... Biden’s first Cabinet picks diverse, historic State officials there are grappling with contamination from PFAS industrial compounds and other industrial polluters. He endorsed Biden a year before the 2020 election and campaigned tirelessly for him in Iowa, the nation’s first caucus state. Thomas-Greenfield’s background positions her well to carry out Biden’s goal of returning the United States to a role as a leading force at the world body, after four years of an administration that has had little use for multilateralism or international organizations. Mayorkas ran the citizenship agency within DHS from 2008 to 2013, developing the program to shield from deportation people who had been brought to the U.S. illegally as minors, a program Trump has sought to end. And if he is selected by the president-elect, I have no doubt that he will do the same kind of job for our country.”. President-elect Joe Biden is building out his Cabinet as he prepares for his time in the White House. Daily Caller, by Jake Dima Original Article. President-elect Joe Biden has selected former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in his administration, according to five people familiar with the decisions. Their 34-year friendship and longtime professional connection make the choice one offering little risk. Historic Native American 'pick for Biden cabinet' Published. Biden adopted aspects of Vilsack’s rural policy agenda as Democrats look to make up ground they’ve lost to Republicans in rural areas over the past decade. Ned Lamont. If confirmed by the Senate, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, would be neither the first African American nor the first woman, nor even the first African American woman, to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Jump to the next element in this story to read more about president-elect Joe Biden's potential cabinet picks. Biden also had considered Jeh Johnson, a former Pentagon general counsel and former secretary of homeland defense. Here’s A List Of Biden’s Pro-Gun Control Cabinet Picks. While Haines has received criticism from some progressives over her involvement in the drone program, her work to increase oversight of those operations, as well as her strong credentials in intelligence work, are expected to satisfy enough senators to pave the way for her to be confirmed in what has traditionally been a nonpartisan role. With Joe Biden the declared winner of the 2020 presidential election, speculation is buzzing about who may be asked to join his cabinet -- with scandal scarred … Jake Sullivan, Biden’s pick to advise him on matters of national security, has been hailed in Washington as a gifted legal mind, one who has a long history of working with the president-elect. President-elect Joe Biden has selected Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as his housing and urban development secretary and former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to reprise that role in his administration, according to five people familiar with the decisions. McDonough was credited with helping Obama try to bridge divides on Capitol Hill, including around one of his most substantial second-term legislative achievements: the Veterans Choice Act. If confirmed by the Senate, Mayorkas, 61, would be the first Hispanic, and immigrant, to lead DHS. McDonough, the VA nominee, is an experienced manager who was chief of staff throughout Obama’s second term. Share. These officials require Senate confirmation. Before that, he was a teacher, principal and administrator in Meriden’s public schools. President-elect Joe Biden is turning to a veteran of the Department of Homeland Security to lead the agency created after the Sept. 11 attacks and announced the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas, who served under President Barack Obama as deputy secretary of Homeland Security and director of the Citizenship and Immigration Services. North Carolina Gov. Vilsack, then a young lawyer, had grown up in Pittsburgh and moved with his wife, Christie, to her Iowa hometown. These officials will work on Biden's push to roll back Trump administration policies on immigration and climate as well as help with the coronavirus response. President-elect Joe Biden's national security adviser nominee Jake Sullivan speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. She also had the strong backing of progressive groups who touted her support for food aid and worker protections at meatpacking plants. John Kerry, one of the leading architects of the Paris climate agreement, is getting one more chance to lead the fight against climate change after President-elect Joe Biden named the longtime senator and former secretary of state as climate envoy for national security. Vilsack was a finalist for Clinton’s running mate that year. Susan Rice, the Biden administration's choice to lead the White House Domestic Policy Council, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. There are 62 people who could possibly join his cabinet. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who has been selected to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, to announce President-elect Joe Biden's his health care team. This page was originally published on Nov. 17 at 11:49 a.m. After two terms, Vilsack ran a 10-week campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination before withdrawing and throwing his support to Hillary Clinton, even as Biden was among the field. A longtime member of the House Agriculture Committee and a fierce advocate for food stamps, Fudge was originally discussed to become agriculture secretary. “Our friends know that Joe Biden knows who they are. Sullivan has also worked closely with other members of Biden’s planned Cabinet, succeeding Blinken as then-Vice President Biden’s national security adviser in 2013. Facebook. As the U.S. continues to fight through a recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Biden has made picks to lead his economic, financial and trade policy — many of whom will play crucial roles in determining further coronavirus relief aid. As Biden begins to act on some of his early promises, he has named close advisers and aides to work with him in the White House — people who will run operations and brief him on top matters of national security, the economy and other key issues. Biden’s pick was confirmed Thursday by a person familiar with the selection process who was not authorized the discuss the matter publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. Emanuel also informally advised Biden and his senior aides during the 2020 campaign. Biden will overhaul departments to remove Trump appointees and nominate officials to carry out his policy agenda. Biden Cabinet picks worked alongside influential lobbyists at private equity firm. The Full List President-elect’s choices for top jobs include many former members of the Obama administration and … Biden sees Fudge as a leading voice for working families and a longtime champion of affordable housing, infrastructure and other priorities, according to one of the people familiar with the president-elect’s decision. “I’ve carried that lesson with me throughout my career in Foreign Service – and, if confirmed, will do the same as Ambassador to the United Nations.”. Power was a top official in the Obama administration, first on the National Security Council and later as ambassador to the United Nations. