Jan. 11, 2020 Tracking Biden’s picks for Cabinet-level and high-ranking posts President-elect Joe Biden is rolling out his picks for Cabinet heads and other high-ranking administration officials. Some of these appointments — namely, secretaries of various departments — must be confirmed by the Senate. Others, like the national security adviser, do not need to be confirmed. Here are Biden’s nominees and appointees thus far. This post was last updated on Jan. 8, 2021. Cabinet nominees = NOMINATED, MUST BE CONFIRMED BY SENATE Antony Blinken Janet Yellen Lloyd Austin III Merrick Garland Deb Haaland SECRETARY OF STATE TREASURY SECRETARY DEFENSE SECRETARY ATTORNEY GENERAL INTERIOR SECRETARY NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED Blinken was a deputy national If confirmed, Yellen would be Austin is a retired Army Garland was previously the If confirmed, Haaland will be security adviser and deputy the first female Treasury general and the former chief judge of the U.S. Court of the first Native American secretary of State during secretary. commander of U.S. Central Appeals in Washington, D.C. Cabinet secretary. President Barack Obama’s Yellen, a widely respected Command. In 2016, Garland was She was one of the first two administration. labor economist, was the first Austin would require a nominated to the Supreme Native American women woman to serve as chair of the waiver to serve as secretary, Court by Obama, though his elected to Congress and at the Federal Reserve from 2014 to like former Secretary Jim nomination was never brought time of her nomination was 2018. Mattis, as he has not be out to a vote in the Senate. vice chair of the Natural of the military for the Resources Committee. required seven years. Tom Vilsack Gina Raimondo Marty Walsh Xavier Becerra Marcia Fudge AGRICULTURE SECRETARY COMMERCE SECRETARY LABOR SECRETARY HHS SECRETARY HUD SECRETARY NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED Vilsack previously served as At the time of her nomination, At the time of his nomination, If confirmed, Becerra will be At the time of her nomination, President Barack Obama’s Raimondo was governor of Walsh was the mayor of the first Latino Health and Fudge was a U.S. representa- secretary of Agriculture for Rhode Island. She was Boston. Human Services secretary. tive from Ohio. She was also eight years and was also previously the state’s general Prior to his election as mayor, Becerra succeeded Kamala mayor of Warrensville Heights previously the governor of treasurer. he served as a union Harris as California’s attorney for eight years prior to her Iowa. Vilsack was selected in She previously worked in president and was also a state general. He was previously a time in the House. order to focus on rural venture capital and founded representative from 1997 to U.S. representative for more Fair housing is expected to be communities, farmers and her own firm. 2013. than two decades. a top priority at HUD during low-income families. the Biden administration. Pete Buttigieg Jennifer Granholm Miguel Cardona Denis McDonough Alejandro Mayorkas TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY ENERGY SECRETARY EDUCATION SECRETARY VA SECRETARY DHS SECRETARY NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED If confirmed, Buttigieg would Granholm was the first At the time of his nomination From 2013 to 2017, If confirmed, Mayorkas will be be the first openly LGBT woman elected governor of Cardona was Connecticut’s McDonough was President the first Latino Homeland Cabinet secretary. Michigan and previously commissioner of education. He Barack Obama’s chief of staff. Security secretary. Buttigieg was formerly mayor served as the state’s attorney is also a fomer public school He was also previously a Mayorkas served as deputy of South Bend, Ind., and ran general. She founded the teacher. national security adviser for DHS secretary in the Obama for president in the 2020 American Jobs Project, a In a statement following the Obama. He is not a veteran; administration from 2013 to Democratic primary season. national initiative to promote announcement, the transition often the VA secretary is 2016. He also previously served in clean energy. team said one of Cardona’s someone who has served in the U.S. military and as a priorities would be safely the military. consultant for McKinsey. reopening schools amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Cabinet-level and other high-ranking officials Katherine Tai Avril Haines Neera Tanden Michael Regan Isabel Guzman US TRADE REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR OF NAT’L. INTELLIGENCE OMB DIRECTOR EPA ADMINISTRATOR SBA ADMINISTRATOR NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED If confirmed, Tai would be the Haines is the first woman to be At the time of her nomination, If confirmed, Regan would be Guzman is currently the first woman of color and Asian appointed director of National Tanden was president of the the first Black man to serve as director of California’s Office of American to serve as USTR. Intelligence. Center for American Progress, EPA administrator. the Small Business Advocate. She previously worked at the At the time of her nomination, During the Obama administra- a think tank in Washington, At the time of his nomination, SBA during the Obama Tai was a lawyer for the tion, Haines served as deputy D.C. She was an adviser to Regan was secretary of North administration. House Ways and Means national security adviser and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Carolina’s Department of Committee. She previously led was the first female deputy presidential campaign and has Environmental Quality. He has China enforcement at USTR. CIA director. advised other Democratic previously worked at the EPA presidential campaigns. under Republican and Democratic presidents. Linda Thomas-Greenfield Vivek Murthy Cecilia Rouse Brenda Mallory Rochelle Walensky U.N. AMBASSADOR SURGEON GENERAL CHAIR, COUNCIL OF ECON. ADVISERS COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL CDC DIRECTOR QUALITY CHAIR NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOMINATED NOT A SENATE-CONFIRMED ROLE Thomas-Greenfield is a Murthy previously served as If confirmed, Rouse would be If confirmed, Mallory would be If confirmed, Walensky will be veteran diplomat who was an surgeon general in the Obama the first Black woman to chair the first African American to the third woman to head the assistant secretary of State administration beginning in the Council of Economic serve as CEQ chair. CDC. during the Obama administra- 2014, and as a holdover in the Advisers. At the time of her nomination At the time of her nomination, tion. early Trump administration. At the time of her nomination, Mallory was the director of Walensky was the chief of the He is a former vice admiral in Rouse was dean of the regulatory policy for the Division of Infectious Diseases the Public Health Service Princeton School of Public and Southern Environmental Law at Massachusetts General Commissioned Corps and is International Affairs. She was Center. She served as general Hospital and a professor at also a member of Biden’s previously a member of counsel for the CEQ during the Harvard Medical School. Covid-19 task force. Obama’s CEA and President Obama administration. Bill Clinton’s National Economic Council. John Kerry Ronald Klain Jake Sullivan SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CLIMATE CHIEF OF STAFF NAT’L. SECURITY ADVISER NOT A SENATE-CONFIRMED ROLE NOT A SENATE-CONFIRMED ROLE NOT A SENATE-CONFIRMED ROLE Kerry was secretary of State Klain was a senior adviser to Sullivan was Biden’s national during Obama’s second term. the Biden campaign, vice security adviser during the He also helped negotiate and presidential chief of staff from Obama administration. signed the Paris climate 2009 to 2011 and was agreement to lower green- appointed by the Obama house gas emissions. He was administration to coordinate its Sources: The White House, Biden presidential transition, POLITICO staff reports, the Democratic presidential response to the Ebola Getty Images, CNN, Reuters, The Washington Post nominee in 2004. pandemic. By Taylor Miller Thomas and Cristina Rivero, POLITICO Pro DataPoint.