But underscoring the strange limbo Mr. Trump has created, Mr. Biden on Friday posted on Twitter a plea for private donations to fund his transition activities. Heres the deal: Because President Trump refuses to concede and is delaying the transition, we have to fund it ourselves and need your help, he wrote. Clicking the link leads to a form hosted by ActBlue, a Democratic network, which suggests donations of $15 to $5,000, though users can give any amount.
Ms. Psaki and Mr. Abraham reiterated calls for the head of the General Services Administration, Emily W. Murphy, to approve paperwork that would begin an official presidential transition and provide Mr. Biden and his staff members with access to federal resources, data and personnel.
This isnt a game, Mr. Abraham said, noting that a growing number of business groups and leaders, such as the heads of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, had recently called for the transition process to begin.
Asked whether the Biden team has had contact with Trump administration officials, as some reports have indicated, Ms. Psaki said, We certainly would love to have that engagement.
The Presidential Transition
Updated Nov. 20, 2020, 6:53 p.m. ET
But, she added, the transition team has been very careful, of course, about following those rules and guidelines, and well have to abide by that until ascertainment happens.
Ascertainment is the term for when the General Services Administration concludes that the election has produced a winner and a transition can begin.
Mr. Biden has spoken repeatedly in recent days about the urgent need for Congress to agree on a new stimulus spending package, saying that Senate Republicans should drop their opposition to a measure that House Democrats passed last month. He has made no public suggestion that Democrats should change their position and offer new compromise legislation.
