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WILKES-BARRE — President-elect Donald J. Trump announced on Friday his presidential transition team, and two local members of Congress — U.S. Reps. Lou Barletta, R-Hazleton, and Tom Marino, R-Lycoming Township — will serve on the 23-member panel.
Trump announced Vice President-elect Mike Pence will serve as chairman of the transition team, and Dr. Ben Carson, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, will join the team’s executive committee as vice chairs.
Trump also announced the following leaders will join the team’s executive committee: Barletta, Marino, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, Jared Kushner, Rebekah Mercer, Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, Anthony Scaramucci, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and Trump Campaign CEO Stephen K. Bannon.
“Together, this outstanding group of advisers, led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, will build on the initial work done under the leadership of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to help prepare a transformative government ready to lead from day one,” Trump stated in an emailed news release. “The mission of our team will be clear: put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our change agenda in Washington. Together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding this nation – specifically jobs, security and opportunity. This team is going to get to work immediately to Make America Great Again.”
Barletta said he received a call Friday morning from Trump’s campaign office saying the president-elect wanted to know if he would consider serving on his transition team.
“It’s hard to say no to the next president of the United States,” Barletta said. “It’s a great honor to be asked to be part of the team that will help put together the new administration to take office in just two months.”
Barletta said he looks forward to what he described as “an exciting time” participating in the process of assembling the people who will tackle the problems facing the country and working “to make America great again,” which Trump used as his campaign slogan.
“I appreciate the confidence President-elect Trump has shown in me and I take on this responsibility with humility and the resolve to perform to the best of my abilities,” Barletta said. “As I have said many times during the campaign, I’ve seen Donald Trump’s board room, and I participated in meetings with him. In those sessions, he always sought the input of those around him, and he listened to their ideas. I anticipate that he will expect similar counsel from his transition team.”
Trump also announced that Chief of Staff to Sen. Jeff Sessions, Rick Dearborn, will join the team as executive director.
Richard Bagger, executive director of the presidential transition team during the preparation phase, will return to the private sector, but will remain with the team as an adviser, as will preparation phase General Counsel Bill Palatucci.
Joining Dearborn on the team’s staff leadership lineup are Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser; David Bossie, deputy executive director; Stephen Miller, national policy director; Jason Miller, communications director; Hope Hicks, national press secretary; Dan Scavino, director of social media; Don McGahn, general counsel; Katie Walsh, senior advisor.
Pence has tapped his three senior advisors — Nick Ayers, Josh Pitcock and Marc Short — to work alongside him in this process.
“President-elect Trump will bring about fundamental change in Washington, and these are the right people to make that happen,” Pence said. “This team of experienced leaders will form the building blocks of our presidential transition team staff leadership roster, and will work with elected officials and tireless volunteers to prepare our government for the transfer of power on Jan. 20.”
