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Joe Biden's Cabinet
Joe Biden's Cabinet
Administration: News • Joe Biden's Cabinet • Confirmation process for Cabinet nominees • Confirmation votes by senator • Executive orders and actions • Key legislation • Vetoes • White House staff • Ambassadors • Special envoys • Weekly addresses • Multistate lawsuits
Transition: White House senior staff • Agency review teams • Certification of electoral votes • 2020 presidential election
A presidential Cabinet is a group of senior federal officials who advise the president on the issues and activities of their respective agencies. The number of officials in a Cabinet can vary across presidential administrations. There are 26 officials in Joe Biden's Cabinet.
There are currently two vacancies among the 26 positions in President Joe Biden's (D) Cabinet: Labor Secretary and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary. Former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh resigned on March 11, 2023. Biden's nominee for the position, Julie Su, is the acting secretary.[1] U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge resigned from her position on March 22, 2024.[2] Former Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman is serving as acting secretary.[3]
The Cabinet tradition is rooted in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution, which states that the president "may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices."[4]
While not explicitly identified in the Constitution, the Cabinet secretaries are the 15 agency heads who are in the presidential line of succession. The vice president is also part of the Cabinet.
The following offices are also Cabinet-rank positions in the Biden administration:[5]
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Director of National Intelligence
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
All but two of these Cabinet positions—vice president and White House chief of staff—require Senate confirmation.
Click here to read more about each member.
President Donald Trump (R) did not include the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, ambassador to the United Nations, or director of Office of Science and Technology Policy in his final Cabinet.[6]
President Barack Obama (D) established a similar Cabinet to Biden's but did not include the directors of National Intelligence, Central Intelligence, or Office of Science and Technology Policy.[7]
This page includes the following information:
Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointees
Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointees
The following individuals are members of Biden's Cabinet. They have either been confirmed by the U.S. Senate or hold a position that does not require Senate confirmation.
Vice President
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Secretary of the Treasury
Attorney General
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Homeland Security
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Acting Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Adrianne Todman
Acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Director of National Intelligence
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
U.S. Trade Representative
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Council of Economic Advisers Chair
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
White House Chief of Staff
Confirmation process
Confirmation process
See also: Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees
The following table provides an overview of the status, confirmation hearings, and committee and Senate votes for each of Biden's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees.[8]
Overview of confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees
Nominee
Position
Announced
Senate committee
Confirmation hearing
Committee vote
Senate vote
Status
Secretary of State
November 23, 2020
January 19, 2021
Favorable (15-3)
78-22
Confirmed on January 26, 2021
Secretary of the Treasury
November 30, 2020
January 19, 2021
Favorable (26-0)
84-15
Confirmed on January 25, 2021
Secretary of Defense
December 8, 2020
January 19, 2021
Favorable (Voice Vote)
93-2
Confirmed on January 22, 2021
Attorney General
January 7, 2021
February 22-23, 2021
Favorable (15-7)
70-30
Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Secretary of the Interior
December 17, 2020
February 23-24, 2021
Favorable (11-9)
51-40
Confirmed on March 15, 2021
Secretary of Agriculture
December 10, 2020
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
February 2, 2021
Favorable (Voice Vote)
92-7
Confirmed on February 23, 2021
Secretary of Commerce
January 7, 2021
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
January 26, 2021
Favorable (21-3)
84-15
Confirmed on March 2, 2021
Secretary of Labor
January 7, 2021
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
February 4, 2021
Favorable (18-4)
68-29
Confirmed on March 22, 2021
Secretary of Labor
February 28, 2023
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
April 20, 2023
Favorable (11-10)
TBD
TBD
Secretary of Health and Human Services
December 7, 2020
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance
February 23, 2021 / February 24, 2021
No recommendation (14-14)
50-49
Confirmed on March 18, 2021
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
December 10, 2020
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
January 28, 2021
Favorable (17-7)
66-34
Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Secretary of Transportation
December 15, 2020
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
January 21, 2021
Favorable (21-3)
86-13
Confirmed on February 2, 2021
Secretary of Energy
December 17, 2020
January 27, 2021
Favorable (13-4)
64-35
Confirmed on February 25, 2021
Secretary of Education
December 22, 2020
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
February 3, 2021
Favorable (17-5)
64-33
Confirmed on March 1, 2021
