President Joe Biden’s diverse array of Cabinet nominees has certainly been full of ‘firsts’. Ranging from widely respected and renowned public servants to more progressive and potentially controversial picks, President Biden’s appointees are currently undergoing rigorous Senate confirmation hearings. His core Cabinet includes Vice President Kamala Harris, Chief of Staff Ron Klain, and fifteen other leaders. With the United States Senate split equally between Democrats and Republicans, the confirmation hearings for these potential heads of state are vexed.
The first Cabinet nominee to be confirmed was Avril Haines, who with this approval became the highest-ranking woman in the U.S intelligence community and the first female director of national intelligence. Her previous ranks include deputy national security adviser and deputy CIA director under former President Obama. Haines, as director of national intelligence, had a relatively clear path to this position, as she was confirmed with a 84-10 vote. Despite the vote weighing heavily in her favor, Haines has been criticized in the past for her controversial usage of drones to target terrorists, particularly during the Obama administration.

The less controversial picks of the president include Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who was confirmed with a Senate vote of 93-2. Austin’s selection comes on the heels of his close work with President Biden during the Obama administration. As a renowned four-star officer of the U.S. Army, Austin was the first Black general to command an army division in combat. He has already begun to propose policies shared by President Biden, including an entire overhaul of the manner in which the military handles sexual assault cases. Austin is pushing for cases to be assigned to military prosecutors unfamiliar with the accused, in order to avoid the common injustices faced by victims of military sexual assault.

Janet Yellen, a political and economic figure held in high regard by both parties, is the new treasury secretary. As the former chair of the Federal Reserve, Yellen is in good standing with Wall Street and trusted by many in the economic community. Her 84-15 confirmation vote poised her to be the first female treasury secretary, following suit with her position as first female chair of the Federal Reserve. Her experience with chairing the White House Council of Economic Advisors under Former President Clinton’s administration influenced President Biden’s nomination. Yellen is a Keynesian economist who advocates for government regulation in economic markets.

Antony Blinken was among the first of President Biden’s nominees, and was recently confirmed to be the new secretary of state. Blinken worked closely with President Biden as both an aide during his time as VP and as a key member of his 2020 campaign team. When President Biden chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken was the Democratic staff director, and he also served on the National Security Council. Opposition to Blinken is concerned with foreign policy; specifically, that he would abandon Trump’s maximum pressure approach to Iran. Despite these concerns, Blinken was confirmed with a 78-22 Senate vote.

The first Latino and first immigrant to lead the Department of Homeland Security is Alejandro Mayorkas, who was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 56-43. Facing the strongest opposition so far out of President Biden’s confirmed nominees, Mayorkas previously directed this department’s legal immigration agency, as well as serving as deputy secretary of homeland security. Mayorkas was also instrumental in creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program during the Obama administration. Republicans cited concern over an investor visa program Mayorkas was involved with during his time in the Obama administration, as well as his headstrong immigration policy.

Pete Buttigieg, the youngest nominee, is the new secretary of transportation. He does not have tremendous experience with this department, but many feel confident that he will lead it well. Buttigieg’s recent rise to notability comes on the heels of a 2020 presidential run. For the past two years, Buttigieg has been the the first openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and will be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary. Buttigieg worked to expand opportunities in historically Black neighborhoods of South Bend, and he funded the repair or removal of abandoned houses in lower-income neighborhoods. Buttigieg was confirmed with a 86-13 Senate vote.

An 87-7 Senate vote confirmed Denis McDonough to the post of secretary of Veterans Affairs. A longtime Obama aide, he also served as the former president’s chief of staff for his second term, following his position as deputy national security advisor. McDonough’s extensive experience with handling national crises will help him oversee the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to the 18+ million U.S. veterans. The new secretary claims he will attempt to overhaul the entire department, as it tries to escape the scandals it was involved in during Former President Trump’s administration.

Tom Vilsack was recently confirmed to be the new secretary of Agriculture. He served as Agriculture secretary for the entirety of the Obama administration, a position which was greatly considered in his nomination. Vilsack has also been president of the US Dairy Export Council, a dairy lobby group, which raises concerns, despite his wide 92-7 vote confirmation margin. Bernie Sanders, a notable opponent of Vilsack’s, vocalized those concerns and became the first senator who caucuses with the Democrats to vote against a Cabinet nominee. Vilsack’s position at the dairy lobby group would create a conflict of interest between the potential Cabinet member and several lobbying groups. While leading the department, Vilsack intends to tackle the hunger and farm crises, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield has been approved to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. With 35 years of experience in foreign service, Greenfield’s former posts include assistant secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs; director general of the US Foreign Service; director of human resources at the State Department; ambassador to Liberia; as well as postings to Switzerland, Pakistan, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica. Greenfield was confirmed with a 78-20 Senate vote, poising her to confront several conflicts facing the UN, with the more pertinent ones being climate change and COVID-19.

The most recent nominees to be confirmed are Marcia Fudge, who will be leading the Housing and Urban Development Administration, and Merrick Garland, Biden’s pick for Attorney General. Garland was previously nominated by President Obama to the Supreme Court, though his nomination was blocked by Mitch McConnel’s refusal to hold hearings on Garland’s nomination. Garland, who will leave his previous position as a judge on the First Circuit Court of Appeals, has pledged to make combating right-wing extremism and prosecuting those who stormed the Capitol the Justice Department’s top priority.

President Biden has been lauded for his appointment of a diverse crowd to his Presidential Cabinet. As of March 9, 2021, 13 out of 23 of President Biden’s nominees have been confirmed to the Cabinet. Other confirmations not mentioned in this comprehensive list include chair of Council of Economic Advisors (Cecilia Rouse), secretary of Education (Miguel Cardona), and secretary of Energy (Jennifer Granholm). This Presidential Cabinet has included the first nomination and confirmation of a woman, an openly gay person, and women and men of color for multiple positions. Although over half of the Cabinet has been approved, the contentious debate for many of President Biden’s picks continues.