President-elect Joe Biden has selected Connecticut education Commissioner Miguel Cardona to be the next U.S. secretary of education, according to The Associated Press and multiple reports. 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. Posted By: Imright, 12/21/2020 4:07:35 AM At least five of President-elect Joe Biden’s reported cabinet picks have expressed pro-gun control views in past statements, a Daily Caller News Foundation review has found. Mr. Twitter. 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. 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. Vilsack was selected in part because of the heightened hunger crisis facing the nation and the need to ensure someone was ready to run the department on day one, the person said. North Carolina Gov. President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as interior secretary, according to a person familiar with the decision, a historic pick that would make her the first Native American to lead the powerful federal agency that has wielded influence over the nation’s tribes for generations. Sullivan and Blinken maintain a close friendship and a shared philosophy about the United States’ role in the world that is expected to shape Biden’s approach in international affairs. 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. “When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge,” he said. 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. Wow! “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. Biden’s team gave little immediate detail on Monday about how he envisioned Kerry shaping the new job, which many on social media and on all sides of the climate-action spectrum were quick to dub “climate czar.” But the transition team made clear that it will be a prominent role, with Kerry becoming the first member of the National Security Council to focus exclusively on climate change. He was recruited to seek the mayor’s office, then served two terms in the Iowa Senate before being the first Democrat to win the governorship in 30 years. That makes her the most experienced diplomat of the six people named by Biden for top national security positions on Monday. 3 House Democrat who gave Biden a key nod of support in the primaries, had strongly backed her, saying, “It’s one thing to grow food, but another to dispense it, and nobody would be better at that than Marcia Fudge.″. 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. President-elect Joe Biden introduced his choices for key Cabinet positions, expanding his list of diverse and historic nominees for key roles. So do our adversaries. Regan points to his efforts to hold accountable Chemours, which is the main business blamed for the toxic PFAS pollution, and other work ranging from improving regulation of the state’s giant hog farms to releasing a plan to cut climate-damaging fossil fuel pollution from power plants by 70 percent within 10 years. A trained physicist, Haines also helped oversee a number of covert programs at the National Security Council beginning in 2010 and then as deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013-15, including the controversial targeted killing program involving precision drone strikes, some of which killed civilians. Vilsack spent eight years as head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the Obama administration and served two terms as Iowa governor. He was the highest-ranking Cuban-American under Obama. NPR is providing information on the members of the Biden team as they are announced for the White House, national security, economic policy, additional Cabinet positions and a range of other posts. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be transportation secretary, speaks after Biden announced his nomination during a news conference at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. But he’s up to a half-century or more older than the activists who pushed climate change to the forefront of national politics over the past four years. Biden to name first Cabinet picks on Tuesday, plans scaled-down inauguration Back to video. 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. Biden''s Cabinet is unlikely to be in place when he assumes the presidency on Jan. 20. ... All of the Cabinet positions would require Senate affirmation, along with a few of the different Cabinet-level positions. That difference would be felt on day one.”. McDonough, the VA nominee, is an experienced manager who was chief of staff throughout Obama’s second term. Biden will overhaul departments to remove Trump appointees and nominate officials to carry out his policy agenda. 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. Advertisement. Biden’s Cabinet picks start to move through confirmation process Dec. 17, 2020 at 6:12 am Updated Dec. 17, 2020 at 9:14 am The American flag flies … “She organized infection control policies within the hospital, she organized treatment studies, she was organizing testing and leading testing.”