Biden Cabinet And Staff Announcements

What might a President Biden cabinet and senior staff turn out to be? We may find out as soon as today.

Politics
Despite Donald Trump’s continued claims that the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud and stolen from him, President-elect Joe Biden has been hard at work considering top Oval Office staffers, advisers, and potential cabinet members. Already, Mr. Biden named respected Washington insider Ron Klain as his incoming chief of staff.  On Tuesday, he will announce Jen O’Malley Dillon, who served as his campaign manager, to be deputy chief of staff and Steve Ricchetti as a special counselor to the president.

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Additionally, Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana will resign from Congress to become a senior West Wing adviser to the president. Richmond is a co-chair of the Biden transition team and presidential campaign and previously served as chairman of the influential Congressional Black Caucus.  He is expected to play a role similar to that of Valerie Jarrett during the Obama administration.

President-elect Biden is charged with selecting someone to lead the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs.  He will also need to fill dozens of top-level staff positions in the coming weeks.  So, let’s play along and take a look at a few notable names and how/where they might fit in the Biden administration.
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SUSAN RICE

After serving as UN ambassador and national security adviser under former President Obama, Susan Rice was on the short-list to become Joe Biden’s vice-presidential pick. Adding her to the cabinet as Secretary of State would provide Mr. Biden the opportunity to still rely on her judgment and expertise as a member of his administration.

Ms. Rice is well known and respected in the international community and would not need months of on-the-job training to step directly into the US State Department and have it immediately up and running on day one.
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PETE BUTTIGIEG

Seen as a rising force within the Democratic Party, “Mayor Pete” is attempting to shed his small-town mayor image in order to make another future run for the presidency. With that said, gaining foreign policy experience and international recognition is high on his list of priorities. Don’t be surprised if Buttigieg is named UN Ambassador — a position that would provide him the knowledge and gravitas he needs for another presidential run.
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BERNIE SANDERS

When Sen. Sanders willingly stepped out of the way and embraced Joe Biden as the 2020 Democratic nominee, some political operatives presumed a wink-and-a-nod deal was made to name Sanders to a Biden cabinet position. Now, the senator has gone public on cable news networks actively touting his desire to become Secretary of Labor.

For convincing progressive Democrats to get onboard with Biden, the president-elect would be a fool not to grant Bernie his political wish and Biden cabinet dream job as Secretary of Labor.
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TAMMY DUCKWORTH

Although she was considered for the vice-presidency, Sen. Duckworth of Illinois never made it to the Biden short-list. However, as an Asian-American of Thai descent who was wounded in battle and lost both her legs while serving as an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, her story is picture-perfect to become Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs.
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SALLY YATES

She was fired by Donald Trump from her role as acting attorney general for daring to blow the whistle on ‘The Donald’s’ executive orders on immigration and refugees. What poetic justice it would be if President-elect Biden named the fired acting attorney general as his pick to run the US Justice Department as Attorney General.
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KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS

The recent Biden campaign co-chair and current Mayor of Atlanta is another rising force within the Democratic Party. Mr. Biden and party operatives see a bright future for her in politics and would like to jumpstart her political career with a Biden cabinet post. It would come as no surprise if Ms. Bottoms traded in her title as mayor to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
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VIVEK MURTHY

He was the Surgeon General under former President Obama and currently serves as head of the Biden coronavirus advisory board. Now, this revered doctor of internal medicine of Indian descent could become the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
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STACEY ABRAMS

When Ms. Abrams and her political action committee delivered the formerly ruby-red state of Georgia for Joe Biden, she immediately cemented her role as a force to be reckoned with in Democratic politics. Not only has she proven that she is a veritable King-maker, but she has earned the right to just about whatever job she wants.

A cabinet post or advisory role may not be enough for her now. Perhaps President-elect Biden should strongly consider handing over the reigns of the party to her as Chairwoman of the Democratic Party. If she can recreate her electoral success in Georgia and apply that formula to national races in 2022, Stacey Abrams just might be crowned the Democratic G.O.A.T.
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Others names under consideration include:

Lael Brainard – Treasury Secretary
A current member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and former undersecretary of the US Department of the Treasury and counselor to the secretary of the Treasury during the Obama administration.

Michèle Flournoy – Defense Secretary
A former undersecretary of defense for policy under President Obama and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy. If selected and confirmed, she’d be the first female Secretary of Defense in US history

Sen. Angus King – Director of National Intelligence

Gov. Jay Inslee (Washington) – Director of the Environmental Protection Agency

Andrew Yang – US Trade Representative

OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Possible Joe Biden cabinet picks.