Politics

Biden Administration: Here Are His Cabinet Members And Key Advisers

By Elena Moore,

Published January 18, 2021 at 12:07 PM CST

Updated on Jan. 18 at 11:11 a.m. ET

President-elect Joe Biden has assembled his inner circle of advisers and Cabinet officials ahead of Inauguration Day.

Now, he's waiting on Congress to confirm his nominees — particularly those involved in key national security and economic positions.

The Senate has scheduled hearings for five key officials on Jan. 19, the day before Biden takes office: retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin for defense secretary, Janet Yellen for the Treasury, Alejandro Mayorkas for Homeland Security, Antony Blinken for the State Department and Avril Haines as director of national intelligence.

It's unclear how quickly the Senate will hold votes on Biden's picks. So in the meantime, he plans to put a group of career officials in place as acting heads of agencies until the Senate confirms his Cabinet.

Biden is running behind. President Trump had two Cabinet members confirmed by Inauguration Day in 2017, while former President Barack Obama had six.

Here's who Biden has chosen for , , and and a range of — including his top advisers.

National security

Biden has chosen officials to oversee U.S. intelligence and defense, and spearhead relations with world leaders and international coalitions. All of these officials must be confirmed by the Senate.

Economic policy

As the U.S. continues to fight through a recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, Biden has made picks to lead his economic, financial and trade policy. These positions must be confirmed by the Senate.

Additional members of Biden's Cabinet

Biden will overhaul departments to remove President Trump's appointees and nominate officials to carry out his policy agenda. These officials require Senate confirmation.

Other nominees

These officials will work on Biden's push to roll back Trump administration policies on immigration and climate as well as help with the coronavirus response. Many of these officials for key agencies must also receive Senate confirmation.

White House

These are the top aides who Biden will count on to run his White House and advise him on top policy initiatives. Most do not need confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

This page was originally published on Nov. 17 at 11:49 a.m. ET.

Corrected: December 7, 2020 at 11:00 PM CST

An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated that the CDC director position requires Senate confirmation. It does not.

Corrected: December 7, 2020 at 11:00 PM CST

An earlier version of this story incorrectly indicated that the CDC director position requires Senate confirmation. It does not.