Members of the Cabinet of the United States in the Biden administration will assume office after President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20, 2021, and after confirmation by the United States Senate. Biden's presidential transition team vetted numerous candidates, including Republicans.[1][2]

Announced nominees

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All members of the Cabinet of the United States require the advice and consent of the United States Senate following appointment by the president before taking office. The vice presidency is exceptional in that the position requires election to office pursuant to the United States Constitution. Although some are afforded cabinet-level rank, non-cabinet members within the Executive Office of the President, such as White House chief of staff, 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

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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

 
U.S. Senator
Chris Murphy
of Connecticut
 

Secretary of the Treasury
Announced November 30, 2020


U.S. Senator
Elizabeth Warren
of Massachusetts
 

Secretary of Defense
Announced December 8, 2020

 
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Michèle Flournoy
of Maryland
 

Attorney General
Announced January 7, 2021

 
Former Deputy Attorney General
Sally Yates
of Georgia
 

Secretary of the Interior
Announced December 17, 2020

 
U.S. Representative
Deb Haaland
of New Mexico
 

Secretary of Agriculture
Announced December 10, 2020

 
U.S. Representative
Marcia Fudge
of Ohio
 

Secretary of Commerce
Announced January 7, 2021

 
Businesswoman
Meg Whitman
of California
 

Secretary of Labor
Announced January 7, 2021

 
U.S. Representative
Andy Levin
of Michigan
 

Secretary of Health and Human Services
Announced December 7, 2020

 
Governor
Michelle Lujan Grisham
of New Mexico
 

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Announced December 10, 2020

 
Mayor
Keisha Lance Bottoms
of Georgia
 

Secretary of Transportation
Announced December 15, 2020

 
Former Secretary of Transportation
Anthony Foxx
of North Carolina
 

Secretary of Energy
Announced December 17, 2020

 
Former Governor
John Kasich
of Ohio
 

Secretary of Education
Announced December 22, 2020

 
President of the American Federation of Teachers
Randi Weingarten
of New York
 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Announced December 10, 2020

 
Former Secretary of State of Missouri
Jason Kander
of Missouri
 

Secretary of Homeland Security
Announced November 23, 2020

 
Former Deputy Secretary
Alejandro Mayorkas
of California

Cabinet-level officials

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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

 
Former Dep. National Security Advisor
Avril Haines
of New York
 

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

To be announced
 

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

 
Small Business Advocate Director
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 Mayor
Pete Buttigieg
of Indiana
 

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

References

  1. ^ "Meet the contenders for Biden's Cabinet". Politico. November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "Republicans who could serve in a Biden government". The Hill. November 11, 2020.

Elected officials

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President

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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)
[1]

Vice President

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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 60)
[2]

Nominated candidates for Cabinet positions

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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

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

Secretary of State
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Antony Blinken April 16, 1962
(age 62)
[3]

Secretary of the Treasury

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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 78)
[4]

Secretary of Defense

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A nomination for Secretary of Defense is reviewed during hearings held by the members of the Armed Services Committee, then presented to the full Senate for a vote. Biden's announced nominee, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin, will require a congressional waiver to be granted under the National Security Act of 1947 before he can be confirmed.[5]

Secretary of Defense
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Lloyd Austin August 8, 1953
(age 71)
[6]

Attorney General

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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 72)
[7]

Secretary of the Interior

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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.[8]

Secretary of the Interior
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Deb Haaland December 2, 1960
(age 63)
[9]

Secretary of Agriculture

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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)
[10]

Secretary of Commerce

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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)
[11]

Secretary of Labor

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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)
[12]

Secretary of Health and Human Services

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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)
[3]

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

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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 72)
[13]

Secretary of Transportation

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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)
[15]

Secretary of Energy

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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)
[16]

Secretary of Education

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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 Education
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
Miguel Cardona July 11, 1975
(age 49)
[17]

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

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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)
[18]

Secretary of Homeland Security

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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)

[3]

Nominated candidates for Cabinet-level positions

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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 CIA and FEMA were cabinet-level agencies under Bill Clinton, but not George W. Bush. The head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, also known as the drug czar, was a cabinet-level position under both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, but not under Barack Obama. It is not to be confused with the head of the DEA, who has remained in the org chart underneath the cabinet position held by the Attorney General. Members of the cabinet and cabinet-level officials meet with the president in a room adjacent to the Oval Office.

