Cabinet of Joe Biden: Difference between revisions

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Members of the

, do not hold constitutionally created positions and most do not require Senate confirmation for appointment.

The following have been named as Cabinet appointees by the President-elect of the United States.

Cabinet members

Cabinet of President-elect Joe Biden
Individual elected into office who does not serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States (all other cabinet members do)   Position has to be confirmed by the United States Senate   No Senate consent needed
Office Date announced / confirmed	Designee	Office Date announced / confirmed	Designee
– Vice President of the United States Announced August 11, 2020 Assuming office January 20, 2021	U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California	– Secretary of State Announced November 23, 2020	Former Deputy Secretary Antony Blinken of New York
– Secretary of the Treasury Announced November 30, 2020	Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen of California	– Secretary of Defense Announced December 8, 2020	Retired General Lloyd Austin of Georgia
– Attorney General Announced January 7, 2021	Judge Merrick Garland of Maryland	– Secretary of the Interior Announced December 17, 2020	New Mexico
– Secretary of Agriculture Announced December 10, 2020	Former Secretary Tom Vilsack of Iowa	– Secretary of Commerce Announced January 7, 2021	Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island
– Secretary of Labor Announced January 7, 2021	Martin Walsh of Massachusetts	– Secretary of Health and Human Services Announced December 7, 2020	State Attorney General Xavier Becerra of California
– Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Announced December 10, 2020	U.S. Representative Marcia Fudge of Ohio	– Secretary of Transportation Announced December 15, 2020	Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana
– Secretary of Energy Announced December 17, 2020	Former Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan	– Secretary of Education Announced December 22, 2020	File:Miguel A Cardona.jpg State Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona of Connecticut
– Secretary of Veterans Affairs Announced December 10, 2020	Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough of Minnesota	– Secretary of Homeland Security Announced November 23, 2020	Former Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of California
Cabinet-level officials
Office Date announced / confirmed	Designee	Office Date announced / confirmed	Designee
– White House Chief of Staff Announced November 12, 2020 Assuming office January 20, 2021	Former Chief of Staff to the Vice President Ron Klain of Indiana	– United States Trade Representative Announced December 10, 2020	Ways and Means Chief Trade Counsel Katherine Tai of Washington, D.C.
– Director of National Intelligence Announced November 23, 2020	Dep. National Security Advisor Avril Haines of New York	– Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Announced January 11, 2021	William Joseph Burns of Pennsylvania
– Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Announced December 17, 2020	NCDEQ Secretary Michael S. Regan of North Carolina	– Administrator of the Small Business Administration Announced January 7, 2021	Isabel Casillas Guzman of California
– Director of the Office of Management and Budget Announced November 30, 2020	President of the Center for American Progress Neera Tanden of Massachusetts	– United States Ambassador to the United Nations Announced November 23, 2020	Former Asst. Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield of Louisiana
– Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Announced November 30, 2020	Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs Cecilia Rouse of California	– U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Announced November 23, 2020 Assuming office January 20, 2021	Former Secretary of State John Kerry of Massachusetts

Elected officials

President

On November 7, 2020, it was announced that Democrat Joe Biden defeated the incumbent president, Donald Trump, in the 2020 presidential election. Joe Biden received 306 electoral votes compared to Trump's 232 electoral votes, with 270 needed to win the presidency.

Joe Biden was elected president of the United States. When Biden assumes office on January 20, 2021, he will become the United States' oldest president at 78 years old.

President of the United States
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Joe Biden	November 20, 1942 (age 81)	47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017) Democratic presidential candidate (1988, 2008, 2020) U.S. Senator from Delaware (1973–2009) New Castle County Councilman , 4th district (1970–1972)	[3]

Vice President

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was elected vice president of the United States, receiving 306 electoral votes, compared to the incumbent vice president, Mike Pence, who received 232 electoral votes. The vice president does not require Senate confirmation as the vice presidency is an elected position^[a] and the vice president does not serve at the president's pleasure.