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
December 10, 2020
January 27, 2021
Favorable (Unanimous)
87-7
Confirmed on February 8, 2021
Secretary of Homeland Security
November 23, 2020
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
January 19, 2021
Favorable (7-4)
56-43
Confirmed on February 2, 2021
U.S. Trade Representative
December 10, 2020
February 25, 2021
Favorable (Voice Vote)
98-0
Confirmed on March 17, 2021
Director of National Intelligence
November 23, 2020
January 19, 2021
N/A[9]
84-10
Confirmed on January 20, 2021
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
November 23, 2020
January 27, 2021
Favorable (18-4)
78-20
Confirmed on February 23, 2021
Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers
November 30, 2020
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
January 28, 2021
Favorable (24-0)
95-4
Confirmed on March 2, 2021
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
November 30, 2020
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget
February 9, 2021 / February 10, 2021
N/A
N/A
Withdrawn on March 2, 2021
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
November 24, 2021
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget
February 1, 2022 / February 1, 2022
Favorable (7-6) / Favorable (15-6)
61-36
Confirmed on March 15, 2022
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
December 17, 2020
February 3, 2021
Favorable (14-6)
66-34
Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
January 7, 2021
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
February 3, 2021
Favorable (15-5)
81-17
Confirmed on March 16, 2021
Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
January 16, 2021
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
April 29, 2021
Favorable (Voice Vote)
Voice Vote
Confirmed on May 28, 2021
Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
June 21, 2022
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
July 20, 2022
Favorable (15-13)
56-40
Confirmed on September 22, 2022
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
January 11, 2021
February 24, 2021
Favorable (Voice Vote)
Voice Vote
Confirmed on March 18, 2021
Impeachment of Cabinet officials
Impeachment of Cabinet officials
See also: Impeachment of federal officials
House vote in favor of articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas (2024)
House vote in favor of articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas (2024)
See also: Impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, 2024
On April 17, 2024, the U.S. Senate dismissed two articles of impeachment against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. In two votes along party lines, with Democrats supporting and Republicans opposing the motions, the Senate voted that the allegations in the articles of impeachment did not meet the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors.[11]
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas on February 13, 2024. The vote was 214-213, with 214 Republicans voting in favor. Three Republicans, Reps. Michael Gallagher (R-Wis.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), and 210 Democrats voted against impeachment. This was the second time the articles of impeachment were put up for a vote, following a failed vote on February 6, 2024. The House transmitted the articles of impeachment to the U.S. Senate on April 16, 2024.
The articles of impeachment alleged that Mayorkas "willfully and systemically refused to comply with the immigration laws, failed to control the border to the detriment of national security, compromised public safety, and violated the rule of law and separation of powers in the Constitution" and breached the public trust "by knowingly making false statements to Congress and the American people and avoiding lawful oversight in order to obscure the devastating consequences of his willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and carry out his statutory duties."[12]
Mayorkas responded to the House Committee on Homeland Security's vote to approve the impeachment articles, saying, "I assure you that your false accusations do not rattle me and do not divert me from the law enforcement and broader public service mission to which I have devoted most of my career and to which I remain devoted."[13]
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced the articles of impeachment on November 13, 2023. The articles were amended by the House Committee on Homeland Security, and passed the committee in a vote along party lines, with all Republicans voting in favor, on January 31, 2024.[12]
This was the first time the House voted on articles of impeachment against a Cabinet secretary since 1876. In 1876, Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached for "criminally disregarding his duty as Secretary of War and basely prostituting his high office to his lust for private gain."[14][15]
Former Cabinet members
Former Cabinet members
Marcia Fudge (2021-2024)
Marcia Fudge (2021-2024)
Fudge resigned as President Joe Biden's (D) U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary on March 22, 2024. She announced her resignation on March 11, 2024.[16] Fudge said in a statement, "It has always been my belief that government can and should work for the people. For the last three years, I have fully embraced HUD's mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. The people HUD serves are those who are often left out and left behind. These are my people. They serve as my motivation for everything we have been able to accomplish."[16]
After her resignation announcement, Biden said, "Under Marcia’s transformational leadership, we have worked hard to lower housing costs and increase supply. We’ve proposed the largest investment in affordable housing in U.S. history. We’ve taken steps to aggressively combat racial discrimination in housing by ensuring home appraisals are more fair and by strengthening programs to redress the negative impacts of redlining. Thanks to Secretary Fudge, we’ve helped first-time homebuyers, and we are working to cut the cost of renting. And there are more housing units under construction right now than at any time in the last 50 years. [...] I’m grateful for all of her contributions toward a housing system that works for all Americans, and I wish her well in her next chapter."[17]
