The latest round of appointments reflects both the commitment of the next president to form a government team that reflects the American people and his desire to build on experience and even continuity.
Ms Rice, an African-American who was on the list of possible running mates, will be responsible for overseeing much of the political agenda of the 46th US president. It came as no surprise that Joe Biden recruited her from among his aides, but her expertise in foreign policy foreshadowed other responsibilities.
The former US ambassador to the UN, who later served as White House security adviser, two terms she successively served during the administration of former President Obama, was more perceived as one of the candidates vying to head US diplomacy, a post which was given to Antony Blinken.
The post she inherits does not, however, require the consent of the Senate, which risks remaining under the control of the Republicans after the two senatorial elections in Georgia, the second round of which will be held next January.
The ex-diplomat, whose appointment will no doubt displease Republicans, found himself in the hot seat after claiming that the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans in 2012, no was not necessarily a terrorist attack
, but rather resulted from a spontaneous manifestation having degenerated
, an erroneous statement which then deprived her of the post of Secretary of State.
Mr. Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, will take over as head of the Department of Agriculture, which he led during Barack Obama’s eight-year term.
Joe Biden also appointed Denis McDonough, former chief of staff to the former Democratic president, to head the Department of Veterans Affairs and put Ohio representative Marcia Fudge, a black woman, in charge of Housing and of Urban Development.
He also made Katherine Tai, a lawyer of Taiwanese origins specializing in free trade and trade relations with China, his trade representative.
If Ms. Tai, who speaks Mandarin, gets Senate approval, she will become the first Asian American and the first visible minority woman to assume the role.
Considered a skilled negotiator, she is, according to the Politico site, credited by her supporters with the improvements made to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which entered into force last summer. After the agreement between the three countries was reached, the Democrats had managed to negotiate stricter enforcement tools for the provisions affecting labor and the environment.
In the statement announcing the appointments, Joe Biden said this was a team of seasoned professionals who will help make government work for all Americans, especially in this time of pandemic, thanks to their compassion, integrity and character
, their great expertise
and their bold vision
.
If the Senate approves their appointment, several of its Cabinet members will set precedents. Xavier Becerra, appointed to Health and Social Services, and Alejando Mayorkas, to Homeland Security, would for example be the first Spanish speakers to head their respective departments, and retired General Lloyd Austin, appointed to Defense, would be the first African-American in command of the Pentagon.
Several women would also be pioneers: Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury, and Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence, would be the first to occupy these positions.
Vice-President-designate Kamala Harris, who does not need the support of senators to take office, will make history in more ways than one. She will become the first woman, the first black and the first person of Asian descent to become vice-president.
“A third Obama term”
Even before the announcement of these nominations, commentators were already talking about a Obama third term
so much the ex-vice-president draws from the pool formed by his former colleagues those who will compose his own Cabinet.
For example, Antony Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas and Avril Haines were each number two in the departments or agency they are respectively called upon to head.
Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain for his part coordinated the White House response to the Ebola crisis in 2014, and John Kerry, appointed the president’s special climate envoy, served as secretary of state. . Jen Psaki, who will be the spokesperson for the White House from January 20, has played several roles in the Obama administration, including that of director of communications for the White House. These are just a few examples.
Some Democrats would prefer Mr. Biden to broaden his horizons by surrounding himself with people with new ideas chosen from outside Washington circles.
Beyond the fact that they were members of the administration of the last Democratic president, several of the people Joe Biden brought together in his cabinet, including Antony Blinken, John Kerry and Tom Vilsack, a former senator, also have connections professional or personal with him, often for a long time.
Two of the members he chose from his administration, Vice President-designate Kamala Harris and General Austin, for their part worked closely with his son Beau, lawyer then attorney general, now deceased.
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