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Chamber of Commerce CEO: Trump "should not delay the transition a moment longer"

Nov. 19, 2020 10:38AM EST
 Dan Ackermann

Tom Donohue — CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and longtime confidant of Republican presidents — tells Axios that Joe Biden is president-elect, and President Trump "should not delay the transition a moment longer."

What he's saying: "President-elect Biden and the team around him have a wealth of executive branch experience that should allow them to hit the ground running," Donohue said in a statement.

  • "[W]hile the Trump administration can continue litigating to confirm election outcomes, for the sake of Americans' safety and well-being, it should not delay the transition a moment longer."

Why it matters: Even business leaders who held back at first are now saying Trump needs to move on.

  • Believe it or not, this is the 16th morning since Election Day — and Biden's victory has looked surer on every one of them.

Business leaders are speaking with one voice:

  • National Association of Manufacturers president and CEO Jay Timmons, and other NAM leaders, said the GSA should sign the letter opening transition resources to Biden: "Further, we call on the Trump administration to work cooperatively with President-elect Biden and his team."
  • JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon told Andrew Ross Sorkin at the N.Y. Times' Dealbook conference: "We need a peaceful transition. We had an election. We have a new president. You should support that whether you like it or not because it’s based on a system of faith and trust."
  • The Business Roundtable, representing top CEOs, on Nov. 7 congratulated "President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris."

The big picture: This is another case of CEOs filling the D.C. leadership vacuum.

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Bay Area counties to enact stay-at-home order

Counties around the San Francisco Bay Area will adopt California’s new regional stay-at-home order amid surges in cases and ICU hospitalizations, health officials said Friday.

The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a three-week stay-at-home order on Thursday that would go into effect in regions with less than 15% ICU capacity. Despite the Bay Area’s current 25.3% ICU capacity, health officials from Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco and the city of Berkeley are moving ahead with a shelter-in-place mandate in the hopes of reducing risk.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing two emergency use authorization requests for COVID-19 vaccines, with an outside advisory committee scheduled to meet next Thursday to review data from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

Axios Re:Cap digs in with former FDA commissioner Rob Calif about the EUA process, the science and who should make the final call.

The U.S. economic recovery needs rocket fuel

Data: BLS. Chart: Axios Visuals

Friday's deeply disappointing jobs report should light a fire under Congress, which has dithered despite signs the economy is struggling to kick back into gear.

Driving the news: President-elect Biden said Friday afternoon in Wilmington that he supports another round of $1,200 checks.

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CDC: It's time for "universal face mask use"

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Why it matters: Daily COVID-related deaths across the U.S. hit a new record on Wednesday. Face coverings have been shown to increase protection of the wearer and those around them, despite some Americans' reluctance to use them.

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Saudi Arabia and Qatar near deal to end standoff, sources say

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