Update on U.S Department Transition Efforts and Travel

Press Statement
Morgan Ortagus, Department Spokesperson
January 12, 2021

The Department of State is well along in its transition efforts with President-elect Biden’s team.  We are fully committed to the completion of a smooth and orderly transition process to be finalized over the next 8 days.  Both the Department and the President-elect’s team have been fully engaged for several weeks toward this end, and we are pleased with the level of cooperation and professionalism that has been displayed.

We are expecting shortly a plan from the incoming administration identifying the career officials who will remain in positions of responsibility on an acting basis until the Senate confirmation process is complete for incoming officials.  As a result, we are cancelling all planned travel this week, including the Secretary’s trip to Europe.