Biden’s Picks: The nominees for national security posts

President-elect Joe Biden announced his national security team elections on Nov. 23. Biden’s early moves reflect his intent to bring government experience and personal friendships into his administration. 

“These individuals are equally as experienced and crisis-tested as they are innovative and imaginative,” Biden said in the news release from his transition team on Monday. “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.”

Biden’s first cabinet nominations are Alejandro Mayorkas — a Cuban-American and former Deputy DHS Secretary — to lead the department and Avril Haines — Deputy National Security Adviser to former President Barack Obama — who’s been nominated as Director of National Intelligence.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry will potentially serve on the White House National Security Council as special presidential envoy for climate change.

Biden also plans to nominate Antony Blinken — his longtime Foreign-Policy Adviser — to serve as Secretary of State, and Jake Sullivan — another longtime coworker — for the role of National Security Adviser. Their history together goes back to the post-9/11 era when Blinken was Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while Biden served as a senator representing Delaware.

Biden, who’s stressed the importance of a diverse cabinet, selected Linda Thomas-Greenfield — African American and veteran diplomat — to serve as his U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

The president-elect also plans to nominate former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen as the next Treasury Secretary. If confirmed, she’d be the first woman in history to hold the position. 

The General Services Administration will provide federal resources, after the delay in making a formal determination that would’ve allowed the transition to fully move ahead. Trump, who still has yet to concede the election, tweeted shortly after Murphy’s announcement that his “case STRONGLY continues” but told his team to “do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols.”

Biden’s considering Michèle Flournoy — who cofounded the WestExec Advisors firm with him back in 2017 — for Defense Secretary, which would make her the first woman to run the Pentagon.

As he builds his cabinet, Biden will consider gender equity and racial diversity in his nominations. His aides expect him to work to avoid replicating Obama’s administration, although many of those named to senior positions on Monday served under Obama.

Fellow politicians were quick to voice their opinions on Twitter, such as Republican Sen. Tom Cotton who said that he thought Biden’s picks would go too easy on China. 

“America will be in deep trouble if the same officials who oversaw the Obama/Biden administration’s disastrous China policy enter office and roll back all of the progress made against Beijing over the past four years,” Cotton Tweeted.

Biden’s team will demonstrate his faith in global alliances and institutions. Blinken and Sullivan both served terms as National Security Adviser during the Obama administration, and Thomas-Greenfield was assistant Secretary of State for African affairs during Obama’s second term. 

Haines, Biden’s pick for Director of National Intelligence, worked alongside him when he was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as the committee’s Deputy Legal Counsel. As Deputy National Security Adviser under Obama, she oversaw a process that led to a refugee admission increase from 70,000 in 2015 to 110,000 in 2017. She also played a role in policies intended to limit civilian casualties from U.S. forces such as drone strikes.

Potential Head of Homeland Security, Mayorkas, served as Attorney for the Central District of California under former President Bill Clinton. During Obama’s first term, Mayorkas was praised by immigration advocates for leading the agency that administered the Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Beyond national security and economic concerns, Biden’s team plans to announce a series of health-related jobs to address COVID-19 once he takes office.

Biden’s Health and Human Services Secretary, former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who frequently briefs Biden on the virus, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Rep. Karen Bass (D., Calif.) are the main contenders for the job. 

For Attorney General, Biden is considering former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, Sen. Doug Jones (D., Ala.), and former Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, a veteran of the Justice Department.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are under consideration for Transportation Secretary, and former Xerox Corp. CEO Ursula Burns and former PepsiCo Inc. CEO Indra Nooyi are candidates to lead the Commerce Department.

Progressives are criticizing candidates who they consider to be too moderate. Activists have urged Biden not to choose Emanuel for Transportation Secretary, and some environmental groups oppose former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz landing a senior position because of his role on the board of the electric utility Southern Co.

Competition for Labor Secretary has also fallen into the public eye, with union leaders pushing candidates for the job. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has been advocating for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, while Michigan’s congressional delegation and other union leaders back Rep. Andy Levin (D., Mich.). Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has expressed his interest in the position if Biden chooses a sitting senator.

Many Republicans have refrained from acknowledging Biden as president-elect. But Trump is being pressured to concede and allow Biden to proceed with transitional activities, such as high-level classified briefings. Members of Biden’s economic team will be named early next week.