Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that there will be an "orderly transfer" between administrations Jan. 20, although he did not mention President-elect Joe Biden or President Donald Trump, who is refusing to concede, by name.
McConnell, R-Ky., has not yet publicly recognized Biden's victory, but his comments Tuesday following a Senate Republican luncheon signaled he is prepared for a Biden presidency.
Asked about the General Services Administration's refusal to ascertain Biden's victory, which triggers important components of the transition, McConnell did not push for the Trump administration to begin that process but said "we're going to have an orderly transfer from this administration to the next one."
"What we all say about it is frankly irrelevant," he said, adding, "All of it will happen right on time, and we will swear in the next administration on January 20th."
Earlier, McConnell described the next steps in the electoral process, pointing to the upcoming certification of results in key swing states.
"Once those certifications occur, if they occur based upon litigation being tried in various places, those will be final," he said. "The Electoral College will meet in December. And the inauguration will be on January 20th."