When Harris assumes the office on January 20, 2021, she will become the first female vice president of the United States as well as the first African American and Asian American to hold the second highest office.

Vice President of the United States
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Kamala Harris	October 20, 1964 (age 59)	U.S. Senator from California (2017–present) Democratic presidential candidate (2020) 32nd Attorney General of California (2011–2017) 27th District Attorney of San Francisco (2004–2011)	[4]

Nominated candidates for Cabinet positions

The following cabinet positions are listed in order of their creation (also used as the basis for the United States presidential line of succession).

Secretary of State

A nomination for Secretary of State

for a vote.

Secretary of State
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Antony Blinken	April 16, 1962 (age 62)	18th Deputy Secretary of State (2015–2017) Deputy National Security Advisor (2013–2015) National Security Advisor to the Vice President (2009–2013)	[5]

Secretary of the Treasury

A nomination for Secretary of the Treasury is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Finance Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of the Treasury
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Janet Yellen	August 13, 1946 (age 77)	15th Chair of the Federal Reserve (2014–2018) 19th Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve (2010–2014) 11th President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (2004–2010) 18th Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (1997–1999) Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (1994–1997; 2010–2018)	[6]

Secretary of Defense

A nomination for Secretary of Defense

Secretary of Defense
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Lloyd Austin	August 8, 1953 (age 70)	Commander of U.S. Central Command (2013–2016) Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (2012–2013) Commanding General of U.S. Forces – Iraq (2010–2011)	[8]

Attorney General

A nomination for Attorney General is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Judiciary Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Attorney General
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Merrick Garland	November 13, 1952 (age 71)	Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2013–2020) Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (1997–present)	[9]

Secretary of the Interior

A nomination for Secretary of the Interior is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. President-elect Joe Biden reportedly offered the position to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, but she turned it down.^[10]

Secretary of the Interior
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Deb Haaland	December 2, 1960 (age 63)	U.S. Representative for NM-01 (2019–present) Chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party (2015–2017) Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico (2014)	[11]

Secretary of Agriculture

A nomination for Secretary of Agriculture is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Agriculture
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Tom Vilsack	December 13, 1950 (age 73)	30th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (2009–2017) 40th Governor of Iowa (1999–2007) Member of the Iowa Senate (1993–1999) Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa (1987–1992)	[12]

Secretary of Commerce

A nomination for Secretary of Commerce is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Commerce
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Gina Raimondo	May 17, 1971 (age 53)	75th Governor of Rhode Island (2015–present) 30th General Treasurer of Rhode Island (2011–2015)	[13]

Secretary of Labor

A nomination for Secretary of Labor is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Labor
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Marty Walsh	April 10, 1967 (age 57)	54th Mayor of Boston (2014–present) Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1997–2014)	[14]

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Although historically the nominee also holds meetings with the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, officially a nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the United States Senate Committee on Finance, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Health and Human Services
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Xavier Becerra	January 26, 1958 (age 66)	33rd Attorney General of California (2017–present) U.S. Representative for CA-34 (2013–2017) U.S. Representative for CA-31 (2003–2013) U.S. Representative for CA-30 (1993–2003) Member of the California State Assembly (1990–1992)	[5]

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

A nomination for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Marcia Fudge	October 29, 1952 (age 71)	U.S. Representative for OH-11 (2008–present) Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (2013–2015) Mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio (2000–2008)	[15]

Secretary of Transportation

A nomination for Secretary of Transportation is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Transportation
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Pete Buttigieg	January 19, 1982 (age 42)	Democratic presidential candidate (2020) 32nd Mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020) Intelligence analyst in the U.S. Navy Reserve (2009–2017)[16] Democratic nominee for Indiana State Treasurer (2010)	[17]

Secretary of Energy

The nomination of a secretary-designate is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Energy
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Jennifer Granholm	February 5, 1959 (age 65)	47th Governor of Michigan (2003–2011) 51st Attorney General of Michigan (1999–2003)	[18]

Secretary of Education

A nomination for Secretary of Education is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

A nomination for Secretary of Veterans Affairs is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Denis McDonough	December 2, 1969 (age 54)	26th White House Chief of Staff (2013–2017) Deputy National Security Advisor (2010–2013) Chief of Staff of the National Security Council (2009–2010)	[20]

Secretary of Homeland Security

A nomination for Secretary of Homeland Security is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote.

