The Presidential Transition Roadmap - The Definitive Guidego.politico.com/rs/966-KHF-533/images/The_Presidential... · 2016-11-03 · Inside Donald Trump’s Transition Team 2017

© 2016 POLITICO Pro 1

THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ROADMAPTHE DEFINITIVE GUIDE

2017 PRESIDENTIALTRANSITION CHECKLIST

The presidential transition process

is a major undertaking. Transition

teams for major candidate are

responsible for the plan and prepare

for their candidate to smoothly begin

governance just a few short months

after Election Day.

For many in Washington, it is crucial

to follow every step of the presidential

transition from beginning to end.

That’s why we’ve created the 2017

Presidential Transition Checklist to

help you track the major milestones

of the transition process. Check off

the box as you complete each task

and you’ll be one-hundred percent

prepared for Transition 2017.

PRE-ELECTION TASKS: Develop profiles of transition teams’ leadership

Outline major policy promises of presidential candidates

Monitor early federal agency review plans

Begin shortlists of presidential appointment candidates

Review transition team budget preparations

POST-ELECTION TO INAUGURATION: Compile President-elect’s agency review reports

Update shortlists of presidential appointment candidates

Expand summary of incoming administration’s policy priorities

Enhance summary of new administration’s budget preparation

THE FIRST 100 DAYS: Profile incoming head of each new federal agency

Profile Key Cabinet and White House appointments

Track Senate-confirmation of remaining appointments

Monitor early policy implementation and budget agenda


Presidential Transition Timeline

5 Things You Need to Know

Inside Hillary Clinton’s Transition Team

Inside Donald Trump’s Transition Team

2017 Presidential Transition Checklist

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2

5

7

9

TABLE OF CONTENTS









after Election Day.
























THE PRESIDENTIALTRANSITION ROADMAP

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER NOVEMBER 8?

• Agency review teams launched

• Top 50 Cabinet appointees selected • Key White House personnel selected

• Policy implementation plan developed• Budget and management agenda established • Intended Cabinet agency appointments delivered to the Senate

• New member orientation begins

• Lame-duck session begins

• New Congress sworn in • 115th Congress begins

• Agency review reports submitted• Briefing of incoming agency heads completed • Cabinet orientation/retreat prepared

• Top 100 Senate-confirmed positions filled

• Remaining 300-400 presidential appointments filled

EARLY NOVEMBER

PRE-THANKSGIVING

NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER

LATE NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

EARLY JANUARY

JANUARY

END OF APRIL

AUGUST

© 2016 POLITICO Pro *Information from the Center for Presidential Transition and POLITICO was used to create this timeline.

THE PRESIDENTIALTRANSITION TIMELINE

*Information from the Center for Presidential Transition and POLITICO was used to create this timeline. © 2016 POLITICO Pro

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER NOVEMBER 8?









after Election Day.
























On Inauguration Day, political pundits and all Americans

witness the peaceful transition of executive power to

a new presidential administration. On television, this

handoff appears effortless, but a presidential transition

is the culmination of a long series of events, many of

which occur far beyond the public spotlight.

The presidential transition process begins as early as

six months before Election Day and continues through

the first 100 days of a new presidency. The transition

formally begins when each party’s campaign establishes

its transition team to prepare their candidate to enter

the White House in January.

New laws have formalized the transition process.Fears, especially post 9/11, that an inefficient transfer of executive power could leave the

United States vulnerable led Congress to establish two laws to formalize the presidential

transition process.

The impact of these new laws has made the current presidential transition unique. For

the first time, the opposing transition teams are working out of the same government-

appointed office building. This proximity has led the Clinton and Trump camps to over-

emphasize secrecy and discretion around sensitive information.

Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010: This law directs the General Services

Administration to supply the major-party

presidential candidates (and any “principal

contenders” from a third party) with office

space, equipment and administrative support

within three business days of each party’s

formal nomination.

Presidential Transitions Improvements Act (2015): This law directs the executive

branch to establish two panels, one for the

White House and one for federal agencies,

that help to coordinate the transfer of power

to the next president. Each panel is required

by law to have a representative from each

transition team.

1

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOWABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION


Clinton Transition Chairman:Ken Salazar, former Interior secretary

Key StaffTom Donilon, Obama’s former

national security adviser

former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm

Neera Tanden, president of the

Center for American Progress

the Rev. Leah Daughtry, a veteran

Democratic operative

Maggie Williams, a longtime Clinton

ally and director of Harvard’s Institute

of Politics

•

••

•

•

Trump Transition Chairman:Chris Christie, New Jersey governor

Key StaffBill Palatucci, Christie’s former law

partner and longtime political ally

Rich Bagger, Christie’s longtime political

ally and former chief of staff

Ed Meese, former attorney general

and longtime aide to President Ronald

Reagan

Eric Ueland, veteran Republican Capitol

Hill aide and top staffer on the Senate

Budget Committee

The makeup of a transition team is very important.The makeup of each campaign’s transition team consists of party insiders, political allies

and policy experts. Each team includes hired staff and a small army of volunteers who take

on an enormous workload. If Elizabeth Warren’s point that “personnel is policy” holds

true, then a close look at key transition staff can reveal a lot about the early plans for a

Clinton or Trump presidency.

