Some of the country’s biggest retail, technology and financial leaders are calling on Congress to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election in an effort to “move forward” amid the coronavirus health crisis.
In a letter shared yesterday by the Partnership for New York City, nearly 90 industry executives — from directors and managing partners to presidents and CEOs — came together to sign a memo supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President of the United States. (The nonprofit consists of a group of 300 chief executives from the city’s top corporate, investment and entrepreneurial firms.)
“President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have won the Electoral College, and the courts have rejected challenges to the electoral process,” they wrote, urging congressional lawmakers to certify the vote count on Wednesday. “Attempts to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy.”
Among the retail sector’s signatories were Macy’s chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette; Saks Fifth Avenue president and CEO Marc Metrick; Etsy CEO Joshua Silverman; and Lafayette 148 New York co-founder and CEO Deirdre Quinn. Brookfield Asset Management’s CEO of real estate, Brian Kingston, as well as The Related Companies’ CEO Jeff Blau also signed the letter, along with NBA and WNBA commissioners Adam Silver and Catherine Engelbert.
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“The incoming Biden administration faces the urgent tasks of defeating COVID-19 and restoring the livelihoods of millions of Americans who have lost jobs and businesses during the pandemic,” read the memo. “Our duly elected leaders deserve the respect and bipartisan support of all Americans at a moment when we are dealing with the worst health and economic crises in modern history. There should be no further delay in the orderly transfer of power.”
Electors officially cast their votes on Dec. 14, sealing Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump with a 306-232 vote. However, tomorrow’s Electoral College vote count is constitutionally required and marks the final step in certifying the next U.S. president.
Today, the country is also keeping a close eye on the results of the Georgia runoffs, which will determine the balance of the U.S. Senate. There are two critical elections: one between incumbent Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff, and another between incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler and Democrat rival Rev. Raphael Warnock. If Perdue or Loeffler wins, Republicans will retain control of the Senate. Democrats will need to win both seats to tie the Senate 50-50 and gain control, with Harris having to come back to the Senate to serve as the tiebreaker for future votes.