Marty Walsh (2021-2023)
Marty Walsh (2021-2023)
Marty Walsh was the secretary of labor. On March 11, 2023, Walsh resigned as U.S. Secretary of Labor.[18] The Daily Faceoff first reported on February 7 that Walsh would resign from his position as secretary of labor in the Biden administration to work as the executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association. The outlet said the resignation would take effect sometime after Biden's February 7 state of the union address.[19] On February 16, Walsh officially announced he intended to resign in mid-March to begin working as the executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association.[20]
The following day, President Joe Biden (D) said in a statement, "[Walsh's] record at the Department of Labor is a testament to the power of putting a card-carrying union member in charge of fighting for American workers. Marty has gone to bat for working families every day, and with his help, this administration has helped workers recover from a historic economic downturn and launch a new era of worker power."[21]
Biden nominated Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su to replace Walsh.[22]
Ron Klain (2021-2023)
Ron Klain (2021-2023)
Ron Klain was the White House chief of staff. Biden named Klain his White House chief of staff and assistant to the president on November 11, 2020. "Ron has been invaluable to me over the many years that we have worked together, including as we rescued the American economy from one of the worst downturns in our history in 2009 and later overcame a daunting public health emergency in 2014," Biden said in a statement.[23]
Klain submitted a resignation letter to Biden on January 27, 2023. In the letter, he said, "The halfway point of your first term - with two successful years behind us, and key decisions on the next two years ahead — is the right time for this team to have fresh leadership. I have served longer than eight of the last nine Chiefs of Staff, and have given this job my all; now it is time for someone else to take it on."[24] Biden announced he had selected Jeff Zients to replace Klain the same day.[24] Klain's final day at the White House took place on February 7, with Zients officially beginning as chief of staff on February 8, 2023.[25]
Eric Lander (2021-2022)
Eric Lander (2021-2022)
Eric Lander was the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. President Joe Biden (D) announced that Lander, a geneticist, molecular biologist, and mathematician, was his nominee for the position on January 16, 2021. Biden also elevated the position have Cabinet-rank status.[23] The Senate confirmed Lander by voice vote on May 28, 2021.[26]
On February 7, 2022, Lander submitted a letter of resignation to President Joe Biden (D).[27] In the letter, Lander said: "I have sought to push myself and my colleagues to reach our shared goals — including at times challenging and criticizing. But it is clear that things I said, and the way I said them, crossed the line at times into being disrespectful and demeaning, to both men and women."[28] His resignation was set to be effective no later than February 18.[27] To read more, click here.
Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations
Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations
Comparison to Trump administration
Comparison to Trump administration
The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2017 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.
Comparison to Obama administration
Comparison to Obama administration
The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2009 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Barack Obama (D) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.
Historical comparison of Cabinet announcements
Historical comparison of Cabinet announcements
The following chart shows how long it took the projected winner of three recent presidential elections—Barack Obama (D) in 2008, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020—to begin to announce their nominees for Cabinet and Cabinet-rank positions.
White House chief of staff was the first position to be announced by all three with Obama taking the shortest time (2 days after the election) and Biden the longest (8 days after the election).
With the exception of the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, which was not Cabinet-rank in Trump's administration, Trump had named all of his nominees 72 days out.
Obama took 45 days to do the same. (The director of national intelligence was not a Cabinet-rank position in his administration.)
Confirmation hearing process for Cabinet nominees
Confirmation hearing process for Cabinet nominees
See also: Appointment confirmation process
After the president submits a written nomination to the U.S. Senate, the nomination is passed to the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the appointed position. Some positions require a joint hearing of two or more committees. Committee hearings allow a close examination of the nominee, looking for partisanship and views on public policy. They can also summon supporters and opponents to testify. Committees are permitted to conduct their own investigations into the nominees.[29]
The following table outlines the jurisdiction of the Senate committees in terms of the presidential appointment confirmation process. The left column indicates the Senate committee, and the right indicates the federal departments and administrations over which the committee has jurisdiction.[29]
Click here to learn more about the appointment confirmation process.
