A New Team for a New President: Inside Joe Biden’s Cabinet

By Ava M. '22

The Biden Transition Team was faced with a difficult task in the weeks surrounding the inauguration — announcing the nominations for Joe Biden's Cabinet. The Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require. On the campaign trail, Biden promised to be “a president for all Americans” and to build a Cabinet that reflects the country's diversity. If confirmed, his Cabinet will be more diverse than both the Cabinets of the Trump and Obama Administrations. 

Lloyd Austin was confirmed for Secretary of Defense, making him the first Black Secretary of State. Austin was a four-star general who retired from the Army in 2016 after forty-one years of service and served on the board of Raytheon. Austin will provide much needed experience to Biden and his security team as a vetern who fully grasps the realities of modern conflict. 

Antony Blinken has been confirmed as Biden’s Secretary of State. Blinken is the longtime aide of President Biden and served as his National Security Advisor during the Obama Administration, as well as serving President Obama as his Deputy Secretary of State from 2015-2017. 

For Treasury Secretary, the Senate confirmed Janet Yellen, the former Federal Reserve Chair. Biden’s Cabinet pick will play a crucial role in his plans to provide coronavirus relief, and Yellen has expressed willingness to use fiscal measures to stimulate economic recovery. Yellen is also the first woman to lead the Department of Treasury.

On January 6th, Biden announced his nomination of Merrick Garland, U.S. Circuit Judge and 2015 Supreme Court Nominee, for Attorney General. His nomination was fueled by his belief that Garland can “rise above politics in the post-Trump era,” and, if nominated, Garland will become the chief legal advisor to the president. 

In agreement with his pledge to nominate a Cabinet that “looks like America”, Biden nominated New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary. If confirmed, Haaland would become the first Native American to lead an executive department that works to determine policy for federally-owned natural resources, including tribal land. 

Tom Vilisack was confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture. He was the previous Obama Administration Secretary of Agriculture and served as the former Iowa Governor, in addition to being a prominent supporter of President Biden. 

Gina Raimondo is the first female governor of Rhode Island and has been serving since 2015. She was selected by Biden and his team as the nominee for Secretary of Commerce. Raimondo is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party with experience in both government and finance. She served as Rhode Island's General Treasurer from 2011 to 2015 and tackled the state's $7 billion unfunded pension liability as well as ushering forward the Rhode Island Retirement Security Act of 2011 to bi-partisian support. 

Bidens' pick to lead the Department of Labor was Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Walsh served as the head of Boston Trades Council and received overwhelming support from affiliates of The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Ohio Representative Marcia Fudge was selected as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, despite lobbying Biden to become the nation's first Black Secretary of Agriculture, a position appointed to Tom Valisack. 

Biden named California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If Becerra is appointed, he will be faced with the formidable mission of reshaping the department amid a pandemic and rebuilding the relationship between public-health officials and presidential nominees in the wake of infighting during the Trump Administration. 

Pete Buttigieg, who ran against Joe Biden in the Democratic Presidential Election in 2020, was nominated as Secretary of Transportation. He will advise on transportation policy and oversee all matters relating to federal transportation. Buttigieg is also the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Miguel Cardona was nominated as the Education Department Secretary. Cardona was the top education official in Connecticut and supports in-school learning amidst the pandemic, aligning with Biden’s push to return kids to school within his first one-hundred days as president.  

Biden nominated former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm as the Secretary of Energy. Granholm diversified Michigan by emphasizing a “green economy,” as well as focusing on the manufacturing of wind turbines, solar panels, advanced batteries, and electric vehicles. Her experience is an asset to Biden as he works to prioritize green energy. 

Obama’s White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough was confirmed Secretary of Veterans Affairs despite complaints by leading veterans organizations that he has never served in the armed forces. He will advise on federal government services for veterans, including health care and financial and educational benefits.

Finally, to round out his Cabinet, Biden selected Alejandro Mayorkas for Secretary of Homeland Security. Mayorkas was the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under Obama and served as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama Administration. Post-confirmation, Mayorkas has become the first Latino and immigrant to serve as the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

Biden has placed significant emphasis on the diversity and experience of his Cabinet, opting for well-known Washington figures and figures that worked under the Obama Administration. As of February 24th, seven Cabinet members have been confirmed, five nominees are waiting for Senate confirmation, and three nominees are under review by their respective committees. Even after the lengthy confirmation process, President Biden and his team will still face chief challenges in navigating the United States through an unpredictable period of economic and political unrest.