President-elect Joe Biden said Monday the “biggest threat” caused by President Trump’s refusal to allow the incoming administration to begin the process of transferring power was “more people may die.”
Biden said if they are forced to wait until after the inauguration to begin to understand how the current administration is planning to vaccinate 300 million, they will lose critical time that could save lives.
“[I]t’s a huge, huge, huge undertaking to get it done, prioritize those greatest need, and working our way through it and also cooperate with the World Health Organization and the rest of the world in dealing with this,” he told reporters, “If we have to wait until January 20 to start that planning, it puts us behind over a month, month and a half.”
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Biden said his officials needed to be briefed on Operation Warp Speed to give the new administration visibility into whatever plans they have to not only develop but to distribute vaccines. Trump’s refusal to concede has, so far, stalled the ability of transition officials to talk to various government agencies to begin the traditional transfer of power between administrations.
“And so it’s important that it be done and there be coordination. Now.” Biden said. “Now or as rapidly as we can get that done.”