2

•

•

•

•

Transition teams focus on three big tasks. 1. Fundraising: Of course, transition teams are in part funded by Congress. However,

they still need to raise funds to cover all expenses. The Partnership for Public Service

estimates that Clinton and Trump will each need to raise $4 million to $5 million to pay for

pre-election and post-election expenses.

2. Government Appointments: A new administration has the responsibility to fill

roughly 4,000 politically appointed positions within the executive branch (about one-

quarter of which will require Senate confirmation). Members of each transition team will

vigorously vet and screen candidates to create shortlists of candidates for these positions.

3. Policy Preparation: Both candidates must produce a clear policy agenda that can be

put into action on Day 1 in office. This process requires the transition teams to go through

intensive research and deliver an actionable policy strategy (more on policy in No. 4).

3


Preparations for the new administration’s 1st 100 days are meticulous.The first 100 days of the presidency are critical and an early indication of how well an

administration will perform. In the modern era, the first 100 days has seen a flurry of

executive action and legislation to jumpstart the principal policy goals of the new president.

After Election Day: On to the White House, federal agencies! (Losers go home)After the election, the losing transition team will wind itself down. For the winning

side, the work continues as the team will follow plans to send transition aides into

the complex world of federal agencies. At each agency, transition team members

will begin preparations for proposed regulations, rulings and other executive actions.

Other transition team members will continue discussions with the White House

transition panel to ensure a smooth handoff of presidential power.

4

5

Campaign promises: A key task for transition teams

is to catalog their respective

candidate’s promises from the

campaign trail. With a long,

drawn-out campaign season,

this is not an easy task.

Policy prioritization: Next, each transition team will

designate which policy items

to implement first. What each

camp determines to prioritize

will be a strong indication

of what the new president’s

administration will focus on in

its first 100 days in office.

Budget Preparation: Both transition teams must

outline a prepared budget,

which is due shortly after the

Inauguration.

Transition teams are not simply creating a policy wish list for their candidate. They need to

create a realistic approach to how they can accomplish these goals, most of which require

legislation. Therefore, as part of their preparation for the first 100 days, each team includes

various options and strategies on how to sell their policy visions to Congress (and the

public). The uncertain makeup of the 115th Congress, especially in the Senate, makes this

task even more challenging.









after Election Day.
























INSIDE HILLARY CLINTON’STRANSITION TEAM

Hillary Clinton has added to her transition team. The Rev. Leah Daughtry, a seasoned Democratic operative, will help staff Clinton’s potential White House. Daughtry will help lead the transition operation’s personnel team, according to two sources familiar with the hire. Daughtry joins a team of experienced campaign operatives, think-tankers, advisers and former elected officials, who, like Daughtry, have had a longtime connection to Hillary Clinton and Capitol Hill. Clinton’s transition team, based in Washington, DC, is responsible for drafting policy agendas and hiring thousands of staffers so that a potential Clinton administration can hit the ground running on Day One. The Clinton transition team, as of September 29:










after Election Day.
























INSIDE DONALD TRUMP’STRANSITION TEAMDonald Trump’s transition team has added a number of policy and personnel experts over the past week and will likely continue adding many more in the weeks to come. Transition teams usually have more volunteers than paid staff members and number in the hundreds by Election Day.

Until then, both transition teams will focus on developing a policy agenda, identifying hires to fill a staff of about 4,000 in the executive branch and fundraising. So far, Trump’s transition team has added a number of experienced policy experts, former advisers and officials, and lobbyists, as well as a mix of both conservative and establishment Republicans to its roster. Trump’s transition team, as of Oct 1:






teams for the major candidates are

responsible for creating the plan



after Election Day.








the box when you complete each task


prepared for the new administration.






POST-ELECTION TO INAUGURATION: Compile president-elect’s agency review reports




THE FIRST 100 DAYS: Profile incoming head of each federal agency

Profile key Cabinet and White House appointments

Track Senate confirmation of remaining appointments



BONUS! Another unique result of a presidential transition is that thousands of new people will

arrive in DC to fill positions within the new administration. If you’re about to be new to

Washington DC, we’ve created a bonus checklist for the must-do activities around town.

NEW-TO-DC CHECKLIST Enjoy a meal at a famous Washington DC restaurant.

Take a walking tour of the Monuments on the National Mall.

Visit the museums. They’re free!

Admire the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin. (Springtime only!)

Catch a game, when the Nationals (MLB), Capitals (NHL), Wizards (NBA) or Redskins (NFL) are in town.

Ben’s Chili BowlBarack Obama visited this eatery in Washington’s Shaw neighborhood just 10 days before his inauguration in 2009.

The Old Ebbitt GrillAn American institution, it’s Washington’s oldest restaurant.


i n f o . p o l i t i c o p r o . c o m

DON’T MISS A BEAT AS THE 2017 TRANSITION UNFOLDS

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The Presidential Transition Roadmap - The Definitive Guidego.politico.com/rs/966-KHF-533/images/The_Presidential... · 2016-11-03 · Inside Donald Trump’s Transition Team 2017