Jurisdiction of Senate committees in presidential appointment confirmation process
Committee
Jurisdiction[30]
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Securities and Exchange Commission
Heads of Federal Banking institutions (e.g., FDIC)
All issues concerning the Budget (e.g., tax revenues, government expenditures)
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Undersecretary for Science and Technology
Oversight in any issue concerning the environment, public works, or federal buildings
Social Security Administration
International Trade Commission
International Monetary Fund
U.S. Agency for International Development
Peace Corps
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
U.S. General Services Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
Circuit and Appeals Courts of District of Columbia
United States Postal Service
Inspectors General of all departments
Supreme Court
Circuit Courts
District Courts
Rules of the Senate
General administration of congressional buildings
Smithsonian Institution
Botanic Gardens
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Small Business Administration
U.S. Department of Labor's Assistant Secretary for the Veterans Employment and Training
Central Intelligence Agency
U.S. Department of Treasury's Assistant Secretary for Intelligence Analysis
U.S. Department of Justice's Attorney General for National Security
Director of National Intelligence
Potential Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointees
Potential Cabinet and Cabinet-level appointees
The following table shows potential appointees to Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions based on reports from several outlets, including Politico and The Washington Post.[31][32][33][34][35] They are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Joe Biden's Cabinet
Photo
Potential appointees
Secretary of State
Tony Blinken, Biden campaign foreign policy advisor
William Burns, former deputy secretary of state
Chris Coons, U.S. senator from Delaware
Chris Murphy, U.S. senator from Connecticut
Susan Rice, former U.N. ambassador
Secretary of the Treasury
Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Lael Brainard, Federal Reserve governor
Roger Ferguson, former Federal Reserve vice chairman and governor
Mellody Hobson, former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation
Sarah Bloom Raskin, former deputy secretary of the Treasury
Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator from Massachusetts
Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve
Secretary of Defense
Tammy Duckworth, U.S. senator from Illinois
Michèle Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense for policy
Jeh Johnson, former secretary of homeland security
Jack Reed, U.S. senator from Rhode Island
Attorney General
Xavier Becerra, California attorney general
Jeh Johnson, former secretary of homeland security
Doug Jones, U.S. senator from Alabama
Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Sally Yates, former acting U.S. attorney general
Secretary of Agriculture
Cheri Bustos, U.S. representative from Illinois
Marcia Fudge, U.S. representative from Ohio
Heidi Heitkamp, former U.S. senator from North Dakota
Chellie Pingree, U.S. representative from Maine
Secretary of Commerce
Mellody Hobson, former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation
Terry McAuliffe, former governor of Virginia
Meg Whitman (R), former CEO of eBay and Hewlett Packard
Secretary of Labor
Sharon Block, director of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School
Seth Harris, former deputy labor secretary
Andy Levin, U.S. representative from Michigan
Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants
Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Bernie Sanders, U.S. senator from Vermont
Bill Spriggs, chief economist at the AFL-CIO
Julie Su, secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
Marty Walsh, mayor of Boston
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Mandy Cohen, North Carolina secretary of health
Michelle Lujan Grisham, governor of New Mexico
Vivek Murthy, former U.S. surgeon general
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Karen Bass, U.S. representative from California
Alvin Brown, former mayor Jacksonville
Maurice Jones, president and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Keisha Lance Bottoms, mayor of Atlanta
Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition
Secretary of Education
Linda Darling-Hammond, education professor emeritus at Stanford University
Lily Eskelsen Garcia, former president of the National Education Association
Jahana Hayes, U.S. representative from Connecticut
Donna Shalala, U.S. representative from Florida
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend
Tammy Duckworth, U.S. senator from Illinois
Jason Kander, former Missouri secretary of state
Secretary of Homeland Security
Xavier Becerra, California attorney general
Val Demings, U.S. representative from Florida
Alejandro Mayorkas, former deputy secretary of homeland security
Lisa Monaco, former White House homeland security adviser
Director of the Office of Management & Budget
Brian Dees, former deputy director of the OMB
Ben Harris, former economic adviser to Biden
John Jones, former chief of staff to Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)
Gene Sperling, former NEC director
U.S. Trade Representative
Nelson Cunningham, former White House special advisor on Western Hemisphere affairs
Jimmy Gomez, U.S. representative from California
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend
Wendy Sherman, former undersecretary of state
Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
Heather Boushey, economist
Lisa Cook, economics professor at Michigan State
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Mónica Lozano, CEO of La Opinión
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