Emily W. Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emily W. Murphy
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| Administrator of General Services | |
| In office December 12, 2017 – January 15, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Allison Brigati |
| Preceded by | Denise Turner Roth |
| Succeeded by | Robin Carnahan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Emily Webster Murphy
1973 (age 51–52) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Smith College (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
Emily Webster Murphy (born 1973) is an American lawyer and former government official. She was in charge of the General Services Administration (GSA) from 2017 to 2021. The GSA is a U.S. government agency that helps manage and support other federal agencies.
Before leading the GSA, Murphy worked as a lawyer for the Republican National Committee. She also worked for various government groups on how the government buys things (called "acquisition policy").
President Donald Trump chose her to lead the GSA in 2017. She became well-known after the 2020 presidential election. This was because she waited to start the process for the new president, Joe Biden, to take over. Biden won the election on November 7, but Murphy did not immediately sign a letter that would let his team get ready to lead. This happened while President Trump was still questioning the election results. Murphy signed the letter on November 23, which allowed the changeover to begin.
Because of this delay, a law called the Electoral Count Act was changed. This change made sure that the GSA leader cannot delay access to funds and resources for future presidential transitions.
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Early Life and Education
Emily Murphy was born in 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up there with her brother and sister. Her father, James J. Murphy Jr., led a company that worked on mechanical engineering. Her mother, Mimi Murphy, was a lawyer.
Murphy went to Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School and finished in 1991. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in 1995. Later, she received a law degree (Juris Doctor) from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2001.
Early Career in Government
After college, Murphy moved to Washington, D.C.. She started working for the Republican National Committee (RNC) in 1995. She helped with administration until 1997.
She then worked for Jim Talent, a Republican in the House of Representatives. She was part of his staff on the House Committee on Small Business.
Murphy also worked as a lawyer for the United States House Committee on Armed Services. There, she focused on how the government buys supplies and services. She also had roles at the Small Business Administration.
From 2005 to 2007, she worked at the GSA as the agency's Chief Acquisition Officer. During this time, she reported an incident where the GSA administrator, Lurita Doan, seemed to be using the agency for political reasons. This was against a rule called the Hatch Act. Doan was later asked to leave her job.
Murphy also worked for three different chairmen of the United States House Committee on Small Business. Outside of government, she spent five years in leadership roles at a technology company. This company worked with the federal government. She also worked for three years as a government contracts lawyer at two law firms in D.C.
Leading the General Services Administration
In 2017, President Trump chose Emily Murphy to be the senior advisor to the acting GSA administrator. On September 2, 2017, Trump officially nominated her to lead the GSA. The Senate approved her appointment on December 5, 2017. She took over from Denise Turner Roth.
In 2018, Murphy was involved in a discussion about the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which is the headquarters for the FBI. There were questions about why the plan to move the FBI headquarters was changed. Instead, a more expensive plan to rebuild at the same spot was proposed. Murphy faced questions from Congress about whether the White House was involved in this decision. She stated that President Trump was not involved. However, a report later showed that she had met with the president and his Chief of Staff about the project.
Murphy left her role at the GSA on January 15, 2021. This was before President Trump's term ended. On April 6, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Robin Carnahan to be the next GSA administrator. Carnahan was approved and sworn into office on July 2, 2021.
In 2021, Murphy began working as a Senior Fellow at George Mason University. She joined the Center for Government Contracting in the school of business.
The 2020 Presidential Transition
The GSA administrator has an important job after a presidential election. They are responsible for officially recognizing the winner. This allows the new president's team to get access to federal agencies and money needed to prepare for taking office. This is called an "orderly transition of power."
After November 7, 2020, when Joe Biden was widely recognized as the winner of the 2020 election, Emily Murphy did not immediately sign the letter to start this process. This meant Biden's team could not access the government support they needed.
Many people, including former government officials, asked Murphy to start the transition. Lawmakers in Congress also sent her letters. They said her delay was "undermining the orderly transfer of power." They also said it was making it harder for the new team to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and the nation's economic problems.
On November 23, after the state of Michigan officially confirmed its election results, Murphy signed the letter. This gave the Biden transition team access to federal funds and resources. In her letter, Murphy called the law about transitions "vague." She suggested that Congress should change the law to make it clearer. She also mentioned that she had received threats while making her decision.
Because of the delay in 2020, the Electoral Count Act was changed. This change makes sure that the GSA administrator cannot delay access to funds and resources for future presidential transitions.
Images for kids
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Emily Murphy's official photo.
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Murphy at a ribbon cutting for the Department of Homeland Security campus.
