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The National Association of Manufacturers on Wednesday issued a statement urging the General Services Administration to sign a "letter of ascertainment" that would recognize Joe Biden as the apparent winner of the election and launch the transition process to a new presidential administration.

"The next two months are critical to our nation's ability to successfully deal with twin crises: controlling the spread of COVID-19 and rebuilding the U.S. economy," said the statement, which was issued jointly by NAM CEO Jay Timmons and leaders of the group's board.

The transition is essential to ensuring the "distribution of safe and effective vaccines as quickly as possible, while continuing to protect against disruptions of the supply chain," NAM said.

The statement said, "We understand and respect the court challenges that are a part of our democratic process," but also referred to Biden as the president-elect.

"It is highly appropriate that the Trump administration allow key individuals from the Biden team to access critical government personnel and information now. … We call on the Trump administration to work cooperatively with President-elect Biden and his team."

Tom Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also called for the transition to begin in a statement made to the news organization Axios.

"While the Trump administration can continue litigating to confirm election outcomes, for the sake of Americans' safety and well-being, it should not delay the transition a moment longer," Donohue told Axios.

President Donald Trump has refused to concede the election, and Emily Murphy, administrator of the General Services Administration, has not signed the ascertainment letter.

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