Obama's Transition Team Will Employ 450, Have $12 Million Budget

[babylonsister]

Obama's Transition Team Will Employ 450, Have $12 Million Budget
Sam Stein
November 11, 2008 02:28 PM


At a briefing before well over 100 reporters, John Podesta, the co-chair of Barack Obama's White House transition, announced three priorities for the interim period and laid out just how comprehensive the effort would be.

The transition team will operate off a budget of $12 million ($5.2 million has been appropriated by Congress, the rest will be raised separately through individual donations of under $5,000), employ 450 people and operate out of offices in Washington D.C. and Chicago. Already, Podesta reiterated, the team has granted 100 interim security clearances.

As for the priorities - they resembled the same major interests Obama announced repeatedly on the campaign trail.

• The team, Podesta said, would be "laying the groundwork in stabilizing the economy and putting Americans back to work."
• They "also will be engaged as is required and necessary in national security issues that remain constant throughout the transition."
• And, of course, there is "the task of building a government."

Podesta called for an accelerated process when it comes to appointing potential cabinet members, saying that past "expedited" efforts by president-elects were not fast enough for this go-around. As such, he called on both parties in Congress, the current administration and relevant agencies to work together to help get a team in order, quickly.

"So far that has moved smoothly," Podesta said. "We anticipate that we will be able to both make appropriate selections, and get those people through the clearance process, which sometimes can get bogged down. There will be adequate recourse devoted by the FBI and other agencies."

"We are hopeful that we can do a good deal better than previous administrations," he added. "And frankly, if you look at the findings of the 9/11 Commission, we need to do a lot better."

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/11/obamas-transition-team-wi_n_143048.html