WILMINGTON, Del. (KYW Newsradio) — President-elect Joe Biden Wednesday complained about the slow pace of the transition and warned it could set back distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, which should be ramping up just as he takes office in January. He made the remarks in Wilmington as he spoke, online, with a panel of first responders.
In many ways, the roundtable was indistinguishable from the many Biden had as a candidate. When nurse Mary Turner choked up while talking about a desperate lack of protective gear, the president-elect wiped his own eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm so emotional," Turner said.
"No, you got me emotional," Biden responded.
But a few minutes later, Biden sounded impatient as he said his transition team should be further along on the virus, but the Trump administration refuses to recognize the election results.
"The law says the General Services Administration recognizes who the winner is and then they have to have access to all the data and information that the government possesses, to be prepared, and we've been unable to get access to the kinds of things we need to know," Biden said.
Things such as the status of federal stockpiles for fighting the virus and how far along vaccine distribution planning is.
He said it's stymying his own efforts.
"We put together a first rate team I think you would all be proud of. We're all ready to go and doing an awful lot of work right now. That's the only slow down," he said.
Biden said despite the roadblock, he's optimistic.