Secretary of Homeland Security
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Alejandro Mayorkas	November 24, 1959 (age 64)	6th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (2013–2016) Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (2009–2013) U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California (1998–2001)	[5]

Nominated candidates for Cabinet-level positions

Cabinet-level officials have positions that are considered to be of Cabinet level, but which are not part of the Cabinet. Which exact positions are considered part of the presidential cabinet can vary with the president. The

The White House chief of staff has traditionally been the highest-ranking employee of the White House. The responsibilities of the chief of staff are both managerial and advisory over the president's official business. The chief of staff is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president; it does not require Senate confirmation. The first Cabinet or Cabinet-level position appointee announced by Biden was White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain.^[21]

White House Chief of Staff
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Ron Klain	August 8, 1961 (age 62)	White House Ebola Response Coordinator (2014–2015) Chief of Staff to Vice President Joe Biden (2009–2011) Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore (1995–1999)	[5]

U.S. Trade Representative

The U.S. Trade Representative has been a Cabinet-level member since 1974, the beginning of Gerald Ford's presidency.

U.S. Trade Representative
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Katherine Tai	1974 or 1975 (age 48–49)[22]	Chief Trade Counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee (2017–present) Trade Counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee (2014–2017) Chief Counsel for China Trade Enforcement, Trade Representative's Office of General Counsel (2011–2014)	[5]

Director of National Intelligence

Director of National Intelligence
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Avril Haines	August 29, 1969 (age 54)	Deputy National Security Advisor (2015–2017) 4th Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2013–2015)	[5]

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	William Joseph Burns	April 4, 1956 (age 68)	17th United States Deputy Secretary of State (2011–2014) Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2008–2011) U.S. Ambassador to Russia (2005–2008) Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (2001–2005) U.S. Ambassador to Jordan (1998–2001) Executive Secretary of the State Department (1996–1998)	[23]

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Michael S. Regan	1975 or 1976 (age 48–49)	2nd Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (2017–present)	[24]

Administrator of the Small Business Administration

Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Isabel Casillas Guzman	1971 (age 52–53)	Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (2009–2017) Small Business Advocate Director (2019–present)	[25][26]

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Neera Tanden	September 10, 1970 (age 53)	President and CEO of the Center for American Progress (2011–present) Senior Advisor to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (2009–2014) Domestic Policy Director for the Obama presidential campaign (2008)	[5]

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

President-elect Biden plans to elevate the ambassador to the UN position to Cabinet-level status.^[27] The nomination of the ambassador-designate is reviewed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and presented to the Senate for a full vote.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Linda Thomas-Greenfield	1952 (age 71–72)	18th Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (2013–2017) Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service (2012–2013) U.S. Ambassador to Liberia (2008–2012)	[5]

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors

President-elect Biden plans to elevate the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors position to Cabinet-level status.

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	Cecilia Rouse	December 18, 1963 (age 60)	Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (2012–present) Member of the Council of Economic Advisors (2009–2011)	[5]

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Portrait	Name	Date of birth	Background	Reference
	John Kerry	December 11, 1943 (age 80)	68th U.S. Secretary of State (2013–2017) U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (1985–2013) Democratic nominee for President of the United States (2004) 66th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1983–1985)	[28]

See also

• Inauguration of Joe Biden
• Political appointments by Joe Biden
• Presidential transition of Joe Biden

References

Notes

Citations