Joe Biden

Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, has been breaking glass ceilings. This includes many firsts for cabinet members as Biden has said he plans to “have the most diverse cabinet in history”. He has set out to achieve this by choosing the most women and men of color than any cabinet in US history. 

Lloyd Austin

One of Biden’s cabinet picks is General Lloyd Austin for the Secretary of Defense. If confirmed he will be the first African-AmericanDefense Secretary. 

“The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies, but we can’t do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks,” Austin said

Alejandro Mayokas

Alejandro Mayokas is a nominee for the Secretary of Homeland who, if nominated, will be the first immigrant and Latino to run in the cabinet. 

“When I was very young, the United States provided my family and me a place of refuge,” Mayokas said. “Now, I have been nominated to be the DHS Secretary and oversee the protection of all Americans and those who flee persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.”

Deb Haaland

Deb Haaland from New Mexico will serve as the Department of Interior and will be the first Native American to serve in the cabinet. 

”As the first Native American Cabinet secretary in the history of the United States of America, she’ll be a true steward of our national parks, our natural resources, and all of our lands,” Biden said. 

Pete Buttigieg

The Department of Transportation nominee is currently Pete Buttigieg who will be the youngest in the cabinet at 38 years old and is the first openly gay person to be confirmed by the Senate for a cabinet position.

“Beau Biden is right, this is a contest for the soul of the nation. And to me, that contest is not between good Americans and evil Americans. It’s the struggle to call out what is good in every American, it’s up to us,” Buttigieg said. “Will America be a place where faith is about healing and not exclusion? Can we become a country that lives up to the truth that Black Lives Matter? Will we handle questions of science and medicine by turning to scientists and doctors? Will we see to it that no one who works full time can live in poverty?” 

John Kerry and Michael Regan

Though he is not a cabinet member, John Kerry is an important part of Biden’s campaign as the Climate Envoy. Kerry took part in making the Paris Climate Agreement. 

“America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is,” Kerry said.

 As Biden has made a push for wanting a better Earth. 

Another environmental candidate of Biden’s cabinet is Michael Regan. He will be the first African-American to run the EPA and will be making big decisions for the environment during Biden’s presidency. 

“Secretary Regan recognizes the very real threat that climate change poses to lives and livelihoods,”  Hawley Truax, director of the Southeast office of the Environmental Defense Fund, where Regan worked for about eight years, said.

Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra is a nominee for the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He led fights against Trump’s plan to destroy the affordable care act. If nominated he will be the first Latino to serve in this position. 

“My father was a construction worker most of his life. My mother, when she came from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to the United States, never had a chance to go to college either and became a clerical worker. But they did nothing but build this country,” Becerra said. 

Dennis McDonough

As a former Chief of Staff for the 44th President Barack Obama, McDonough is a nominee for Secretary of Veteran Affairs. This choice has suffered some backlash as he has not spent a single day in the field of military service. 

“President Obama understands that, as a nation founded by those who fled religious persecution, freedom of religion is central to who we are as Americans. Our rights are not given to us by the government, they are endowed by our Creator,” said McDonough.

Miguel Cardona 

The Department of Education nominee for Biden’s cabinet is Miguel Cardona. Cardona has gone to school as a student and as an elementary school teacher. He then went on to become the principal of the elementary school for 10 years. Biden called Cardona a lifelong champion of public education. 

“Miguel Cardona is a visionary, humble and experienced educator who will lead the Department of Education out of the DeVosian wilderness and toward excellence,” Rep. Joaquín Castro, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said. 

Katherine Tai

The nominee for US Trade Representative is Katherine Tai. 

“Katherine Tai is the most qualified candidate for USTR, and her nomination would reflect President-elect Biden’s commitment to the Dignity of Work,” Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a progressive who is a key voice in the Senate on trade, tweeted. 

If Tai is elected she will be the first woman of color to run the department.