White House Chief of Staff

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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.[19]

White House Chief of Staff
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Ron Klain August 8, 1961
(age 63)
[3]

U.S. Trade Representative

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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)[20] [3]

Director of National Intelligence

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Director of National Intelligence
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Avril Haines August 29, 1969
(age 55)
[3]

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

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Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

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Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Michael S. Regan 1975 or 1976 (age 48–49) [21]

Administrator of the Small Business Administration

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Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Isabel Casillas Guzman 1971
(age 52–53)
[22][23]

Director of the Office of Management and Budget

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Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
  Neera Tanden September 10, 1970
(age 54)
[3]

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

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President-elect Biden plans to elevate the ambassador to the UN position to Cabinet-level status.[24] 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)
[3]

Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors

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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)
[3]

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate

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U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Portrait Name Date of birth Background Reference
John Kerry December 11, 1943
(age 80)
[25]

See also

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References

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Notes
  1. ^ Unless it becomes vacant during a term, in which case the president nominates a replacement who requires confirmation from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Citations
  1. ^ "Joe Biden: The President-Elect". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  2. ^ "Kamala Harris: The Vice President-Elect". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Cabinet". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  4. ^ Franck, Thomas (November 30, 2020). "Biden announces economic team, confirms Janet Yellen as Treasury nominee". CNBC. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  5. ^ Wilkie, Christina; Macias, Amanda (December 8, 2020). "Biden defends nomination of recently retired Gen. Lloyd Austin for Defense secretary". CNBC. Washington. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Seligman, Lara; Pager, Tyler; O'Brien, Connor; Bertrand, Natasha (December 7, 2020). "Biden picks retired general Lloyd Austin to run Pentagon". POLITICO. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; December 8, 2020 suggested (help)
  7. ^ "Biden to name Judge Merrick Garland as attorney general". AP NEWS. January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Alonso-zaldivar, Ricardo. "Sources: Lujan Grisham offered, turned down Interior post". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  9. ^ Eilperin, Juliet; Grandoni, Dino. "Biden picks Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) to be first Native American interior secretary". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  10. ^ Nichols, Hans. "Biden to pick Vilsack for agriculture secretary, Fudge for HUD". Axios. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Biden to nominate Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo to be commerce secretary". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Conradis, Brandon (January 7, 2021). "Biden taps Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for Labor secretary: report". TheHill. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "Biden to tap Marcia Fudge to lead housing agency". POLITICO. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Easley, Jonathan (May 5, 2019). "Documents provide glimpse into Buttigieg's military service". TheHill. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Nick Niedzwiadek (December 16, 2020). "Biden points to 'precedent-busting appointments' as he rolls out Buttigieg pick". Politico. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  16. ^ "Biden to tap former Michigan Gov. Granholm to lead Energy Department". POLITICO. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  17. ^ Meckler, Laura; Strauss, Valerie; Viser, Matt (December 22, 2020). "Biden picks Miguel Cardona, Connecticut schools chief, as education secretary". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  19. ^ Schrer, Michael (November 11, 2020). "Biden's choice of Ron Klain to run White House signals rejection of Trump-era chaos". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; November 12, 2020 suggested (help)
  20. ^ 唐家婕 (December 10, 2020). "拜登提名的贸易代表戴琪是谁?". Radio Free Asia. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  21. ^ Dennis, Brady; Mufson, Steven; Eilperin, Juliet. "Biden picks top North Carolina environmental official to run EPA". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  22. ^ Collins, Andrew Restuccia and Eliza (January 8, 2021). "Biden Taps Boston Mayor, Rhode Island Governor for Cabinet Positions". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "Isabel Guzman, Small Business Administrator". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  24. ^ Jakes, Lara; Crowley, Michael; Sanger, David E. (November 23, 2020). "Biden Chooses Antony Blinken, Defender of Global Alliances, as Secretary of State". The New York Times. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  25. ^ Sullivan, Kate. "Biden prioritizes climate crisis by naming John Kerry special envoy". CNN. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
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Cabinet Biden, Joe