US government gives go-ahead to Biden to begin transition

US federal government has given a go ahead to President-elect Joe Biden to begin his transition to the presidency, shortly after the battleground state of Michigan certified him as the winner there.

The US General Services Administration (GSA), an independent agency, ascertained that Biden was the “apparent winner” of the election and informed Biden that his transition – leading up to a January 20 swearing-in – could officially begin.

GSA Administrator Emily Murphy made the determination after Trump’s efforts to challenge the vote failed across battleground states, citing “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results”.

Michigan certified Biden’s victory Monday, and a federal judge in Pennsylvania moved on Saturday to throw out a Trump campaign lawsuit seeking to prevent certification in that state.

Yohannes Abraham, the Biden-Harris Transition Executive Director, said the decision was a “definitive administrative action” that would formally begin the transition process with federal agencies.

Meanwhile, Biden has released an array of nominees to head foreign policy and national security agencies under his incoming administration.