer money for transition expenses already incurred.

Seventy-five full-time transition staffers are working on policy proposals, fielding job applications and otherwise preparing for the new administration.

Some will move downtown, Cheney said, including people working on congressional matters and confirmation support teams for Cabinet appointees. The downtown office is designed for 540 staff members.

"Welcome to the Bush-Cheney Presidential Transition Team!" says a sign posted near an elevator.

"Finally!" says another.

Bush pledges Pentagon review; builds transition team

By Keith Koffler, April Fulton and Peter Stone CongressDaily
December 20, 2000

As President-elect Bush ventured to the White House for a meeting with President Clinton Tuesday, Bush-Cheney transition spokesman Ari Fleischer said one of the first missions of the Pentagon during the Bush presidency will be a "top-to-bottom review of all our military needs," fulfilling a campaign promise.

Fleischer also said that about 600 people, including Bush-Cheney issue specialists, congressional aides and others, would be named to advisory committees that will provide ideas and suggestions about legislation the incoming administration will propose.
The advisory committees will provide "input" to the policy coordination groups, which will draft legislative proposals and advise incoming Cabinet secretaries.

Bush will nominate Don Evans as Commerce secretary Wednesday, turning to his campaign chairman and longtime friend to fill one of his first Cabinet posts, a Republican official told the Associated Press. Evans, 54, is chief executive of Tom Brown Inc., a Midland, Texas, oil and gas company. He was instrumental in helping Bush raise a record $100 million for his presidential race.

Bush’s transition team has tapped some additional Capitol Hill and K Street veterans to help keep Congress informed and involved in the new administration’s talent search and policy development.

In addition to transition legislative affairs director David Gribbin and Ziad Ojakli, a former aide to the late Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., the team now includes Candi Wolff, who used to be a top aide at the Senate Republican Policy Committee. She will help Ojakli with Senate efforts.

Nelson Litterst, a lobbyist with the National Federation of Independent Business, and Kim McKernan, a lobbyist with O’Brien Calio, are helping with House transition work.

Presidential Transition Act of 1963

Public Law 88-277

Eighty-eighth Congress of the United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the seventh day of January, on one thousand nine hundred and sixty-four

An Act

To promote the orderly transfer of the executive power in connection with the expiration of the term of office of a President and the Inauguration of a new President.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "President Transition Act of 1963"

PURPOSE OF THIS ACT

Sec. 2. The Congress declares it to be the purpose of the Act to promote the orderly transfer of the executive power in connection with the expiration of the term of office of a President and the inauguration of a new President. The national interest requires that such transitions in the office of President be accomplished so as to assure continuity in the faithful execution of the laws and in the conduct of the affairs of the Federal Government, both domestic and foreign. Any disruption occasioned by the transfer of the executive power could produce results detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States and its people. Accordingly, it is the intent of the Congress that appropriate actions be authorized and taken to avoid or minimize any disruption. In addition to the specific provisions contained in this Act directed toward that purpose, it is the intent of the Congress that all officers of the Government so conduct the affairs of the Government for which the exercise responsibility and authority as (1) to be mindful of problems occasioned by transitions in the office of President, (2) to take appropriate lawful steps to avoid or minimize disruptions that might be occasioned by the transfer of the executive power, and (3) otherwise to promote orderly transitions in the office of President.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES AUTHORIZED TO BE PROVIDED TO PRESIDENTS-ELECT AND VICE PRESIDENTS-ELECT

Sec. 3 (a) The Administrator of General Services, referred to hereafter in this Act as "the Administrator," is authorized to provide, upon request, to each President-elect and each Vice President-elect, for use in connection with his preparations for the assumption of official duties as President or Vice President necessary services and facilities, including-

(1) Suitable office space appropriately equipped with furniture, furnishings, office machines and equipment, and office supplies as determined by the Administrator, after consultation with the President-elect, the Vice-President elect, or their designee provided for in subsection (e) of this section, at such place or places within the United States as the President-elect or Vice-President-elect shall designate;

(2) Payment of the compensation of members of office staffs designated by the President-elect or vice-President-elect at rates determined by them not to exceed the rate provided by the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, for grade GS-18: Provided, That any employee of any agency of any branch of the Government may be detailed to such staffs on a reimbursable or non reimbursable basis with the consent of the head of the agency; and while so detailed such employee shall be responsible only to the President or Vice-President-elect for the performance of his duties: Provided further, That any employee so detailed shall continue to receive the compensation provided pursuant to law for his regular employment, and shall retain the rights and privileges of such employment without interruption. Notwithstanding any other law, persons receiving compensation as members of office staffs under this subsection, other than those detailed from agencies, shall not be held or considered to be employees of the Federal Government except for purposes of the Civil Service Retirement Act, the Federal Employee’s Compensation Act, the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Act of 1954, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959;

