President-elect Joe Biden revealed a number of names who will join his administration in January, including former Secretary of State John Kerry to lead the fight against climate change and longtime Washington aide Antony Blinken as secretary of state.
Reports of Biden’s speculative cabinet swirled over the weekend and were confirmed when the Biden team announced the list in a press release on Monday.
Blinken has a long history in Washington, formerly served as the number two role at the State Department and as deputy national security advisor in the Obama administration.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, American national security and foreign policy will be led by experienced professionals ready to restore principled leadership on the world stage and dignified leadership at home. Read more: https://t.co/ojrTxrzafV
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 23, 2020
President Donald Trump has refused to concede the election to Biden, despite calls from some members of his own party that it is time to begin the transition phase.
Biden’s Department of Homeland security will be led by Alejandro Mayorkas, the first immigrant nominated to lead the department. The department has been under fire during the Trump administration as it has been led by acting director Chad Wolf, who was never confirmed by the Senate. The Government Accountability Office found that the DHS appointments were improper.
John Kerry will serve as the Presidential Envoy for Climate, he has a long history in Washington, D.C. He served as the secretary of state under Obama and was a longtime U.S. senator. In 2004, Kerry mounted an unsuccessful presidential bid, losing to former President George W. Bush.
In a statement, Biden said, “We have no time to lose when it comes to our national security and foreign policy. I need a team ready on Day One to help me reclaim America’s seat at the head of the table, rally the world to meet the biggest challenges we face, and advance our security, prosperity, and values. This is the crux of that team.”
He continued, “These individuals are equally as experienced and crisis-tested as they are innovative and imaginative. Their accomplishments in diplomacy are unmatched, but they also reflect the idea that we cannot meet the profound challenges of this new moment with old thinking and unchanged habits — or without diversity of background and perspective. It’s why I’ve selected them.”