Biden Begins Choosing Cabinet

President-elect Joe Biden won’t take office until January 20, but in the meantime, he has a lot of work to do. He has begun choosing advisers, aides, and cabinet members. These people will make up his administration. Here, Election Central looks at some of Biden’s top picks.

Chief of Staff

The White House Chief of Staff oversees the daily operations of the many people that work for the president. For this critical role, Biden has selected Ron Klain, a lawyer who was Biden’s first chief of staff when he was vice president. Biden and Klain worked closely together to help the nation recover from a major economic recession, as well as the Ebola outbreak of 2014. This position does not require Senate confirmation.

U.S. Trade Representative

One of the significant issues that the Biden administration will need to face is the difficult trade situation between the United States and China. It was a major priority of the Trump administration and continues to be one for President-elect Biden. Biden has chosen Katherine Tai, who currently serves as chief trade advisor for the House Committee on Ways and Means. If confirmed by the Senate, she will become the first woman of color to serve in this position.

Secretary of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a complicated agency. It supports farmers and ranchers, but is also responsible for the U.S. Forest Service, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, as well as school meals for low-income families. Biden’s selection, Tom Vilsack, isn’t new to the job; he headed up the Department of Agriculture during all eight years of Obama’s presidency. He has also served as governor of Iowa.

Secretary of Defense

Biden’s pick for the head of the Department of Defense has met with some criticism. Lloyd Austin is a retired U.S. Army four-star general. While that might seem like a good choice for the department that helps oversee the Pentagon and many military organizations, there is a rule that a former military officials must wait seven years after retirement before being eligible for this position. Austin has only been retired for four years. Biden supports his choice and describes Austin as entirely qualified. If this controversy is overcome, Austin will be the first African American chosen for this cabinet position.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD is responsible for affordable housing–an area of critical concern during the current pandemic and housing crisis. For this critical role, Biden has chosen Ohio Representative Marcia Fudge. A former mayor of a Cleveland suburb, Fudge has made a name for herself in Congress by fighting for affordable housing and policies to fight poverty, hunger, and inequality. If confirmed, Fudge will be the first African American woman to hold the role since the 1970s.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Denis McDonough, Biden’s pick for the head of Veterans Affairs, served as Obama’s chief of staff during his second term. McDonough did not serve in the military, which makes the choice unusual. But McDonough has experience navigating complex government bureaucracy and problems, which is important for the job. The VA runs the largest health care network in the country. McDonough must be confirmed by the Senate.

Head of Domestic Policy Council

For this role, Biden chose Susan Rice, who was one of his finalists for vice president this year. Rice served on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton, and UN ambassador and national security adviser under President Barack Obama. Rice’s selection does not require Senate confirmation.

National Security Adviser

Jake Sullivan will serve as the top adviser to the president on national security issues. Sullivan was Biden’s national security adviser when he was vice president, as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff. Sullivan does not need to be confirmed by the Senate.

Press Secretary

Biden’s White House Press Secretary will be Jen Psaki, who was communications director and the spokesperson for the State Department under President Obama. The job of press secretary doesn’t require Senate confirmation.

Dig Deeper Choose one of the people mentioned above and use Internet resources to learn more about them. Write a paragraph sharing what you find.