(3) Payment of expenses for the procurement of services of experts or consultants or organizations thereof for the President-elect or Vice-President-elect, as authorized for the head of any department by section 15 of the Administrative Expenses Act of 1946, as amended (5 U.S.C. 55a), at rates not to exceed $100 per diem for individuals;

(4) Payment of travel expenses and subsistence allowances, including rental of Government or hired motor vehicles, found necessary by the President-elect or Vice-President-elect, as authorized for persons employed intermittently or for persons serving without compensation by section 5 of the Administrative Expenses Act of 1946, as amended (5 U.S.C. 73b-2), as may be appropriate;

(5) Communications services found necessary by the President-elect or Vice-President-elect;

(6) Payment of expenses for necessary printing and binding, notwithstanding the Act of January 12th, 1895, and the Act of March 1, 1919, as amended (44 U.S.C. 111);

(7) Reimbursement to the postal revenues in amounts equivalent to the postage that would otherwise be payable on mail matter referred to in subsection (d) of this section.

(b) The Administrator shall expend no funds for the provision of services and facilities under this Act in connection with any obligations incurred by the President-elect or Vice-President-elect before the day following the date of the general elections held to determine the electors of the President and Vice President in accordance with title 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2, or after the inauguration of the President-elect as President and the inauguration of the Vice-President-elect as Vice President.

(c) The terms "President-elect" and "Vice-President-elect" as used in this Act shall mean such persons as are the apparent successful candidates for the office of the President and Vice President, respectively, as ascertained by the Administrator following the general elections held to determine the electors of the President and Vice-President in accordance with title 3, United States code, sections 1 and 2.

(d) Each President-elect shall be entitled to conveyance within the United States and its territories and possessions of all mail matter, including airmail, sent by him in connection with his preparations for the assumption of official duties as President, and such mail matter shall be transmitted as penalty mail as provided n title 39, United States Code, section 4152. Each Vice-President-elect shall be entitled to conveyance within the United States and its territories and possession of all mail matter, including airmail, sent by him under his written autograph signature in connection with his preparations for the assumption of official duties as Vice President.

(e) Each President-elect and Vice-President-elect may designate to the Administrator an assistant authorized to make on his behalf such designations or findings of necessity as may be required in connection with the services and facilities to be provided under this Act. Not more than 10 per centum of the total expenditures under this Act for any President-elect or Vice-President-elect may be made upon the basis of a certificate by him or the assistant designated by him pursuant to this section that such expenditures are classified and are essential to the national security, and that they accord with the provisions of subsections (a), (b), and (d) of this section.

(f) In the case where the President-elect is the incumbent President or in the case where the Vice-President-elect is the incumbent Vice President, there shall be no expenditures or funds for the provisions of services and facilities to such incumbent under this Act, and any funds appropriated for such purposes shall be returned to the general funds of the Treasury.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES AUTHORIZED TO BE PROVIDED TO FORMER PRESIDENTS AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENTS

Sec. 4. The Administrator is authorized to provide, upon request, to each former President and each former Vice President, for a period not to exceed six months from the date of the expiration of his term of office as President or Vice President, for use in connection with winding up the affairs of his office, necessary services and facilities of the same general character as authorized by this act to be provided to Presidents-elect and Vice Presidents-elect. Any person appointed or detailed to serve a former President or former Vice President under authority of this section shall be appointed or detailed in accordance with, and shall be subject to, all of the provisions of section 3 of this Act applicable to persons appointed or detailed under authority of that section. The provisions of the Act of August 25, 1958 (72 Stat. 838 3; U.S.C. 102, note), other than subsections (a) and (e) shall not become effective with respect to a former President until six months after the expiration of his term of office as President.

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

Sec. 5. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such funds as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act but not to exceed $900,000 for any one Presidential transition, to remain available during the fiscal year in which the transition occurs and the next succeeding fiscal year. The President shall include in the budget transmitted to the Congress, for each fiscal year in which his regular term of office will expire, a proposed appropriation for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

Approved March 7, 1964