. At least five of President-elect Joe Biden’s reported cabinet picks have expressed pro-gun control views in past statements, a Daily Caller News Foundation review has found. An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated that the CDC director position requires Senate confirmation. The Senate, which must confirm the nominees, hasn''t scheduled hearings for many of the picks. The pick breaks a 245-year record of non-Native officials, mostly male, serving as the very top federal official over American Indian affairs. President-elect Joe Biden has finalized selections for his incoming Cabinet and top White House positions. President-elect Joe Biden, right, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, left, listen as former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, the Biden administration's choice to be veterans affairs secretary speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. JUST WATCHED Biden … U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Lloyd Austin III, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2015. Ned Lamont. Deb Haaland would be the first Native American in a cabinet secretary role, overseeing public lands. Mr. Sullivan has also worked closely with other members of Mr. Biden’s planned cabinet, succeeding Mr. Blinken as Mr. Biden’s national security adviser in 2013, when he was vice president. He speaks to the best of who we are as a nation,” Biden said in a tweet Tuesday night. He’s been part of a strong, diverse cabinet in North Carolina. He previously spent almost a decade at the federal EPA, including managing a national program for air-pollution issues. 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 … 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. Biden selected Austin over the longtime front-runner candidate, Michele Flournoy, a former senior Pentagon official and Biden supporter who would have been the first woman to serve as defense secretary. 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. Roy Cooper announces that Regan will lead the Department of Environmental Quality in North Carolina, at the Executive Manson in Raleigh, N.C., in 2017. Who Are Joe Biden's Cabinet Picks? The historic choice of Buttigieg, however, dealt a blow to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, whose behind-the-scenes pursuit of the transportation post was met with vocal opposition from top progressives and African Americans within the Democratic Party over his City Hall response to the 2014 police murder of Black teenager Laquan McDonald. President-elect Joe Biden has filled out his Cabinet picks ahead of Inauguration Day, but only one has a confirmation hearing scheduled so far. Joe Biden’s cabinet can benefit from leaning into the free market. He noted the poignancy in a tweet after his nomination was announced. tell us daily - November 25, 2020. “It is something in probably my wildest dreams I would have never thought about. 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. He was an early supporter of Biden’s first campaign for president in 1988 while Vilsack was the mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. 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. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration and has close ties with Biden. 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. 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. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel. Emanuel also informally advised Biden and his senior aides during the 2020 campaign. In the meantime, Biden continues to fill out other positions for his team. “I’m proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis as the President’s Climate Envoy.”. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and soon-to-be first lady Jill Biden have also named their top aides. Joe Biden picks members of his cabinet: Who are they and why they matter The names on the list included foreign policy and national security experts, mostly … The traditional post-election buzz about who may be tapped to serve in President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet has begun and Latino names are in the mix. 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. Emanuel, however, still could be tapped for another role in the administration. Her tenure at the State Department rivals that of previous U.N. ambassadors like Richard Holbrooke, John Negroponte and Thomas Pickering, all of them white men. Biden Reveals Cabinet Picks for National Security Posts Alejandro Mayorkas would be first Latino to head Homeland Security and Avril Haines the first … ... Biden’s first Cabinet picks diverse, historic By. Their 34-year friendship and longtime professional connection make the choice one offering little risk. While she won’t be the first African American to serve as America’s U.N. envoy — Andrew Young, who held the job during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, holds that distinction — Thomas-Greenfield’s selection is a signal to Biden supporters that his diversity message and plan to elevate career diplomats is not just lip service. Sullivan has built a lengthy résumé including a clerkship for Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer and work as chief counsel to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he worked for as the department’s head of policy planning, has described him as a “once-in-a-generation talent.”. Historic Native American 'pick for Biden cabinet' Published. Daily Caller, by Jake Dima Original Article. Thomas-Greenfield joined the State Department more than three decades ago, when Black women were even more of a rarity in the U.S. diplomatic corps than they are today. They must really like us. He also named businessman Jeff Zients as White House coronavirus coordinator, pointing to a more assertive federal coronavirus role. It was for me.”. President Trump had two Cabinet members confirmed by Inauguration Day in 2017, while former President Barack Obama had six. State officials there are grappling with contamination from PFAS industrial compounds and other industrial polluters. And he helped negotiate the first homeland security memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Cuba, where he was born. Looking for a trusted economist to lead the country’s economy out of a pandemic-driven downturn, Biden has settled on Janet Yellen, the former chair of the Federal Reserve. Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star general, is Joe Biden’s nominee for Defense Secretary. But her name was later floated for HUD as Biden’s team focused on other candidates for USDA, including Vilsack and former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. It was one of Biden’s first steps making good on campaign pledges to confront climate-damage from fossil fuel emissions more broadly and forcefully than any previous U.S. administration. “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.”. In the early years of the Obama administration, Blinken returned to the NSC and was then-Vice President Biden’s national security adviser before he moved to the State Department to serve as deputy to Kerry. … Vilsack entered politics in large part because of tragedy, when the mayor of Mount Pleasant was gunned down at a city council meeting in 1986. During his confirmation hearing before the legislature in February, Cardona described himself as a “goofy, little Puerto Rican kid” born in the Yale Acres public housing complex in Meriden. A longtime member of the House Agriculture Committee and a fierce advocate for food stamps, Fudge was originally discussed to become agriculture secretary. If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon. 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. Biden is already forming a government. These positions must be confirmed by the Senate. ET. The legislation, for which President Donald Trump tries to take credit, gave former service members more options to seek care and the VA secretary more authority to fire underperforming staffers. President-elect Joe Biden's national security adviser nominee Jake Sullivan speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. Vilsack was a finalist for Clinton’s running mate that year. Pinterest. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra talks to reporters after a news conference at UCLA in 2018. All of these officials must also be confirmed by the Senate. Joe Biden tells Senate Republicans to end obstruction and confirm his top cabinet picks immediately - and says he'd have loved Bernie Sanders to be … The Meriden, Connecticut, native took the top job overseeing the state’s K-12 schools last summer after being nominated by Gov. Jennifer Granholm speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Biden insiders have contacted the Babylon Bee to reveal some of his top cabinet picks. Opinion by Paul Begala. Biden’s selection of infectious disease expert Dr. Rochelle Walensky to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the elevation of Dr. Anthony Fauci to medical adviser, and the return of Dr. Vivek Murthy as surgeon general are being read in the medical community as a restoration of the traditionally important role of science in public health emergencies. Biden … Joe Biden named California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be his secretary of Health and Human Services, along with other key members of his health team. 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. Share. President-elect Joe Biden has picked an experienced but not widely known state regulator, Michael S. Regan of North Carolina, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Updated 0332 GMT (1132 HKT) December 12, 2020 . 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. These officials require Senate confirmation. 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. In selecting Yellen, Biden appeared to have opted for a safe and proven name, and a candidate who is expected to survive the confirmation process with some ease, unlike other economists proposed by the Democratic Party’s progressive wing who may have been less acceptable to Republicans in the Senate. Here is an updating list of Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominees: Joe Biden nominated his longtime adviser Antony Blinken to be secretary of state. 2020 elections. What Biden's cabinet picks really say about diversity. Here's what his Cabinet could look like. 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. President-elect Joe Biden has assembled his inner circle of advisers and Cabinet officials ahead of Inauguration Day. Power was a top official in the Obama administration, first on the National Security Council and later as ambassador to the United Nations. 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 Cabinet picks worked alongside influential lobbyists at private equity firm. Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who the Biden administration chose to reprise that role, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Friday, Dec. 11, 2020. They stood behind her candidacy even when concerns that Democrats might risk their majority in the House if Haaland yielded her seat in Congress appeared to threaten her nomination. “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. President-elect Joe Biden is naming Susan Rice as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, giving her broad sway over his administration’s approach to immigration, health care and racial inequality and elevating the prominence of the position in the West Wing. Take a look at the list below for a revealing look at the next administration. But she’s a groundbreaking diplomat nonetheless. Former Michigan Gov. If confirmed by the Senate, Mayorkas, 61, would be the first Hispanic, and immigrant, to lead DHS. 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. His inner circle of advisers and Cabinet officials ahead of his Inauguration have expressed pro-gun control views in administration. My family and me a place of refuge, ” Kerry tweeted groups who her! 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