Prior to taking office on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden identified twenty-three nominees for his Cabinet, a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies. Biden’s Cabinet is mainly composed of professional politicians, and it may also be the most diverse one ever assembled.
As President Biden explained, his key consideration in nominating members of his Cabinet is to appoint members best suited to recover the economy and forge stronger relationships with foreign countries while fully representing the American public. Currently, the United States looks completely different from the Obama era since President Trump transformed its diplomatic outlook. Under his administration, prioritizing the U.S. meant to be isolated. As a result, Biden’s Cabinet must take voices within the country into account while simultaneously paying attention to the perspectives of America’s allies.
On the diplomatic team, Antony Blinken was nominated as Secretary of State, Jake Sullivan was nominated as National Security Adviser, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield was nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Their mission is to rebuild international trust in the U.S. and rejoin international agreements and organizations. These actions are necessary, given that the Trump administration has taken unfriendly stances against immigrants and foreign countries.
In terms of the economic team, former Fed Chairman Janet L. Yellen was nominated as Secretary of the Treasury, Neera Tanden was nominated as Director of Administration and Budget, and Cecilia Rouse was nominated as the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. They will implement Biden’s economic plans, and their Keynesian mark will be even stronger. The key of Biden’s economics plans is to adopt more active monetary and fiscal policies to help the U.S. economy tide over the difficulties that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. This action is a crucial step inrecovering the country’s economic losses in the past year. Moreover, Yellen’s appointment as Secretary of the Treasury will be more effective in mediating proactive fiscal policies.
By some accounts, President Biden has assembled a historic Cabinet. It is the most diverse group of presidential counselors ever. Females have been appointed to many of these positions for the first time in history. For example, Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury, is the first woman to serve this role. Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence, has become the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. intelligence community and the first female Director of National Intelligence. Additionally, Biden’s Cabinet demonstrates racial diversity. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, is the first Latino secretary in the department’s nearly 18-year history. In picking Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense, Biden chose a former four-star officer who was the first Black general to command an Army division in combat and oversee an entire theater of operations. With his confirmation, he became the first Black Secretary of Defense. Furthermore, President Biden has nominated Pete Buttigieg as Secretary Transportation, the first openly gay Cabinet secretary.
The Cabinet seems to be in good shape. Hopefully, the U.S. can conquer the pandemic successfully and collaborate with other countries for all humans’ wellbeing under the leadership of Biden and his Cabinet.