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh), Connecticut education Commissioner Miguel Cardona, named California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, selected former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, A ‘healthy’ doctor died two weeks after getting a COVID-19 vaccine; CDC is investigating why, Nearly 1.6 million Illinois Facebook users to get about $350 each in privacy settlement, Bond revoked for Hammond man seen at Capitol riot while awaiting federal sentencing, Ask Amy: Hospital worker’s drinking cause for alarm, ‘The work is never done’ — Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel says goodbye after 41 years. President Trump had two Cabinet members confirmed by Inauguration Day in 2017, while former President Barack Obama had six. Wow! As news outlets started reporting Fudge’s selection as HUD secretary, she said on Capitol Hill that it would be “an honor and a privilege” to be asked to join Biden’s Cabinet, though she didn’t confirm she had been picked. “She was a real leader when it came to COVID,” said Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at Mass General. During her stint as Fed chair from 2014 to 2018, Yellen oversaw a record economic expansion that would go on to drive unemployment down to its lowest rate in 50 years and which helped produce a thriving economy that was upended by the coronavirus pandemic. 17 December 2020. And he helped negotiate the first homeland security memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Cuba, where he was born. In the meantime, Biden continues to fill out other positions for his team. As chief of staff, McDonough was also deeply involved in an overhaul of VA leadership after the scandals, which led to the ouster of the department’s secretary. He was the highest-ranking Cuban-American under Obama. He plans to name a series of career officials as acting heads of agencies until the Senate confirms his picks. Potentially the first woman to serve as the nation’s top intelligence official, Avril Haines comes with strong ties to the intelligence community, having served in both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra talks to reporters after a news conference at UCLA in 2018. Biden’s relationship with Vilsack goes back decades. “And the belief that public education is still the great equalizer. By. “I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because he’s equipped to take on the challenges at the intersection of jobs, infrastructure, equity and climate.”. “Democracy is in retreat around the world, and unfortunately it’s also in retreat at home because of the president taking a two-by-four to its institutions, its values and its people every day,” Blinken told The Associated Press in September. Michael Regan listens as North Carolina Gov. Gina Raimondo and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, two of President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet picks, have advocated for strict gun control measures in the past. These positions must be confirmed by the Senate. “When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge,” he said. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and soon-to-be first lady Jill Biden have also named their top aides. Haaland, 60, is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and, as she likes to say, a 35th-generation resident of New Mexico. So do our adversaries. “America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is,” Kerry tweeted. Regan, who is Black, has a bachelor’s degree from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, which is a historical black university, and a master’s from George Washington University. “Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a leader, patriot, and problem-solver. President-elect Joe Biden's Director of National Intelligence nominee Avril Haines speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. And it’s a sign of how the incoming administration is heeding warnings that natural disasters from global warming will weaken U.S. defense and spur conflicts around the globe. “The passion I have for public education stems from my belief that it is the best lever for economic success and prosperity in Connecticut,” he told lawmakers. That will be one of several big ticket clean-energy efforts she and others in the administration will be pushing under Biden’s promised $2 trillion climate plan, which will face obstacles from Republicans in Congress and battles over which priorities to implement first. “My mother taught me to lead with the power of kindness and compassion to make the world a better place,” she said in a tweet Monday. She is a 35-year veteran of the State Department who served as ambassador to Liberia, director general of the foreign service and top diplomat for Africa before being forced out during the early months of the Trump administration. Tribal leaders and activists around the country, along with many Democratic figures, have urged Biden for weeks to choose Haaland. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Blinken has aligned himself with numerous former senior national security officials who have called for a major reinvestment in American diplomacy and renewed emphasis on global engagement. The role as interior secretary would put her in charge of an agency that not only has tremendous sway over the nearly 600 federally recognized tribes but also over much of the nation’s vast public lands, waterways, wildlife, national parks and mineral wealth. California clean-air regulator Mary Nichols had faced increasing objections from progressive groups, who said Nichols had not done enough to address the disproportionate harm low-income and minority communities face from living next to oil and gas installations, factories and freeways. Biden is also nominating Denis McDonough, who was Obama’s White House chief of staff, as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a sprawling agency that has presented organizational challenges for both parties over the years. Biden is already forming a government. Mr. Haines' hearing is scheduled for Friday; the other four hearings are all slated for Jan. 19, the day before Biden takes office. By Meagan Day Joe Biden’s choice to install two former BlackRock execs in his cabinet is a major signal of his deference to Wall Street and the superrich. Mayorkas has achieved some historic firsts. McDonough was previously Obama’s deputy national security adviser, including during the Navy SEAL raid in 2011 that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, and was a longtime congressional staffer. What Biden's cabinet picks really say about diversity. If confirmed, Yellen would be the first woman to lead the Treasury in its 231-year history. These officials will oversee U.S. intelligence and defense as well as spearhead relations with world leaders and international coalitions. So far, the Senate has scheduled hearings for five nominees: Avril Haines for Director of National Intelligence, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin for Defense Secretary, Janet Yellen for the Treasury, Alejandro Mayorkas for Homeland Security, and Antony Blinken for the State Department. He previously spent almost a decade at the federal EPA, including managing a national program for air-pollution issues. Having run the giant department for eight years under Obama and sat at the table with Biden, there’s little mystery to Vilsack’s expertise. Joe Biden’s pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a low-key, veteran foreign service officer, reflects the president-elect’s intent to return to a more traditional role at the world body as well as offer an olive branch to a beleaguered diplomatic corps. “She organized infection control policies within the hospital, she organized treatment studies, she was organizing testing and leading testing.”. Four of the former vice president’s selections have called for an “assault weapons” ban, and one of whom has been appointed to a top domestic policy role. Here is an updating list of Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees: Joe Biden nominated his longtime adviser Antony Blinken to be secretary of state. He was an early supporter of Biden’s first campaign for president in 1988 while Vilsack was the mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. 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