Bush Transition Team Transitions to Its New Office

President-elect George W. Bush’s transition team finally moved into its permanent, government-sponsored home in the General Services Administration building on Friday.

Federal officials had denied the Bush team access to the office space for a month while Vice President Al Gore pushed for a recount of ballots in Florida. Since the election, the team had been cooped up in a small, temporary office in suburban McLean, Va., where the rent was paid with private funds, as allowed under federal law.

“It is more convenient for the scores of staffers that need to do important work every day,” said Ari Fleischer, a Bush team spokesman.

Fleischer said transition workers are looking forward to one last move--when the team is disbanded on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, and the staffers are assigned to posts in the new administration.

Also Friday, advisors who will lead legislative efforts during the transition were announced:

* Defense: Zalmay M. Khalilzad, who worked at the Pentagon in the George Bush administration.

* Education: William Hansen, an Education Department official.

* Justice: Paul McNulty, legislative director for House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas).

* Labor: John Bridgeland, former chief of staff for Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

* Transportation: Jack Schenendorf, a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee aide.